You Never Bike Alone

You Never Bike Alone, an impressive film written and directed by Robert Alstead, sends the important message that "freedom is always the freedom of the one who thinks differently" (Rosa Luxemburg). It tells us the story of a cycling minority rebellion in Vancouver, the story of critical mass rides: spontaneous, grassroots organized protest cycling rides; rides of the people living in traffic apartheid. If there is anything we can call direct democracy, than it is the right to share the public space: what the city streets and roads actually are. Following the narrative of cyclists' fight for equity on the roads and public space itself, we just cannot remain untouched. Cyclists, who offer even their naked bodies to block motorized vehicles, announce their vulnerability to politicians and all others, that they don't want to be perceived as the Other, that they are not an obstacle on the street, but are flesh and bone humans, with a basic human right to share the public space equally: they do not disturb the traffic, they are the traffic.

This is an excellent documentary which is remarkable as it has been produced, it would appear, on a very low budget and with the minimum of additional support to the film maker. The work and research going into the film cover several years of the cycle history of City of Vancouver and the struggle of the cycle community to secure better cycle paths and other facilities for the urban cyclist. It shows a remarkable tolerance to cycling among the Vancouver motoring community which would test many other motoring communities in other cities as was proved by an experiment in Edinburgh, Scotland. This documentary deserves to be widely screened to bring home to the motoring public the advantages of cycling and the need to give cyclists better facilities and better treatment in our cities.

I never thought I could achieve that sensation of pure exhilaration I get when riding "in Mass" from simply watching a movie, but I did with You Never Bike Alone. YNBA is an inspirational and informative look at the beautiful bicycle culture Vancouver has developed over the last decade or so.

Everyone comes out for the ride in YNBA -- from politicians organizing mass rides on the Lion's Gate bridge to funky freak bikers showing off their choppers, Vancouver seems to have a Mass for everyone! As a Toronto cycling advocate I have to admit I felt a bit jealous of Vancouver's ribbon-and-cake cutting bike lane opening ceremonies and their thousands-strong Critical Masses. On the flip side, I was saddened to see how Van bikers are still fighting for safe passage on many of their city's bridges.

Although this film is rooted in the evolution of Critical Mass it really does a great job showing off Vancouver's incredibly vibrant and cohesive cycling culture.

Now, if only they could get a bike lane on the Burrard street bridge.

In the vain of Ted White's 1991 Bikeumentary "Return of the scorcher" famed for having created the label "Critical Mass". Robert Alstead's "You Never Bike Alone" is Vancouver's very own record a parallel resurgence in urban bicycling.

Since Return of the Scorcher, we have seen a number of bike documentaries, mainly themed around Critical Mass, some simply an attempt to highlight police crackdowns (San Francisco's "The Truth Is Out" and more recently "Still We Ride" from New York City) But You never bike alone is much more than just another Critical Mass documentary. It's a well constructed historical sequence of events spanning the last 15 years in bicycle advocacy and activism. In fact, Critical Mass in Vancouver is just the beginning chapter of a colourful history of bike culture community development in Vancouver.

This film is comprehensive in its coverage of the evolution of Critical Mass. Robert is openly honest about the mixed feelings that some have about the relative ineffectiveness or outright counter productiveness of the rides. Beginning with a look at conflict in the early years, to a more positive and creative methodology as Critical Massers learned how to push their cause more effectively. It is clear that Critical Mass has informally spawned an impressive showcase of spin off events and community projects.

The breadth of this film is also impressive, from bike punks to city councillors the political history of the bicycle in Vancouver is analysed at a variety of levels.

This is where the documentary sets itself apart from every other I've seen, in fact I'm reluctant to call this "A Critical Mass" documentary per se. The focus substantially shifts forward to community projects and events like the world naked bike ride and chopper rides, events with a hint of Critical Mass but because of the new angle, none of the negative spin.

All in all, Vancouver and the cyclists of the street should be proud of "You Never Bike Alone" as it moves out into the world to tell the next chapter in the re-emerging age of the bicycle in western society.