Cycling as a means of transport isn’t something we see a lot in popular culture, at least not in the English speaking world (it may be all over the place in the Netherlands and Denmark).
So I was really pleased to find this series of cartoons taking a light hearted look at a guy who is fanatical about transport cycling from an American cartoonist. Unfortunately the author stopped creating new cartoons at the end of 2012 but there are still 4 years of some pretty funny stuff to catch up on.
The titular character ran a bike shop, the Kickstand Cyclery, with his friend Joe,
The Family Guy cyclist – “…and it’s a great way to stay in shape!” – more typical of American stereotypes of cycling
and was often confronted with the challenges presented by his daily bicycle commute and the customers (or lack thereof) at his bike shop. Various characters included: the bike ninja, the bike hypochondriac, the ghost of the previous owner – Fred, the Shakers who built the bicycle frames, Thistle who worked in the shop with Yehuda and Joe, neighborhood kids, roadies, and commuters.
I think it is great that transport cycling is able to laugh at itself. I saw a lot of Yehuda Moon cartoons that definitely made me laugh at myself and some of the things I think and do while cycling. It is of course also a celebration of cycling and the fact it has a place in our lives that other means of transport can’t give us.
Another great satire on fanatical transport cycling is this guy from the TV show Portlandia:
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