An Opinionated Guide to Urban Cycling
Many people feel scared or uncertain around riding and maintaining their bicycles. I wrote a zine about it.
I was accepted to Milwaukee Zine Fest about a week before it was scheduled. In the two months on the waitlist I focused on other projects. I had never done an event like this so a zine to exhibit didnāt exist. Maybe next year, I supposed. But there were a few days to consider the invitation before I had to confirm or reject.
I took an afternoon walk to think through ideas. A recent conversation I had with a friend was stuck in my head: she liked to bike but didnāt know how to pump up her tires. Going to a mechanic gave her anxiety as this inquiry would feel so revealing about such a fundamental part of bike maintenance. Even as a seasoned rider I know that feeling too. Just days earlier Iād been to Vulture Space, a local bike shop, to replace my bottom bracket - a part I couldnāt identify a week earlier when I had the issue diagnosed. They shop provides guidance on maintenance but youāre the one that completes the fix. After an hour of work I left the shop powered by my refreshed ride and empowered with more literacy in how my bike functions.
While Iām not an expert mechanic there is a depth of knowledge Iāve learned about biking; especially city riding. My two Jamis road bikes have been my primary method of transportation since I graduated college. Iāve taught myself essential maintenance, amassed a functional tool kit, built a resource network via community rides, and made many mistakes.
Suddenly I had a kernel of an idea for a zine and the pressure of a due date. I wrote, drew, scanned, processed, and binded the zine in the handful of days before Milwaukee Zine Fest. On Saturday morning I arrived shortly before the 1030am start time with a plastic container of zines and set up my table with a couple hand drawn cards to advertise the goods.
As the first attendees wandered through the fest I was still hacking the staples correctly into place. To avoid folding or creasing the product zine creators can bind them using a long reach stapler. Good to know for next time. It turns out both bike maintenance and zine binding requires specialized knowledge and tools. Despite my slapdash approach attendees were responding to the zine warmly. It was a drug watching attendees slow their walk, examine the cover, and smile. I was awash with joy that people thought these doodles were funny.
I wrote An Opinionated Guide to Urban Cycling for new and aspiring bike riders. And dedicated bikers who perused the guide agreed the recommendations covered important essentials. Iām filled with the hope that maybe people will go on a bike ride or reference it at some point. Consider it a starter pack to riding in the city. To get you confident to make mistakes and get on the saddle again.
The first print of these has already sold out! I plan to make a second print soon to clean up a few mistakes in the first. And a future edition may add some sections ommitted due to the production crunch. Reach out to me on socials if you have thoughts or ideas or experiences getting acclimated to urban cycling. If you are interested in being notified when a second run is produced be sure to follow.
Thanks to the many folks who purchased a copy and connected with me about their bike adventures and misadventures! And thanks to shy_electron for being a supportive table mate to a newbie and helping process some of my sales. I had a great time connecting to the zine community and was buoyed by the positive reception. Already excited to table at a future zine fest. More soon!