Bike Kitchens and the sociomateriality of practice change: exploring cycling-repair relations

ABSTRACT

Maintenance and repair of bikes – material interventions – are essential to sustain cycling practices. In this paper we explore the role of (bi)cycle self-repair workshops (Bike Kitchens) and the practices they enable to maintain cycling practices. We connect a sociomaterial understanding of assisted self-repair to Bike Kitchens’ role in transformational mobility change. Empirically, we utilize our own experiences in organizing and running a small Bicycle Kitchen in Sweden in conjunctions with observations and interviews, drawing on theories of social practice, the sociology of materiality and repair studies. We develop the position that through deliberate engagement with the cycle as an entity, assisted self-repair practices provide flexible means of representing the transformative potential of cycling materialities. This has implications for the meanings attached to the cycle, cycling, repair and other associated practices. We argue that Bike Kitchens may engender epistemic practices useful to develop human-centered visions for re-imagining mobility and sociomaterial relations.

KEYWORDS:

• Repair
• maintenance
• sociomaterial
• practice
• bicycle
• cycling

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Authors’ contributions

Daniel Valentini developed the research design, collected the material, conducted the analysis and wrote the paper. Andrew Butler commented on and suggested revisions to the manuscript.