This history of bicycle culture in Washington, DC, reveals its remarkable impact on social and cultural life
Bicycle couriers have been a part of life in Washington, DC since the end of the nineteenth century. Over time, the bicycle culture of the nation's capital evolved, and the bicycle messengers of the 1980s began to form a distinct subculture. They represented ideals of freedom and examples of urban chaos, an alternative to automobiles and a public menace, images of independence, and also, at times, a work structure of exploitation.
Rebels Without a Car: The Historical Significance of Bicycle Delivery in Washington, DC portrays this rebellious subculture as a product of Washington's complex history of bicycling, and part of a wave of important changes in the city's political structures, labor dynamics, racial and class formations, and recreational cultures. John Bloom describes how the bicycle, originally a symbol of race, class, and masculinity, became a mode of transportation—and work—for a much more diverse population. He traces how the system of contract labor under which child bicycle messengers worked in the 1880s and 1890s continues to structure bicycle delivery in American cities to the present day.
Rebels Without a Car tells the story of bicycling's important role in shaping Washington, DC history, the urban landscape, labor laws, gig work, and the unique counterculture that emerged from bicycle messengers in the nation's capital.
Reviews
"An intriguing history of bicycle messengers in Washington, DC that provides surprising and thoughtful connections between the past and the present."—Jeffrey L. Kidder, author, Urban Flow: Bike Messengers and the City
"Rebels without a Car is a well-researched and fascinating look at the history of bicycle messengers in Washington, D.C. Those who are interested in bicycle history and diversity, urban planning, labor history, or the history of Washington, D.C. would find this book informative and unique in its perspective."—Robert J. Turpin, PhD, author, Black Cyclists: The Race for Inclusion
"John Bloom has written a rich and original account of bicycle messengers that is all at once a history of work, mobility, and urban life. Combining excellent scholarship with personal insight, Rebels Without a Car reveals how the lives of this unique group of mobile workers can illuminate broader questions of identity, community, and social change."—Ben Fincham, Reader in Sociology, University of Sussex
About the Author
John Bloom is a professor in the Department of History and Philosophy at Shippensburg University. He is the author of several books on sports history, including coauthor of The Imperial Gridiron: Manhood, Civilization, and Football at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. He also had an unremarkable two-month career as a bicycle messenger.
