Cycling is a sport of opposites. The mechanisms that comprise a bicycle are beautifully simple and work in perfect harmony to produce a graceful and efficient means of transportation. Additionally, cycling is a rigorous form of full-body exercise that has a relatively low-impact on the body’s bones and joints. Most importantly cycling tears down boundaries, it forces the rider to notice his surroundings and be aware of those around him. Cycling builds community and allows for interactions, both between riders and between rider and place. Juxtaposed against the simplicity and elegance of the bicycle, is the complexity and corruption of the sport. In recent years, cycling has been marred by scandal, fraud, and greed. The sport, on an international scale, has shifted away from friendly competition and community building to racketeering and marketing. In contrast to the wealth associated with the sport, stands the fact that participation in cycling can be prohibitively expensive. In an effort to overcome this obstacle, organizations like the Richmond Cycling Corps (RCC) are attempting to grow the popularity of the sport by introducing it to Richmond’s underserved youth. The RCC is a non-profit organization whose chief goal is to increase exposure to the sport in an effort to promote the development of healthy lifestyle choices for Richmond’s youth. By doing so, the RCC strives to build stronger, more connected communities. Using the program and mission statement of the Richmond Cycling Corps as a starting point, this project seeks to develop a space that promotes emotional and physical growth using cycling as the method of delivery.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-3773 |
| Date | 26 April 2012 |
| Creators | Poole, William |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © The Author |
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