The idea of a world based on active transport, and on cycling in particular, is a recurring theme in thinking on degrowth. Most degrowth advocates agree that the bicycle is a useful and desirable tool in a post-growth world:
The bicycle and the motor vehicle were invented by the same generation, but they are symbols of two opposing uses of modern advancement. […] It is a wonderful tool that takes full advantage of metabolic energy to speed up locomotion. On flat ground, the cyclist goes three or four times faster than the pedestrian, using five times less calories.
Some currents of degrowth stress the need for production at the local level, ideally through worker self-organization. But what exactly is involved in the production and maintenance of a bicycle in terms of work organization, material and energy resources, as well as technical choices?
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