Changing Gears: A new documentary uncovering how bicycles can spark social change

Released in July 2024, Changing Gears foregrounds the work of three community organizations operating in Canada, Nicaragua, and Uganda which seek to use bicycles to create a more just, equitable and sustainable future. The documentary helps us (re-)imagine a world where everyone has the right to move freely and safely.

The bicycles for development (BFD) movement is nascent and comprised of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, governments, international organizations, and communities promoting and utilizing the bicycle to contribute to broader mobility justice efforts, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As the documentary underlines, however, it remains debatable whether or not BFD is a cohesive movement. But, as those featured in the film show, a number of activists and NGOs focused on BFD efforts uphold a shared vision of the importance of bicycles in shaping our daily lives, our communities and our future.

Changing Gears documentary trailer. Watch on YouTube

Access to a bicycle holds the potential for diverse communities to address structural inequalities and barriers that restrict their mobility such as perceived personal safety, affordability, environmental constraints and gender inequality. Indeed, as the documentary demonstrates, there are a plethora of social issues that the bicycle can help address, including: supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence; promoting social entrepreneurship; and improving access to employment, education and healthcare services. The bicycle can also act as a tool for personal growth by fostering independence, self learning, and skill mastery.

“For me I think biking is about having agency and feeling like you can be independent in the city. Having something that is your own, that you know how to take care of, that you feel comfortable with, I think that opens up so much more of the city to you.” - Adam Hasham, Charlie’s Freewheels, Toronto, Canada

We hope that this film will support advocacy efforts to improve cycling infrastructure, policy and programming; promote environmentally conscious non-motorized transport; share the stories of diverse organizations and communities from across the world; and inspire potential futures that are more inclusive, sustainable and just. Continued investigation regarding the possibilities, challenges, and tensions associated with BFD is vital.

Changing Gears would not have been possible without our co-researchers and community partners Charlie's FreeWheels, Union of Hope and Comision Mujer Joven. The film fits within a larger project that has been underway since 2016 led by researchers from York University, the University of British Columbia, University of Minnesota, Brock University and Carleton University focused on the capacity of the bicycle to contribute to mobility justice and ‘development’. The film was produced by Lyndsay Hayhurst and co-directed by Keiron Cobban and Lyndsay Hayhurst. The research that informed the documentary was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the York Research Chairs Program, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Find out more

Click here to view the trailer for Changing Gears.
Click here to navigate to the documentary website for more about the documentary and upcoming screenings
Join the BFD movement! Click here to check out our ‘Bicycles and Development Transnational Collective’ website.
Learn more about our BFD research! Click here for information on our research hub website.

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