The Audio Long Read From the archive: Bicycle graveyards: why do so many bikes end up underwater?
Jul 30, 2025
Explore the intriguing phenomenon of bicycles ending up underwater, delving into the cultural and social implications. Discover why urban landscapes like Paris and Amsterdam witness this curious trend, from accidents to vandalism. Uncover the complexities of dockless bike-sharing, where convenience meets privacy issues. Examine the rising struggle of e-scooter and e-bike vandalism and its impact on urban transport. Finally, envision a future where abandoned bikes become part of a creative urban landscape through recycling.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Bicycle Drowning: A Global Mystery
- Bicycle drowning is a global and historical phenomenon with many bicycles repeatedly found in water worldwide.
- This reveals deeper social and political tensions related to bicycles and car culture.
Paris Canal Bicycle Graveyard
- Paris' Canal Saint-Martin continually reveals thousands of discarded and damaged bicycles when drained.
- Many bike-share rental bikes, some maimed, lie buried in the canal's sludge after years underwater.
Why Bikes Are Tossed in Water
- Not all submerged bicycles are accidents; many are deliberately vandalized or thrown in as acts of hooliganism.
- Dockless bike-share programs increase vulnerability to theft and destruction since bikes lack secure docking stations.
