Bicycles and the Potential of Unstructured Sport for Development and Peace

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) continues to grow, both in research and practice. Recently, researchers have considered the merits of unstructured sport as a way of realizing sport’s benefits while circumnavigating its perceived problematic elements. This article reports findings from research on ‘Bicycles for Development’ (BFD)–a movement that trades on bicycle access as a way of achieving development objectives. We draw from interviews and fieldwork with BFD stakeholders, with the aim of examining BFD in relation to the SDP field–and de-sportization especially. Three research findings are relevant along these lines: (1) bicycles as beneficial due to their inherent multi-functionality; (2) the merits of unstructured physical activity; and (3) factors that impact negatively on bicycle access and thus might hinder BFD’s transformational potential. We conclude with reflections on BFD’s potential in subverting both common notions of sport in SDP and the neoliberal model of SDP provision.