Citi Bike Century: July 19, 2020
Photoshop: Thomas B. Ling
A Ride to get More people on Bikes
The short version: I’m riding 100 miles in NYC on a Citi Bike to raise money for The Brown Bike Girl, WE Bike NYC, and Pascua Yaqui Cycling.
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The longer version: Eight years ago, I moved from the Midwest to New York City. I considered myself a runner, though I rode a bike from time to time. But in the city, I discovered a whole new level of freedom in pedaling. I bought a cheap single-speed Fuji Feather, and rode it everywhere. It was the fastest way to maneuver the streets. Even so, I probably never biked more than 30 miles a week.
Fast-forward 8 years: I live in northern Colorado now, own 4 bikes (including that trusty Fuji Feather) and put in 300 miles a week around the Rocky Mountains. I like to joke that I’m more comfortable on a bike than off.
I’ll be back in NYC in July, and started thinking about a biking challenge that reflected my journey as a cyclist. I thought about shipping a bike or renting a bike, but then thought, maybe I'll just ride Citi bikes everywhere I go. And then, what if I did a huge ride on a Citi bike? Thus the Citi Century was born. One hundred miles around the city, all on a 50 lb. bike-share bike.
In a time when more people than ever are getting on bikes, I thought I might be able to use this challenge in a way that helps people who are actually doing important work around bicycling, and helping to get more people on bikes.
Last year, I had a conversation with Courtney Williams about her advocacy consulting work, The Brown Bike Girl. I’ve thought about that conversation a lot lately. Through initiative planning, facilitation, and training, Courtney partners with local government, non-profits, and institutions to increase bicycling access and adoption within communities of color.
I’ve also recently become familiar with WE Bike NYC, an organization that empowers women with bicycles. WE Bike puts on a variety of classes and events to encourage women in NYC to ride bikes and feel safe.
And finally, Pascua Yaqui Cycling, an organization on Yaqui and Tohono O'odham land in Arizona, that educates and empowers Indigenous youth through cycling.
These are all efforts that I not only admire, but feel are vital to growing the bike community and ensuring that all people feel welcomed to ride bikes.
On Sunday, July 19th (weather permitting), I’ll bike 100 miles on a Citi Bike in NYC. I’ll raise money for the The Brown Bike Girl, WE Bike NYC, and Pascua Yaqui Cycling, and hope to be joined by anyone who wants to (safely) bike a few miles (or a few dozen) with me!
Special thanks to Velocio, Nuun Hydration, Hello Blue CBD, Amp Human, and Citi Bike NYC for their generous support of this effort.