Black Girls Do Bike seems to be one of the fastest-growing bicycle organizations around. Every time I log onto social media, there's a new chapter of the group, accompanied by photos of stoked, smiling women out on their bikes in some sort of beautiful, natural setting, aoften decked out in organization’s boldly designed cycling kits, or t-shirts with slogans like “These hips were made for cycling." Anyone can start a chapter (founders are known as “Sheroes”), and it turns out that a lot of women are excited to do just that.

Monica Garrison, who founded BGDB, was kind enough to answer a few questions over email about the group’s history, growth, and potential.

How did you get into bike stuff?

Monica Garrison: I have always had a fascination with bikes as simple but mighty little machines. I remember as a kid I was totally into customizing my bike and making it my own. As an adult, cycling became a way to relieve stress, spend time with my kids, and get a low-impact workout. The most recent evolution of this was founding Black Girls Do Bike, where I get to share my love of all things bike with others and learn new bike stuff everyday.

In a nutshell, what's the founding story of BGDB? Was there a specific aha moment that launched it into being?

Two summers ago I found myself in the saddle more than ever before. I was commuting more and I carved out lots of time for recreational rides with the family. It was the best summer ever! By midsummer, though, I realized that I saw very few women of color in my travels. My curiosity took me to the Internet where I was surprised to find very few images of black female riders (not models posing next to bikes, but actual riders). I also found no real national organization devoted to encouraging women of color to consider cycling. I thought, someone should totally start this! I created a Facebook page that day and BGDB was born.

What sort of changes have you seen happen within the organization and its members? What's the impact?

Many wonderful changes have happened within BGDB and I can honestly say it has all been positive. Our BGDB Sheroes are willing to take risks and are very confident telling others about BGDB. As we grow, they know that we are here to stay and they have the power of this movement behind them. Some of our Sheroes have joined bike-advisory boards in their towns, which means we are gaining influence on bike initiatives.

Women are forming BGDB teams to ride collectively for great causes like the Tour De Cure Series, which brings awareness to diabetes. Women all over the country look forward to our rides and are even purchasing bikes so that they can join in on the fun. When BGDB members visit other cities, they are making connections and finding ladies to ride with using our network. Hopefully we are doing what our mission states, growing and supporting a community of women who share a passion for cycling and seeking the bike-curious.

You recently shared a very powerful article about privilege on an email list about cycling and equity. Do you think education about privilege could be applied to bicycling in a constructive way?

I recently heard a very simple and clear explanation of privilege presented by vlogger Franchesca Ramsey. She said, in part, “Privilege does not mean that you’re rich, that you’ve had an easy life, that everything’s been handed to you, and you’ve never had to struggle or work hard. All it means is that there are some things in life that you will not experience—or ever have to think about—just because of who you are.”

I like this way of looking at privilege because it implies that everyone has some sort of privilege. The challenge then is becoming aware enough to recognize your individual privilege, and then deciding what, if anything, you plan to do with it.

As it applies to cycling, I believe that the best advocates will be those who have a clear understanding of the many reasons folks choose to ride a bike—but also the many obstacles. Race, gender, and economic privilege are often factors, but there are many others. An education is necessary to understand what the bicycle symbolizes to different groups of people. Know that my journey to riding may be completely different than yours. Know that my experience while riding and even how I am perceived while riding will be different than yours. That should be the direction of the dialogue.

What's your vision for how the bicycle movement in the United States will look in 10 years?

If you are asking me to dream for a moment...I would expect to see more women and minorities in positions of influence in the bike/ped movement. There will be more female entrepreneurs fueling the industry and more prominent female racers. I hope to see bike share along with pedestrian and bike-friendly streets in every major U.S. city. More kids will bike to school and more parents will bike to work. Okay, maybe that’s the 15-year vision.

It won’t be all rainbows and sunshine. As with anything else, there will be challenges. My hope is that the challenges are new and we aren't still fighting the same old battles and making the same mistakes.

Anything else you want to say?

If I am being honest, I have to admit that I used to have preconceived ideas about who cyclists were and what they looked like. I was unsure of where I fit in. BGDB has allowed me to shatter those dogmas. The cycling spectrum is a beautiful one. My hope is that BGDB gives folks a small glimpse into the possibilities.

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