Black Girls Do Bike Has Been Breaking Down Barriers for 10 Years. Now It’s Time To Celebrate.
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When Monica Garrison came back to bikes as an adult, it was not her first taste of cycling life. The Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Black Girls Do Bike first started riding bikes as a kid. “I have always had a fascination with bikes as simple but mighty little machines,” Garrison told Bicycling in 2016.
After having what she described as “the best summer ever” on the bike, Garrison realized she saw very few other black women cyclists out on the road. After some research, she realized that black women were seriously underrepresented in cycling, and that’s when her mission began to take shape, ultimately leading her to start Black Girls Do Bike.
That was 10 years ago. Fast forward to now: Black Girls Do Bike (BGDB) has grown to include over 100 grassroots chapters and counting worldwide. Over 180 lady leaders, known as Sheros, actively mentor other riders and there’s a thriving Facebook group and Strava club.
The group hosts national rides both virtually and in person, along with the rides that individual chapters are hosting on a regular basis. What this all translates to out on the road is thousands of black women across the country connecting and riding together as members of a cycling family, encouraging others to join the sport in a way that only representation can.
This weekend the organization opened registration for the Black Girls Do Bike 2023 Annual Meetup that’s taking place from August 25-27 in San Diego, CA. The event marks the non-profit’s 10-year anniversary, and happily coincides with the 16th annual Bike The Bay Community Ride benefiting the San Diego Bicycle Coalition. Also on the docket for the BGDB Annual Meetup: a kickoff party, group rides, and a special commemorative kit.
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