Trip report:
This friendly no-rider-left-behind introduction to using our bicycles to go camping had four basic goals: (1) build community with Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color bicycle riders (2) celebrate riding bikes and camping (3) show a BIPOC audience that bike camping is for Us and We can do it (4) encourage more BIPOC to explore the idea of extended adventuring on bicycles.
Fay Bainbridge provided an ideal location for this intro. It’s a cozy campground 7-miles from the ferry terminal with sites very close to the water, plenty of saltwater shoreline, and hot showers. Downtown is a vibrant, touristy scene with lots of options for food and drink. Bainbridge Island Land Trust provided an amazing and educational private walking tour of their Springbrook Creek preserve, which isn’t open to the public. Offering these skill-building experiences and campouts and building BIPOC outdoor Community in this way is extremely important.
Participant Praise:
“I got to know more about people from a different cultural background. And most of all I got hooked on bike touring!”
“I felt extremely included and safe to ask newbie questions and try new things. I often shy away from group outings especially for something I’m a beginner at because I worry that I won’t have the right gear or I’ll be chastised for not knowing enough about the topic. The trip made me feel so safe to continue activity with The Bronze Chapter because I know that it will be a great environment for me to learn and grow and be cheered on. The support and love I got from The Bronze Chapter will stay with me for a long time!?”
“I also learned how to pack my bike for a better gear-hauling expedience.”
Gratitude to Bainbridge Island Land Trust and Justice Outside for supporting Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color in the movement towards a more racially-just outdoors.
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