Cycling has a superpower: it’s capable of bringing folks of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life together. Bike New York believes that barriers like discrimination, economic disparity, and inaccessibility should never keep New Yorkers from having agency in the way they get around–and that everyone should be able to experience the joy of seeing their city from behind the handlebars.

 

For years, Bike New York has teamed up with OutCycling, a nonprofit organization and community for LGBTQIA+ riders, to make our city more inclusive to cyclists of all stripes. (If you’ve participated in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, there’s a good chance you’ve been cheered on by OutCycling volunteers!) Youth bike education is at the heart of our mission, so we do our part to aid OutCycling’s invaluable work by providing instructor training and support for the ride leaders of their Fearless Flyers program.

 

Fearless Flyers encourages LGBTQIA+ youth to get together and ride, gaining confidence and core road skills over a 4-month training period that culminates with a graduation celebration at the finish festival of NYC’s annual Pride Ride. With the help of their newly-trained youth leaders, this year’s Fearless Flyers team took on the NYC Pride Ride with excitement and spirit!

 

Over 756,000 LGBTQ-identifying people call New York home, so creating spaces in the city for LGBTQIA+ kids to learn and grow is crucial work. Just ask Fearless Flyers Ride Lead Diany:

 

I have been looking for something like this my whole life, where family, commitment, and collaboration are important factors… It’s important for opportunities like these to arise for young adults, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ. My dream is to live in a better, healthier, and supportive world… I believe that cycling is one of the many innovative ways of implementing healthy living for people all over the world, of all ages, sizes, colors, and cultures.

 

Click here for more info on OutCycling’s ride community and how you can join or support, and watch our 2015 interview with OutCycling member Eduardo Hernandez below.