When we talk about building a more inclusive cycling community here in Portland, some folks might think only of race and/or gender. But there’s another tendency in the cycling world that makes lots of folks feel left out: an industry-wide focus on thin bodies. It’s true: the cycling world has a body image problem.
That’s not surprising given that the cycling industry revolves mostly around elite racing, and those who compete and train at the highest levels shed ounces from their bodies with as much fervor as weekend warriors shed ounces from their bikes. It’s also not surprising that there’s a growing pushback led by a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 called “All Bodies on Bikes.”
Almost four years since that group launched with a popular video (that happened to be filmed in Oregon), Portland will finally get a local chapter of its own. All Bodies on Bikes Portland is lead by Colt Seidman, someone who’s own experience with the group speaks to its positive impact.
Seidman told BikePortland they first heard about All Bodies on Bikes a few years ago while recovering from a bike injury. “As a disabled, neurodivergent bicyclist, All Bodies On Bikes helped me feel less alone.” The All Bodies on Bikes community opened a world to Seidman that inspired her to take better care of her body and to become a better cyclist. “As a plus-size queer woman, I really felt a connection with All Bodies On Bikes (ABOB) and wanted to bring this special space to Portland, with some help of some community members.”
ABOB co-founder and Oregonian Kailey Kornhauser and board member Brian Benavente are helping Seidman with the launch. To help kick things off, they’ll host a film screening and group ride on February 9th (location TBD).
For now, roll over to Bike Happy Hour this week (Wednesday, 1/8 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Migration Brewing on N Williams Ave) to meet Seidman and learn more about what’s in store. And follow @ABOBPortlandOR on Instagram for updates.
Thanks for reading.
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This is cool.
You know what else would really add to diversity and inclusion in the Portland bike scene? A “Republicans on Bikes” affinity group. I realize there only about 75 Republicans in Portland but if one truly values inclusion, tolerance and diversity this is something one should support. Maybe the Street Trust would give them some start up funding.
Ha ha. When I visited Oklahoma recently, I rode with Republicans. It was inevitable.
And probably enjoyable right?
Out here in NC we actually have several conservative right-wing bike shop owners, successful too; their mechanics tend to be somewhat conservative as well as are many of their customers. I’ve also come across several Christian community bike shops who fix bikes for the homeless, refugees, recently-released convicts, recovering drug addicts, etc. – they do in fact have prayer meetings – but also they do excellent reliable repair work even on junky Magnas, Next, and Huffy (which they seem to prefer – less likely to get stolen.)
Our community bike shop here in Greensboro is strictly non-religious, which partly reflects the folks working here and the diversity of religions and politics, but mostly because the client agencies we deal with are themselves faith-based and we’ve learned to keep staff from different denominations from crossing paths with each other, particularly Baptists and Presbyterians. We also keep our pro-Zion volunteers away from our pro-Gaza volunteers.
Both our recreation riding advocacy and our mountain bike advocacy groups are very conservative (and politically passive), though the mountain bike group does build trails using city trail-building equipment. (We also have a left-wing “bicycles as transportation” advocacy group that helps run our Critical Mass rides, plus there are various mamil cycling clubs, including a very large and active chapter of Major Taylor made up of NCSU A&T African-American engineers and professionals. And we have the usual gamut of “bro” shops, boutique bike shops, an ebike-only shop, REI, and a corporate Trek shop, plus the department stores.)
Sounds like Greensboro, NC is a lot more diverse and tolerant than Portland. 🙂
It probably is, on both counts.
Bikes are inherently bipartisan.
George W. Bush was an avid mountain biker.
Biking is about freedom, about fiscal prudence, about families, about supporting businesses and economics – all those things at the core of pre-Trump Republican values.
Here’s a story about conservative Carmel, IN where they’ve built great bike infrastructure.
Unfortunately, there have been many making bikes a culture war/identity politics issue. It doesn’t need to be that way.
So, heck yes, Republicans on bikes. (Trump got about 70,000 votes in Multnomah County, likely most of which were from Portland, so it’s a bit more than 75).
“about fiscal prudence”.
My basement says otherwise.
Yeah, mostly right leaning Walmart money has turned Bentonville, AK into arguably the best mountain biking destination in North America.
https://www.visitbentonville.com/bike/
Cool article. Thanks for sharing. Here’s the lead in:
“A deep-red town in Indiana has a bicycling network that would make Boulder blush. Their secret? Forget the politics and treat bikes more like cars”
I think The Street Trust, Sarah Inarone and many Portland bike “advocates” should read this article.
It’s true that they have an amazing network. I’ve taken a trip out there specifically to ride the Bentonville Mtn Bike trail systems. BUT it should be note that it’s largely all paid for with private dollars (e.g. Walmart due to the fact that the Walton sons are big mtn bikers and though this stuff would also attract workers and families). It’s not like the state or city or coughing up the dollars. It would be great if Nike did the same thing here, though we know how unwilling the City/ ‘friends of forest park’ are to actually allow for wheeled recreation in our parks.
Look at the bike network in Boulder and then look at the bike network Carmel.
Carmel looks great for people out on a bike ride on a weekend, but pretty terrible if you are just trying to live your life.
I ride bikes FOR TRANSPORTATION because they are among the best transportation option for embodying a more sustainable society. This is inherently not bipartisan because neither party prioritizes sustainability over short-term profit.
IMO, both parties are “conservative” but the dems won Carmel in 2020 and 2024 so I’m not sure Carmel works as some great signifier that deep red reps love transportation cycling.
Harris: 52%
Trump: 47%
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2024/11/08/hamiton-county-indiana-election-results-donald-trump-kamala-harris/76112871007/
Sounds like a great project for you to take on. You know, be the change.
Are you volunteering to lead?
I’m a registered Democrat, so no.
Seems like a great opportunity to “reach across the aisle” and promote inclusion, tolerance and diversity.
Are you a Democrat? Make it a bipartisan group! You should do it!!
Would be cool to have more political tolerance, inclusivity and diversity in Portland. It’s sorely lacking right now
And now our government
a bird with two right wings
flies on from zone to zone
while we go on having our little fun & games
at each election…
–Ferlinghetti
So a poem highlighting intolerance and cynicism towards moderate pragmatic beliefs, compromise and working together….how fitting for Portland.
Moderate for Portland pragmatists:
R<—-*—————->L
Moderate for ‘murrricans
R<—–*————–>L
Moderate for non-‘murrricans
R<———–*———>L
LOL! It’s called a suburban weekend club ride. Just look for the semi-fit rider over age 40 in head-to-toe Rapha on top of his $15K professional quality racing bike with wireless shifting. Never talks riding, only business.
Hmmmm I have a 15k bike and wear Rapha. The bike was a job perk and the Rapha is from their sales. I’m also a democrat who lives in NE.
Can’t judge a book by the cover as they say… and there are definitely a lot of people from both and neither party who ride. Not always for commuting maybe but for exercise and for what ever joy they get out of it. No need to call out people for how they look or what kind of riding they do. Or for how they vote. I prefer to try to connect on commonalities than argue endlessly over politics.
I’m curious as to which suburban club rides you are describing.
Ironic to read a snarky, judgmental comment when the lead story is about inclusion.
Hello friends, I may be the epitome of what you believe the “weekend suburban club ride” to be. I am currently the ride leader director for Portland Velo, I am 52 years old. I can’t wear Rapha at all, it runs too small. I would love electronic shifting, but it’s too expensive. I wear spandex, but it doesn’t automatically make me a jerk. We all get in our silos, we all believe something is “definitely this way” when we have not experienced it ourselves.
I also ride during the week, and I used to commute to work by bike. We do have people with different political views show up to rides, but I do not talk politics. I have no desire. My personal view is no talk about God, Guns, or Gaza on the group ride.
I have made more quality friends while doing club rides for 2 years than I have made in 30 years. We are all supposedly “more connected” by technology, but the loneliness epidemic is very real. Once I have made a friend, and established a relationship, I might be willing to talk about my personal or political views or my thoughts on religion. Up until then, I do not care. Not everyone needs to share their opinion at all times in all places.
I have no idea what the majority of the people I ride with do for work. We talk about bikes, we share a love of bikes, our challenges with exercise and work life balance as examples. And, because of my age, some of us talk about how awesome 80’s music was! 98% of all discussions I hear are positive.
I have people in my home, and in my immediate family who are neurodivergent. People in my family who identify as what some call “other”. Some of them have heart issues and can currently only ride an e-bike. This group is a fantastic idea. I support people on bikes in whatever form they choose to ride.
I’m a moderate. I’d show up just to hear different viewpoints.
When I’m out for a ride, I’d rather hear NO political viewpoints. There are so many more interesting things to talk about.
They could all get together and not ride in bike lanes, holding to their conservative values of not taking car lanes away for other uses!
Is not taking away car lanes a “conservative value”?
This is what I have seen as conservative values. I don’t agree with a lot of it (although some I do such as Personal Responsibility—see below) Regardless, I see no mention of car lanes.
Core Conservative ValuesTradition and Stability
Emphasis on maintaining established customs, institutions, and practices.Respect for cultural and religious heritage.Personal Responsibility
Belief in individual accountability for one’s actions and life choices.Support for hard work, self-reliance, and initiative.Limited Government
Preference for smaller government and less intervention in individuals’ lives.Advocacy for decentralization and local governance over federal control.Economic Freedom
Support for free-market capitalism, entrepreneurship, and minimal regulation.Emphasis on property rights and low taxes.Rule of Law
Respect for law and order, with an emphasis on justice and fairness.Strong support for constitutional frameworks and national sovereignty.Family and Community
Prioritization of family values and social institutions like marriage.Focus on community responsibility and social cohesion.Moral and Ethical Standards
Advocacy for traditional moral principles, often rooted in religious beliefs.Opposition to cultural shifts perceived as eroding societal norms.Patriotism and National Identity
Strong sense of national pride and loyalty.Emphasis on protecting cultural identity and sovereignty from external influences.
Maybe bad ideas don’t need to be encouraged. But if you want that group, there is nothing stopping you but lack of interest.
Why fixate on the “bad ideas” of others? There are conservative Republicans that enjoy and support active transportation. Let’s encourage that rather than stereotype and vilify a group of people. Tolerance and acceptance of others can go a long way in making our community a better place.
This sounds great! As a 65yo overweight gay guy on an ebike it’s interesting how much attitude I get from lean dudes in spandex.
All bodies on bikes includes thin ones too. Size and outfit doesn’t make someone an automatic arsehole.
Maybe you’re riding in the middle of the path or something. No way to determine what other’s “attitudes” mean unless you ask.
I’m just commenting because this group deserves an appreciative comment.
And this comment deserves an appreciative response. Good job!
Thanks, Jonathan for providing this new article on “All Bodies on Bikes,” and thank you Colt for organizing the Portland chapter! I’ve seen the film about ABOB founders Kailey and Marley that was made in Oregon, and it is a truly inspiring film.
This group stands out to me among the various groups that people have created for various subsets of bike riders.
First, for many subsets of riders (say political affiliation) being identified as belonging to that group is optional. That’s not true of bodies–especially while biking.
Second, people can be vicious in their reactions to others’ bodies, and also often feel overly free to express those reactions .
Third, many bikes and lots of biking gear just don’t work well for people with bodies outside a fairly narrow range.
Fourth, some body types can make biking much more difficult than for other body types.
For people who can go into any bike shop and find the right size bike or gear, or ride easily, or ride without calling any attention to themselves unless they want to, it’s easy to forge that that’s not true for everyone.
This is only an issue because of the performative optics associated with cycling — far worse in Portland than anywhere else I’ve lived.
There is not an issue with cars.
I don’t see this situation changing until cycling isn’t assumed to be a statement of some type.