There’s a vibrant Black-led cycling scene on the south and west sides that often rolls under the radar
For part three of the Reader’s series talking with local sustainable transportation advocates, we checked in with a few of the Black-led bike clubs and organizations that are part of the active group-ride scene on Chicago’s south and west sides.
While those involved in Chicago’s group bike ride scene are often stereotyped as white north siders, in truth it’s much more diverse. In recent years, growing numbers of Black Chicagoans have been taking part in large recreational and social rides as a way to get physical activity, promote public safety and neighborhood unity—or just to have a good time.
Major Taylor Cycling Club Chicago (MTC3), named for turn of the 20th Century Black bike-racing legend Marshall “Major” Taylor, is the city’s oldest Black-led cycling organization. Membership is open to all, and the group’s stated mission is to promote good health through rides geared towards cyclists of all ages and abilities, from folks getting back into biking for the first time since childhood to elite road riders.
MTC3 club captain Shawn Conley says MTC3 takes inspiration from Taylor, a man who kept a positive attitude despite facing brutal headwinds in a segregated sport. “We sometimes ride past the Major Taylor murals and gravesite [in south-suburban Glenwood], and we discuss his significance as a person of color who fought oppression and racism,” Conley says. He added that group rides offer members a chance to “enjoy each other’s company while combating heart disease and diabetes,” illnesses that disproportionately impact Black Americans.
One of MCT3’s key events is its annual Memorial Weekend Grand Prix at Big Marsh bike park on the southeast side. Held over Memorial Day Weekend, this year’s festivities included three days of rides of various lengths, including an excursion to an ice cream shop near Whihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana.
We Keep You Rollin’is a health and wellness group that centers underserved communities in Chicago. It was founded in 2015 by Deloris Lucas, a longtime resident of the Golden Gate neighborhood in the city’s far-south Riverdale community area (located near the Altgeld Gardens housing project). Known as “the Bike Lady of Golden Gate,” Lucas has successfully advocated for bike lanes and Divvy stations in that part of town, and she’s currently pushing the city and state to build an off-street path along highway-like 130th Street—a major barrier to biking in the area.
WKYR teaches safe cycling to kids and leads trips for people of all ages to natural areas like Beaubien Woods, just east of Altgeld.”WKYR teaches safe cycling to kids and leads trips to natural areas like Beaubien Woods, just east of Altgeld. “Our mission is ultimately to help create a more livable, sustainable and vibrant community,” Lucas said. The group’s centerpiece 2022 event was the 7th Annual WKYR “Lucas Legacy” Bike Ride & Wellness Pop Up. Held on July 30, with dozens of sponsors, community organizations, city agencies participating, drawing over 100 attendees.
South Side Critical Mass is a predominantly Black spinoff of the huge Chicago Critical Mass bike parade that has gathered in Daley Plaza on the last Friday of every month. Though Chicago Critical Mass has grown more diverse since it started a quarter century ago, it still draws a majority white and north-side crowd, and while they ride to all corners of the city, they’re more likely to end at north-side destinations.
SSCM volunteer Danielle McKinnie says that the group’s rides aim to expose raiders to “hidden gems” on the city’s south side while supporting neighborhood businesses. “Our visibility in the community, while wishing onlookers a ‘Happy Friday,’ gets drivers used to seeing bikes in the streets, makes underserved communities safer, and promotes a biking culture,” she said. “We demonstrate the need for biking infrastructure like protected bike lanes and trails.”
SSCM hosts their annual Wear Orange in June in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, who at age 15 was fatally shot in 2013 in a Kenwood park while standing with her friends (she was later mentioned in Barack Obama’s State of the Union address that year) plus others who lost their lives to gun violence. The ride, which drew more than 70 participants in 2022, visits Hadiya Pendleton Park in Grand Boulevard and ends at her family’s business, the New Look Restaurant. “This allows us to show the family love, celebrate Hadiya’s life and support the business,” McKinnie said.
We’ve just scratched the surface of the south and west side cycling scene. Here are some additional Black-led bike groups and community organizations that host rides to check out:
Black Joy RideChicago Century ClubEquiticityHoldTheLaneStreets CallingThink Outside da Block
Read the previous story in our series here: https://chicagoreader.com/city-life/on-the-right-track-the-high-speed-rail-alliance-aims-to-make-trains-a-more-practical-option-for-getting-across-chicago-and-the-nation/.
Coverage funded by The Darrell R. Windle Charitable Fund and Polo Inn.
