The title of this post is what I hope to make this blog more about. I know, I’m terrible at keeping you up to date here but there are no rules to blogging! I truly want to use this space to post about things that inspire me (including my rides), things that matter, and to, hopefully, share all this with others (including my beloved family and friends, scattered around the world). So my hope it to share these small snippets of articles, videos, books, bakes, zines, podcasts, quotes, photos, or things I find worth sharing with you. Cause, I’m desperately trying to get off social media and feeling like I have to perform for the algorithm and other things you can continue to read more on why below.
But first, a heartfelt article “Iqaluit teen spends weekends gathering bikes from dump to fix for local kids“.
My friends from Pedal 2 The People are a part of a wonderful video “As We Have Always Done“, as part of the 2021 Eddie Bauer One Outside Film Grant awarded to filmmakers who identify as part of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. “These filmmakers aim to tell stories that help all people feel invited, accepted, and validated in their full range of outdoor experiences and illuminate important narratives as we look to share the outdoors.” This entire series is so lovely.
Another friend, Renee Hutchens, is also part of a video for Specialized about forging deeper connections with Mother Earth and the land that’s inseparable from her Diné lifeways and culture. We always stan for her storytelling.
Gregg Deal (Pyramid Paiute) had a story shared in Bicycling, “Gregg Deal Wants You to Acknowledge the Land You’re on When You Ride.” I love seeing more Indigenous voices sharing their stories on larger platforms but also know that land acknowledgements must go further. On IG at Cyclista Zine I shared “Whose Lands Are You Riding On” as a call for more action.
Currently reading, “We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement” by co-founder of Bitch Magazine, who is my mag media guru. It’s interesting to trace how media co-opts “FEMINISM” for “GIRLBOSS” 🤮 consumerism, sometimes it reminds me of women’s cycling marketing.
A good podcast episode by For The Wild on “Responding To Toxic Masculinity” with Dallas Goldtooth (Lakota). A highly recommended listen on the relationship between colonialism and patriarchy over “nature” and gender wounds as all living beings suffer under it.
Speaking of toxic masculinity, there is some drama in crit cycling and it’s raising some pretty big issues about abuse and inequality in cycling sport. When this type of news breaks out, I always wonder… is cycling finally having it’s reckoning with abuse and harassment at the highest levels in the peloton? I started asking this question in a 2018 post and earlier this year Orla Chennaoi covered cyclings #METOO moment and shares what I think a lot of BIPOC, women, femmes, and trans folk have been saying “Cycling will have to keep pace with that societal change. Standing on the wrong side of history cannot be an option.”
Wear Your Voice shared an article about how socialization is shifting online and “we are likely to form more (and more intense) parasocial bonds and see a blurring of the boundaries between the real and the parasocial.” I have to admit, I see how this is happening in conversations even I have about people I have gotten to know online. I consider myself a very private person and share mostly bike related content but it got me thinking about how I have manufactured my representation and presence on social media. That I’m only palatable if I’m talking about my Indigeniety/Xicananess and not if I’m talking about my joy. That people can judge me and think they know me without ever really knowing me.
This happens at CZ a lot where people assume things about the zine without knowing what zines are and who’s behind it. As social media companies are doing little to protect users while censoring us, it’s having harmful impacts on our mental health, I’ve been feeling these impacts too. Especially with the zine. I think the pandemic and the racial uprise pushed a lot of us who are advocates for inclusion and mobility justice to push out more content and to expose parts of ourselves more than ever before to educate folks and to share our stories. This is certainly true for me and the zine and it has blurred the line between my joy in cycling, zine making, and content creation to please the algorithm. I think as social media baits us to keep scrolling and posting to stay relevant, it’s also blurring the lines between our joy, creativity, self care, in person and online activism, our real communities vs our online community, our real selves vs our online selves. There truly is no real room for authenticity when we are aiming to reach for palatability of the masses. That’s why blogging and even zine making is so critical for me to share my experiences in cycling.
On a personal note, I’ve been cycling more in Florida as the weather has been cooler. More mtb than anything else really. I’m not sure I’ll get used to the snakes. I also have been swimming in the ocean, in OCTOBER!
I had an interview for a magazine that bridged the worlds of cycling and zine making. My two favorite things I love talking about. Not sure when that interview or story comes out but when it does, I’ll let you know or publish the q&a for it.
Challenging myself each week during a bake challenge of the British Bakeoff to bake something new. So far I made focaccia bread that was a hit with the family. Been doing a lot of banana breads, cookies, and fruit cobblers. I think I’ll try baguette and carrot cake soon.
I hope you don’t mind these small snippets of things to share with you all. Between running Cyclista, planning the future, riding for my wellbeing and dealing with family, I’m absolutely exhausted. Maybe I’ll have an interesting story to tell you in next post but for now, I hope this format work.