Black Queer Cyclists Are Creating Community, Inviting Others To Take To The Street
Cycling is quickly becoming the newest phenomenon of transportation in Atlanta. However, almost explicitly missing from the conversation is the presence of Black queer voices and how popular cycling is to this group, whether native or transplant.
Tay Roberts, better known as Big Oreo, and Lauren Fareira, known best as Senorita Awesome, are two Black queer cyclists leading the way for more to join the experience.
Eight or so years ago, Big Oreo became interested in cycling. But it wasn’t until 2015 before she purchased her first bike. And as soon as she did, she got busy immersing herself in the culture.
“I got the bike and then went and got a job at [the popular sandwich shop] Jimmy John’s—because I wanted to,” the Atlanta native told The Reckoning. “The type of cycling Jimmy John’s cyclists do is unorthodox. It’s not like how you would see a group of cyclists or even racers.”
Co-founder of the cycling group Rolling Peach Bandits, Big Oreo considers herself an urban street cyclist. When on her own, or with a group of her buddies, she can be seen dipping and dodging traffic on her fixed-gear bike. It’s an exhilarating thrill for her.
“That fixed-gear life is definitely top on my list,” she said. “It comes from that Jimmy John’s world — fast, fast, fast. By law, you’re supposed to abide by the street laws. But in that Jimmy John’s world, when you have to be somewhere, you have to go!”
“There are a lot of us out there. The bike is what brings us together. The general consensus among most of us is, ‘You ride? I ride! We good!’”
And while her introduction to cycling started out as a hobby mixed with the opportunity to make extra money and get exercise, cycling has also become the ideal outlet for seeing her beloved city. When riding in a car, there is but so much one can see or experience.
“So many things people miss when on a road in a car. They can’t get onto certain streets or can’t take certain detours,” she said. “Cars may make the trip faster. But on a bike! Less traffic and more to see.”
Roughly two years ago, she co-founded RPB. Initially, it was an excuse to get her friends together during what she calls the summer of COVID year. With the city on an alleged shutdown, they began riding as something to do three times a week. It was an opportunity to just hang out while sneaking in a workout (“We easily burned 600-plus calories in a single ride without realizing it,” she said).
Over time, the number of riders grew. Before she knew it, RPB was born. However, what she did not anticipate was who the group would attract. The group was initially made solely for women. To her surprise, what they got were mostly Black queer women and a lot of Black queer couples.
“So many things people miss when on a road in a car. They can’t get onto certain streets or can’t take certain detours. Cars may make the trip faster. But on a bike! Less traffic and more to see.”
- Tay Roberts
“It was not something we did intentionally. We did not set out to attract them, but they started coming,” she said. “And if someone wanted to join, we did not shun them. If a gay guy wanted to ride with us; come on! We are not asking anyone to be this or be that, just have a love for cycling.”
Cycling, said Senorita Awesome, is actually quite popular among Black queers. So much so that she did not realize how much of a Black queer cycling community she had until recently.
“There are a lot of us out there. The bike is what brings us together,” she told The Reckoning. “The general consensus among most of us is, ‘You ride? I ride! We good!’”
‘It’s Bigger Than Bikes’
More than 10 years ago, Senorita Awesome got into cycling unexpectedly. Before that, at the age of 12, she was in what she describes as a pretty bad biking accident. So bad it put her in the hospital. She swore then she would never get on a bike again. That changed years later when she had the opportunity to participate in a bike-building workshop. Homeless at the time, it was a game-changer. Having the bike made transportation easier and more convenient.
But the bike was stolen.
Fast forward to 2016. She was living in Birmingham and got involved with Redemptive Cycles, a full-service non-profit bike shop. Through their Earn-A-Bike community service program, she received a bike, along with other cycling accessories.
“I got re-hooked,” she said. “I got back into group rides while there. When I returned to Atlanta, I kept it going.”
When the pandemic hit, having the biking community made all the difference. Being on lockdown, she said, was the worst. Traveling, which she did heavily for work, had stopped and she had no outlets. So, she got back on her bike. It allowed her the opportunity to socialize as much or as little as needed.
“Cycling gives you more than cycling. In addition to providing exercise and a different view of the city, cycling gives you community. The community is the biggest part for me. I participate for the friendship and camaraderie.”
- Senorita Awesome
“The thing about groups like Red Bike & Green is that it's bigger than bikes. That is something they say a lot. It's the community support,” she said. “Cycling gives you more than cycling. In addition to providing exercise and a different view of the city, cycling gives you community. The community is the biggest part for me. I participate for the friendship and camaraderie.”
Granted in her experience, there have been harassment issues—male cyclists hitting on women cyclists or commenting on how they look in their riding gear. While the experiences are uncomfortable, Senorita Awesome does not shy away from voicing her concerns with group leaders. Eventually, someone started leading a new ride with a more relaxed pace.
“We all definitely still ride with those groups,” she said. “[But the experiences] led to a consensus that some of us wanted a different, more low-key vibe. I wholeheartedly support all the groups I ride with, despite any issues that may arise. We are all still a community, and find ways to problem solve together, even when things come up.”
Unfortunately, to Senorita Awesome’s knowledge, there are not very many Black queer exclusive cycling groups.
“We are out here. People will naturally navigate towards you. There is pretty much a ride every day of the week. You will most definitely find a group and community that will welcome you. And you don’t have to have a fancy bike.”
“There is one ride that is led by a Black queer woman monthly. I found out about it at the very end of the season,” she said, adding that when she found out her response was something along the lines of, “Dang man, I could have been riding with the gays this whole time!” (While some groups ride all year round—rain, sleet, or snow—the usual cycling season is between March and November.)
Red Bike & Green is one of the rides she participates in regularly. Another is Pedal Pushers, a family-focused, cycling community that promotes health and wellness in the African American community.
One she has not had the opportunity to ride with, but popular for the femme bike riding experience is Radical Adventures Riders (RAR) – a cycling community for femme, trans, women + non-binary riders of all experience. She also lifts up Devin Cox, an advocate for BIPOC cycling, who has led a queer ride during the Atlanta Cycling Festival.
But, Senorita Awesome has been in talks with other queer riders about creating a ride for BIPOC queer riders.
“She’s dope!” Big Oreo says of Senorita Awesome.
For anyone Black and queer, Black and LGBTQ, however they identity, if they are interested in cycling Senorita Awesome and Big Oreo have one piece of advice—get out there and ride your bike.
“We are out here. People will naturally navigate towards you,” said Senorita Awesome. “There is pretty much a ride every day of the week. You will most definitely find a group and community that will welcome you. And you don’t have to have a fancy bike.”
“It's the best kind of workout. The best way to catch up with friends and have a good time,” said Big Oreo. “And it's the best way to see the city. I just love it.”
Mashaun D. Simon is an equity and inclusion advocate who centers his preaching, writing, and scholarship on cultural competency, identity, and equity.
He has written for NBC News and the Atlanta Daily World, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Black Enterprise, Bloomberg News, TheGrio.com, Ebony Magazine, BelieveOutLoud.com, and Essence Magazine. He has also created and managed cultural competency and affirmative action programming and training and in 2018, Mashaun organized and facilitated Kennesaw State University’s Faith and Sexuality Symposium on behalf of KSU’s Presidential Commission for LGBT Initiatives. In 2021, Mashaun was selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Rising Leaders Fellowship.
He holds a professional writing degree from Georgia Perimeter College, a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Kennesaw State University, and a Master of Divinity from Emory University's Candler School of Theology.