"Riding a bike is political even if it's unintentionally political."
August 8, 2022 2:08 PM   Subscribe

Rivendell Bike Works started a "Black Reparations Fund" offering a 45% discount on bikes for Black people. Right-wing lawyers forced them to stop.

Since the legal challenge, the "Black Reparations Fund" has become the less-radical "Bikes R Fun", which donates to various unspecified charitable organizations that will "help more under-represented people ride bikes"

Rivendell's update on the
BRF.

Grant Petersen, founder of Rivendell, wrote numerous posts on his personal blog (the Blahg) about race and bicycle history/culture while contemplating the reparations fund. Here are the ones I've found (usually race-related content is toward the end of the post):
- The beginning: "Bicycling has never been friendly or even especially welcoming to people who aren't white guys."
- On reading Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge: "It makes me scared to utter and twitch and breathe, and makes me mistrust myself. It's probably good to." (Tokenism and representation in advertising, mostly)
- More on tokenism & representation in advertising, plus "You know Major Taylor?" (some brief history)
- Black people didn’t ride them because they cost $120 to $160 — more than a year’s wages. (more history of the bike industry through the lens of race)
- "I don't KNOW as much now as a two-year old black kid does, but I've tried my best." * "Cars offer physical protection and anonymity that a bike can't compete with." (A further history of cycling and race)
(sidenote pullquote: "During WWII's materials and gasoline rationing, adults were forced to ride bikes, and the gov't encouraged it as a way to help us win the war. (All but four American bike makers—there were more than thirty U.S. mfrs at the time—were forced to make bombs and stuff. Schwinn made bombs, the gov't ordered them to. Where do you think the organization BIKES NOT BOMBS got its name?)" (as far as I can tell, Bikes Not Bombs doesn't verify this)
--- No obviously race-related blog posts from the period when they stopped doing a very unofficial reparations program, started doing a more official, publicized reparations program, and were then advised by their lawyers to stop before they got sued. ---
- The Grocery Guy Fund - in which the reparations fund has been closed, so Rivendell fundraises for a specific local guy.

Title quote is from another Blahg entry.

Tangentially related - just a few BIPOC-led&focused bike shops/groups:
- The Bikery is a non-profit community bike shop that is "collectively-run by East Oakland-based educators of color."
- BIKEPOC is a social cycling group exclusively for BIPOC who identify as women, trans, and non-binary who enjoy riding bicycles in Tkaronto (Toronto, Canada).
- The annual Black Liberation Ride in Portland is "for us to take space and create community on our bikes."

Also recently on MetaFilter: Mobility justice and race from an infrastructure and advocacy perspective.
posted by sibilatorix (26 comments total) 24 users marked this as a favorite
 
Note: the "Blahg" is Petersen's personal blog; it includes a lot of rambling and is prone to generalizations. Most of it is very [citation needed]. When he writes about history, it seems to be more "oral history" or "history as Grant remembers reading it".
posted by sibilatorix at 2:31 PM on August 8, 2022


That's weak. As the principals point out, a bunch of people who had no stake in this and who probably don't even ride bikes made it their duty to harass this idea out of existence. How common that is!

It does sound like their lawyers may have warned them the policy could fall afoul of equal rights protections. But there are probably numerous ways of achieving the end result without that potential pitfall if they're interested. Thanks for all the links!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:46 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]


(I always figured Bikes Not Bombs adapted their name from Food Not Bombs, but I have zero factual evidence to confirm that.)
posted by box at 2:52 PM on August 8, 2022 [3 favorites]


Some distantly-related discussion here: Helmets Yes. Helmet Laws No.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:54 PM on August 8, 2022


(Wikipedia, who also isn't offering citations on this point, says
The organization was founded in 1984 by Carl Kurz, a bicycle mechanic and Michael Replogle, a Maryland-based transportation planner. Bikes Not Bombs provided bicycles and bicycle parts to Nicaragua in opposition to the Reagan administration's support for the Contra War, and in solidarity with the Nicaraguan people and in resistance to the U.S. trade embargo against Nicaragua in effect at the time.
That puts Bikes not Bombs 4 years behind Food not Bombs, which I would like to have a good fart joke for, since their food is typically plant-based.)
posted by aniola at 3:05 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]


It does sound like their lawyers may have warned them the policy could fall afoul of equal rights protections. But there are probably numerous ways of achieving the end result without that potential pitfall if they're interested.

I've been seeing this sort of DIY reparations type thing more lately. So I'd like to hear more about ways to do this that don't fall afoul of (or undermine) equal rights protections.
posted by aniola at 3:31 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]


I would imagine that an easy way is for most people to not hear about it. Don't announce it, don't advertise it, let customers know it exists discretely, ask that customers be discreet in sharing it's existence lest the above happen.

It would have a much slower impact, however.
posted by Slackermagee at 3:33 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]


The program was shut down on the advice of Rivendell’s lawyers.

So "right-wing lawyers forced them" to... ask their lawyers if they should keep breaking the law? You can't charge different races different prices in California, c'mon, it's a prima facie Unruh violation. You can't give women free drinks on Ladies' Night either.
posted by nicwolff at 3:59 PM on August 8, 2022 [9 favorites]


Y'all need a section 2. Canada has an anti-discrimination clause in its Constitution, too (section 15 of our Charter) . And then it has this:

(2) Section (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:08 PM on August 8, 2022 [34 favorites]


(2) Section (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Sounds great in theory, but I can imagine how quickly the “disadvantaged” white evangelicals would embrace the possibilities.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 4:17 PM on August 8, 2022 [3 favorites]


Some years ago, I was trying to find a homeless shelter in my area that provided services to trans youth. I was getting nothing until a helpful person at an LGBT+ you org told me that those shelters don’t advertise, since most get Federal funds. So it was all word of mouth. Which sucks, but I get it. (I eventually found a place to support.)
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:28 PM on August 8, 2022 [13 favorites]


Rivendell framesets are around ~$1750 (which is fine! They are, as far as I can tell, excellent bikes and an excellent company, and I think it's probably a reasonable price when you factor in the high quality of materials, parts, and labor!) and $1750, even with a 45% discount, is... a lot of money for a bicycle. (It doesn't even include the wheels or the seat or all the other bike parts that aren't part of the frameset!)

It's just, equal protection law aside, I suspect that they're going to do a lot more good in terms of helping underrepresented groups to ride bikes by giving to charities than by giving Black people a discount. Because who's spending $962 on a frameset unless they're already doing okay financially, and they're already pretty enthusiastic about cycling? 12-year-olds whose parents can't afford $150 for a Walmart bike, and cyclists who bike commute late at night and early in the morning who can't afford a good headlight, could use help. Heck, spend money to help under-represented cyclists get into bike racing, even - but a reasonably good-quality racing bike is still cheaper than a Rivendell.

If you can't afford a bicycle, whether for transportation or recreation or whatever other reason, that's a problem. The underrepresentation of Black people in cycling is a problem. Not being able to afford a Rivendell is...not really a problem, I don't think?
posted by Jeanne at 4:28 PM on August 8, 2022 [10 favorites]


I really don't want to snark at this guy when he's clearly coming from a good place and trying to do some good in the world! He seems like a very good guy! (I bought one of his books. It was a good book.) It's just, a 45% discount on an $800 bike is kind of a different proposition from a 45% discount on a $1750 frameset.
posted by Jeanne at 4:38 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]


I’d like to hear more about ways to do this that don’t…

The following is a very imperfect solution due to structurally being more charity than either mutual aid or actual structural reparations, and also necessarily small scale, but one option is basically a gifting chain managed by a trusted person or small group within a given community, but not formally incorporated in any way. People contact the organizers with their needs, other people sign up to receive requests, and the organizers send out the funding requests and where to send e-transfers.
posted by eviemath at 4:39 PM on August 8, 2022


(My understanding is that churches sometimes basically do that on a slightly larger scale, where they accept tithes from a congregation and distribute funds or assistance to applicants for charity, but they have a fair amount of leeway in who they decide to help, what with the special rules for churches in the US.)
posted by eviemath at 4:42 PM on August 8, 2022


Rivendell bikes are too pricey for me without a discount, but a 45% discount would make them a fairly sound choice. The thing is I've known people who've ridden a Bridgestone bike (designed by Grant Peterson) on a near daily basis for three decades. The initial bike price is almost irrelevant compared to the expenses of maintenance, and the maintenance is a lot cheaper given Grant's design choices than it would be on your average high end carbon bike with a spendy groupset. It'll get you to work reliably in decent style with a paint job that doesn't chip as soon as you look at it funny.

Our second 21 year old car died this year and we went to a bike only household. Let me tell you, the most expensive way to own bikes you use to commute is to buy cheap bikes and have to replace all the parts, especially with the parts shortage right now.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:48 PM on August 8, 2022 [8 favorites]


Not being able to afford a Rivendell is...not really a problem, I don't think?

Sure, that's easy for you to say. *rolls around in the gravel of a bike trail making weird lusty noises like some kind of deranged otter*

Rivendell bikes are legendary for fans of steel gravel, adventure and touring do-anything kinds of bikes.

Following that tangent Grant Peterson is the same bike wizard responsible for Bridgestone's amazing 80s and 90s era steel road, mountain and touring bikes. Bridgestone bikes from that era were one of the few mass market bike companies that did things like adjust frame geometry based on bike frame size so that almost every single frame size of a given line had a slightly different geometry to account for differences in frame size and body size, a lot like you'd do with a totally custom frame.
posted by loquacious at 4:50 PM on August 8, 2022 [4 favorites]


Let me tell you, the most expensive way to own bikes you use to commute is to buy cheap bikes and have to replace all the parts, especially with the parts shortage right now.

Apparently the parts shortage is over or mostly over. My local co-op is fairly well stocked and actually has plenty of chains, tires, patches, brake pads and other consumables again.

From what I've been hearing through the industry forums bike and bike component manufacturers went nuts and really ramped up production because they have a long history of dealing with boom and bust, ah, cycles inspired by things like fuel price spikes, popularity and so on so they definitely like to make hay while the sun shines.

Part of this ramp up in production was related the very sudden boom and spike in ebikes, which really started rolling a year or two before the pandemic then the pandemic lit a fuse on the industry.


That being said, you're not wrong about the costs of buying either vintage or cheap bikes and wanting to fix them up.


I've worked a little in some bike shops and I like helping people with bikes. I'm one of those riders that almost always asks if someone needs a tool or a patch or something if they're stopped with a bike.

I find that a lot of new cyclists understandably have the idea that the biggest parts cost the most or are the most valuable - IE the frame, the wheels and tires, the seat and handlebars - when it's actually all the smaller parts that add up t costing more than the frame, and if it's a really basic or cheap frame it's usually a lot more.

Bicyclists know the phrase "lay your bike money side up" or "let's see a pic of the money side, where the "money side" of the bike is side with all the shiny complicated parts on it.

And get sticker shock when they find out that a really basic entry level new chain that fits something like a 7-9 speed starts at like 20-30 USD but can be over a 100 for higher end 10-12 speed chains or racing chains. Or that the top of the line derailleurs or group sets can cost well over 1000 USD, especially electronic shifting.

Or that doing something like a total rebuild of the drive train, brakes, shifters, levers, gears and chain can quickly add up to more than the total cost of an equal or better new bike or well rebuilt and good used bike.

Working on any vintage or cheap bike can be daunting, and there's a lot of weird layers and parodoxes.

I've seen "cheap" department store bikes or Bike Shaped Objects" with decent frames that were also very old and vintage that were much easier to fix up and work on specifically because the parts and components are so old and basic it's easier to find compatible used or new parts compared to, say, a really nice high end 20 year old mountain bike because the technology has moved on so much you can't get parts for it any more.

I've seen people run into issues with relatively recent bikes, too, and it even happens to me. I've been hanging on to rim brakes and older tech that's only 10 years old or so that some of those kinds of parts are becoming specialty or sought after vintage parts to keep a good but old bike moving.


There's also the sticker shock of just properly maintaining a bike and replacing parts early to save money in the long run, just like a car. It's not cost free to operate a bike. It's not like you just buy a bike and your only cost after that is fuel in the form of food. You wouldn't think a car would operate forever on fuel alone all on the same tires, transmission, brakes or even upholstery.

But for some reason it's easier to think of a bike like that, because of how low maintenance and effortless they can be. Even with an old rusty chain and some really bad parts a moderately functioning bicycle is one of the most reliable and efficient modes of transportation in all of known history.

Even a really bad bike is a good bike if it's been ridden.
posted by loquacious at 5:22 PM on August 8, 2022 [5 favorites]


As many people have remarked on over the years, the bicycle is inherently a tool of liberation and resistance. Pretty much every bicycle advocacy organization I've ever met or been a part of has been explicitly organized around principles of equity and liberation. So it's unsurprising that Petersen went here, and hopefully he'll have a chance to revisit the policy as California considers its own policy position on reparations.

That being said, I've always been a bit uneasy with his 'one true way' approach to cycling. When someone with Grant's presence in the industry says "you don't need special shoes or fancy shifters" it's tantamount to saying those things are morally at-odds with the true spirit of cycling.

Personally, as I started my own journey into cycling culture, I was mentored by folks who align with Grant's way of thinking. When I found out that I quite enjoyed going faster, longer, further, and higher, I was shocked to discover that a lot of the things they had told me were lies. Modern equipment, while more complicated, isn't inherently less reliable than friction shifting and rim brakes etc. In fact, the only time I've been hung out to dry by a bike was when my friction shifter cable snapped at the 75-mile mark of a 120-mile ride, leaving me without the ability to change gears on the cassette. My electronic shifters (*ducks*) have been utterly reliable for the last 5k of mixed gravel and road miles. Adventure miles.

Which is not to say my way is the one true way either. Bicycling has to be radically inclusive in order to fulfill its liberation principle to the fullest.

With that in mind, here's some more resources for BIPOC-oriented biking resources:

The Major Taylor Cycling Club, which has chapters throughout the United States and a couple abroad,
Black Girls do Bike, a group that advocates for WoC in cycling, and
L39ION of Los Angeles, a black-owned cycling team that has been tearing up criterium races in the US and fielded a Continental team to compete in Europe this year. They have been known to wear special shoes, lycra, and use fancy groupsets.
posted by turbowombat at 5:44 PM on August 8, 2022 [8 favorites]


Also, for me: Helmet when riding aggressively or on technical terrain. No helmet when riding recreationally around town or running errands. And no helmet laws, they're disproportionately enforced.
posted by turbowombat at 5:46 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]


I have a Bridgestone bike from 1991 that would be a ship-of-Theseus situation at this point, except that I’m still on the original frame and fork. I have nicer, more modern bikes than that one, but none of them warm my heart like that lugged-steel MB-1, which is now a town bike with a bunch of boutique NOS components that I couldn’t afford at the time. Avid Ultimate brakes, Paul’s levers, Moots and Syncros titanium stem and seatpost, if you were a MTB nerd 30 years ago you get the drift.

From TFA, I’m kinda surprised that Rivendell does $3 million a year in sales. It’s a niche market, but people who like it like it a whole lot. Riv bikes are expensive, but I’d say they’re worth it. That said, there are probably better ways for Rivendell to reduce barriers to bicycling than offering big discounts on their frames, and I’m happy that it sounds like they’re pursuing them.
posted by box at 5:53 PM on August 8, 2022 [3 favorites]


This was a wonderful thought and it's a real shame (albeit utterly unsurprising) that it couldn't be sustained. But I'm with others that point out the idea of a 45% discount on high-end semi-custom bikes is perhaps not the most bang-for-buck way to do good in this space. However, it would have been a very visible way to help drive other companies to do the same and this is the most likely reason for the quick and brutal take-down - a wave of companies taking this action would bring a level of acknowledgment of past wrongs that would be uncomfortable to those who wish we could return to the 'good old days'.
posted by dg at 6:17 PM on August 8, 2022


BrotherCaine: the most expensive way to own bikes you use to commute is to buy cheap bikes and have to replace all the parts
The Vines Bike Boot Theory of Economics: for boots, it's that a rich boot-wearer gets 10+ years of dry feet out of $50 boots and a poor boot-wearer suffers 10 years from $5 boots that barely last a year and their feet get wet eventually anyway.

This is an observation about equality and equity, same for boots as bikes when you're relying on them. It's a shame that someone threatened to sue to cause "equally poor treatment" which stopped them from helping resolve the equity gap between poor and rich.

(Credit might smooth out that gap across time, but it's weaponised -- e.g. in college loans -- so that people are trapped by their loans and have larger interest rates to repay on smaller personal budgets.)
posted by k3ninho at 11:25 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]


> It's just, a 45% discount on an $800 bike is kind of a different proposition from a 45% discount on a $1750 frameset.

Part of the issue, though, is that there is (and has been) discrimination all the way up and down the economic ladder. There are people who need a $25 bike, and a $250 bike and a $500 bike and a $1500 bike and a $5000 bike.

I guarantee, if you looked at the history of bikes at every one of those price points, you would find people of color in the U.S. getting noticeably less than their fair share of them, however you want to figure up what a fair share would be.

From that perspective, helping someone get a $2500 bike (or whatever) who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford one, or maybe wouldn't even have thought of trying to get one, is just as helpful as helping kids get their hands on a $25 bike.

A really good bike can be life-changing for adults - in a way that a $25 or $100 never could be.

FWIW the first thing I learned about discrimination in the U.S. is that discrimination due to poverty and discrimination due to race are two rather completely independent things. That is to say, moderate income African Americans, moderately high income, and even high income African Americans - and even more to the point, African American communities - have faced and still face a really astonishing degree of discrimination.

Helping someone in a fairly moderate income bracket get a really nice bicycle can really be life changing.

And I guarantee that African Americans in that income bracket have had a far, far lower degree of participation in bicycling than whites. (I guarantee it because I've actually seen the data. It's startling. Good news is, it's started to change quite a lot for the better over the past decade or so.)

If that happens to be the product you sell, it really makes the most sense to start there. Discrimination is still discrimination, and a discriminatory history is still a discriminatory history - for everyone, not only those in the uttermost poverty.
posted by flug at 3:47 AM on August 9, 2022 [4 favorites]


Sounds great in theory, but I can imagine how quickly the “disadvantaged” white evangelicals would embrace the possibilities.

It's been on the books for decades. The thing about the law is that hypotheticals don't matter, as followers of Jordan Person and his "compelled speech" nonsense have [not] learned.
posted by klanawa at 8:32 AM on August 9, 2022 [3 favorites]


Apparently the parts shortage is over or mostly over.

Uh, it's kinda over. Parts availability is much better than it used to be but is not back to what it was pre-Covid. Most low-end equipment is available but better components are still pretty scarce, as are parts for older bikes.

[Source: I'm a bike mechanic. And end derail.]
posted by workerant at 10:39 AM on August 9, 2022 [4 favorites]


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