ASJ Staff
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Climbing 50,000 Feet in 50 Days on a Bike

The idea to start a non-profit organization called Riders Against Racism came after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery on February 23rd 2020. This tragic death on the streets of Georgia started a conversation about โ€œjogging while Black,โ€ and how persons of color donโ€™t always feel safe while participating in outdoor recreation activities.
“After Ahmaud Arbery was murdered, and after I readย How To Be An Antiracistย by Ibram Kendi in May, I realized how important it is to build communities around the specific practices of anti-racism in outdoor spaces,” says Matt Niswonger of Adventure Sports Journal.

“In terms of cycling, both mountain and road biking are disproportionately White and male. In light of the Ahmaud Arbery tragedy, the idea emerged to create a cycling organization devoted to helping cyclists become anti-racists, and to making the BIPOC, and LGTBQ+ communities feel more welcome in the cycling community.”

Riders Against Racism’sย first 50/50 Challenge pushes riders to climb 50,000 feet in less than 50 days on a bike. Participants keep track of elevation gain via Strava and the leaderboard is updated daily to show cumulative totals as the race will be on to see who can climb 50,000 feet in 50 days.

The 50/50 challenge is a fundraising vehicle for Riders Against Racism (RAR) initiatives โ€” the first of which is for the Washoe Tribe near Lake Tahoe.

“We are in a conversation about supporting the Washoe Nation,” Niswonger says. “Learning about the Washoe and their history in the Lake Tahoe region has been sobering. When I learned that the nearby town of Minden has a nightly siren that the Washoe have been trying to silence for over a decade it was an introduction to the sad history of the nearby towns.”

Until 1974 there was both a nightly 6pm siren and a law on the books that all Washoe must leave town by nightfall. The law was repealed but the same siren keeps blaring nightly to this day as a sad reminder of a traumatic past. To support the Washoe, Niswonger started an online petition to stop the siren that currently has over 12,000 signatures.ย You can read and sign the petition here.ย 

A few days after the petition was started, Niswonger was contacted by the local news to be interviewed alongside some Washoe elders including Chairman Serrell Smokey. That interview resulted in a news story that aired on KOLO TV.ย Watch it here.

There is much opportunity to partner with the Washoe people in their efforts to thrive as a people. Mountain biking, road biking, and snowboarding/skiing can play a role in that.

Beyond the Washoe initiative and other initiatives, the 50/50 Challenge looks to grow a national digital community of riders who identify as against racism. This will be an important part of our organization because having a Strava community built around anti-racism is a good thing for the cycling community. The higher profile we get, the safer and more inclusive cycling gets.

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What Some RAR Participants Are Saying about the 50/50 Challenge

Photo by Mike Bolte

Adam Long // Inspired by everyone’s efforts!

“It is inspiring to see every effort that we are making towards this cause as a team. Initially I was concerned that this challenge would just be a way to justify what can be a selfish and privileged pursuit. But no… it’s not about that at all. Each hard fought climb and mile gives me a moment to think about how I can change my ways, many of which are rooted in the racism of my family lineage. We can all make this world a better place with the kindness that is embedded in our hearts. Each ride has made me equally sad and optimistic about the events of this year. The inequalities in so many aspects of our society are increasingly apparent. If I can make a difference to at least one person or help inspire introspection in others then it is all worth it. Thank you everyone. Let’s take this to the next level.”

Allyson Gunsallus // A Significant Impact

“This challenge has impacted me more and been more significant than I could have imagined. Iโ€™ve also been thinking about how Iโ€™m a better person going through this contentious electionโ€”seeing more, learning more, reflecting moreโ€”than I would have been if I hadnโ€™t spent so much time riding the last few weeks. Ride on!”

Josh Pearlman // Where Are the Persons of Color?

“I have spent my entire life engaging in what are loosely referred to as adventure sports.
Sports that are generally you vs. yourself in an arena where mistakes can have dire consequences.
Big mountain snowboarding, high altitude mountaineering, rock climbs taking a week or more to complete, and of course mtn biking. If there is one dominant characteristic that I have recognized from my early years of scaring myself, it’s that this is a bunch of white dudes having a blast in nature. Where are the persons of color? Where are the women? With women there has been progress in the last ten years, but progress has been slow or non-existent in terms of the BIPOC community.”

 

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