Hotdoggin’ with Junior
I read recently that Richmond just experienced the most humid summer on record - and while I admittedly didn’t fact-check that all, I’m content to believe it. It gives me a sense of justification for feeling overwhelmingly hot in the past months, clothes completely soaked through while we check bikes for programming, get youth set up in helmets and on correct-sized bikes, and roll our way along the Capital Trail or around Belle Isle.
The cool mornings lately have been a treat, but they’re a reminder that we’re winding down our long daylight hours, losing the desire to jump in the river after a long ride bit by bit, and transitioning to a season where we worry about layers as we warm up on the bike.
Our summer season was full of some incredible rides and memories, and while photos don’t always do them justice, I love having the bookmark of an image to conjure up the story of an entire production or rehash familiar feelings.
I pulled together some of my favorite memories from the last season to share, quick stories about our youth, their growth, and our ups and downs over the last few months. I hope they resonate with your summer experiences!
Carlos’ Instagram highlight - One of our Lions riders came to us fresh to cycling, having almost no bicycle experience. Over the course of months, we got to watch him stabilize, learn to ride pretty proficiently, and even get brave enough to try to catch a little air at the Gillies BMX track. Carlos asked me one day if he could get an Instagram shout out - if I would take a photo of him on the first big roll in. Happy to oblige, I got into a good photo position while Carlos gave it a few great tries, hoping to catch a little air off of that first lip. We can’t wait to see how he continues to grow in cycling, watching kids build their skills is a really fun part of our engagement.
SLAYdies at the outlook - We managed to convince the squad to let us get a group pic at one of our favorite river outcroppings on a Belle Isle ride one day. Notorious for hiding their faces if you try to take a ride picture, this crew is always full to the brim of hot takes and comebacks. It’s been exciting to see who has returned for Elective Cycling this semester, after getting to spend time riding together during Summer session as well! Mountain bike days have been a hit with this crew, but BMX might be their favorite.
Jermaine’s drop-in - You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how much time we spent sitting and talking at this wooden roll-in on Northbank, or maybe you would if you know the spot! As a beginner mountain biker, it can be a real mental challenge to make a hard turn into a steep downhill with another immediate 90-degree turn on deck, staring straight into the muddy waters of the canal. Our “hard ride” days meant tackling trail features that could psych you out, climbs, or just generally more challenging features than we’d normally hit on our rides. One by one our squad tackled this roll in, but Jermaine was having a hard time checking his head space. We talked it out time and time again, and finally after getting Matt in place to “catch him,” he rolled in and down to the lower canal. HUGE success for him, and a long time coming for a needed trail victory.
Berry pickin - This summer was FULL of trail treats, or stops for berry snacks. Our team loved it, and would come to a full halt if you pointed out a nice blackberry patch. We were riding a trail in the Northside of Richmond and found a big Wineberry patch, something I usually only expect to see west of us, toward Crozet and the mountains. We got to talk about the differences between blackberry vines and these, talking thorns and what color the different berries were when they were ripe. Always happy to stop and smell the roses with this crew.
Rip ‘n’ dips - We were out for a ride one day with one of our volunteers, Big Matt, and paused at a local favorite swimming hole. The gang was just so surprised when he jumped in, proving that the river is, indeed, a delight. That exact moment kicked off a summer of Rip and Dips, or hard rides followed by good swims. Any time we’d session Buttermilk, you could count on some swim time down under the Nickel Bridge. The crew loved looking for fish and other wildlife down by the river, to the extent that I brought along a little scuba mask one day. We had no idea how hot of a commodity it would become, but that resulted in the need to purchase a few more. This summer I spent a lot of time figuring out how to cram THREE masks into a fanny pack already stuffed with ride snacks and first aid kits.
Ramp build project - We were so lucky to find a great partnership with the RVA Toolbank, who helped bring a big goal of ours to fruition. Winter is tough for riding - cold days with early sunset, closed trails and wet weather make for big challenges when you want to fill the week with productive rides and activity. Our current space has a great lower level for skills building on BMX bikes or skateboards, but we needed a quarter pipe ramp to make it effective. The folks at the Toolbank were able to pair us up with a team looking to tackle the project, and help us even more with a grant to cover the cost of lumber. We brought some of our youth along for the build day, and got to guide them through some new fabrication skills. While Brandon and Junior helped paint the front of the building, Jaiyon helped in the lower level with the ramp.
Stokesville - Here’s more proof of the summer of scuba mask! There was a lot to say about our Stokesville trip, catch us in-person sometime for coffee or a ride and we’ll give you the whole run-down, but here’s one of the more enjoyable moments. We got everyone kitted up and took a lap through the fun campground singletrack, then rolled down to the local swimming hole for a much needed cool off on a heatwave weekend day. The team loved swimming around and trying to catch the little fish that constantly nibbled your toes and legs. I think dinner tasted extra delicious after riding and all the following swimming.
The “new park” - Taylor Farm Park opened recently, and has been a HUGE and welcome amenity to the East End with its massive concrete “all wheels” park. The team has been so excited to go and ride, but also likes to bring skateboards along for a change of pace mid-ride. Minty and Matt went over some park courtesy tips and general skills in the quiet parking area before heading to the skatepark section. Minty was fast to take advice from the other locals that were already skating, working on his first substantial drop-in on a skateboard this day. We are 100% here for positive interactions and peer-on-peer learning when we’re out with our youth. Those relationships are so important.
Belle Isle days with the AJC Lions - Belle Isle really has it all: rapids, mellow river access, big rocks, mountain bike trails, a skills park, and a more casual riding loop for everyone to enjoy. Dominion Energy was so gracious as to grant us parking access so we have a place to stow our van and trailer when we met our Summer Session Lions team to ride. Imagine trying to fit a 15 passenger van and big trailer in the tiny Tredegar Parking area midday in the Summer: it’s not gonna happen! This access made it possible for us to explore the island every week, focusing on a different activity each time we rode. The skills park provides an incredible learning play area for all abilities of riders, even though some of the features can be daunting for new riders. Ask me about the time I watched Matt catch a rider and their bike and set them gently down on the ground as they teetered off the edge of a tall drop-off. I will never forget that one.
Minty’s beach of solitude - One of the biggest challenges we have in the Summer is getting our youth to commit to structure. With all of their friends out of school and up all hours of the night, there’s no real reason to stay the course unless they really want to. Minty surprised us at York River State Park by imploding, hitting those emotional lows of a 24-hour time period spent awake and hanging out with friends instead of getting any sleep. Reframing your goals in those moments is super important, pivoting to a different set of expectations while still maintaining some boundaries - all part of navigating a tough day. We may have ridden less than planned, but we got to enjoy waning tide at a beautiful fossil beach, experience some incredible nature (periwinkle snails, fiddler crabs, and wild columbine) and roll through some great double track and singletrack in new terrain.
Road ride goals (rip n dip part two) - We took the team on weekly road rides this summer, building toward a big mileage goal. I don’t know about you, but when I ride in the summer, I aim for early morning or later afternoon to try and beat the cooking heat of the sun. Our team is tough to get moving early morning, and at best we aim for a 10:30am pickup roll call. After commute time, equipment check, snack prep and getting kitted up, we’re on our bikes around noon - ready to ride in super intense sun. Capital trail rides can be tough with limited shade, so we aim to get creative with our routes - how would you take youth on mellow streets with as much shade access as possible to achieve a 30 mile ride? This particular day was a 100 degree, two-dip day - a Riverside Drive road loop with a dip at Pony Pasture, ending with an extended swim at Pipeline Park.
Dock Street Park opening - Very often, we meet our Summer Programming groups at the Kickstand beside the Virginia Capital Trail to get youth set up on bikes, fitted in helmets, and prepped to ride beside other trail users. The opening of Dock Street Park this summer made for a huge change in the loops we can offer, skipping tight quarters with other trail users and opting for wider, natural surface pathways. The plantings are all still new and shade is at a premium for the time being - meeting our Summer team at 2pm makes for a HOT ride. One day, riding past the new James A Buzzard River Center, some of the parks staff were leading a program with a little bit of splash time for their youth. They politely asked if we wanted to be lightly sprayed with their sprinkler - a resounding YES! from us! The team was all surprised as first, some of them missing that permission-ask conversation, but on our way back EVERYONE was clamoring for more mist - “PLEASE sprinkle us again!”
Alumni rides - Late this Summer, our Alumni rides picked back up again with new excited energy, whether road or trail oriented. Several times a week, after early morning text message exchanges, the team gets together to poke their skills, working back into their former fitness.
Korey raced almost all of the Bryan Park road races this season, inspiring a few others to start picking up the road bike again for practices. We’ve been excited to see them all riding together, motivating each other to get on the bike more, and happy to join them as much as we can. Can’t stop, won’t stop!