We pulled up to Fairfield Court, looking for the team riders that had been messaging us to come pick them up after school. A crowd is standing on the sidewalk, waiting, and they start running our way when they see the van round the corner. They jump into the parked van, and while we idle, we get more messages from youth wanting a favor. Repair someone's bike, replace a stolen bike, take them to the corner store - daily asks we wade through, agreeing to some and turning down the wild goose chases.
As we sit waiting for a team member to come out of their house, a rider we haven’t seen in a while jumps in the van. They ask us to go pick up their friend in another neighborhood to ride. We agree, the friend is close by - pick-ups can span anywhere from fifteen to forty five minutes depending on the roster and the drama we shake out.
The conversation about mandatory helmets and closed toe shoes to ride starts as soon as the van door shuts. One rider refuses to wear a helmet and anything other than sandals. There is no bargaining here, helmet and closed toe shoes or we take them back home. The attempt continues - “I’ll wear the helmet but I’m not wearing different shoes” - the last thing we want is to put someone out of the van, but we have to have boundaries for safety. FINALLY, our conditions are heard and accepted, and we leave the neighborhood aiming for our headquarters to pick up gear.
Two of the girls in the van are raging, still steaming from a fight they’d like to have with someone in the neighborhood. This is incredibly hard energy to refocus, and with a docket of already-frustrated youth in the van, we can tell it is going to be a tough night to manage the personalities in attendance.
2025 has been an incredibly challenging year in ways we could not have expected, with so many of our youth meeting legal challenges, undergoing renewed trauma from the steady increase of gun violence, and for our operations - with DEI initiatives under threat and grant funding rescinded from the local non-profit ecosystem in gutting sweeps.
Thanks to our wide network of supporters, we have been able to continue programming, engaging well over 200 different community youth in 2025 with road cycling, bmx riding, and mountain biking. These engagements aren’t just bike rides - we make the time to introduce and interact with our public greenspaces and wildlife in memorable ways, talk through life and the skills we build through showing up for daily practice, and provide exposure to new experiences our youth otherwise may not get. The largest portion of our time investment with community youth happens off the bicycle - through daily support and assistance as the team navigates life in public housing. It’s bumpy, it can be frustrating and sometimes sad or scary, and it can be fun, funny, and showcase the resilience of the community youth. We see all ends of the spectrum.
It is easy for RCC to seem small, as our priorities have always been rooted in maximizing quality over quantity. We can see how “big” RCC is when we pull up to the different public housing neighborhoods and community members of all ages know us and wave HELLO. From toddlers to grandmas - our long term, consistent presence as support partners in these communities has made us recognizable as we arrive. We think this work is so important, as we strive to improve the well-being of our community of youth through outdoor experiences and programming. Donations from our network of supporters are 100% what keeps our lights on, our doors open, and the wheels turning for RCC youth. Whether small or large, your donations have the power to be absolutely transformational for our ability to provide more engagement with different focus and facets. Our time on the bike is such a small part of the work we do - and your donations help us stand with youth that need the most support.
We’re hoping to raise $30,000 this Giving Tuesday to continue to drive our work into 2026, funding the three main proponents: programming, transportation, and experiences. This sum is paramount to our ability to continue our work into the new year.
Click the button below to head to our donation page, or reach out to us if you’d like to talk more about the challenges and opportunities we encounter with the youth community.
And most importantly, THANK YOU for staying the spark for our fire for fifteen incredible years at Richmond Cycling Corps. It has been a WILD ride.
With our gratitude,
The RCC Team