A Movement is Born:
The Rise of Melanin Base Miles
By Sheila Mahadevan
Oftentimes, when cyclists discuss the barriers they face to participate in the sport, they focus on the financial obstacles they need to overcome. Access to the money needed for cycling is one of many hurdles that prevents riders from procuring proper equipment, getting to safe riding spaces, and registering for cycling events. Non-financial roadblocks include lack of access to information, concerns over safety, and being the dreaded “only one” that shows up.
As a South Asian woman who has been riding bikes for over 10 years, I have encountered numerous impediments to riding and racing. I fell in love with gravel riding and racing in 2019, and often found myself being the “only one” on a group ride or at an event, often feeling unsafe. I have never been a “fast” rider and, on a good day, I ride somewhere in the middle of the pack. Often though, I do find myself riding in the back. On gravel rides, this means I’m on my own, in an unfamiliar place, and exposed to the potential for harm. For example, being chased by a dog.
Luckily, in time, I found good people to ride with who showed me the ropes and enabled me to build my confidence and become more comfortable. I learned how to navigate the network of Loudoun County gravel roads and even started making my own gravel routes. Today, I show up for road group rides that I would have never previously considered. In some ways, having the right community support enabled me to look within myself to find greater confidence and improve my access to cycling.
…I found good people to ride with who showed me the ropes and enabled me to build my confidence and become more comfortable…
In May 2020 I suffered a mishap on a gravel group ride that left me with a foot injury and sidelined on crutches for a couple of months. During that time, the United States was experiencing a wave of civil unrest and a racial awakening following the murder of George Floyd. I had, for some time, wanted to have an impact in the Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) cycling community and decided to launch Melanin Base Miles, an Instagram account that aimed to connect with BIPOC gravel riders for networking and group rides.
Since we were still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, group rides were still deemed unsafe. But in late 2020, with the worldwide dissemination of the COVID-19 vaccine, group rides and cycling events were re-launching. Inspired by the work of Ride for Racial Justice, Melanin Base Miles partnered with Alex Forte Howell (Dirty Kitten Productions) and launched a scholarship initiative to take 10 BIPOC cyclists to the 2021 Dirty Kitten Gravel Race (DKGR). This BIPOC scholarship program eliminated some of the financial burden from each rider and offered them free entry to the DKGR distance of their choice, a generous stipend to offset the cost of race participation, access to three endurance gravel rides in Loudoun County, coaching and nutrition counseling from Chris Spurrier (Kyle Coaching), and mechanical support from Greg Thomas (Precision Bicycle Services).
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MBM Team and Scholarship Group - GraVista 2022.
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MBM Team and Scholarship Group - DKGR 2022.
At DKGR, scholarship riders tackled between 20 and 80 miles of chunky gravel roads during summer’s peak heat. Some riders beat personal records, while others were thumped by the conditions. Nevertheless, they all came out stronger. Witnessing those moments affirmed what I learned first-hand in previous years: that having the right community support enables individuals to access skills and confidence that in-turn gives them access to better cycling opportunities.
Since 2021, Melanin Base Miles has taken BIPOC scholarship riders to the 2022 editions of DKGR and GraVista. Melanin Base Miles became a DC-based non-profit and has a 501c3 application pending. Most notably, Melanin Base Miles administers a 12-person BIPOC gravel team that participates in Mid-Atlantic events and competes in premier national gravel races including The Mid South and Unbound. The team is coached by Milt Sharp and continues to receive mechanical support from Greg Thomas. While Melanin Base Miles remains primarily focused on increasing access and removing entry barriers to DMV gravel cycling, we have started to dabble in mountain biking as well.
When asked what challenges Melanin Base Miles faces, I speak for many with the response of “scarce resources.”
MBM has started to dabble in mountain biking…
How can the community help?
Through partnerships and amplifications. There are cycling companies and organizations that want to make cycling more accessible to marginalized groups and need the community access that Melanin Base Miles can provide. In June 2023, Pivot Cycles brought their demo fleet to DC for a one-day “Sunset Shred” hosted by Melanin Base Miles. With Pivot Cycles’ help we were able to provide non-binary and women riders with an opportunity to safely try out mountain biking in a welcoming environment.
I led a "first touch" clinic for beginner riders, where we split into beginner and intermediate groups for a fun ride at Laurel Hill in Lorton, VA. Some riders demoed e-bikes and said that the electric assist enabled them to ride within the group, that capability made them feel included. It was a beautiful evening.
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MBM PIVOT Demo - Jessica Brunson, Em Bhoo, Brianna Hurt, Elisabeth Montero, Sheila Mahadevan. Photo Hugh Bayard.
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MBM Scholarship Group - DKGR 2021. Photo: Bruce Buckley.
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MBM Team - Gravel Ride 2022.
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MBM PIVOT Demo. Brianna Hurt and Jessica Brunson. Photo Hugh Bayard.
In 2024, Melanin Base Miles is continuing its important community building work by joining forces with EX2 Adventures and Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) to bring BIPOC scholarship riders to the Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder in June, and the MoCo Epic in October. These two events represent the DMV’s premier non-competitive gravel and mountain biking events and will give riders a unique gravel and off-road riding experience. Through these experiences, we hope to strengthen human bonds, honor the land we ride on, and have a great day on the bike.
The support I felt many years ago has been imparted on this organization and team: the community support Melanin Base Miles provides enables riders to tap into their internal confidence, as well as gives them greater access to cycling.