Lost Dot X UDS Weekender: Intro to bikepacking ride for people of colour

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Words by Taylor Doyle, Founder of the UDS

Photos by Seun Alaba, UDS alumni

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Elan Valley Loop, Wales

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Early this bikepacking season, in collaboration with the Ultra Distance Scholarship, Lost Dot organised a beginner-friendly bikepacking weekend in mid Wales. As per the aim of the Ultra Distance Scholarship; to increase diversity within the sport of ultra distance racing, this weekend was created specifically for people of colour, in order to provide a supportive space to learn, connect, and ultimately offer inspiration for a group that is typically underrepresented in the sport. 

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A soggy Welsh farming field was quickly turned into a welcoming basecamp for the weekend, as riders made their way to Rhayader on the Friday night, meeting their fellow campers and getting acquainted with curious sheep on the Nearly Wild Camping plot. For some, this was their very first time camping, first time in Wales, first gravel ride, and first time journeying outside of where they live with their bicycle. 

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As the founder of the Ultra Distance Scholarship, and the Media Manager for Lost Dot, it was an honour to be able to connect an initiative which I feel passionate about, with an experienced voice within the self-supported racing community, holding a wealth of knowledge gathered from a decade of running races. Lost Dot has always been committed to ensuring that their races are as accessible as possible, and with initiatives like the Mike Hall Bursary, and race applicant quota strategies that prioritise diversity, that commitment is being upheld and this collaboration was in fitting alignment. But of course, it’s the people who come along and contribute who make these things matter most. 

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SEUN

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Meet Seun. He is a bright and shining UDS ambassador (past recipient) and ultra cyclist, and had a hand in making this weekend happen in the first place. While attending the screening of a Lost Dot film in London, he spoke up during the Q&A and sparked a healthy discussion about representation in bike racing and bikepacking media — and if race organisers could do more to diversify who was in front of the lens. David Ayre, Race Director at Lost Dot reckons so, and went on to make this collaboration a reality, reccying the weekend’s route and inviting Seun to document the weekend as a photographer.

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"Representation matters, and people of colour are dramatically under-represented in cycling. We're always keen to make a difference where we can at Lost Dot, and creating the opportunity for riders to build confidence and experience in bikepacking, whether they go on to race or not, can only be a good thing." - David Ayre, Race Director

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From beginning his ultra distance journey into racing with the Scholarship and the Pan Celtic Race just last year, Seun now finds himself enjoying a wide variety of cycling disciplines, and considers himself an adventure and ultra distance cyclist. With a full cycling calendar, he was just one week away from riding the Kromvojoj race in Spain when we gathered in Wales. 

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When asked what he personally gets out of self-supported racing, Seun spoke of the desire to break out of the boring loops of daily life, as well as the rides he became accustomed to in and around the concrete jungles of London. 

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“There’s so much out there, especially in the UK, on your doorstep” 

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‘You’re capable of much more than you think. Get out there and have an adventure, keep pushing the boundaries and you’ll be rewarded with what’s around you.’

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With the amount of UK-based races he now has under his belt, he has likely already seen much more of the UK than many people who live there ever will themselves. Seun also rides and races with an additional layer of difficulty; as a person with type one diabetes. He says that this offers a bigger challenge and that he enjoys pushing himself, experimenting, and finding new solutions. If you talk to Seun for long enough, he might tell you about his secret, not-so-secret, six year plan to work his way up to riding the Transcontinental Race (or race of similar length) before he turns 30. 

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HAN

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Speaking of the Transcontinental, we invited TCRNo9 rider Han Lu along to ride and give an in-depth talk about her TCR experience around the campfire. Han was the Lanterne Rouge at the Race last year, meaning that she was the last rider to finish in Thessaloniki and the rider who was out on course for the longest, but never gave up. She signed up for the Transcontinental to appropriately celebrate the year of her 50th birthday. 

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Han has an infectious energy about her that makes you want to quit your job and start ticking off every item on your bucket list, effective immediately. Her can-do attitude is uplifting and pulls you out of your own head, showering you in simple self belief. I interviewed Han about her TCR experience on the Lost Dot Women Who Race podcast at the end of last year, and she retold her story for us around the campfire. 

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Han’s answer for riders who are thinking of riding the TCR but are on the fence? A proverbial ‘Just Do It’ followed by “one important thing”:

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“Don’t let other peoples’ fear blend into yours”

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Han has become accustomed to managing people’s reactions to her extreme hobbies and sense of adventure, but explains that this may be harder for someone new to the sport, or just starting out. As a rider with a good few ultra races under my belt, I can certainly relate to having to field the astonishment and at times, outright disbelief, when I describe what I have done or intend to do by bicycle. Warnings of danger, unending ‘what ifs’, and oftentimes fears that have become ingrained over time into the person I am speaking with. For people of colour this barrier can feel even stronger. 

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TAMZIN

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Ultra cyclist Tamzin Dewar, a Director for the UDS, was there on the weekend to help guide the ride. From being a past recipient to now having a significant hand in the running of the Scholarship, as well as working as a USD mentor two years running, Tamzin is always happy to see the UDS community grow.

"For me, the weekend represented the best of the UDS, bringing together a unique community for a weekend of exploration and learning. I was blown away by the grit, determination and courage shown by the participants, with many of them reaching key milestones such as their first gravel experience or their longest ever ride – or in Sacha’s case, both! I was surprised and humbled by the fact that people we had never met before would be willing to turn up to a random field in the middle of Wales and embark on an adventure with us. It speaks volumes about the importance of spaces like these, where people can push themselves and discover what they are truly capable of. The UDS has always committed to taking direct action against the barriers facing the minorities in our community, and the weekend was proof of what can be achieved when this happens. I hold many fond and special memories of the weekend and sincerely hope we can run many many more!"

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ADE

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After turning up to the camping field and swiftly setting up her camp, it was clear that Ade was a woman who was comfortable out in the wilderness, looking perfectly at home in her setup. I quickly learned that Ade had completed her first solo arctic expedition in Sweden two years ago, and had a big hankering for being in wild places alone. 

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“I love disappearing into the middle of nowhere by myself.”

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First drawn to human powered, self-supported adventuring through solo expedition hiking, Ade ordered her first gravel bike in 2020 with the intention of taking it bikepacking. She found herself running a road setup, though, until this weekend which happened to be her first gravel ride (which she loved and took to like a natural). Back in 2019 she was getting inspired by ultra cycling videos on YouTube around the time that Fiona Kollbinger had won the Transcontinental Race, which turned out to be a catalyst for her interest in long-distance racing. Having lived in Edinburgh where she found she had ready access to the great outdoors, to then moving to London, Ade’s craving for more substantial challenges increased. 

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“ ...suddenly I lost my ready access and I found that when I got it, I wanted to be immersed and properly immersed and for an extended period of time.”

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With some challenging cycling events scheduled this year, Ade plans to ease herself into the world of self-supported cycling ventures, and to continue to find ways to push her limits. 

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SAMRA

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Samra’s bubbly personality elevated the weekend. Embarking on her first gravel ride, she took on the rough Welsh tracks with determination and enthusiasm, even after a comedically slow tumble which sent her into a giggling fit. “I’m a really proud slow rider” she explained when asked what her draw to long-distance cycling was. With a lingering knee injury, Samra was keen to find ways to adapt and continue to find ways to ride. 

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“This weekend has been really great to explore what is possible and how I can manage myself.”

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Exhilarating and challenging were two words she used to describe her first gravel ride, which she completed on a high. Samra plans on continuing to develop her multi-day and long-distance cycling skills, hoping to one day complete Lands End to John O’Groats.

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Aminah and Edwin came together from South London, with Aminah coming off the back of an injury and looking for a welcoming ride, and Edwin pleased to be out in the Welsh countryside.

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AMINAH

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“I’d like to be able to ride for longer but it’s something I’m quite nervous about. I love being outside and in the outdoors and everything that comes with that. I’m also terrified of hills [laughs]  so any opportunity to kind of test myself on hills and see how much I can push it, is something that’s really helpful for me I think.”

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Aminah was pleased to be surrounded by so many impressive people doing good things in their communities and also pushing themselves physically. She explained that in her everyday work and world, the camping and cycling that she does is dubbed as ‘crazy’ — but compared to the adventures of those from this weekend, she was feeling like a self-proclaimed ‘small fish’, which she described as a good thing, and was a space she had not experienced before. 

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EDWIN

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As many Londoners, Edwin started cycling during lockdown. He bought himself his beloved Cinelli Zydeco gravel bike on his 40th birthday, and began riding with Brixton Cycles Club. First drawn to the wild world of gravel riding, Edwin has yet to sign up for his first long-distance event, and finds self-supported racing an attractive yet daunting pursuit.

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“Coming from bonking on a 30 km ride quite badly to being able to do like, 180 kms now quite easily, is quite good” … “I’d like to do an ultra-distance [event] at some point, or a long audax and then build my way up to it”

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Though Edwin describes cycling as his ‘therapy’ and a meditative way to maintain his mental health, he was pleased to have had a weekend riding with others, and meeting members of the UDS and Lost Dot community. 

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KARLA

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Hailing from the flatlands of Norwich, where she helps to lead cycling rides and initiatives of her own, Karla was swooning for the Welsh views by the end of the weekend. She has been an applicant for the Ultra Distance Scholarship in the past and is motivated to continue to develop her riding skills, setting new challenges for herself often. 

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“When I have a goal, I give everything to training, because I really want to do my best, and reach the target, to get to the finish line”

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Karla finds herself surrounded by friends and other riders who are having inspiring experiences doing various long-distance cycling events, and it is something that Karla wants to experience for herself. Having discovered the Ultra Distance Scholarship, Karla has been inspired by the resulting UDS stories and alumni, and hopes to have riding adventures of her own that will help her push her limits. 

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SACHA

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Sacha was another participant who had their honorary first gravel ride in Wales with us on this weekend. Normally sticking to tarmac in and around Kent, and riding casually with Together We Ride Cycle Club, Sacha had not heard of bikepacking before, so was drawn to the weekend for an adventure. Curious about the sport, she wanted to learn more and see what it might be like to push herself to see how far she could go. 

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“I came to Wales, which was amazing. I’ve met a bunch of really nice people, and I’ve had a chance to ride on a gravel bike, which I’ve never done before. I definitely pushed myself to my limits, and just really explored. It’s been amazing and I look forward to doing it again soon.”

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From running the Ultra Distance Scholarship for four years now as an ally, something that rings undeniably true for so many of the amazing people I have met through doing this work, and certainly for some recipients of the scholarship itself, is that sometimes this world we are so embedded in and love so much, just isn’t even on the radar for those who we notice are greatly underrepresented. I will never forget when cyclist Vera Negosi, an Ultra Distance Scholarship alumni from the very first year of the UDS said during a live community talk at a large bikepacking event (as the only black person in attendance): 

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“I just didn’t even know that this world existed” 

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Whether it’s enjoying the freedom of an adventure by bicycle, or racing and having the pleasure and privilege of pushing physical and mental limits, another sentiment that I see continuously confirmed to be true for underrepresented groups in the sport is that representation truly does matter. The power of this should never be underestimated by Race Organizers and those hoping to diversify the world of self-supported racing. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it. Telling strong stories and ensuring that people of colour are reflected within the media we are using to push and encourage the sport is key if we are seeking a more diverse and inclusive ridership. 

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This isn’t the only way, of course. We need allies and lovers of ultra distance riding, especially those who are already embedded within this weird, wonderful, and wild world to be on board as well; offering encouragement and inviting in members of those underrepresented groups where possible within their own social and community circles. There is no automatic quick-fix for the lack of diversity we are seeing in bicycle racing, and we are already beginning to see incremental change, but it takes as many members of our community as possible to be actively invested in having these conversations and ensuring, together, that we are doing what we can to make our sport as inclusive as possible. 

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