This summer a group of teens from the Triangle set out on a transformational 730-mile journey.
The 2018 Spoke’n Revolutions summer cycling tour was filled with adventure, discovery, teamwork and some unplanned detours and flat tires, as the teens biked from Chapel Hill to the NC Outer Banks and back home. Each day the teens pedaled between 30 and 80 miles, camped under the stars and learned to live and work as a team. Along the way, the teens learned about NC history, environmental justice, and land and water conservation.
Kevin Hicks, the founder and Executive Director of Triangle Bikeworks, says that the Spoke ‘n Revolution (SnR) program was created to introduce young people, most of them teenagers of color, to the world of cycling. “It’s a sport that is often unavailable to these kids because of the cost of the equipment and the lack of role models and mentors. We try to level the playing field by providing quality donated bikes and equipment along with cycling instruction and training rides.”
The Spoke’n Revolutions program is unique in that it combines educational experiences with the demanding physical, mental, and emotional challenges of pedaling great distances and living cooperatively with a group. Kevin has been taking youth on cycling tours since 2011 and routes have followed the paths of the Buffalo Soldiers and Lewis and Clark, the Underground Railroad, and the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The community generously donates bicycles, gear and cycling clothing and volunteers help youth train after school and on the weekends to be able to complete the rigorous summer tour.
ABOUT TRIANGLE BIKEWORKS
Triangle Bikeworks (TBW) is a youth development organization from Chapel Hill, NC, that was created to address the persistent achievement gap for youth of color through empowering cycling and educational programs. Triangle Bikeworks provides youth with the opportunity to travel on bicycles to historic places, experience extraordinary adventures, and make positive social connections that allow them to discover who they want to be. TBW’s primary summer program, Spoke’n Revolutions, is an immersive 700-mile cycling experience, grounded in cultural and natural history. To learn more, visit www.trianglebikeworks.org.
