We are kicking off Bike Month on Saturday, May 3 with a celebration of cycling, culture, and community!
This special event – put together by Black History Bike Ride (BHBR), Major Taylor Cycling Club of Austin (MTCC ATX), and Yellow Bike Project (YBP) – will begin with a community bike ride concluding at the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library.
Following the ride, we’ll host a film program starting with a screening of the Black History Bike Ride documentary “Momentum: The Origin Story of Black History Bike Ride”, followed by “This Is My Moment”. The featured film follows Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay’s historic rise as the first Black African to win cycling’s elite classics and Grand Tour stages.
The event will conclude with a Q&A session featuring Austin-based Eritrean road cyclist Zemikael Negash, who trained with Biniam during their teenage years in Eritrea.
🚴🏿 BIKE RIDE🚴🏿
We are hosting two bike rides, both starting and ending at the Carver Library. Choose the ride that works best for you! Details below.
🚴🏿 BIKE RIDE 1: ALL LEVELS RIDE
START: 8:45 AM | Carver Library
LED BY: Black History Bike Ride (BHBR)
🚴🏿 BIKE RIDE 2: ROAD BIKE SPEED RIDE
START: 8:45 AM | Carver Library
LED BY: Major Taylor Cycling Club of Austin (MTCC ATX)
🎥 FILM SCREENING & Q&A🎙️
Carver Library | 10:00 AM – 12:45 PM
🎥 FILM SCREENING: “Momentum: The Origin Story of Black History Bike Ride”
Directed by Talib Abdullahi, In association with Netta Lou Creative | Duration: 7 min.
“Momentum”, produced by Black History Bike Ride (BHBR), captures how a community bike ride evolved into a powerful movement for Black history education in Austin, Texas. Following the summer of 2024, this documentary showcases Black History Bike Ride’s (BHBR) Juneteenth celebration as hundreds of cyclists came together to explore Austin’s hidden Black historical sites. Through the stories of participants and volunteers, the film reveals how bicycles have become an unexpected tool for preserving and sharing Black history in Texas’s capital city.
🎥 FILM SCREENING: “This Is My Moment”
Directed by Lieven Corthouts | duration: 106 min. | TRAILER
Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay dreamed of the Tour de France at 17 – a race where Black riders were rarely seen. Facing visa battles, distance from home, racism, cycling’s unspoken barriers, he kept climbing. At 21, he won a major Classic, smashing expectations and inspiring a generation. Now, as a champion, he’s racing to rewrite cycling’s future.
🎙️ Q & A🎙️
Join a Q&A with Eritrean road cyclist Zemikael Negash, hosted by Major Taylor Cycling Club of Austin (MTCC ATX)! Hear firsthand about Eritrea’s vibrant cycling culture and his experiences training alongside future superstar Biniam Girmay in their youth.
❤️ Brought to you by Black History Bike Ride (BHBR), Major Taylor Cycling Club of Austin (MTCC ATX), and Yellow Bike Project (YBP).
❤️ Special thanks to the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library for hospitality and to Zemikael Negash for sharing bicycle stories!
❤️ Kudos to Black History Bike Ride (BHBR) & Cassette For Timescapes for sharing the films!
