Rivendell's Black Reparations Pricing

[skitlets]

https://www.rivbike.com/pages/black-reparations-pricing

Spread the word to increase Black representation in cycling.

[fiamme red]

I can imagine LeBron a Rivendell. Oprah, not so much.

[skitlets]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I can imagine LeBron a Rivendell. Oprah, not so much.

LeBron's a big cycling advocate! Check out Shaq's 36" wheeled bike.

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a2005...tally-awesome/

[shrimp123]

Originally Posted by skitlets

Shaq's 36" wheeled bike

next to him, it looks like a 26-er

[bfd]

Don’t forget Barry Bonds rides! He has some really nice bikes too. Here he is on. Specialized McLaren:



He also has a Pinarello too:



And last week I saw him on a new bright red Specialized Tarmac SL7(?) with Sram AXS like this one:



Barry is a strong rider too!

Good Luck!

[theboucher]

Really cool program. Good work!

[XXtwindad]

The central question undergirding the issue is really important: how to increase minority (specifically Black) populations in a largely white sport. Is this a good solution? I think their heart is in the right place, but I’m not so sure.

I think a much better solution would be to open up bike shops in underserved communities.

This clause is a little problematic for me:

“One challenge of BRP is how to prove someone's race. We've ruled out asking for photo-IDs, but we'd still like a way to sniff out white people who try to horn in on it, so for now, we're going with the classic American Honor System. And for repeat customers who we know qualify, we'll have a code to apply at checkout, so they won't have to verify race every time.”

I have a mixed-race friend who is lighter skinned than myself. No questions asked for her?

Again, I think it could be a very interesting conversation, with the caveat that people remain civil.

[Spdntrxi]

I guess you can self- identify

[joevers]

Originally Posted by BobbyJones

Preface this by saying I’m not trying to be antagonistic (really, I’m not ). Curious how you see this to increase black representation in cycling?

Would love to hear your deeper thoughts.

The biggest barrier to entry in cycling is by far money. In the states, and I'm sorry if this is not your perception or experience, black POC simply do not have access to resources on the same scale that white people do. They don't have the same access to nutrition, to schooling, to health care, to transportation, to loans, to clean air and water that white families don't even think about.

I worked at a bike shop last year in a very poor and very black neighborhood in Philadelphia. I can't tell you how many people would ride bikes if they could afford them. People's bikes would break and they would buy a skateboard because it was cheaper than a new fork. People would ride walmart or bmx bikes around all day, a lot more than most people on the forum. There is a youth racing program in my neighborhood that mostly serves poor black youth getting into competitive cycling. It is very successful in getting kids linked up with bikes nice enough for them to race on and giving them coaching they'd otherwise be unable to get.

Riv is not cheap, but this is a great way for black people to access nicer bikes than they would otherwise be able to. That's at least their thinking anyways. For a lot of kids, having black role models to look up to in any industry or hobby or sport is incredibly important. Cycling is really lacking those role models.

The worst case scenario for this program is 85 POC a year get a discounted bike.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

I guess you can self- identify

That's how it works for the census.

[Cantdog]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

The central question undergirding the issue is really important: how to increase minority (specifically Black) populations in a largely white sport. Is this a good solution? I think their heart is in the right place, but I’m not so sure.

I think a much better solution would be to open up bike shops in underserved communities.

This clause is a little problematic for me:

“One challenge of BRP is how to prove someone's race. We've ruled out asking for photo-IDs, but we'd still like a way to sniff out white people who try to horn in on it, so for now, we're going with the classic American Honor System. And for repeat customers who we know qualify, we'll have a code to apply at checkout, so they won't have to verify race every time.”

I have a mixed-race friend who is lighter skinned than myself. No questions asked for her?

Again, I think it could be a very interesting conversation, with the caveat that people remain civil.

I have some experience with this working with an organization that now offers free membership and programming to BIPOC. It’s run fine on honor code and hopefully Riv has the same experience.

[joevers]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I have a mixed-race friend who is lighter skinned than myself. No questions asked for her?

If she identifies herself as black then yeah! If she does not identify as black then no. Riv is not trying to play race police. I'm pretty sure it's up to her whether or not she feels comfortable accepting that discount.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

The central question undergirding the issue is really important: how to increase minority (specifically Black) populations in a largely white sport.

Increasing minority participation has nothing to do with reparations, and Rivendell's statement makes no mention of it.

[raygunner]

There was something in that statement about selling 850 bikes in a year. I was surprised to hear that they sold that many.

[colker]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Increasing minority participation has nothing to do with reparations, and Rivendell's statement makes no mention of it.

Even if it´s not even Riv´s intention the issue, participation in the sport, is at the center of everything here.
Actually seen from the POV that twindad brought, riv´s initiative is not to be even considered leftist but plain capitalist need of expanding market and consummerism. Winwinwin.