By Laurie Casey
Bike riding is a summer pleasure—good for the body and soul. . . as well as the planet. If you live in Chicagoland, you must try The Magic of Music Ride Series, accompanied by a DJ spinning a custom music list. I tried it for the first time on July 22nd and had a ball! All kinds of people came out—daters, families, young and old.
The Magic of Music Ride Series runs every Fourth Friday from May to October. It’s the brainchild of Olatunji Oboi Reed, President & CEO, The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement. Each ride has a musical theme focusing on a particular style such as House Music, Hip Hop, Latinx, etc. and begins and ends at a different Chicago Park District Park. The goal is to connect people within various neighborhoods and cultures in an experiential way and to employ and celebrate the critical principles of mobility justice in our neighborhoods.
“We call this a community mobility ritual. It has elements in common to lend it to be ritualized. One is a rhythmic schedule. Every fourth Friday. If you keep coming, you’ll start seeing familiar faces,” Reed told the crowd.
I spoke with two young couples, Maya Thompson, her sister Monique Thompson and their boyfriends who were trying the ride for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing nature in the city, being on bikes and the music,” said Maya Thompson, an intern with Night Out in the Parks, a partner in this summerlong series of outdoor adventures. A resident of Douglass Park neighborhood, she says her job is to be the eyes and ears of the Chicago Park District. “It’s cool to be outside and go to events, especially when they are free!” she added.
Maya, her friends, I, and about 30 others wended our way along an 8-mile ride through the Douglass Park neighborhood on the city’s near west side.
It was no ordinary bike ride. For one, we were accompanied by a rolling DJ. He was set up with a turntable inside a van, with its back doors flung wide open. Inside, facing the street, were nine large speakers. He spun Hip Hop classics from the 80s to the present. The sound was terrific! As we drove down streets, we pedaled to the beats. Residents and strollers we passed got to enjoy it, as well as the car drivers that passed us by.
Check out this beautiful 2-minute video by Planet Chambo about this ride in Douglass Park to get a sense of what we saw and who else came out that evening.
Safety is also important. After reviewing hand signals—right turns, left turns, and stops—we were encouraged to remember to point out glass and potholes for riders coming up behind us.
During the ride, we appreciated the mad biking skills of the “Corkers” who ride ahead and block oncoming traffic so that we could safely move through intersections. In addition, two Working Bikes volunteers equipped with a toolkit brought up the rear in order to catch anyone who might have had bike trouble.
One Earth Collective is a sponsor of this ride series. In fact, we are big fans! Check out this Instagram Reel we created about it.
Other partner organizations include Chicago Park District, Lawndale Christian Healthcare Center and Working Bikes.
Community, fellowship, exercise, great music, new friends. . . it’s all just one bike ride away. Try it! There are two more and they are free. Sign up here: https://www.equiticity.org/cmrs