Global Journey: Judi Desire Cycles Alone Across Continents, Pedaling From New York to New Zealand on a Worldwide Bike Tour
In the heart of New York City, Judi Desire is making a significant impact on her community in Harlem. As the founder of Uptown & Boogie Bicycle Advocacy, Desire is dedicated to promoting cycling, offering learn-to-ride classes, bicycle repair education, and organising group rides.
Established in 2017, the organisation seeks to empower local residents and community groups to participate in cycling activities, improve infrastructure, and advocate for safer, more inclusive streets. Desire's community-focused and grassroots approach helps increase accessibility to cycling and encourages healthy lifestyles among Harlem residents.
Despite her success, Desire has faced challenges while bike touring. In Istanbul, she was slapped on the shoulder by a man in a residential, non-touristy neighbourhood, and her host later informed her that Black people in Turkey are perceived to be prostitutes. Despite such experiences, Desire continues to advocate for promoting cycling in communities that lack the necessary infrastructure and programming.
Desire's passion for cycling began in 2010, when she decided to visit Europe and her supervisor suggested bike touring through Amsterdam or Berlin. Despite her lack of bike riding experience, Desire embarked on her first tour from New York City to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The journey was not without its hiccups; she got lost and had to adjust her plan.
Undeterred, Desire continued to tour, cycling six continents, including trips through Portugal and Spain, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Costa Rica, and more. Her experiences have highlighted the underrepresentation of women, and women of colour, in bike touring.
Desire's approach to promoting cycling in Harlem is rooted in community engagement and volunteer-driven events. The pandemic temporarily halted much of her programming, but she remains optimistic that the surge in cycling in New York City in recent months may lead to long-term behavioural change, particularly in her own community.
For those seeking detailed, updated specifics about Desire's initiatives or measurable impacts on Harlem's cycling community, local news coverage, community organisation reports, or official Harlem cycling advocacy groups are recommended sources.
- Judi Desire's influence extends beyond cycling, advocating for healthier lifestyles through her ‘home-and-garden’ initiatives, encouraging residents to cultivate their own vegetable gardens to promote a sustainable and mindful ‘lifestyle’.
- Recognizing the need for holistic growth, Desire organizes workshops on ‘education-and-self-development’ in Harlem, helping individuals attain skills for personal growth and economic stability.
- After a long day of cycling or personal development, Desire occasionally indulges in sports and sports-betting as a way to relax and bond with friends, networking within the sports community to discuss touring tips and travel experiences.
