Plus-size cyclists start inclusive rides in Des Moines
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Carrie Schurman (left) and Cammy White (right). Photo: Courtesy of Carrie Schurman
Carrie Schurman's bike symbolized freedom when she was a child. But as an adult, she found it a source of stress at times as she struggled with body image, ill-fitting cycling clothes and feeling like an outsider.
Why it matters: Schurman started a Des Moines chapter of All Bodies on Bikes, a size-inclusive cycling group that believes anyone who wants to ride a bike should be able to, without any emphasis on weight loss.
How it started: Schurman, who lives in West Des Moines, has always enjoyed cycling, ranging from her childhood banana-seat bike to her Wal-Mart steeds that got her through early adulthood.
- She wanted to get into the sport more seriously, but despite spending her life biking, she didn't always feel welcome.
- "It felt exclusive at times, that if you don't look a certain way or you don't have a certain athletic build, that you just don't fit," Schruman says.
Then, in 2021, she watched a mini-documentary about All Bodies on Bikes — an organization founded by Marley Blonsky, an advocate for inclusivity in the community who describes herself as a fat cyclist with the intention to break the stigma on that word.
- "I think I cried the whole time," Schurman says. "It was just great to be seen in the biking world."
State of play: After Schurman and her friend and co-lead Cammy White reached out to Blonsky and started their own chapter, they began offering beginner-friendly 10-mile gravel rides in conjunction with Iowa Gravel Project on Tuesdays.
- They also plan on hosting "Donut Rides" on the first Sunday of every month. The routes will change, but they plan on ending at ChuChu Donuts in the southside.
Zoom in: The goal for their rides is that everyone stays in a group and no one gets left behind, regardless of speed and ability.
- The focus is on body neutrality — you don't have to love your body, but you also don't have to hate it. Everyone can enjoy biking without any pressure, Schurman says.
- The group also shares resources, like how to find plus-size clothing and bikes for bigger riders.
- "All bodies are good bodies, and all bikes are good bikes," Schurman says.
If you go: Planned rides are posted on the All Bodies on Bikes Des Moines Instagram page.