Billion Worlds Lab

What are the Broad St. Bullies? The Broad St. Bullies (BSB) are a cycling group in Richmond, Virginia. They were formed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and have been consistently holding rides – called ride-outs – since that time. The group holds ride-outs every Thursday night during the summer and fall, and every other Sunday afternoon during the winter and spring. The group began as a smaller cohort composed mainly of wheelie enthusiasts and BMX riders and wheelies remain a prominent part of the event. Ride-outs now often draw hundreds of participants, and trace a roughly ten-mile route through Richmond’s Carytown, Museum District, Scott’s Addition, Fan, Arts District, and Oregon Hill neighborhoods. Because ride-outs are so well-attended, the group often takes up a full block, always riding in the street, and will collectively run red lights or block cars from entering the roadway in order to keep the group together. BSB also holds occasional themed ride-outs and special events, such as their annual Halloween ride, during which participants are encouraged to don costumes, and the group merges with the annual Oregon Hill Halloween parade. While bicycling is the focus of the group, other small, personal vehicles are not uncommon, including: unicycles, rollerblades, longboards, skateboards, tricycles, e-bikes, mopeds, miniature bicycles, dirtbikes, motorized skateboards, one-wheels, and a wide variety of modified and decorated bicycles, some barely recognizable as having once been a bike

Who are the Broad St. Bullies? BSB is a predominantly male group, especially when considering the most consistent attendees. Contrary to other popular cycling groups such as Critical Mass, there is a strong contingency of young, Black men who participate in BSB, and not nearly the amount of middle-aged white men that are typically prevalent in groups like Critical Mass. While these demographic facts are evident at smaller ride-outs, they can be lost on more well-attended days, when the group truly seems to contain someone from all walks of life. It’s not uncommon to see children and the elderly at BSB, and I have seen couples and families riding together at nearly every ride-out I have attended. Many of the group’s regular attendees are involved in Richmond’s counter-cultural creative scenes, from hardcore punk fans and musicians to tattoo artists, music videographers, DJ’s, and more. BSB participants are a fairly eccentric bunch, with attendees regularly donning vibrant or outlandish costumes, carrying pets along for the ride, or playing a diverse selection of music from portable speakers. The wheelie enthusiasts are by far the most visible, and perhaps the most emblematic cohort of BSB participants. They often wheelie for the majority of the ride-out, with some going so far as to remove their bike’s front wheel. Getting clips of wheelies and other stunts is a central aspect of BSB for many of these folks, and there are many participants who do not themselves do wheelies but have made a practice of filming and editing videos of those who do. 
What will my research be? Broadly, I will be conducting an ethnographic study of the Broad St. Bullies, seeking to understand the group’s structure, culture, and practices, as well as the way in which it impacts both participants and the greater community. By observing ride-outs as I participate and conducting interviews with participants, I hope to develop a comprehensive picture of BSB, specifically focusing on the ride-out experience itself and its impacts. For a thorough description of the nature of this research, my motivations for conducting it, and some key theoretical groundings, check out my next blog, “Why am I researching the Broad St. Bullies?”