Riding Through History: The 2025 1928 Legacy Tour
Some rides change you.
This one reminds you who you’ve been all along.
The 2025 1928 Legacy Tour was more than a 250-mile ride from Harlem to Washington, D.C. - it was a homecoming. A return to self, to sisterhood, to the kind of collective power that blooms when people believe in something bigger than themselves.
“We carried the spirit of five Black women who rode before us - and wrote our own chapter in their story.”
Fifteen riders. Eight support crew. Three days. One legacy.
Day 1 - From Harlem Hustle to Philly Rainfall
The morning in Harlem buzzed with life. The streets hummed with cheers and laughter as Black Girls Do Bike NYC, cycling leader Eric Graham, and other NYC riders joined our rollout. Joy was loud, pride was louder.
We left behind the rush of NY & NJ traffic for the soft hush of tires along the Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail, passing Princeton’s graduation crowds and cheering residents in Trenton before rolling toward Philadelphia.
A late-day rainstorm turned the final miles into a baptism of grit.
By the time we reached The Notary Hotel, soaked but smiling, we had logged 118 miles - the first chapter complete.
Day 2 - Sisterhood Tested, Spirit Proven
The next morning began with new energy. Daniela, from our inaugural class, and Kim, a 2024 alum, joined us at the start - helping connect us to the YWCA of Wilmington, where the 1928 women stayed nearly a century ago.
Leaders there welcomed us with warmth, food, and stories of how they continue to empower women today. That’s legacy in action - when history doesn’t just repeat, it evolves.
We also celebrated Iresha, a Philadelphia cycling leader tackling her first century ride, joined by Yahkita from Black Girl Bike Joy and friends. The day brought lessons, laughter, and honest moments of tension - all part of growth.
That night in Baltimore, our wellness lead Gabby guided a “roses and thorns” sister-circle to breathe, reflect, and release.
Meanwhile Keshia and Em, our tour mechanic, rode beside Iresha to ensure she completed her 100 miles around Lake Montebello.
As the clock ticked past 1 am, Yasmine, a 2022 Legacy Tour alum - and Iresha’s self-proclaimed “twin” - met us at the finish line, cheering her on as she completed that final loop. The reunion was pure celebration: exhaustion, joy, and pride all rolled into one.
At 1 a.m., she did it. That’s community - not leaving anyone behind, even when the road gets long.
Day 3 - Art, Hills & Homecoming
Morning brought coffee, stretches, and a spontaneous mini-photoshoot while visiting Graffiti Alley - Baltimore’s open-air gallery of color and creativity. Then we hit the road for our final push to D.C.
The route was a rollercoaster of hills, each climb echoing the determination of the five women who did this without carbon frames or GPS - only faith and willpower.
As we entered the District, friends, family, and supporters joined us for the final ten miles, just as the original riders were escorted in 1928.
We rolled into Alethia Tanner Park surrounded by cheers, hugs, and tears - proof that legacy rides on wheels and hearts alike.
Carrying It Forward
The 2025 1928 Legacy Tour wasn’t only about miles. It was about meaning.
Belonging. Courage. The audacity of Black women who refuse to be unseen.
“Legacy doesn’t live in the past - it lives in the people who keep showing up.”
If this story moved you, here’s how to keep the wheels turning:
Together, we ride through history — and into the future.
