It’s 6:00am in Los Angeles as our call connects. A sunny Saturday morning, Holly Barnhart is sitting at her desk, dressed casually, with coffee cup to hand. When not writing up her PhD thesis or out on a boat—research trips, she helpfully explains—Holly is kept busy organising grassroots racing, hosting bicycle themed yard swaps, or simply out having fun, riding with friends.
Quick to laugh and with a conversational energy that is palpable, Holly shares her nuanced insights on the LA cycle scene; a wild ride that takes in everything from the joys of ABS (always be snackin’) to riding tandems with a significant other, and the unadulterated craziness that is City Cyclo.
cyclespeak
Living on the West Coast, is it true what they say about the beautiful weather?
Holly
Pretty much. And honestly, I don’t think I could live anywhere else because of that.
cyclespeak
So on the rare occasions when it does rain, do you still ride or maybe hop on the indoor trainer?
Holly
Actually, I would do neither. This choice comes up so infrequently that, in my book, it’s a day off.
cyclespeak
I can see you’ve got your breakfast coffee and I was wondering whether you’re normally such an early riser?
Holly
I thought it would be good motivation; ready for my bike ride later today. But normally? No. Sleepy lady over here.
cyclespeak
So what’s your home vibe? Super minimalist or jam-packed full of bikes?
Holly
I moved in with my partner a little over a year ago and it’s that funny thing in a relationship where you’re living in someone else’s space. There’s definitely stuff that I’ve made my own but that’s not to say it’s wholly a representation of me. And yes, it is full of bikes. With a tandem and a couple of town bikes outside.
cyclespeak
Don’t they say that riding a tandem with your partner is a maker or a breaker?
Holly
Oh yeah. The phrase I heard was that wherever you’re going with your relationship, the tandem will get you there faster [laughs].
cyclespeak
Dare I ask who gets to steer?
Holly
Oh, that’s me of course. For better or worse, I’m the captain.
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cyclespeak
Before we get into bikes and bike riding, can we take a little look back at where you grew up, college, and what you’re doing now?
Holly
I grew up in San Diego and then went to Berkeley to study Earth Science which is sort of in between Geology and Environmental Science. I stayed up there for a year or two after graduation before returning to LA and grad school. I started a PhD programme at Caltech, working as a chemical oceanographer, which means you’ll find me either in the lab or out on a boat. But I’m getting towards the end of my PhD so a lot of my time is now spent sitting in front of a computer, processing data and writing papers.
cyclespeak
So not long and you’ll be Dr Holly Barnhart?
Holly
That’s right. Or Dr Barnfart as I like to tell people they should call me [laughs].
cyclespeak
Were bikes a big part of your childhood?
Holly
Honestly, not that much. I do distinctly remember scootering back and forth to my grandma’s house. But cycling didn’t really get going until I started college. And don’t hold this against me—I thought it was the coolest thing in the world—but it was joining the triathlon team that first got me riding a bike. Not that I ever did a single race but I really enjoyed the sense of community.
cyclespeak
Now that riding has grown to be such an important aspect of your identity, are your bikes simply a tool for a job or is there more of an emotional connection?
Holly
When I first started riding it was exclusively road. And it wasn’t until the end of my time in the Bay Area that I got my first gravel bike: a graduation present to myself but on a college student’s budget so it was pretty basic and had road gearing. But what it did do, was introduce me to this idea that the bike is a tool you can use to explore stuff. Which was a pretty big shift for me. And then, when I made the move to LA, I discovered this community that did a lot more off-road riding, which in turn, helped me figure out the local trails and the cool neighbourhoods. And looking back, that’s maybe when bikes took on a whole new meaning.
cyclespeak
And the emotional connection to your bikes?
Holly
They all have sentimental value with the possible exception of that first gravel bike. Which on the first ever City Cyclo event organised by Dani Arman, Jen Whalen and Kyle Kelley—and after taking a wrong turn through some bushes—I managed to fully rip off the derailleur before walking the two miles back to the finish line.
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cyclespeak
So do you embrace n+1? Or once you’ve got a bike for a particular job, is that enough?
Holly
I have a road bike that I count as a forever bike. A steel framed Beach Club that once belonged to Sean Talkington of Team Dream and The Cub House. An amazing bike that I absolutely love—it rides so nicely—and the Cub House folks were some of the first cycling friends I made in LA.
cyclespeak
And gravel?
Holly
I have a steel Dark Moon that is pretty epic so I don’t need another gravel bike. And my mountain bike—also steel—is by Souvenir Cycles and was built by a friend of mine. So I’ve got this beautiful steel fleet—each with its own origin story—that just gives me so much joy.
cyclespeak
I guess it’s rather difficult to pin down the LA ride scene?
Holly
That’s the beauty of the West Coast, in that it’s all the scenes. The community is so large and diverse that you can pretty much find whatever riding you’re looking for. If you’re a diehard roadie, there are rides for that. Or maybe you want to get off the road and hit some dirt trails.
cyclespeak
Do these various groups talk to each other or is there a hierarchy?
Holly
Not a hierarchy as such but maybe very little overlap. The roadies meeting up for Panda’s Ponies on a Wednesday morning aren’t necessarily the same folks going to The Cub House basket ride.
cyclespeak
So is it tribal? Are there unspoken rules?
Holly
There’s a little bit of that. But maybe my own experience is coloured geographically.
cyclespeak
How so?
Holly
I did an all-day ride in the Santa Monica mountains—so West Side—wearing a tee over bibs and carrying a musette and got a few funny looks. And then, when I flatted early on, this guy stopped to help me fix it and offered to tow me back to the group which was a nice friendly gesture. I think he was surprised when I held on and then subsequently dropped him [laughs].
cyclespeak
And East Side?
Holly
Maybe more—how can I say—kookier? And a little bit of a fashion show? I’ve noticed in summer time that people are now wearing just a sleeveless base layer or a crop-top over their bibs. People kind of want to show up and look cool. Whether that’s in a pair of jorts or head-to-toe branded kit.
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cyclespeak
And what do people ride?
Holly
It’s a real mix. And one of the things that is really cool about the LA scene is that the vast majority of the rides are beginner friendly. So you can ride whatever you bring. Often you’ll have over a hundred people on Panda’s Ponies—rolling out at 6:30 in the morning—with a mix of hard chargers going for the KOM and new riders on their grandma’s bike. It’s just beautiful because everyone’s out there together, having fun, and we all re-group at the top.
cyclespeak
Is there anything that particularly defines riding in LA?
Holly
There’s the shop scene which is kind of special and very West Coast. These awesome bike shops such as The Cub House, Let’s Ride, and Golden Saddle Cyclery—which is now Allez LA—that all act as community spaces and offer a really beautiful entry point into cycling.
cyclespeak
It sounds like there’s something for everyone.
Holly
The Cub House basket ride on a Wednesday evening is a tootle up to a lookout point with a stop on the way for a beer at the corner store. And Allez LA has a Friday morning ride that bops around LA on some of the most awesome and/or scariest dirt in the city.
cyclespeak
Referencing the #LASucksForCycling hashtag, are there any misconceptions regarding LA as a cycling city?
Holly
That’s what’s so funny because it absolutely does not. Maybe it takes a little getting used to—I was terrified when I first moved here—but it’s got everything. Which probably goes some way to explain why the cycling community is so diverse. The road riding has spectacular climbs and epic descents, the gravel is awesome with so many different flavours, and then there’s all this crazy in-town stuff.
cyclespeak
You mention craziness, which leads us nicely to City Cyclo.
Holly
It originated a couple of years ago. Dani Arman and Jen Whalen teamed up with Kyle Kelley to host a race—kind of low-key but also relatively competitive—which was held in Elysian Park and proved to be completely nuts. There were all these checkpoints where you had to find stickers and then everyone stayed to party afterwards. And that continued for a while until there was this lull. Which was when I decided to reach out—not wanting to step on anyone’s toes—but Dani was, “Please. Take it. Use the name.” Which is pretty much what I did.
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cyclespeak
So how would you describe City Cyclo to the uninitiated?
Holly
Frequently fucked-up routes. Ridiculous promo videos. Women running the show. An exploration wrapped up in a little bit of a suffer fest. Take your pick [laughs].
cyclespeak
It all sounds rather awesome.
Holly
I guess you could say the format is loose, with more emphasis on goofing off and going hard than enforcing any particular set of rules. First place finishers score a dollar-store trophy or an airbrushed T-shirt from City Cyclo patron saint Charlie Staunton. Beyond that, there are no finish times and no race results. Just a beer afterwards.
cyclespeak
I guess this sense of community you’re building—everyone looks like they’re having such a good time—extends to your yard swap concept?
Holly
That all started when me and a couple of friends were moving in with our partners and needed to get rid of stuff. There’s kind of a culture on the West Coast for bike swaps and a friend had this beautiful big yard so we decided to throw something together. Everyone is welcome to bring whatever they have and hang out all day.
cyclespeak
It all sounds super inspiring. And something else that meets that mark was your participation in TSP CYC* riding on the CNCPT team. Which looked like a pretty epic experience?
*The cycling edition of The Speed Project: an unsanctioned, self-supported relay race from Santa Monica pier in LA to the Las Vegas city limits sign.
Holly
So I knew Alvin Escajeda and Sean Eric Martin from CNCPT—just from riding in LA—and they were my first introduction to the idea of ultra cycling. With their encouragement, I signed up for this 400 mile loop not far from San Diego called Stagecoach which was me dipping my toe into another way of racing.
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cyclespeak
Isn’t that quite a rowdy event for the first dip of your toe?
Holly
Yeah [laughs]. Very possibly. Which is why Alvin and his partner Ginger—the sweetest couple—took me on a couple of recon trips that included an overnighter in Anza-Borrego, the desert area outside of San Diego. And then I got a call from Alvin as I was heading downtown on the metro train in LA. He explained how there was this thing and they needed a woman [laughs].
cyclespeak
That’s quite a conversational lead.
Holly
That’s when Alvin explained that the teams had to have both male and female riders and asked whether I was interested. He’s giving me all these details but there’s all this shit going on in the train so I said how it sounded really awesome and I’d think about it and get right back to him. So I ended the call and then this person on the train—who was having some kind of mental breakdown—turned around and just punched me in the face. So traumatic and disconnected from this conversation I’d just been having a second before with Alvin.
cyclespeak
So what happened next?
Holly
The people on the train were wonderful, helped me out, and then when I got to the ER they confirmed I had a broken nose and two fractured bones in my orbital wall. A couple of days later I messaged Alvin to say that some crazy shit had just happened—I had a double set of wicked black eyes and my nose was huge from the swelling—but if I could still ride my bike, I was in.
cyclespeak
How long until the race was to start?
Holly
A couple of weeks [laughs]. And honestly the race wasn’t that bad. The biggest downside was my broken nose meant I couldn’t snot rocket.
cyclespeak
Which as a cyclist…
Holly
You have to do [laughs]. It’s just part of riding a bike. And that proved the hardest part of TSP: taking these long pulls and letting the boogers drip down my face.
cyclespeak
That’s definitely a look.
Holly
There I was, this crazy lady crossing Death Valley in the middle of the night, terrified that something might come out of the bushes. Whereas, in hindsight, they’re going to be way more scared of me.
cyclespeak
As it’s a relay race, were you able to get any sleep when Alvin or Sean took a pull?
Holly
I got a little rest but not nearly enough. And there’s also the challenge of getting as much food into you as possible. And what proved funny, was this craving I had for tinned tuna and crackers. So the poor boys, cooped up in that van, had to contend with the smell of fish whenever they took a break.
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cyclespeak
A fair proportion of your Instagram feed seems to depict you snacking on and off the bike?
Holly
I guess I’m pretty food orientated. The ride is your excuse to eat weird shit [laughs].
cyclespeak
And speaking about Instagram, you’ve featured in some extremely funny spoof video clips with friends Jen, Audrey and Dani. There was Bike Wash where you set out to reverse toxic masculinity, and Debbie and Deborah which features you as a victim of City Cyclo.
Holly
When Jen and Dani started City Cyclo, they put together these goofy promo videos and that just remains part of the scene. And if I’m going to take this on, at the very least I have to meet their level of weirdness and maybe even aim to exceed it. And it’s all just pulled together on iMovie; which is kind of funny, living in LA, where people do this for a living.
cyclespeak
So which of the potential City Cyclo injuries featured in Debbie and Deborah have you yourself suffered?
Holly
Physical and mental exhaustion, check. Definitely the cramps.
cyclespeak
Sticker residue on bike frames?
Holly
You can tell who’s attended a City Cyclo race for weeks afterwards based on whether or not there’s half a sticker still attached to their bike frame [laughs].
cyclespeak
You talk so passionately about your bikes and bike riding. And I was very curious about the emotional response this aspect of your life engenders. Which I guess is a complicated way of asking how it makes you feel to ride a bike?
Holly
That’s such a hard one. Because I think my answer would be different depending on what bike I’m riding. Since I’ve been doing a lot more mountain biking, I love that it’s kind of like a puzzle. A mental challenge in addition to the physical effort. On a technical trail your mind is working on where to place your wheel so you can make a turn or avoid this or that rock. Which is a very different experience to when I’m out on my road or gravel bike where my main focus is to see stuff.
cyclespeak
So if there’s a choice between being lost or found?
Holly
Whether it’s a new trail or a different neighbourhood to explore—and without wanting to sound too woo-woo—the idea of getting lost means you’re actually finding something. Which maybe doesn’t address your question but, to me, sounds really cool.
All photography with kind permission of Holly Barnhart (images credited individually)
cyclespeak 