Meet Our new Bicycle Education Coordinator, Qamuuqin Maxwell!
Tell us about your background and how it’s led you to SFBike .
I grew up in Southern Oregon and found BMX and mountain biking at a young age. When I started working at a bike shop just out of high school, I realized that getting to be around bike people and talk about bikes on a daily basis was rad! After working in bike shops for over half a decade, I felt the pull to go back to college and fill in other parts of who I am and how I am in this world. I get to use both aspects of my background at the SF Bicycle Coalition. Plus, the entire team here is amazing and I feel humbled to be a part of this group of people. If young me could see that I would find my way to such a wonderful organization, he would be stoked!
What role have bikes played in your life?
I learned to ride a bike around age 4, and since then have ridden all types of bikes in many different types of terrain – BMX, MTB, road, fixed gear, bike polo, cyclocross and gravel, bike touring and bikepacking, and more. Bikes have been one of the biggest and most important constants in my life; they’ve introduced me to amazing places, people, ideas, and jobs. When I was younger they were a way to explore the town and surrounding wooded hills where I grew up. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that bikes have also always been a vehicle for self empowerment and expression. These days I feel most at home when I can swing a leg over one of my bikes and head out the door without any route in mind– just pick a direction and go!
What do you most look forward to in leading our Adult Bicycle Education program?
I love helping people learn how to ride any type of bike in any capacity, so I’m excited that I get to do the legwork to help our Adult Bicycle Education classes and workshops reach more people and run as smoothly as possible. Having grown up in a smaller, rural town, I didn’t get to experience riding in a larger city until my early 20s when I moved to Seattle. Riding in and around a city like San Francisco is a magical experience and I’m beyond excited to help people feel confident in doing so!
What’s your favorite place to ride a bike in the City?
I don’t have a single favorite place to ride in the City, but all of my bikes are set up to ride both on pavement and off-road, so I enjoy connecting multiple places together in a ride and just exploring. I live in the Outer Sunset, so most rides begin by heading into Golden Gate Park and linking together singletrack and car-free routes. From there I might take Page street to the Wiggle, then make my way along Market to the waterfront. I might hop on a ferry to Vallejo for lunch, or head up and over Fort Mason towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. The whole region has so many amazing routes, complete with exhilarating riding and spectacular vistas. Most rides end with me and my partner coasting downhill towards the ocean and evening skies, looking forward to cooking a yummy meal and relaxing as night settles.