Ride Up Grades was born in 2020 out of the BLM movement and COVID-19 when young people of color didn't want to ride trains in NYC or they lived in transportation desserts, but often had jobs they needed to get to; when young people all over were stuck behind screens and physical fitness declined across the board; when Aliya and Tracy realized they wanted to see more young women and young people of color on bikes and they had the know-how and drive to make it happen.

Aliya and Tracy have been best friends for 20+ years and both have found their calling through physical fitness. We acknowledge that cycling is often a sport where privilege awards you the best gear and coaching  and young people from underserved communities who want to race or even just commute can't access the support to do so. This is why we formed Ride Up Grades. We break down the barriers to cycling at all levels, and we host an intensive 2 week camp where riders have access to top tier coaching and amazing bikes -  for free. Every young person that falls in love with cycling through our summer program can also apply for Sponsorship or a racing scholarship if they just put in the work and ride up grades.