The Cycling Collective Dedicated to Connecting, Empowering, and Developing Muslim Cyclists in the UK
Gapped Cycling director Junaid Ibrahim stopped by at CIC headquarters to talk to us about the evolution of his initiative - from sharing his love of bike rides with his community to boosting Muslim riders participation at the higher echelons of competitive cycling.
Gapped Cycling Founder Junaid Ibrahim
Junaid first caught the cycling bug thanks to an alchemy of expensive rail fares and Olympic fever. The year was 2012, and he was due to be starting university on the other side of London to where he lived when the practicalities of commuting to campus and back each day began to dawn on him. “Naturally you don’t have much money as a student,” Junaid says. “I pulled out Google Maps, and it’s showing 45 minutes on the train. And I’m thinking, ‘That’s 20, 25 quid a week!’ But it’s also showing 45 minutes on a bike…”
“THE CLUB HAS EVOLVED FROM 10-15 NEW RIDERS TO A NETWORK OF AROUND 1,500, ACCORDING TO JUNAID’S ESTIMATES. ”
He hadn’t ridden a bike since he was a child, but to him it seemed like a simple enough solution – one that was bolstered by the heady atmosphere in London at the time. “There’s a whole buzz about the Olympics going on,” he recalls. “Bradley Wiggins and the whole GB team had won countless medals, so there was a real buzz around cycling. Next thing you know, I’m walking into Halfords.”
He purchased the best looking bike he could afford – “a nice Carrera, 350 quid if I remember correctly!” – and the rest, as he says, is history. He began to cycle to and from university every day – although for the first two years, his rides were limited exclusively to this route. “I was a very timid rider,” he admits. “I’d just stick to where I needed to go, that’s it.”
His confidence began to grow when he met another rider from the Muslim community on the cycling app Strava, and they decided to try a more adventurous route together. “He took me out into the countryside, into the hills for the first time – and I suffered,” he laughs. “But at the same time, I loved the space and seeing all this countryside that I didn’t realise was right on my doorstep. You’re free – exploring, adventure – I was hooked, and soon we were going out every week and he was showing me new routes.”
From there, Junaid was introduced to a few more cyclists within the community, and a small group began to form, communicating through a Whatsapp group. “There were about 10 of us,” he says. “We signed up for a charity ride, which was from Cambridge to London at night time. Because of the nature of this ride – it was pitch black, we were all fairly new riders – we really had to work together and stick together. A bond was formed, and I guess that was the creation of the club.”
Ten years on, the club has evolved from 10-15 new riders to a network of around 1,500, according to Junaid’s estimates. The riders are young and old, and now represent a wide range of abilities – from those just starting to build their stamina on a bike, to riders participating on bikepacking trips across Europe, or training for competitive races. But besides his own love for cycling, what motivated him to build this platform specifically within the Muslim community?
“Muslims aren’t accessing the high echelons of the sport, so we can come into it being a bit timid, a bit shy,” explains Junaid, echoing the language he used to describe himself when he first began cycling back at university. “We also look fairly different or dress differently etc. Prior to Gapped, maybe less than five [Muslim riders] had ever done a competitive race here in the UK. I wanted more people to access it because even at the bottom, pretty much anyone can access it – but we weren't doing that.”
He believes this was because of some of what he describes as the “nuances” within the Muslim community, which can sometimes put them out of step with the wider cycling community in the UK. “We have prayers we must adhere to. So long rides throughout the day aren’t always possible without stopping from prayer,” he explains. “And we don't, for example, stop at pubs. We won't have a bacon sarnie. We generally dress in a more modest fashion whereby the men will wear three quarters over their bib shorts, women will cover with looser tops and wear longer sleeves.”
Within Gapped however, these “nuances” are not the exceptions but the norms, and organised activities and trips are often tailored to the community’s shared culture and beliefs. “A large part of the community focuses on charity work, charity rides,” says Junaid. “And there have been rides to the pilgrimage of Hajj – so riding from the UK all the way to Mecca, which is incredible.”
The platform also provides opportunities for riders to build their confidence enough to begin accessing the higher echelons of competitive cycling – whether that’s through development coaching, going on tours, or even training for ultra races. “We put on our first ultra race a couple of weeks ago,” Junaid nods. “We had 20 people on the start line, from about 35 who initially stepped up. The fact that 35 people even had the confidence or wanted to do it just shows that there's a need for it.”
And continuing to meet that need is all the motivation he needs to keep pushing forward. Despite a busy schedule – Junaid also works part-time as a teacher, and is the father of two young children – he has an ambitious eye on the next phase of Gapped’s journey, and will be reducing his teaching hours in September to help accomplish this. “We’re now competing at the lower rungs of racing – which is all brand new for us, never seen before in the UK, at least – and the next phase will be further developing that; helping people up the ladder while continuing to support those who are towards the bottom.”
“Oh and of course,” he adds, “part of the bigger mission is organising a regular kids club, whereby they access racing from a very young age, so that it becomes the norm.” He smiles at the thought of what this will mean for the next generation of young Muslim riders: “Sometimes it’s a tough sell for adults, but if I get the kids doing it? Then the future’s bright.”
Gapped is a Community Interest Company founded on the belief that the Muslim faith and a passion for cycling can and should flourish together! They facilitate this coming together by providing the Muslim cycling community with the inspiration, education, opportunities, events and professional coaching needed to help indulge and further develop their passion, and connect with other enthusiasts in their community – all while remaining true to their faith.
Website: https://gapped.co.uk/
Instagram: @gapped.co.uk