I went to New York City Pride for the first time in 1994. The experience was one of overwhelming joy as I got to celebrate openly, surrounded by my community. The fight for LGBTQ+ equality had come a long way, but there was still so much work to be done. That balance of proud celebration and ongoing need for visibility and advocacy is at the core of the work I’ve done with OutCycling over the years.
When I turned 40, I wanted to challenge myself by trying a new sport. I discovered cycling, but living in New York City meant that to access good routes, I found myself heading over the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey almost every weekend. On one of those rides, I met Graham Weinstein. What started as some flirty glances between two men in Spandex quickly turned into a friendship built on a shared passion for cycling, adventure, and community. We started riding together every weekend and inviting friends to join in too. With time the group grew bigger and bigger, and eventually Graham asked: "Why not turn this into something real and start an LGBTQ+ cycling club?"
Dieter Klemke and friends at the second NYC Pride Ride in 2014OutCycling
We saw that there was a demand for a club that offered more than just leisurely coffee rides. People wanted a community where they could challenge themselves and be themselves. About a year after we met, Graham and I founded OutCycling to do exactly that. Our goal was a club built around rigorous, structured rides and the genuine community that forms when people sweat through them together.
Two cyclists at Pride Ride.OutCycling
We poured our hearts into everything, from the logo and jersey to the routes themselves. The first jersey took us months to design; we wanted it to say "LGBTQ+" without screaming it from every seam. It had to be vibrant, inclusive, and something that riders would be proud to wear. Personally, I’ve never been ashamed of being gay and standing out, so designing a bold jersey came naturally to me. But I know that is not the case for everyone, so whenever I saw our members out on the road, riding openly and confidently in an OutCycling jersey, I knew we had gotten it right.
Participants gather for a meal during Pride RideOutCycling
In time, we wanted to do more with the club, and that’s how Pride Ride came to be. In 2013, we launched our first event with three routes of 30, 60, and 100 miles — a distance for riders of every level. More than 100 cyclists turned up for the first Pride Ride, and watching them roll out together toward Rockland State Park was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. What Graham and I had envisioned had come together. At the finish line, we celebrated with barbecue, ice cream, cheerleaders, massages, and so much joy. It was incredible.
Volunteers and participants pose during Pride Ride festivitiesOutCycling
Since then, Pride Ride has become an annual Pride Month tradition that now draws over 300 cyclists every year. That number alone isn’t the most important thing; what matters is what that growth represents. It shows that the need for meaningful LGBTQ+ spaces is still there, and that Pride Ride is continuing to provide riders with the chance to make friends, challenge themselves, and feel welcomed exactly as they are. At its core, it’s not about the bike — that’s just the vehicle that brings us together. It’s the friendship, laughter, and sense of belonging that keeps people coming back year after year.
Cyclists gather near the NYC Pride Ride event tentOutCycling
The 2026 Pride Ride is more than 30 years after my first NYC Pride experience, and that same feeling — celebration shadowed by how much work still remains — has not left me. Our community has learned in recent years that progress is not guaranteed and that what has been won can be taken away. In this time of uncertainty, the understandable instinct is to retreat. And yet, it’s all the more important that we continue to show up and celebrate what makes our community special. On June 14, hundreds of us will be riding in our unapologetically pink Pride Ride jerseys — visible, proud, and united.
Whether you’re a newbie, a weekend warrior, or a seasoned cyclist, we have a jersey for you, and we hope you’ll join us. Learn more about the event, explore the routes, and register at outcycling.org/pride-ride.
Dieter Klemke is the co-founder of OutCycling and Pride Ride, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ cycling events.
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