Author Spotlight – Elokin: Oakland

October 21st, 2010 · No Comments

sistahs-steppin-2

Name: Elokin Orton-Cheung

Nickname: Elokin

Birthday: april 24th. Taurus, all the way.

Current city: Oakland, CA

What’s the bike scenelike in Oakland for females?
There’s a pretty big bike scene in Oakland, but it’s still a lot of dudes. There’s a lot of different kinds of folks on bikes, and different reasons for biking- everything from economic necessity to sports to love… and sometimes it’s a mix of all of ‘em, eh? wanna make sure to acknowledge that when talking about the “scene”. There’s a growing number of women on bikes in Oakland who are commuters or sport cyclists, and a lot of the more political bike groups have women strongly involved- its fabulous and inspiring. There is a women and trans bike polo nite that was goin strong and we are gonna start back up!

What’s your favourite ride right now?
An old French frame (I think), the “Stella”. My boo rescued it from the garbage when doing a bike donation pick up, and I’ve built it up into a mermaid fixie. It’s stiff with a 52 tooth chain ring in front, so it’s my fast ride but it kinda kills me up in the Oakland hills. Worth it though.

Where’s your favourite place to ride?Mountain biking in the redwoods and oak forests of Joaquin miller park… so fun. Or around mlk shoreline through alameda. Also so fun.

Favourite riding outfit:High heel leather boots, miniskirt with bike shorts underneath, tank top to show off my huge muscles (ha! Workin’ on it), glitter, sweat…

Favourite food: avocados. As often as I can, once a day preferably. They are cheap in California, we pick ‘em in our backyards. I know, jealous?!

Favourite movie: princess mononoke. Absolutely.

Favourite book: right now I am so totally obsessed with the hunger games series. sci-fi with revolutionary subplots- favorite genre ever.

What makes you laugh? My fabulous friends, fast crazy bike rides, the youth we work with at our bike shop. My honey who is ridiculously funny.

What makes you angry? The Oakland police departments’ bullshit. The prison industrial complex locking up all the youth of Oakland. Racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic, people… The crazy conservatives who are behind Arizona SB 1070 and other fucked up anti-immigration movements.

What are you listening to on your I-pod? Don’t have one, still rock a walkman. Don’t listen to it much cuz the only cassettes I have are bad love mixes from ex’s. yikes. Beyonce, Jackson 5, Catpower, Alicia keys, India Aire, Antony and The Johnsons, En Vogue. Diva music of all sorts.

Do you have any pets? I have plants. Lots of them.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Much love to The Bikery and Cycles of Change, the bike org and bike shop I work for. Much love to Red Bike and Green and P.O.K.E.R. rides for building community for folks of color riding bikes. Much love to all Oakland bike movements for all the inspiration, Bikes 4 Life and Scraper Bikes included Oakland is fierce and inspiring with bike love, I appreciate all of you folks out there riding.