30.07.20
Cycling, vlogging and the Black Cyclists Network
Dare’s QA Engineer, Jourdain, talks cycling, tech and YouTube.
Dare’s QA Engineer, Jourdain, talks cycling, tech and YouTube.
Hi, I'm Jourdain, I've been working at Dare as a QA Engineer for two and a half years. You can normally find me riding around Epping Forest or doing something techy. Lately, I've managed to combine both these passions, which is the focus of this piece.
My love for cycling was triggered by the Tour Dare Ride in 2019. For those who don't know, Tour Dare Ride is a yearly event organised by Dare in memory of our former colleagues, Larry and Jon.
Last year’s ride covered 140 miles from London to Bristol over two days. It was the first time that I had taken part in any kind of endurance cycling; prior to that, I was simply commuting to work (a total of 12 miles each day). It was a massive success with 17 riders raising £6,500 and, on a personal note, a huge achievement for myself.
Just a week after the ride, I bought myself a brand spanking new road bike. From that moment, I've come to realise just how good cycling is for both your physical and mental health.
In the six months after the ride I was racking up 75 - 100 miles a week and loved pushing the pedals!
Aside from cycling, another hobby of mine is image editing and photo manipulation, as seen on my website. I've always wanted to take this to the next level and video editing felt like a natural progression. It was also a chance to satisfy the nerdy side of my brain by learning some new software. Yippee!
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With a second-hand GoPro purchased and Davinci Resolve editing software installed, off I went on the bike and started creating. This prompted the start of my YouTube channel where I now share content from my rides.Â
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It's an ever-evolving process and understanding how to create engaging content is a real learning curve. Many of my videos have been well received though, so hopefully all this learning is paying off.
After nearly a year of cycling I decided to join a club, which, it turns out, is not the simplest of tasks. Then I discovered the Black Cyclists Network, a cycling club with a truly admirable purpose - their aim is to help introduce black people and people of colour into the world of cycling. That said, the club is inclusive to everybody, so anyone can join.
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I've attended two club rides so far, so I can honestly say that they are doing an amazing job. I could waffle on for an age about the rides, but I feel my video captures the experience nicely.Â
If you’re interested, head to my YouTube channel and keep an eye out for my weekly uploads.Â
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You can check out the Black Cyclists Network on Instagram and Twitter.