Arts & Entertainment
New cycling club debuts
Arlington-based group filling void for LGBT bike lovers
A recent gathering of the new OutRiders Arlington group. (Photo courtesy OutRiders)
Every year at Capital Pride, the LGBT sports teams of Washington take over a section of the Sunday Pride Festival to promote their clubs. A common question over the years has been, “Why aren’t there more options for cycling?”
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A few clubs such as Adventuring have offered recreational biking as an offshoot of their other activities, but none have focused solely on cycling. Last month, the OutRiders Arlington emerged as a new club to fill the cycling void. The group was founded by Scott Binde and Lee Mitchell and both are avid cyclists with a long history of leading bike rides.
“Both of us have a passion for cycling,” Binde says. “We have been plugged into the D.C. cycling community for years and even our vacations include cycling.”
There are no fees to ride with the cyclists and the group meets every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. at the Clarendon Metro Station. There have only been two rides so far and the group is already attracting a diverse base of about 15 cyclists.
“We are looking to draw LGBT bike enthusiasts along with their straight allies,” Binde says.
The rides vary in difficulty and range from 12-25 miles. They utilize multi-use trails in the Arlington area, connecting one trail to the next and also venturing into bike-friendly residential areas. Depending on the amount of sunlight available, the treks last at least 90 minutes and all rides are pre-ridden by the leaders of the group.
The OutRiders will continue the bike series through August, and possibly longer based on interest. They are considering the possibility of weekend rides.
“Cycling is so accessible and most everyone knows how to bike,” Binde says. “We wanted to create something informal versus a highly structured sporting club.”
The next ride is Tuesday and the route is an 18-mile, moderately hilly loop which will pass by Ford Ward, an earthen Civil War era fort, and utilize the scenic Holmes Run Trail.
The wooded (yet paved) trail includes a forded stream crossing where sand and gravel can sometimes accumulate. Riders may want to leave their skinny tire bicycle at home or just walk their bike over the few feet of this section.
The group will convene by 6:15 p.m. at the Clarendon Metro station elevator entrance (Wilson Blvd. and Hudson St.), and the ride starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. Bring helmet and water. Free on-street parking is available.
After completing the ride each week, the cyclists get together for optional socializing at spandex-friendly restaurants in the Clarendon area.
Contact the ride leader for additional information at [email protected]. You can also RSVP at their meetup site by searching OutRiders Arlington.
Show your pride, take a ride.
Online Culture
Clavicular charged in alleged rape of teenage influencer
Online personality’s real name is Braden Peters
Online personality Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, has been accused of rape.
According to NBC, Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, an 18-year-old influencer known online as Alorah or Alorah Ziva, accused Peters of sexual assault, and the case is making its way through the court system.
The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2025, when Mendoza was 17.
According to a criminal complaint from the Chatham (Mass.) Police Department, Peters called her an Uber to his family’s home. Once there, he allegedly got her drunk on vodka while they livestreamed on Twitch and then raped her. His mother and grandmother were allegedly in the house.
The documents allege Clavicular committed rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring and providing liquor to a person under 21.
According to court documents acquired by NPR, Mendoza began communicating with Peters on Instagram, where he paid her to appear on his livestreams to help her “make her name known on social media.”
According to those documents, Peters arranged for the minor to come to Cape Cod home to participate in a videostream for his 437,000 followers on Kick, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
At his home, Peters allegedly instructed Mendoza to say she was 18 on his videostream and to claim the alcohol on camera was water instead of vodka. Mendoza said she felt peer-pressured to drink the spirit and that she became noticeably intoxicated after a couple of drinks.
The allegations go on to state that after stopping the stream, Peters and Mendoza kissed on a couch and then had sex in his bed without her consent. Mendoza said she did not receive a sexual assault forensic exam after the incident. NPR does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.
The charges come months after Mendoza sued Peters in Miami, accusing him of sexual battery in connection with the events of May 2025. The civil lawsuit also separately alleges that he injected her face with a non-FDA-approved fat-dissolving substance during a November livestream in Florida.
Peters is known for his “looksmaxxing” concept of vanity, which is at the core of his online presence. The “looksmaxxing” culture he has helped cultivate combines elements of incel culture and heterosexuality, with the stated goal of attracting the opposite sex. He has gone as far as to say he has undergone “bonesmashing,” or hitting his own face with a hammer; taken anabolic steroids to more rapidly grow muscle; and used crystal meth as an appetite suppressant.
At the same time, looksmaxxing has been described as having elements of homoeroticism, with “looksmaxxers” appearing more concerned with impressing other men than women. Peters has multiple times pointed to openly gay actor Matt Bomer as the gold standard for male facial aesthetics.
Peters’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Photos
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