Introducing: Abraham Conteh

Welcome to CCC Introduces, our series spotlighting the incredible contributors who give their time and energy to Cycling Culture Club.

Today we're in Tooting, south London, meeting Abraham Conteh. Bridge engineer, sneakerhead, and cyclist who found his flow state on a fixed gear and never really left. Abraham has been riding in various forms since BMX days in his parents' garden, and now leads rides with ChainGang Cyclists while quietly building a life where cycling is always somewhere in the budget.

Follow Abraham on Instagram: @abrahamconteh

Words: Abraham Conteh

Tell us about yourself

Hi! Abraham, 28. Bridge Engineer by profession, I was and still am a sneakerhead, but cycling has been taking a large portion of my funding.

What do you love about cycling?

The adventure, speed, and connections! I don't get paid to cycle, nor do I race (yet), so all the cycling I do is to commute and for fun. The fact that within 30 minutes I'm in a completely different landscape, with different views, different roads, and different micro-cultures, is what I love about cycling. Finding hidden gems in the middle of nowhere for food or a long stretch of smooth tarmac to clear the mind is what it's all about for me.

For the most part, I don't need to go fast, but I do love the thrill! All I want to be is as fast or faster than my mates that I've added to my circle along the way. And I have friends for different vibes. Chilled, fast, gravel, route recy, or someone to have by your shoulder and existing in the same place.

Originally, cycling was for clearing the headspace. I started BMXing, doing tricks, having a focus, and a drive to learn tricks every day after school. That grew to a single speed, going a little bit further, and the first taste of speed on the road. Fixed gear followed and taught me control and really got me into my flow state, being one with the bike and the road, scanning and processing everything around me. I only started using geared bikes when I signed up for a charity ride from London to Amsterdam. Training for that is how I improved all the skills I already had, but now I had friends to cycle with, courtesy of club rides with ChainGang Cyclists that pushed me well beyond my limits.

What barriers have you faced in cycling?

Not seeing enough people like me and not feeling like I fit in. For BMX, I had Nigel Sylvester, Courage Adams, and plenty others in the scene to aspire to. I didn't see that many in the road and fixed gear scene. Even in pros, there aren't many. They were mostly far removed or in their own little bubble with tight-knit friends. Duke [Agyapong] was one of the first people I saw on socials; he rode both fixed-gear and road bikes and modelled for Rapha. For a long time, he was the bar in terms of how to style yourself on the bike, the bikes he rode, the routes he took, and what he was involved with. And as the algorithm learns, I started to get fed more and more people like him. I have kept my cycling more of a social thing. I haven't tried racing, nor have I reached out for support in anything.

Why were you interested in contributing?

I guess my relaxed approach to cycling. I'm always here for a good time. I have my pace that I can go at, but I can easily dial it down and enjoy learning more about the people around me. I've learned so much from people on and off the bike from different walks of life.

If you're comfortable, tell us about your personal experience of diversity in cycling

It's all very cliché, and just like every sport or industry, it tends to come down to who you know. We are already a bunch of people rolling around in tight-fitting Lycra who have a bad rep with pedestrians and drivers. We urge everyone to draw a distinct line between those who ride Lime bikes.

Your fondest memory on the bike

I used to have a friend with whom I did almost everything. We both started on BMXing and slowly grew into road bikes. But my fondest memory was doing laps in my parents' garden on our BMX. Not a huge garden but large enough for a small circuit. Four corners, round the apple tree at the end of the garden, and a bunny hop over a stack of bricks each lap that we'd make higher and higher. We did that for hours, then went to grab food or just cruise around the neighbourhood trying tricks we saw online.

Where are you from: Born in Gambia, parents from Sierra Leone

Where do you live: Tooting, London

Are you part of a club/team: ChainGang Cyclists (CGC) since 2022. I could only make it to North London Hills on a Saturday morning when I lived with my parents, but since moving out, I have been more and more involved with leading and attending rides.