Stray Cyclists Team is a cycling community based in Jogyakarta. Initially named as Stray Cyclists Mafia, the collective started to form in 2020. It now consists of eleven active members (Agung Budi, Anton, Adul, Bayu, Beni Cahya, Enka, Gilang, Ismu, Refi, Vendy, and Wahyu Kimpul) and some not-so-active ones. Though they all are art professionals who produce drawings in various mediums, they are avid cyclists by heart.
What sets them apart from most communities is their code of no codes. Their passion in cycling lies more in the enjoyment of riding, never in the accessories.
“What compelled us to form Stray Cyclists Team is our anxiety and unified vision to be in a cycling collective that doesn’t have any standards for cycling nor rules for bicycle types. In this case, SCT places more emphasis on the spirit of cycling, not on what we wear or parts we use.’
The name they chose is also intriguing. “The word ‘stray’ literally means astray, lost, deviant, which is a phrase that really defines our character when cycling. Deviant because in SCT there are no standards nor rules in terms of clothes, bike types nor parts. Maybe that’s why we are considered heretical by some. Ha ha ha…” When asked about the initiator, they half-jokingly answered ‘a supernatural power that boils down to our souls’.
SCT has a cycling routine which they call Jamasan, done mostly on a Friday late afternoon. ‘Jamasan’ is actually a Javanese tradition of bathing pusaka or heirloom. Enka, who suggested the name, thinks that the word perfectly represents their routine, as it is meant to cleanse their soul off the fatigue and stress they face in day-to-day activity.
“For us, Jamasan is a kind of catharsis, a stress release to reduce the anxiety tyrant that afflicts us, and also as a medium for the escapism of the tiredness and hustle and bustle of life. It is more than a leisure activity; it is an act commited by the souls who crave true happiness.”
Their idea of cycling fun during Jamasan would be visiting historical places and enjoying coffee while doing some sketches or drawing of the places they visit. Another excitement would be getting lost, which often makes them find alternative roads with beautiful and interesting landscapes and places: hidden gems for their art-making process.
Check out their favorite places to go: cultural heritage sites, such as historical tombs and temples; and the abundant natural richness of rural Jogya. They have produced quite a number of drawings from their routines, and they plan to display the artworks in an art space sometime in February 2022.
Asked about what to expect from the exhibition, they are hoping to spread their love of cycling and art, and would be very happy to expand their community fellows to a more varied art field, such as writers, etc. Inclusivity is their core belief.
Thus it is their haphazard way to deeply find meaning in everything that fascinated MCC to ask them for a collab project. The collab started in mid 2021 and we are thrilled and excited throughout the process.
Feel their deep passion for finding happiness thru cycling from their artworks and the narratives: Only Cramp Can Stop Us by Enka-Vendy, Denting Debu by Ismu-Wahyu, and Sintesis by Anton-Gilang.
