They have had a presence in Oakland for well over a decade. Elementary and middle school-aged kids, riding in formation through the streets of East Oakland, their bikes festooned in richly colored foil and tape. Inspired in part by the ’90s scraper car culture of Oakland’s hyphy era, the Scraper Bike Team is a grass roots group of young people who have come together under the leadership of their president Reginald Burnette, a.k.a. Chef Boy RB, and their 17-year-old general, Chuck. The mission is to provide young people with a positive, healthy, and creative alternative to the crime and other dead-end temptations of the streets.
Local cycle shops donate bike parts so kids can redesign and rebuild their bikes. Team members are strongly encouraged to adopt a green lifestyle, and ride wherever and whenever they can. And every member must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in school to stay on the team. With loyalty, unity, pride and creativity at its core, the Scraper Bike Team has already made a big difference for thousands of Oakland youth. The hope is to expand their impact by opening their own bike shop in East Oakland.