Drum & Bass On The Bike is coming to London again this weekend — and its creator is still trying to make sense of it all

If a certain octogenarian disc jockey was miffed about RideLondon last weekend, he might also want to rearrange any plans he’d made to drive through town this Sunday 4th June too… that’s because the weather forecast is looking mighty fine, which means DJ Dom Whiting has announced that he will be bringing Drum & Bass On The Bike to the streets of the capital for a second time.

 

 

 

 

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If you’re not familiar with Drum & Bass On The Bike, on the surface it pretty much does what it says on the tin. Whiting, from High Wycombe, is a DJ by trade and had the idea of retrofitting a trike with decks and speakers in the early days of the lockdown. He rides around a nominated city or town blasting tunes, now often with thousands of cyclists (and skateboarders, scooter riders, walkers etc) tagging along for the ride and rave.

"It started during the lockdown, through pure boredom really," says Whiting.

"We couldn't have music at the time, we couldn't do this, we couldn't do that. It was just one of those crazy lockdown creations, that now takes up a hundred percent my life!

"The whole thing was a complete accident in that I didn't expect it to evolve the way it has." 

"Challenge accepted": Whiting's first post on social media revealing his original modded trike in November 2020 (Dom Whiting/Instagram)

From those humble beginnings on the first few rides in 2021 - when just a handful of people would join in and Whiting would need to be pushed up hills on his impractically heavy rig (he's now having an electric one made) - from Brighton to Berlin, the Drum & Bass On The Bike rides now attract thousands. It’s earned Whiting TV appearances, hundreds of thousands of social media followers, adoration from all kinds of social groups that would never usually cross paths… but he claims despite his burgeoning profile and the popularity of the rides, the whole thing has actually proved financially disastrous at times. 

"Financially, there isn't anything actually in it for me," says Whiting.

"The rides actually cost me thousands of pounds. Just the money I’ve spent on this project is quite fucking unbelievable when I think about it, I spent like 70 grand.

"This has just become something amazing really, and I think the power of it has kind of overtaken any thoughts of an end goal.

"But yes, this year I am trying to change the business. It really isn’t a business, but I’m trying to change the model slightly." 

(Dom Whiting/Facebook)

Caught up in a movement that brings happiness to so many and seeing no option but to keep growing Drum & Bass On The Bike, Whiting is exploring new ways to monetise the rides, such as turning his upcoming Amsterdam appearance into a weekender with an optional boat party attached.

Why not make all the rides 'official', and tack on afterparties/paid gigs to the rides to avoid the maxing out of so many credit cards?

"We don't necessarily have a venue afterwards, the reason for that being because on the day of the ride, it kind of cuts people out," says Whiting. 

"You've got people literally from one to 50, 60 years old... so we just try and keep the 'doors' open as much as possible. 

"The career side of it never really crossed my mind at the start. But yeah, all the credit cards, rent, overdrafts to keep the rides afloat. I was not in a great position at the start of the year, to be honest." 

There's also the caveat that Drum & Bass On The Bike can't technically be called an 'event', because that could put it in murky territory when it comes to dealing with local authorities. 

"There are actually no laws against what we're doing," says Whiting. 

"The only time that comes in is when we're at a static position and you are playing music, as that is a 'standstill' so to speak. We do sort of have contact with some councils and notify them, but it depends on if we've been to the place before. In Bristol it's kind of a cemented thing now. 

"Some push me to register it as an event, but I say look, it's not actually an event. There's the weather as well. If I actually register one of the rides then it starts raining, then that date's no good.

"We are just on bikes. We're not protesting either... there just happens to be music and a lot of people riding bikes. There's so many age ranges on the day that I think it's hard for there to be any reason [to stop it]. There is understanding if there are emergency services and stuff, we just get out of the way. 

"Yeah it's a bit of a ragtag at times, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. Well I suppose it's very out of the ordinary, but physically when you think about it, we're just on bikes."

(Dom Whiting/Facebook)

When asked about the highlights and lowlights of organising and hosting the rides, Whiting admits there are logistical issues, and some tag-alongs occasionally get a bit too enthusiastic. It's a huge multi-tasking effort for him, which involves spinning decks, emceeing, ensuring the sound is of sufficient quality, manning a camera set-up and leading the ride, all while pedalling along. He claims that he doesn't have much assistance, with some volunteers helping with route planning and management of the ride days, and one person taking care of some PR and communications. 

On the whole, though, Whiting describes the rides as momentous occasions, with the latest Bristol edition standing out as perhaps the best yet. 

"The Bristol ride was a memorable one for me," he says.

"Everyone was getting involved, even the cars. That old stigma of cars vs bikes, it was totally non-existent because everyone's involved. It's another reason why it's hard to push any sort of agenda." 

An epic scene from the latest Bristol ride (Hamish Belding/Twitter)

As he alluded to, Whiting himself says that he tries to stay as neutral as possible when it comes to the natural link some might make between the sheer joy his car-free creation induces and the push for active travel in cities; and with misinformation so rife and people bitterly divided over how to tackle air pollution, it’s undoubtedly a sensible move to stick to the raving and riding.

Even the mention from Whiting that he has liaised with the London Cycling Campaign as part of planning for his London ride could be seen as a political gesture or ‘picking a side’ by a minority, deep down a rabbit hole of believing that low traffic neighbourhoods, congestion zones and the concept of 15 minute cities all form part of a conspiracy to restrict personal freedoms, with organisations like the LCC at the forefront. In reality, of course, it simply makes sense to consult a cycling group with practical experience if you’re planning a mass bike ride with potentially thousands of cyclists through one of the world’s most populous cities.

"It could be absolutely mental," says Whiting.

"The first year when I did [London] it was really, really massive... there is shit loads of bikes in London." 

So, where does Drum & Bass On The Bike go from here? 

"I don't want to put a limit on where I think this will go, because there is no end goal," says Whiting. 

"There's no way you can say we'll stop at 4,000, 5,000 people, because you could have 10,000 and facilitate that with more sound.

"It's just about investing more into it. Money unfortunately controls all of our lives, whether we like it or not. But it's just one of those things I want to press on with, I just need something right now. There is somebody out there that will want to launch more money at this. 

"The variety of people that turn up, it just kind of makes it all worth it. Even if it does cost me fucking three or four, five grand a time, you can't really put a price tag on the feeling." 

You can catch Drum & Bass On The Bike in London on Sunday 4th June, and sign up for future ride announcements via Whiting's website. Maybe just try not to come to a standstill for any length of time if you join in...