I remember when I discovered the North Texas Cycling Community in 1987 at the Hotter'N Hell in Wichita Falls. As 1987 rolled into 1988, I discovered that many other communities supported cycling by putting on these things called "bicycle rallies". I had begun cycling in 1974, but most of my miles were on my own or with a small group of friends up until 1987.
In 1988, I provided mechanical/technical support for the Richardson Bike Mart at rallies in Tyler, Muenster, Italy, Paris, Stephenville, Cleburne, Crowley, Waco and Wichita Falls. In some years I provided support at 25 rides - and those rides have gone on year after year since then.
I learned how much labor and planning goes into these rides, how complicated they are to manage and how much they impact these small towns and communities. I also learned how much these rides mean to our mental and physical health and well being. I loved seeing the same people out on the road and the annual "pilgrimage" to Wichita Falls for the H'NH.
In 2020, we've have seen most of these rides vanish from the calendar - and many riders are not just disappointed - some are even angry and feel that they have been abandoned by their favorite rides/events. I get it.
Having been working with these groups for 30+ years, I know how hard they all work to put on a good event. I know how frustrated they are about the changes being forced upon them. I know how hard it has been for them to realize that there is no way they can host their events without the local and county resources that they rely on for traffic control and medical assistance. All of these groups felt trapped - and that they had no other option than to cancel their events.
This is where we come in. We can be there for these communities and reach out during this time of turbulence. We can still go to these communities, stay in a hotel, eat a meal and ride our bikes.
No, it will not be the same as a supported rally. We'll have to provide our own support, snacks and beverages. We'll have to pay attention to the route and where we are. We'll even learn why it is such a great thing to be able to pay someone else to do the heavy lifting - so that all we do is show up and ride.
A group of friends and I just did this for 4 days in Fredericksburg. We have also gone to Muenster, Lancaster and McKinney for rides - with many others planned.
Admittedly, this approach is not for everyone. Our group is respectful of the distancing guidelines and we don't ride in pace lines. That said, if you don't like the idea, feel free to ride closer to home or inside.
