Cycling Adventures
By Todd Balff, an author and former editor of Outside Magazine
I missed Waypoint Adventure’s Mad River Ride in Vermont last month but I won’t miss the next.
I’ve ridden thousands of hand cycle miles the last four or years, mostly on road, mostly by myself. Each year I help put together a 200-to-300 mile multi-day cancer fundraiser, involving my closest bike riding friends. It is the highlight of the year to ride amidst such amazing people — in common cause, working hard, but in no hurry, lifted by conversation, scenery, and a little adventure all our own.
In reading about Waypoint Adventure and this annual event I could easily imagine the vibe. Earlier this spring I met with Dan and Harrison to trial a hand cycle mountain bike, which because of the worsening nature of my injury is the future for my days of riding. They were great, educating me about my new ride (they have several in their fleet) and inviting me into their inclusive and enthusiastic circle, one that includes all kinds of riders, on all kinds of bikes.
There once was a time when I didn’t necessarily want to ride with other adaptive riders – partly there wasn’t any I knew where I lived, partly because I preferred a club of one. Since my earliest days riding, I have liked to set out on adventures by myself.
Now I see the world differently. I want to share my rides with everybody, with old upright riding friends I have always ridden with, and with new friends like Dan and Harrison and the diverse community Waypoint Adventure has long developed and which feature on their special outings like the one recently in Vermont.
For me the big hope is that these types of rides will be increasingly popular to the point where they are commonplace in the future rather than an exceptional alternative.
