Learning to find the love of cycling again

Today, I led a beginner’s cycling group ride. One person showed up.

If I had done this years ago, probably even two years ago, I would have been disappointed that only one person showed up. But not today. Today, I’m filled with joy that one person showed up. I was able to connect one-on-one with someone who was looking for community and support like many of us do.

Growing up, cycling was a lifeline to me. It helped me cope, dream, and inspire me to be a “go-getter.” Cycling kept me grounded. Then, as I grew up, I lost sight of the joy that cycling brought because, well, life happens, and excuses started to pile up on each other until I led myself to believe that I didn’t have time for the thing that brought me joy.

Fast-forward to today. Cycling has found its way back into my life, filling up my cup in many ways. In this second phase of my cycling journey, it is now much more than a tool for self-care. It also represents community and intentional kindness.

I decided to create this beginner’s group ride based on my experience when I first started cycling in to train for El Tour de Tucson 2023. I felt scared. I was definitely out of shape and lacked the basic knowledge of cycling as a sport. But with the help, knowledge, and encouragement of Joe and Juan, I was able to challenge my mind and body to do what I thought would be impossible, ride/race 32 miles.

I would have never thought that two complete strangers would be able to help me find my love for cycling again and create a ripple effect like it did. I started the beginners cycling group because I noticed that the group offerings I’ve seen in my community are for people who have experience and are competitive or ride on the street (something that I personally am not comfortable with unless I’m riding with Joe and Juan).

When there isn’t room for you at one table, go and build one yourself. Don’t wait and hope for something to change or happen. Sometimes, you have to be the one who builds the table and chairs from scratch and lets anyone find their place and come as they are.

To Joe and Juan, thank you for your love, support, and kindness!

If you are someone who is interested in riding in El Tour de Tucson but feel intimidated by the pros or would rather do it in community, I encourage you to RSVP for my beginners group rides for adults. We will ride anywhere from 10 – 15 miles.

To learn more about the beginners cycling meetups and to rsvp please visit: https://lu.ma/RadiantChangeCo

If you are looking for a nonprofit to support and fund raise for El Tour please consider riding for Homicide Survivors, Inc. https://homicidesurvivorsinc.org/  A local nonprofit on a mission to help meet the crisis and long-term needs of families of murder victims through support, advocacy, and assistance.

If you have any questions about supporting Homicide Survivors, Inc as a nonprofit, please feel free to email me at paula@azhomicidesurvivors.org.

Disclaimer this story was originally written June 23,2024 by Paula Lopez for the Radiant Change Collective blog (https://radiantchange.substack.com/p/an-open-letter-to-my-favorite-couple)