What community means to me: Ride Across Arizona

By: Kayla Hall

I would say this story starts my second day after moving to Phoenix.

I had found a group page on Instagram showing women riding gravel together. I unpacked the minimum out of my car in my room in Gilbert, AZ and discovered my nursing assignment on a Neuro/ Trauma Progressive Care Unit had been pushed back an entire week due to some paperwork. Not an issue, really a win. I proceeded to message the Phoenix Women’s account to inquire about when the next group ride would occur since the page did not have another ride posted for the near future. Lindsay (@lindsbikerun) responded immediately and told me there was not a ride planned but that she was going to meet up to ride with a friend, Tami (@meowontwo).

I latter learned that Tami was riding her last gravel ride before knee surgery, a revision to her original surgery. I hope I don’t mess up too many details and highly recommend asking her if you are curious about her story, she’s very open about it. Tami was hit by a car May 2020. Her injuries left her her with a fractured skull, and in an ICU, not even in a state she could communicate. She had many many other physical injuries and required multiple surgeries, just one of which being her knee. I can say as a nurse just hearing about the extent of her injuries it was hard to imagine her alive, yet she was pedaling away just with a lot of knee pain that day. This was my introduction to the cycling community in Phoenix and I very much enjoyed the company of many other riders in the area. As a travel nurse I have included myself in cycling communities in Delaware, Virginia, San Antonio, Austin, Phoenix, and now Nevada.

It has been my conclusion in riding with others that, like most, I am indeed competitive. I am extremely hard on myself, and I deeply crave community wherever I go. I am the type of rider who will adapt (within reason) my rides to meet the needs of other riders. If I am not riding solo, I do not mind going slower for another rider. There's a time and place for all kinds of rides, hammer rides, and slower rides.

My all time favorite rides usually include a massive amount of adventure. In Delaware, I rode the state top to bottom. While in Texas I rode from San Antonio to Austin, twice, the hill country way (aka longer and hiller than necessary). The logistics of point to point rides is exciting to me. Where will I sleep when I’m finished? How will I get back to my start point? Is there a way to include camping, or public transportation? Will I be alone the whole time?

Kayla on the Ride Across Arizona

When Tami told me she was doing Ride Across Arizona I looked up the page on Facebook. The prior year was the first time, 3 riders had completed this route they had created and all 3 were supported.

Mmmhm questions began...

... maybe my partner, David, can support me?

... can his Toyota Tacoma handle the 4x4 sections?

....more importantly did he want to take a whole week off just to support my journey?

The more I thought about it the more I realized it made no sense for me to be supported. I would attempt self supported. I would, in the ultimate sense of freedom, carry everything I would need on my bicycle. I would carry enough water for 100 mile stretches in the desert with no resupplies. I would learn additional skills incase my chain snapped or my derailed hanger broke or shifter cable snapped. None of these skills were tested during the ride, thank goodness. The biggest sense of freedom I have ever felt in my life is the ability to carry your body where ever you need to go, no set plan on milage, and no need for assistance for others.

Views from the Ride Across Arizona

But, I failed.

I completed 408 of the roughly 618 miles for Ride Across Arizona. In this failure I experienced what I can only compare to as the emotions of a bad breakup. Imposture syndrome, tears, joy for what I had completed, and just a general disappointment in myself overwhelmed me.

Last morning of Ride Across Arizona

In endurance efforts it is my theory that the deeper you push yourself the deeper feeling of success later. In the sense the pain you have tolerated rebounds like a rubber band translating back into pleasure and fulfillment.

I promise there's some science that backs me up on this one.

My personal take away from this experience is still how community matters the most. The first day I got

to spend the evening with Tami, Craig, and Minnie. Craig being the host of this event and Minnie his wife. Throughout my journey on the route I was following Lauren and Simone on Instagram and messaging back and forth with them. Exchanging short but encouraging words. And because of good timing I as able to ride with Brian, Jason, and Jennifer on day four. While some of us may go into races with a “racer” mentality let us not forget that community matters more.

Riding with friends on Ride Across Arizona.

How you treat other riders on group rides matters. Riding has been the absolute best way of finding a misfit group of humans that all bond over one thing for many different reasons. I am so thankful for bikes, for my successful rides and my less than successful ones.

Cheers,

Kayla