Why we ride
Communities are more than statistics.
For too long, many communities experiencing persistent poverty have been described only by what they lack.
This journey seeks something different.
We are traveling across America to listen, learn, and elevate stories of resilience, creativity, leadership, and hope.
Narrative change
Story comes before policy.
How a place is described decides what it is offered. Change the description and you change what becomes possible there. That is the whole theory of this ride.
Persistent poverty
A condition, not an identity.
Some counties have carried the same label for three generations. The label is real. It is also the least interesting thing about the people living there.
Why cycling
Twelve miles an hour.
A plane erases place. A car passes through. A bicycle arrives slowly, out of breath, with nothing between you and the person on the porch. You cannot skip anything.
Why listening
We arrive with questions.
No surveys, no needs assessments. We sit down, we record if invited, and the person telling the story decides what it means.
“The bicycle is the vehicle. The stories are the destination.”