
By Gary Schroeder
And so a new Adventure begins. Twenty seven intrepid riders arrived in Orlando, Florida to begin the Fuller Center Bike Adventure’s second Tour de Florida.
The ride, from Orlando to Key West, is the first of calendar year 2022 and is a great way to kick off the next chapter of The Fuller Center’s fight against poverty housing.
The excitement is palpable and is a reflects the commitment the riders make to supporting the work of The Fuller Center but also the community built around the Bike Adventure. Whether it’s previous riders getting together again to share war stories or new riders just getting their feet wet with the whole Bike Adventure experience, there are shared stories about what the Bike Adventure means to them.
New riders talk about the thrill of riding here or there, or perhaps all the way across country. They get knowing smiles from the “old heads” who started out that way but soon grew to be repeat riders for reasons that only used cycling as an excuse. They’ve seen the excitement in a homeowner’s face with a Bike Adventure Build Day get them a new porch or patched a hole in the roof. They’ve experienced the excitement of getting together with their fellow riders to build that new porch or patch that hole in the roof.
It’s also about experience of a group coming together in a short time to become more than just friends. The closeness and shared experience create a feeling of “family” that itself becomes a reason for riders to come back time and time again.
I’m so glad to be part of the mission of The Fuller Center and supporting it through the Fuller Center Bike Adventure. It’s an experience I encourage all to consider and become a member of our “family”