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By BRENDA Moving to a new place can be BOTH exciting AND frightening at the same time.
Exciting because well, you get to move somewhere new.
Frightening because, feeling at HOME is an essential part of the puzzle to thrive.
When I moved to Cleveland, I realised that in order to have a homely experience, one of the things I intended to do was engage in as many cycling events as I could.
So I made it a point to go to as many of these as I could including those out of Cleveland.
In this blog post, I will chat about the events that got me out there to do bicycle things with a community of different cyclists.
5. Social rides
Setting foot in Cleveland, I was keen to find out if there’s any such thing as social rides as those I have had while in Uganda.
Exploring my country, Uganda with a group of strangers gave me courage to seek similar adventures while in Cleveland.
And surely, there are lots of these in different parts of the city.
They are mostly held by bike shops and riding clubs.
And usually themed: there is every reason cyclists will bike and nothing can stop them – not even weather.
From making one trip about cycling to different breweries in Cleveland, to all Cleveland script signs – one of Cleveland’s landmarks.
The other I can’t forget about was going to different view points that hosted the viewing of the solar eclipse, Cleveland being one of the places that experienced totality in 2024.
Had this been in Uganda, I wouldn’t be surprised if at all locations, massive water basins filled with water would be the signature mark for the solar eclipse view points (Basins are typically used by locals to watch the solar eclipse without damaging their eyes).
4. Ragbrai
Tell me a better way to explore a Midwestern US state with almost nothing but CORN (MAIZE) and SOYBEAN fields, if not cycling?
This was me when I signed up for RAGBRAI.
RAGBRAI, short for Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is a non-competitive bicycle tour across the US state of IOWA.
It hosts over 30,000 people – tricycles, ordinary bikes, electric bikes – that traverse IOWA’s landscape.
My friends and I went for this year’s RAGBRAI which featured the southern route
This was roughly 434 miles and 18,375 feet of climb, making it the hilliest RAGBRAI route on record.
In terms of logistics, we camped at pitstops as with the 4K for Cancer ride.
My friends being from Madison, Wisconsin – a state that borders Iowa to the northeast , I used this opportunity to visit Madison a city bestowed with lots of touristy things to do I couldn’t exhaust during my visit.
3. Velosano’s Bike to Cure
This ride is more or less a combination of two rides: Bike Fundo and Ulman’s 4K for Cancer ride
How so?
Well, Ulman’s 4K for Cancer ride because it is a fundraising initiative in which 100% of every dollar raised supports lifesaving cancer research at Cleveland Clinic.
And Bike Fundo, because it is a ride through Cleveland’s streets.
Each rider, whether in a team or not, was mandated to raise a minimum of 1,000 USD (~ 4,000,000 UGX) to ride a distance between 10 to 100 miles.
With my team of two: Team LongLegs, we embarked on a 50-Mile journey of exploring Cleveland’s roads as we fundraised money to reach our individual goals.
The story I won’t forget about this one was having to ride our bikes in Fall’s cold showers.
Not an exciting experience I tell you!
So much so that I lost my way and ended up on a different route that made me arrive at the finish line earlier than I must have.
And yes, team spirit got me going back for my teammate hence arriving twice at the finish line – such a remarkable finish if you asked me!
2. Bike Fundo
As a way to explore Cleveland’s expanding bike network, Bike Fundo was the go-to bike event.
With an admission fee between 25-75 USDs (~95,000 to 285,000 UGX) and 10, 30 or 50-Mile distances, one has the liberty to stop at rest stops along the routes with support vehicles to curb hunger or alleviate any bike issues.
It is built to be a ride for all ages and promises a day filled with excitement and breathtaking scenery while pedaling through Cleveland’s trails and open roads.
This adventure took me through Cleveland’s metro parks with Clevelanders.
1. Ulman Foundation’s 4K for Cancer
Thumbs up to the longest, most eventful cycling trip I have been to – my MVP when it comes to bike rides.
I wrote a whole blog post about how it went.
This was a trip aimed at fundraising money for cancer, where with 11 cyclists and 6 runners I traversed America’s landscape.
My peers made the journey all the way from Maryland in the East to San fransisco in the West for 70 days.
I on the other hand was only able to ride my bike for 14 days from Boulder, Colorado to Bryce Canyon, Utah, making it the longest I have been on a bike.
I had the the pleasure of visiting some of the famous awe-inspiring landscapes America has got.
The caveat with this journey was that I had to collect 5,000 USD in order to be apart of it (Dear Ugandan, this is about 18,000,000 Ugx) – a very daring endevour.
No one ever prepares you for the fundraising process!
And yes, I did EVERYTHING I could to get people to help me raise the money – including wearing my MOST VULNERABLE shoes, in order to meet the fundraising goal.
That said, exploring America through cycling events has been an unforgettable journey filled with breathtaking scenery, vibrant communities, and exhilarating rides.
Each event offered its unique charm and challenges, enriching my experience and deepening my appreciation for the country’s cycling culture.
Happy to answer to any questions you might have in the comments section below.