Every Tuesday night, a group of friends gathers at Cardinal Bicycle in the Grandin Village. They wear a multitude of flashy, spandex colors and don helmets. They are taking part in L’Eroica, a weekly bike ride that cycling enthusiast Rob Issem started nearly a decade ago. One of the courses – the Flatlanders ride – is perfect for riders who are new to the sport.
L’Eroica means “the heroic” in Italian. For Issem and other regulars, it is the friendliest ride in America.
“We try to live up to that every week,” Issem says.
Eroica rides take place in other cities as well. Typically, participants ride retro bikes for these themed gatherings. And, in fact, the Roanoke Eroica ride started in much the same way. Issem says that many of the longtime attendees did ride retro bikes back when they first started.
Now, the age or style of the bike doesn’t matter. Issem’s goal is to offer a ride that is open and welcoming to anyone who wants to pedal along. Part of what enables him to do so is his entourage of ride leaders.
“We had people who wanted to help. They wanted to help this ride be more welcoming and to help grow cycling and make cycling super welcoming in the valley,” Issem says.
Thanks to the help of a handful of volunteers, Issem’s weekly ride has turned into a series of rides— there are four route options available on any given Tuesday night.
The easiest course is the Flatlanders ride. From there, riders can choose the M&M ride (named after leaders Mike and Misty), the Classic, and the Roanoke Underground ride.
“… the RUG ride, which stands for Roanoke Underground, is the super elite ride. Pro-level riders and the very top riders from the area will ride that,” Issem says.
Sometimes riders move up amongst the courses as they increase in skill, according to Flatlanders ride leader Toni Rinn. Other riders prefer to stick with one course or another.
What’s important is that people are comfortable enough to come out and ride. And, anyone can join in. If you have a bike and the proper safety equipment, you’re set, according to Rinn and fellow Flatlanders ride leader Mignon Smith.
“They don’t have to have a big, high priced bike. People have brought stuff out of their garages and dusted it off,” Rinn says.
Rinn, Smith, and Kathy Kennedy lead the Flatlanders ride. This is their second year leading the ride, they say.
For new riders to L’Eroica, the Flatlanders ride is the place to be, according to Smith. “It’s beginner friendly, family friendly, even dog friendly,” Smith says.
“This ride isn’t as pretentious as rides in other cities. Everyone feels accepted,” Cardinal Bicycle employee Karen Talley Mead says. She remembers one individual who rode with his dog one night. “You can’t do that everywhere,” she says.
The Flatlanders course mainly sticks to Memorial Avenue and the Roanoke River Greenway. They have a unique blend of people who join the ride every week. Sometimes the riders have been regular attendees, other times newer folks join in. Rinn, Smith, and Kennedy adjust the course according to the skill level of the cyclists.
“We let the group lead where we go,” Rinn says.
Sometimes, that might mean breaking off into two groups, or doubling back so that some riders can return to Cardinal Bicycle while others ride longer.
“We have enough experienced riders so that we can break into groups and nobody gets left behind,” Rinn says.
The goal of the Flatlanders ride is to get more people out riding their bikes and to familiarize them with riding again, according to Rinn.
“I love helping new riders adjust to their bikes and helping them learn how to shift gears,” Kennedy says.
The ride leaders aren’t concerned with the number of miles they get on any particular night or how fast they are able to go.
In addition to welcoming new cyclists, they want people to recognize that a cyclist doesn’t have to have a particular look. Cyclists can ride what they want. They can wear what they want– it doesn’t matter to Rinn, Smith, and Kennedy.
“Sometimes you get that image of what a biker should look like and what a biker should be. And we throw that away because we’re all shapes and sizes,” Smith says.
That’s not to say that Rinn, Smith, and Kennedy aren’t serious cyclists. Through cycling, they have challenged themselves to do bigger things, Smith says.
All three are triathletes and routinely go for long rides together on the weekends. During the pandemic, they completed numerous virtual Ironmans, which required up to 56 mile long rides. Most recently, they completed the Smith Mountain Lake triathlon.
On Tuesdays, however, the three friends are looking to build the cycling community. In doing so, they are building new friendships, but they are also giving back to the community.
Cycling as a group can improve mental health, both by getting outside and by building connections that combat social isolation. It can also clear your mind.
“There’s a sense of tranquility when riding. When I get done I am so happy and peaceful. It helps my mental health,” Smith says.
Kennedy agrees. “If I’m stressed, I forget everything,” she says. “There is a solitude I find when riding where I find peace and the world melts away,” she adds.
L’Eroica meets at Cardinal Bicycle’s Grandin Village location at 1312 Winbourne St. in Roanoke at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday. The four groups leave from the parking lot at 5:45 p.m. Following the ride, cyclists gather for food, beer, and fellowship at Cardinal Cafe, inside the bike shop.
