Holy Rollers - riding for fun and fellowship

Small groups within the Holy Cross community come in a variety of shapes and sizes. We have traditional Bible study and fellowship groups, supper clubs, a film group, Social Networks, and even a set of folks who golf together.

And then there are the Holy Rollers. This is a group of mostly retired and semi-retired men who like to ride bicycles.

The group started in the summer of 2011, when Kevin Dolan sent out an invitation to folks who might like to ride together. It provided an alternative to the Thursday morning men’s group – the Do Nothings (upcoming blog). Steve Norton responded, and soon a few more joined in. The day was changed from Thursday to accommodate the riders, and now they usually ride on Fridays, and sometimes in addition on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Rides generally begin about 8 a.m., with favorite locations that include along the Indian Creek, Tomahawk Creek and Streamway trails and in Heritage Park. At a midway point, they stop for coffee and conversation.

“We try to limit the rides to 12-15 miles, maybe 18-20 miles,” said group facilitator Bill Rauh,

Bill Rauh

“especially when we have a new person.” One new person got broken in a few weeks ago when the group decided to ride the Trolley Trail, though he may have been a little misled about what to expect. “We wanted to try something different. We thought it was going to be six miles, but it was 18 instead,” Bill said, without a hint of an apology.

That new person was Bill Allen, and, gamely, he didn’t seem to mind the length at all. “It was my first ride and I had a good time,” he said. “The guys are great and it makes for good camaraderie and fellowship.” Of course, when you’re dining at Gates barbecue, having lunch at a midway point, it’s hard not to feel the love.

According to Bill Rauh, sometimes that camaraderie extends to fellow diners. He related how one woman, after overhearing their conversation and laughter one day, approached the group and said, “This is the best morning for me in years. Just listening to you, my day was brightened.”

The Holy Rollers share with each other what’s going on or has gone on in their lives, personal anecdotes, and generally revisit the previous Sunday’s sermon topic. All good comments, of course. They trust that they will support each other when needed, whether it be prayer, conversation or friendship.

Bill said the group tries to ride safely, including wearing helmets, and follow the rules of the road. So far, mishaps have been few. “There was one day,” Bill said, “at the beginning of summer, we had three separate wrecks. Nothing serious, scraped arms.” And there are the occasional problems with insects flying into their eyes and mouths, as anyone who rides or runs in the open will understand.

 

Besides cycling together, the group has had a social fun night out in Westport, and a four-day excursion with the wives on a trip to St. Charles, Missouri. The men rode along the Katy Trail by the Missouri River while the wives shopped, Bill said. The group also does some landscape maintenance, trimming trees, on the church property, and other missional work. They are looking at riding the Ottawa trail when the weather becomes cooler.

 Anyone is welcome to join the group for a ride at any time. They maintain an email list, currently of about 15 cyclists, as a means of notification for upcoming rides. “It’s a neat concord of guys who enjoy riding, talking and fellowship,” Bill said.