Ride with us and for us to help make a dream come true.
Who do I ride for, by Jim Rothblatt, Director Incight, Palm Desert, California
I ride because I love to ride. There are moments, sometimes much longer lasting than moments, when I feel as though I am flying. Slightly downhill, smooth road , maybe a tail wind, just enough resistance in the pedals to keep my quad and hamstring muscles working, pushing forward, reduced to a consciousness flying through the world around me, sights, smells, air brushing me as I pass through…. But most of the time I think as I ride. The thoughts come and go as I pedal through my inner world.
I’m a Vietnam veteran. I served as a Platoon Medic with an Army Infantry Brigade in 1967. I ride for the men I served with, especially those who did not return and for those who are too maimed to ride alone.
As Director of the Palm Desert Incight office I ride with purpose. I ride for those who can’t. Truth be told, there are very few who can’t ride if they have support. With the use of pedicabs, even the severely physically disabled can experience the ride. Those with a visual impairment or a profound hearing impairment can fly through space as a stoker on a tandem. Just about the only people who might not be able to ride are those who are confined to bed or will suffer from the road vibration.
Palm Desert is in the Coachella Valley in southern California. The climate and topography are beautiful for cyclists from the middle of October through May.
There are flat rides, hilly rides, mountain rides, and usually the weather is comfortable. The weather and the beauty are what draws the “snow birds.”
I can’t believe the Coachella Valley has not yet turned into a world famous cycling destination. Incight is putting Transitional Age Youth to work and offering community service to make it happen. Incight especially wants the Coachella Valley to be a handcycling destination.
Ride with us and for us to help make this dream come true.
Tags: Cycling, handcycling, Incight, Joy in Mobility, Palm Desert
