In a Divided Moment, Our Community Showed Up United

Hope Showed Up on Two Wheels

This weekend was heavy.

There were anti-ICE protests, Pro-ICE rallies, loud opinions, and the kind of tension you can feel in the air. Especially if you spent any time online, it probably felt like everyone was angry, divided, and shouting past each other. It is easy to believe that is the whole story, and honestly, I was feeling that despair on Saturday morning.

But then I got on my bike and rode through my city with my neighbors.

An estimated 650 cyclists gathered for a unity ride to remember and honor Alex Pretti. There were no big speeches. No viral soundbites. Just people from all kinds of backgrounds gathering together and going for a ride through our city.

And the tone was clear:

You belong here.
You are welcome here.
All of you.

What really stood out to me standing in this crowd of my neighbors is hope brings people together.

Hate is loud. It spreads fast online. It can make a small group feel massive and a divided moment feel permanent. But hope works differently. It is not always trending, it's often a soft whisper in a sea of noise. Sometimes it just shows up, clips in, and starts pedaling next to a stranger, next to a neighbor.

Out on that ride, I saw people who did not look the same, think the same, or live the same kinds of lives. But what they shared was simple. A love for riding. A love for this city. And a quiet but powerful agreement that our community is better when more people feel safe, welcome, and seen.

That is the kind of hope I believe in. Not the kind that lives in the comment sections on social media, but the kind that takes effort. The kind that asks you to leave the house, meet your neighbors, and move your body through the streets and trails you share.

Hope is not passive. It requires action. It requires us to show up for each other, even in small ways. A wave. A conversation at a stoplight. Slowing down so the group stays together. Making space on the road and in the community.

On our bikes, we practice this without even thinking about it. We look out for each other. We call out hazards. We wait at the top of climbs. We make room on narrow sections of trails. We already know how to build a culture of care, because riding together demands it.

Filthy Casual MTB has always been about making space for the everyday rider, the average Joe, the weekend warrior, the newbies, the just get out there and move my body rider just trying to enjoy the ride. That same spirit is bigger than cycling. It is about building a community where people feel like they can show up as they are.

And this weekend, hope showed up on two wheels.

I hope we can keep riding like that. Let’s keep building spaces where more people feel welcome. Let’s keep choosing presence over noise, connection over comments, and community over division.

Let's continue to ride together.

Forever Two Wheels

-Myles