As soon as I heard about it, I wanted to ride. However, my normal riding partner wasn’t completely on board.
My dad has been my main riding buddy since he gave me a bike for my 15th birthday. It was not until college that I really started riding on my own. Still, for longer rides (50+ miles), I try to ride with at least one other person. Organized rides normally offer 100 miles as their longest distance. This distance is commonly called a century and I have ridden five. My dad has been beside me for all of them, even though I ride at a much slower pace than he does.
When I showed an interest in the Selma-to-Montgomery ride, my father was worried about safety. He didn’t want me to ride alone because he thought it was too dangerous. He had a point. After all, the route follows Highway 80, a four-lane highway with a speed limit of 65 mph. Then the last few miles travel through downtown Montgomery. However, it was only 50 miles and I felt confident that enough people would participate that I could find a place in the middle. I knew I wouldn’t be first but I wouldn’t be last either. Besides, 50 years ago that route sure wasn’t the picture of safety and those marchers did it because they walked for something bigger than themselves. I wanted to do the same thing 50 years later.