Bikes and riverboats go together. So much so that we have a whole page dedicated to bicycling and river cruising. As a bike enthusiast, last week I attended the Asheville, NC premiere of a new movie, Shadow Of A Wheel. I believe many of our readers will relate to the film.
Shadow Of A Wheel was produced by an old friend, Paul Bonesteel. The feature-length film tells the story of 31 teenagers who spent one epic summer crossing America by bicycle in 1982.
During a presentation before the film, Paul told the audience at Asheville’s Fine Arts Theatre that those 31 teenage lives had been transformed during that summer and that his hope was that viewers would leave the film empowered to navigate life’s challenges.
Indeed, the film portrays challenges that many of the riders faced in the years and decades after their ride. Their cross-country adventure gave them the tools to make it through those challenges. I have my own story about how cycling liberated and changed me forever, crossing the United States back at around the same time Paul and 30 others were pedaling from California to North Carolina. But my story is for another time.
For now, I encourage you to watch Shadow of a Wheel, not because Paul is a friend, but because it is a film that I haven’t stopped thinking about since seeing it, and I believe it may affect you in the same way. Shadow Of A Wheel is a very human story and a very American one, interspersed with elation, exhaustion, comedy, tragedy, friendship, the vitality of youth and the wisdom that comes with aging.
I think you will find Shadow of a Wheel as meaningful and moving as I did. If you’re lucky enough to live in North Carolina, you can begin watching Shadow Of A Wheel on PBS NC July 7, 2023.
And if you’re off on a river cruise any time soon, straddle a saddle while in port and pedal. It will do your body, mind, and soul a world of good.
This article was originally published at River Cruise Advisor.
An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com and www.rivercruiseadvisor.com.
