Marty Merritt

SANT GREGORI, Spain

My first memory of bikes takes me back to being a 10-year old in Petersburg, Virginia. Our two best friends from up the street, my brother, could regularly be seen exploring the wooded spaces that divided up our neighborhood. Our K-Mart-purchased Huffys became our go-to vehicle for so much discovery and wonder! Images of us launching off of our raggedy jumps ramps and ripping through trails will forever be seared into my mind.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, this time ripping through the streets of Chicago on a Ferrari red Fuji Track bike. Inspired by a handful of messengers I knew, I soon rediscovered the indescribable joy I experienced as a kid. Not only did the bike allow me to explore the Windy City in a completely new way, it reawakened a youthful feeling that I hadn’t felt in a long time. On top of that, I enjoyed how riding was changing my body.

In 2015, a friend invited me to join his local team: Bonkers Cycling. This opened a host of doors that I didn’t know existed. I was welcomed into the warm, wonderful Chicago cycling community and started racing local criteriums and road races. That September, I was introduced to this weird sport I’d never heard of: cyclocross!

The bicycle has always lived in a special corner of my heart. Even though for most of my life I wasn’t actually on one, deep down I knew that I’d “come back home.” It has blessed me with countless experiences, introduced me to some amazing people, made me a better athlete, and much more. I want to share the same stoke I feel when in the saddle with other BIPOC folk and inspire others to hop into the saddle and to have fun like 10-year olds!

Instagram - @martymartinho