For nearly four decades, the Paducah-based cycling club has brought riders together while using bicycling to support local causes. This fall, its members are helping Paducah-McCracken County Habitat for Humanity launch a new ride through the hills, hollers and rural roads of Western Kentucky.

On a Monday evening in Paducah, cyclists gathering for a Chain Reaction Cycling Club ride do not all have to roll out at the same speed.

Riders can choose among several groups based on distance and pace. The least intimidating option is deliberately described as “no one left behind,” giving newer riders an opportunity to meet other cyclists, learn group-riding practices and become more comfortable on the road. Other groups range from averaging 15-16 miles per hour up to 18-20, or the extremely fast challengers, where every rider is trying for a personal best.

On Tuesday evenings, the club’s Cruiser Ride, affectionately called a “Slowcial”, offers an even more relaxed experience for people who want conversation, company and a connection with other riders. That welcoming approach reflects lessons Chain Reaction Cycling Club, commonly known as CRCC, has learned over nearly 40 years.

Based in Paducah, the club includes members from across Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois. It hosts several group rides throughout the week for cyclists with different interests, abilities and experience levels.

But the club has never been only about accumulating miles. Throughout its history, CRCC has also connected cycling with relationships, advocacy and service to the communities its members call home.

Building a Cycling Community Since 1987

CRCC’s roots reach back to the late 70’s or early 80’s when a small group of Paducah cyclists who referred to themselves as The Trace Racers would gather for weekly training rides. In 1987, some of those riders approached Martha Emmons and Hutch Smith, co-owners of the newly opened BikeWorld, about creating a more organized cycling club.

Approximately 30 people attended the charter meeting in October 1987, and Chain Reaction Cycling Club was formed. Early ambitions included group rides, an annual race, a racing team, a newsletter and a central place where local cyclists could connect.

The club’s recorded history is unusually candid about its early growing pains. During its first year, experienced riders sometimes dropped newcomers within the first mile. There were no casual or family-paced rides, and many novices who attempted a group ride never returned.

Today’s ride options show how much the club has evolved. CRCC and its local partners now offer everything from social, no-drop rides to faster-paced training groups, giving riders opportunities to participate according to their goals and comfort levels.

Having a local bicycle story where new riders could meet experienced riders and made it easier to break the ice of showing up to a ride where you don’t know anyone.

A Club That May Challenge Expectations

For people who have never joined a cycling club, CRCC’s membership may be surprising.

Cycling clubs are sometimes imagined as spaces populated primarily by young, highly competitive male athletes. CRCC’s membership reflects a much broader community, including riders across generations and a strong representation of women.

Currently the club has about 90 dues paying members, over one-third of which are women, with ages ranging from 18 to 83. Several families have children younger than 18 who participate in club events.

Women have been part of CRCC’s work since its earliest years. Cecilia Beyer was among the riders involved near the club’s beginning. Martha Emmons became newsletter editor, helped make BikeWorld the club’s working headquarters, maintained records, recruited members and later took responsibility for organizing and promoting major races. Beginning in the early 1990s, CRCC members Sue Morehead, Sara Church, Chris Brooks Janne and Martha Emmons have each accepted appointments appointed to terms on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s  Bicycle and Bikeways Commission, giving Western Kentucky cyclists a stronger voice in statewide discussions.

Turning Rides Into Community Support

CRCC’s community involvement is almost as old as the club itself. In 1989, the organization added a sanctioned century ride to its annual activities. A naming contest produced the winning title, the Misaligned Minds 100 suggested by Martin Mundy, beginning a tradition that has continued for decades.

The 36th annual Misaligned Minds ride is scheduled for September 19, 2026, with routes of 25, 40, 60 and 100 miles along low-traffic rural roads. Proceeds from the 2026 ride are designated to support local school mountain biking teams. CRCC’s membership information describes the ride more broadly as an annual fundraiser benefiting local groups.

That long-running tradition raises a bigger question: Why does a cycling club choose to make fundraising and community service part of its identity?

When cyclists band together to ride for a cause, over-all bicycling participation and allure increases. Maybe you like bicycling but don’t know anyone who rides anymore, but maybe you support a local organization or particular charity and when you show up there to find someone you know is riding a bike to support something you’re interested in, a connection to bicycling is created, and you realize you know people who ride and it seems fun and it is of benefit to a cause you value. You begin to see what a bicycle friendly community has to offer the residents.

The answer may be found in what happens when people ride together. A bicycle ride can introduce participants to roads, landscapes, small communities and neighbors they might otherwise pass without noticing. It creates shared experiences among people of different ages and backgrounds. When a ride also supports a community organization, every mile becomes connected to a larger purpose.

A New Ride for Safe, Stable Homes

That spirit of community support will continue this fall as CRCC members assist with the inaugural Hills & Hollers for Habitat ride benefiting Paducah-McCracken County Habitat for Humanity.

Founded in 1980, the Paducah-McCracken County organization was Kentucky’s first Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Its work helps local families pursue strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership.

Hills & Hollers for Habitat is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The ride will begin at Rosebower Church, located at 1120 Tyree Road in Paducah.

Registration options currently list 10-, 23- and 44-mile routes. The paved routes travel along low-traffic roads through parts of McCracken, Graves and Marshall counties, including a portion of the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. Riders will encounter a combination of flatter terrain and the hills that inspired the event’s name. SAG assistance and rest stops are planned along the routes.

Organizers emphasize that riders of different experience levels and bicycle types are welcome. The shorter route provides an entry point for people who may not consider themselves distance cyclists, while the longer options allow more experienced riders to explore the region and take on a greater challenge.

The registration fee is currently listed as $35, with participants encouraged to register by September 1 to guarantee an event T-shirt. All proceeds will benefit Paducah-McCracken County Habitat for Humanity.

Registration and packet pickup will take place from noon – 4 p.m. at BikeWorld located at 809 Joe Clifton Drive in Paducah on Friday, October 9, 2026. Same day registration and packet pick up is also available on race day, Friday, October 10, 2026 at 1120 Tyree Road.

Creating a Chain Reaction

A cycling club can help people become stronger riders. It can also help them find friendships, remain active through different seasons of life and discover parts of their community from a new perspective.

CRCC’s history shows that creating that kind of organization does not happen automatically. It requires people willing to learn, organize rides, welcome newcomers, share responsibility and keep showing up year after year.

Through weekly rides, its long-running Misaligned Minds tradition and its support of Hills & Hollers for Habitat, Chain Reaction Cycling Club demonstrates how bicycling can create a ripple effect far beyond the riders themselves.

One rider joins a group. A new friendship forms. A local road becomes a shared experience. A fundraiser gains momentum. A community organization reaches more people.

That is a chain reaction worth continuing.

Hills & Hollers for Habitat

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Starting location: Rosebower Church, 1120 Tyree Road, Paducah
Routes: 10, 23 and 44 miles, pending final confirmation
Registration: $35
Beneficiary: Paducah-McCracken County Habitat for Humanity
T-shirt deadline: Register by September 1 to guarantee a shirt

Learn more and register through the Hills & Hollers for Habitat event page.

Bike Walk Kentucky shares stories about the people, organizations and local efforts contributing to bicycling, walking and active communities across the Commonwealth. Organizations and events featured in these stories operate independently and are not sponsored or endorsed by Bike Walk Kentucky unless otherwise stated.