Riding Together

There comes a point in the journey where progress stops being private.

You feel momentum building. Stronger legs. Clearer mind. Better habits. The early mornings are locked in. Strength training is consistent. Nutrition is tightening up.

And then a new question shows up:

Why keep this to yourself?

By the end of the 2024 fall riding season, my frequency had skyrocketed. What started as two or three mornings a week became five, sometimes six or even seven days. The routine was not forced anymore. It was who I was. I was logging rides again. Watching metrics improve. Heart rate settling. Climbs getting smoother. Endurance expanding.

But something was missing.

Connection.

In Rochester and throughout the Finger Lakes, there were riders everywhere, but not necessarily together. Road cycling groups had structure and energy. Off-road felt scattered. Conversations with my friend Mandy kept circling the same idea: why is there not a stronger mountain bike community here?

The more we talked, the clearer it became.

Why not build one?

Sometimes you do not get a blueprint. You get a gut instinct. So, I acted on it.

A Facebook group. An Instagram page. A Strava club. RideFlow MTB was born in the spring of 2025. No grand rollout. Just an open invitation to ride. And people showed up.

The group grew steadily. Today, RideFlow MTB has 281 members, proof that the demand was always there. Riders just needed a place to belong.

Mandy helped spark the flame by launching both the Gal Pals rides and the Rise and Ride morning sessions at Bay Park West, creating space for riders to connect before the day took over. She ignited the movement. With the help of Katie, who truly carried the torch, the Gal Pals rides gained incredible momentum. Katie poured energy into those women's rides last summer, and it showed.

The Gal Pals even hosted a weekend Pedals and Pines camping trip at Ontario County Park in Naples in the Finger Lakes. What started as group rides evolved into shared weekends, deeper friendships, and a stronger sense of belonging.

That is when I knew this was more than just riding.

Then Jonah stepped in.

Jonah D., a longtime advocate for off-road cycling in our community and a good friend I grew up with, started the Wednesday morning show and go rides at Dryer Road Park. Nothing flashy, just riders meeting up and rolling out. We did not have huge crowds, but we had consistency. And consistency builds culture.

What struck me most was not just Jonah's commitment to mountain biking; it was his quiet leadership.

Many mornings, he would message me with a short prayer. Simple, Grounded and Encouraging. My faith in God has always been part of my life. It has carried me through different seasons, good and hard. But during this season, it became more intentional. Less reactive. More rooted. Those messages reminded me to trust the process and move forward even when I did not have every answer.

RideFlow MTB was not just growing physically.

It was strengthening me spiritually.

As the group grew, so did my responsibility.

If I was going to encourage others to show up, I had to show up fully.

Nutrition tightened further. Processed foods dropped. Sugar became rare. Energy stabilized. Mood sharpened. My riding frequency remained high, but now the discipline had a different weight to it.

It was not about performance. It was about leadership.

We hosted a mechanics clinic at the shop specifically for RideFlow MTB. It was well attended and full of energy. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, not just personally, but professionally. That event opened another door, leading to an invitation from National Ski Patrol to host a women's only mountain bike mechanics clinic for their group.

It became clear:

When you step forward, opportunities tend to meet you halfway.

That season of stepping forward did not stop with RideFlow.

As the community gained traction, I found myself thinking bigger. I entered the Wayne County pitch competition, developing a full business plan and presenting the vision for Sodus Bay Bike and Adventure Co. to the Wayne County Economic Development Committee.

It was a stretch.

Standing in front of a panel and articulating a long-term vision forced me to clarify what I believed. It was not just an idea anymore. It was a direction. And like RideFlow, it did not feel random. It felt aligned.

When you study people who live long, healthy lives, especially those who approach or surpass 100 years old, you notice something. Movement matters. Nutrition matters. But community may matter most.

Belonging extends vitality. Shared struggle builds resilience. RideFlow MTB was not just about riding trails in Rochester and the Finger Lakes.

It became a place to connect.

To push.

To laugh.

To grow.

To trust.

Together.

The year I built community was the year my fitness became rooted. And rooted things last.

Three Takeaways from This Chapter

1. If you feel momentum building in your life, share it. Growth multiplies when it is shared.

2. You do not need perfect structure to build community. You need conviction and an invitation.

3. Leadership and faith often mean stepping forward before you see the full path.

What Is Next

Community created momentum. Momentum created opportunity.

In the next chapter, I will share what happened when that momentum expanded into business, risk, and redefining retail, and how protecting community became even more important as everything grew.

About the Author

Jamie Gruttadauria has spent over 35 years in the cycling and fitness industry, working in specialty bicycle shops and fitness equipment stores since the age of 16. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast and trail rider at heart, he believes movement is best when it is sustainable, intentional, and connected to nature.

Through his riding, leadership, and community building efforts, Jamie shares what he is learning about strength, faith, resilience, and staying in the fit gear, on the bike and in everyday life.