The Church of the Whirling Hub

“You’re leaving the house dressed like...that?”

Barb Raco, 70, thinks back to the initial reaction of her husband’s first bike ride when he appeared from their garage dressed in clingy, colorful bike clothes. The sharp blue eyes behind her eyeglasses can still picture the day from years ago, and she shakes her head of soft gray curls in mock disapproval. “He was leaving the house and I told him, ‘Never wear a cape.’”

In Barb Raco’s world of the aging male cyclist, wives commonly fret about their husbands’ bodies showing more than the public might be ready to see. Despite these reservations, her husband, Rocky Raco, 72, hasn’t allowed the spandex or the years to slow him down since he began riding in 1989. Rather, he and his wife are convinced that the camaraderie of cycling has become his fountain of youth, a sentiment frequently verified by researchers studying the relationship between exercise and the wellbeing of our aging population.

The Midlife Cyclist

The retired Mt. Lebanon couple is relaxed and animated in the living room of their 1950’s-era ranch home as only a married pair of 47 years can be. Barb Raco sits tall in her straight-backed chair, hands folded neatly on her lap, while Raco leans casually back on the couch. Reminiscing on his decades of cycling experience, the Racos share open and honest stories while simultaneously poking fun at each other. Giggling ensues. Together they ran a photography business for 37 years and called themselves “the Burns and Allen of the Pittsburgh wedding circuit,” an analogy that comes naturally given their banter. Seated adjacent to each other, the afternoon winter sun breaks through the west facing living room window, as if to cast an enduring soft light on their deep love and friendship while they recount a lifetime of stories together.

Raco’s close-cropped hair and goatee have admittedly grayed over the decades, but his 5’6” frame shows the form of someone twenty years younger: strong and not easily knocked down. It didn’t come easily; he’s worked hard to be where he is with this health. In 1989 he found himself overweight at 210 pounds and worried about not only keeping up with his young son, Byron, but also being alive as Byron got older. He and Barb joined Weight Watchers and learned how to maintain healthy eating habits as a lifestyle. After losing 50 pounds on the program, Raco wanted to incorporate regular exercise, but the running craze didn’t strike him as very enjoyable. What did ring true with nostalgia was growing up in Carnegie and the summer days spent riding bikes with his friends in search of adventure. Bicycles were their gateway to freedom. Exploring neighborhood roads were a way to claim youthful independence. Riding across small town bridges expanded their territory and bravado, such as navigating all the way to nearby Bridgeville for pizza and to talk to a pretty girl. Bolstered by the memories, Raco dug out an old Children’s Palace toy store bike from the garage and began short rides to reacquaint himself with the balance and momentum of two wheels. The joy was still there waiting for him, so with the guidance of a local bike shop he bought a modern, lightweight Trek 1000 road bike and his life would never be the same. His fitness quickly improved as he rode with stronger cyclists from the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen club and also learned the best roads for riding and exploring on his own.

As Raco reminisces about his cycling past, his artistic mind has stored the sights and smells of his experiences so that he can recall and describe landscape details that most people would otherwise overlook. Cycling has become a natural extension of his photographer’s eye. He fondly remembers what he considers his first “real” bike ride, a day-long solo ride through the rural western townships of Pittsburgh in October of 1989. He had only been riding a few months, but was excited and confident enough to explore the area. He knew the roads from previous drives in the car, but on his bike, there were suddenly no barriers to the sounds and smells of the country. Perched on a high ridgeline overlooking rolling farmland was the small town of Hickory. He slowly climbed the long approach, taking in his surroundings at his own pace and passing by an old church. Its windows were open and the congregation inside was singing a hymn. Their voices sent the music freely into the warm fall air. Even as he tells the story, he can still smell the wisps of smoke from a wood burning fireplace; he can still see the backdrop of hills and valleys dotted with colorful maples and oaks signifying a change in the season. That October day, Raco had an epiphany that these sensory experiences could not happen behind the metal and glass confines of a car. Under his own two-wheeled power he could go places previously only visited by car; but on a bike, he was now immersed in his surroundings and every ride became a new discovery.

The Church of the Whirling Hub

Since that first year of cycling, Raco’s pursuits have only grown. “He’s obsessed,” says his wife. “As he’s gotten into his 70s it’s become more obsessive. But I’ve gotten some nice vacations to Italy.” Joining him in this cycling obsession are a dozen or so regular cyclists from the South Hills neighborhoods who ride with him every weekend throughout the year for 30 to 70 miles on the quiet rural roads west of Pittsburgh. Raco founded and has been leading this “Rocky’s Riders” club since 2008. Managing a group of year-round cyclists is where he finds that skills learned in the military rise to the top.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970, including two years in Vietnam. At the Great Lakes Naval Training Center bootcamp he recalls that “they break you and then they mold you” with endless drills of discipline that ultimately ensure decisions are made for the good of the team rather than the self. As a logistics specialist on a Naval destroyer, he was in charge of planning weeks’ worth of food and supplies. There was little room for error when resupplying a military ship in remote ports around the world. He calls the Navy the biggest influence in his life and credits the service for his lifetime of confidence and leadership skills, which have not waned. Rather, they have become hallmarks of his cycling lifestyle.

He coordinates rides the night before after reviewing the local road conditions and weather. Even through the Pittsburgh winters, Raco will be found rolling out of the garage on one of his five bikes and sending texts and emails to muster the group to get moving, too. His criterion for winter riding is, “If it’s dry and 25, we go.” He channels the grittiness of his Navy days with another saying, “It’s not bad weather, it’s bad clothing.”

Leading the rides not only contributes to his fitness, but also the mental sharpness and organizational skills required to juggle a multitude of decisions: the optimal start time based on the weather forecast; the most interesting or safest route and where to detour around inevitable Pittsburgh road construction; keeping the group together while accommodating riders who are more frisky or recovering from illness, injury or just a rough week. The Racos proudly talk about his club leadership and tenacity, even joking that he’s not doing too bad for someone who turned 73 this past March. Barb Raco, however, in a moment of hesitation and motherly tenderness, wonders aloud about whether he will ever slow down.  

His bike club is a diverse group of mostly men over 50 who work full time and have families. They find the group rides to be a special setting that gets them out of the house and away from their professional circle. It is a few hours of time to spend each weekend with other like-minded men who share the same interests, family concerns, and problems. Barb Raco notices the effect on her husband, too. “It’s socialization and keeps him healthy and he loves it.” The men know they can bat around ideas or concerns as they ride and get sympathetic, but strong, support. They are available to ride with each other one-on-one for special “talk therapy” sessions. Raco emphasizes that, “Just getting outside on the ride can instantly change their frame of mind.” Call it a medicinal cocktail of fresh air, endorphins, laughter, and socialization. The group likens itself to a church where everyone meets regularly and notices if someone is missing and then they rally to support. They dubbed themselves “The Church of the Whirling Hub” so that when outsiders ask if they attend Sunday morning services the men can assure them that they do. The club even spawned a monthly book club and organized several vacations so that the families’ non-cycling members could be included in the community and strengthen the bond among each other.

Nowhere was this cycling community more important to Raco than in 2008. He recalls the pivotal day when an inattentive driver hit him while he was riding with another cyclist near Bridgeville. An ambulance transported him to the trauma unit at Allegheny General hospital with a broken shoulder and traumatic brain injury. After four days in the hospital, he eased back into exercise with walks around the neighborhood. The doctor finally allowed him to return to cycling eight weeks later. Right on cue, it was the Church of the Whirling Hub that got him back on the road. His companions emphasized that he was not alone in his recovery and the support gave him the confidence to try a little more each day or, if needed, to take a step back without guilt. Raco’s recovery says a lot about the Navy veteran’s tenacity, and as research is showing, the social aspect of his active lifestyle may also be the key to keen mental health, recovery from injuries, and overall longevity.

The Importance of Healthy Aging

One of the Rocky’s Riders club members is Tony Delitto, dean of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. He has seen firsthand the positive effects of exercise on older patients not only with muscular-skeletal problems, but also to their mental health. Delitto observes that most people think of exercise as a form of torture, mindlessly walking or running on a “dreadmill” at the gym, so he says it’s important they find an activity that brings joy. This will make the activity easier to commit to and is where improvements will be made. “People come to me and want an instant fix, but there isn’t a pill,” he explains. “What works is ‘It’s the exercise you’ll do.’” Delitto describes the downward spiral that older adults can fall into when they do not have a social network of support. By the time a patient sees him or his team it can be hard for them to repair so many levels of what they are going through. It has to begin, as he says, “at the top, with family and connectiveness.” Delitto knows how fortunate he and the other members of Rocky’s Riders are. He likens the bike club to “a social network of care giving, something you would pay for otherwise. It is not all-encompassing, but it contributes.”

Delitto’s research also looks at the effects on exercise on the brain. His team at the University of Pittsburgh has discovered a link between high intensity exercise and a reduction in Parkinson’s disease. The study has currently only been confirmed in lab animals, but it holds promise for humans. Other researchers are finding a link between high cognitive ability activities, which require problem solving and planning, and improvements in brain function. For instance, a lab rat finding its way through a maze showed signs of neurogenesis while a lab rat who ran on its wheel did not. At the human scale, this can be extrapolated by participating in activities such as ballroom dancing and orienteering that will challenge the brain and trigger neurogenesis. When Raco is cycling, he must think ahead along the road, looking for bad pavement, traffic signals, and drivers. The stimuli challenge the brain and keep it sharp. Luckily severe accidents like Raco’s are rare and the positive benefits outweigh the fear of outdoor activities or resigning oneself to activities in a gym.

Research consistently links social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of heart disease, obesity, weakened immune system, anxiety and depression, reduced cognitive abilities, Alzheimer’s and death. Steve Cole, Ph.D., of UCLA’s Social Genomics Core Laboratory said, “Loneliness acts as a fertilizer for other diseases.” This fertilization is exacerbated in older adults as they find themselves more distant from their grown children or after the death of a spouse, retirement, loss of mobility, and a lack of transportation. Dr. Joanie Sims-Gould from the University of British Columbia reported in the American Journal of Men’s Health that in our American culture, aging men are up against “hegemonic masculinity” as a sign of male success, that they must be independent and strong regardless of age. They find themselves at a disadvantage maintaining their former vigor, so this cultural expectation is difficult to overcome and leads to the downward physical and mental spiral. The results of Dr. Sims-Gould’s study found that social connections motivated older men to be more mobile and physically active. When the subjects were more open and flexible to changing their activities as they met new age-associated limitations, they showed improved signs of overall health and happiness, and ultimately improved resiliency.

One alarming trend connected to loneliness and isolation is suicide in the U.S, which is on the rise in older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men 65 and older are at the highest risk of suicide, and adults 85 and older are the second mostly likely age group to die by suicide. One Pittsburgh doctor echoed these statistics recently when he lectured at a business meeting attended by Raco. This sobering message has stayed with him every day and makes Raco all the more grateful for the community surrounding him.

To the Finish Line

The members of Rocky’s Riders agree that Raco’s passion and leadership have made a difference in their lives. Delitto explains, “We’re all better off because of it. Without his leadership the social network wouldn’t be there, there wouldn’t be a reason to go out. He’s the glue that keeps it together.”

When asked to advise other adults and seniors who would like to become more active, Raco did not pause, saying, “Just get out and move.” He has learned over the years that whether it is a simple activity like walking, hiking, riding on a bike trail or exploring the city, the aspect of being outside and challenging the brain with situational awareness and decision making will make a big difference. The other priceless benefit, he adds, is the camaraderie of being outside with friends and family and the built-in social network of support. Whether he is riding on a perfect summer day in the country or cautiously picking his way along a deep snowy trail, Raco has never had a day that he regretted being outside. Quite the opposite. “It may look miserable outside the window in my house, but then I get outside and say, ‘I’m glad I’m out here.’”

Written in May 2020 for the Media Writing class at Duquesne University.