Shadow of a Wheel

Introducing the cast, including the director as a primary storyteller, a selection of the 31 teenagers and 5 young adults take us back to January of 1982 and the origins of the ride. Gathering at the Charlotte airport, the group of 36 anxious riders board the flight to California where the journey begins at the Pacific ocean, 3,600 miles from where they hope it will end at Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic. The first week begins with chaos, misadventure and pain in Southern California as they hit mountains and soon the Mojave Desert. Here in the desert they confront the stark reality of the very long road ahead. Whose idea was this anyway? Leader Chuck Williford is introduced, posthumously, along with the origins of his passionate quixotic quest. Why are they here? The teen’s personal reasons why they signed on and how they use ‘old school’ media, innovation and personality to conquer the challenge of raising $5,370 each for Multiple Sclerosis to qualify for the ride.

Episode 2 begins with the riders struggling through the mountains and deserts of California, Nevada, and Arizona often riding at night to avoid the heat. Crashes and surreal experiences ensue, friendships form along with conflicts. A few riders contemplate quitting and the film takes a deeper dive into the varied personalities of the riders, setting up storylines that play out in later episodes. A dramatic day of heat and wind force the riders to the side of the road near Kingman, Arizona. But great experiences in the Grand Canyon, the Navajo Nation and Durango, Colorado, propel the group eastward. Teenage rebellion in the Rockies challenges Chuck, bringing his shaky leadership into question and pushing him to a breaking point. The episode resolves with one rider returning to Kingman in the summer of 2021 to complete the ‘missing’ miles of that blisteringly hot day.

The now, road-savvy group is on an emotional roller coaster as the riders make their way through the Great Plains, the Midwest and to Washington DC. A terrifying thunderstorm threatens the group and a respite in a Wichita hotel reveals a magical new creation—MTV. The film takes a byway to tell the post-trip story of one rider who died of AIDS in the early 1990’s. Back on the ride, broken ribs, and a fight with locals lead to a trip to the hospital, but a day at the Gateway Arch of St. Louis and a Cardinals baseball game provide welcome relief. The group blazes on through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio despite leadership breakdowns, highway stress and tense emotions. Personal reflections on how they experienced the true soul of America, and how riders were fundamentally changed, sets the tone for deeper emotions in Episode 4.

As the group finally escapes storms and miscues in West Virginia they arrive in Washington, DC to a hero’s welcome. Fireworks break out in a hotel room, and once again the police show up. The significance of the journey weighs on the riders in the final week as they approach the Cape Hatteras lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The celebration in the ocean waves temporarily mutes the stark reality that the summer has ended. Then, the sudden death of a leader sends a shock that echoes for years. The reflections on this tragic event are as diverse as each rider, and change with the years, but ultimately they stand in tribute. One rider is haunted for missing the final day at Cape Hatteras, fueling a lifetime passion for cycling. The lives of the riders are recapped, including the courage to thrive and survive. The film concludes with the expression of key legacies from the summer of 1982, primarily a passion for continued service to others.