Día de Muertos Bike Ride
Latinas en Bici
Rogers, Arkansas
Nov. 4, 2023
Tanya Kaiser of Farmington, Arkansas, arrived in style at the finish line of a Día de Muertos annual group ride led by Latinas en Bici, a bicycle-advocacy organization in Northwest Arkansas. She pedaled a Specialized Alias road bike, which features a carbon frame with geometry designed for female athletes.
Latinas en Bici — or Latino Women on Bicycles — holds its annual fundraising event during the Day of the Dead holiday, traditionally celebrated in Mexico and in Latin American countries at various times between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6. The holiday honors loved ones who passed away; it is seen as more of a celebration of the dead than a day of mourning.
Latinas en Bici promotes its annual ride as “a fusion of tradition and physical activity to exemplify resilience, love and appreciation” for their culture and forebears. The two-hour ride on bike trails and city streets is followed by an after-party with food, drinks and music. This year’s gathering was at TxAR (short for Texas and Arkansas), a new indoor-outdoor event venue in downtown Rogers.
Olivia Barraza, executive director, founded Latinas en Bici in 2019 after she noticed how good a bike ride made her feel during a difficult time in her life. The organization encourages adults and kids to embrace cycling and an active outdoor lifestyle. A popular class teaches the fundamentals of mountain-bike riding.
In a region with more than 250 miles of dedicated bike trails, many of them flat and paved, bicycles are a realistic transportation option. The organization promotes commuter riding as a healthy, economical alternative to driving to work.
A dedicated cyclist, Tanya Kaiser takes inspiration from Josh Fohner, an Arkansas native who survived incapacitating injuries in Colorado when hit by a car in 2016 while riding home on his bicycle. She took part in a 500-mile ride from Colorado to Arkansas to support his recovery. She also took part in this year’s Latinas ride.
Lorena Larson of Rogers, who runs a language-instruction business, rode her electric-assisted bicycle in the event. She moved to the United States from Ecuador 26 years ago, nearly half her lifetime.
In bike-crazy Northwest Arkansas, it’s apparent that riders older than 50 years are the primary buyers of eBikes. That’s only logical, because the electric motor amplifies the rider’s strength. Electric-assisted bikes are also huge fun – they enable anyone to ride like a teenager again. They are useful in hilly areas or for riders who carry groceries or a child. In addition, eBikes have enabled people with certain medical conditions to participate in or resume cycling.
Perhaps inspired by Bentonville’s success, downtown Rogers underwent a makeover in recent years with a shopping district, outdoor concert venue, art galleries, museums and brew-pubs. While Bentonville has been casual-dress corporate since Walmart ascended, Rogers had the industrial muscle of a major cargo railroad. That working-class pedigree translates to a laid-back atmosphere and hipper shopping like vintage clothing and antiques.
As the crowd began to thin, I realized there’s probably no such thing as a bad Day of the Dead party. Colorful costumes and festive decorations complement mariachi bands and plenty of beer and Latin food. Stephanie Danielle Martinez, a master of ceremonies in a skeleton outfit, led the revelry. It’s amazing how a day for the dead can make you feel so alive.
