NATCHEZ — When running became too strenuous for his joints, Allen Richard looked for a replacement activity that would give him the same workout and enjoyment.

He didn’t have to look too long before he discovered cycling. And since then, it has been hard to get him off his bike.

“I started riding bikes when I couldn’t run anymore,” Richard said. “I’m a pretty big guy. Cycling is easier on me.”

For years, Richard has been active in the Natchez Bike Club and enjoyed riding with other club members. But, for the past few years, Richard has been enjoying his hobby with a new partner, his wife Beth.

Beth said that, although Allen had encouraged her to ride with him, she didn’t have the time, with two active children, to dedicate to the sport.

“Someone had to be at home with the kids,” Beth said. “As they got older, we were able to ride together.”

In 2003, the Richard’s bought their first tandem bike. And the pair have been a cycling team ever since.

They have, along with other members of the Natchez Bike Club, ridden the entire 444 miles of the Natchez Trace, completed the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina and traveled to Fredericksburg, Texas to cycle.

Although, the Richards have single bikes, riding the tandem gives them a special bond.

“The tandem is a great equalizer,” Beth said. “He never drops me.”

Allen said he believes it is vitally important to have a common interest with your spouse but that it takes a special couple to be able to cycle together, especially riding tandem.

“It isn’t for everyone,” Allen said. “Beth is my best friend. On the tandem, she has to give up total control.”

But for Beth, that isn’t such a bad thing. She calls herself a tourist cyclist because she enjoys the scenery.

“All I have to do is pedal,” Beth said. “I get to enjoy the scenery and look at the flowers and the views.”

On top of the time spent together, the Richards enjoy the health benefits that cycling provides. Allen said the low impact nature of the activity makes it accessible to a large variety of people.

“There are ex-tennis, basketball and football players that enjoy cycling,” Richard said. “And in our group, we are probably on the younger end.

“Cycling really is open to anyone regardless of age or weight. And it is something you can continue doing as you get older.”

The health benefits don’t stop with the body. Beth said that cycling is also good for your mental health.

“(Cycling) allows you to get out and clear your mind,” Beth said. “It really is a good de-stresser.”

According to the Richards, cycling is a sport that is open to all types of people regardless of age or gender. Allen said that especially true for the members of the Natchez club.

“For a lot of us, the only thing we have in common is cycling,” Allen said. “That is the common bond that brings the group together.”

Beth said one reason cycling is popular in the Miss-Lou is because it is the ideal setting for cycling. The group gets together on Tuesdays and Saturdays for rides on the county and country roads in the area.

“Everything looks completely different when you are on a bike,” Beth said. “You can drive by something everyday and not see it but you will notice it on a bike.”

Allen added that because of the Mississippi River and the Natchez Trace, Natchez is a destination for cyclists on long rides.

“Because of where we are situated we are a virtual crossroads for cross-country rides,” Allen said.

Allen said he believes that Natchez, because of all it has to offer, could become a destination for cyclists. One of the goals of the Natchez Bike Club is to bring awareness to that possibility.

“People who enjoy cycling are usually middle-aged, middle to upper-class people,” Allen said. “They are people who have disposable income.”

Beth said that traveling to places that have embraced the cycling community as a viable tourist group, like Fredericksburg, Texas, makes her believe that Natchez is really missing out on a good opportunity.

“Fredericksburg is a town similar to Natchez in size,” Beth said. “When we were there, we were just one of several groups in town for cycling.

“The next weeks was Hell Week and there were several hundred people filling up hotels for that.”