John Hugo Ellis, RUSA #18381

Durham, NC

I am a lifelong cyclist from High Point, NC. I spent seven years in Tuscaloosa, AL attending college and starting my career before moving to Durham, NC in 2021. When I moved into downtown Durham in 2023, I discovered there was a different style of group ride for every night of the week. I also noticed that Durham does not have a weekly Saturday long-distance ride, and I reflected that I might have never developed the confidence to ride thirty miles from home had I not done it tens of times with the support of my dad and later with DCBC in Tuscaloosa. For the past year, one of my personal goals has been to cultivate a regular Saturday ride for people living in Durham.

I was introduced to randonneuring through a friend from Coffee Outside Durham. He invited me to a brevet in Asheville last May, and I had a total blast. My love for this sport and organization has snowballed since then. Partnering with the Raleigh RBA, my friend and I planned a Dart Populaire targeted at Saxapahaw, NC, a popular cycling destination. We had six teams from four different starting locations complete the event! I’ve also contributed six permanent routes, one of which aligns with a local bike shop’s free patch challenge. I’ve learned a ton from interacting with the officials and volunteers in RUSA. I’m hoping to work on the board to give back and to gain experience so I can better serve my community.

View John's interview with Emily

Questions? Contact John at reach.johnellis@gmail.com