Shadow of a Wheel (2023)

Can one bike ride change your life? That is a question posed by filmmaker Paul Bonesteel's latest documentary film, "Shadow of a Wheel" in the story of 31 teenagers who embarked on a dramatic adventure; to bicycle across the United States in the summer of 1982 to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. In January, 1982 a 28 year old named Chuck Williford set out to find a group of North Carolina teenagers who could raise $5000 each, train, and then ride as "Spokesmen of America" telling the country about Multiple Sclerosis. It became an intense challenge, pitting mostly novice bikers against the deserts, mountains, cities and endless miles of highways, along with each other. They experienced a coming-of-age summer filled with humor, mishaps, personal discovery and tragedy. The film is a journey back in time, with a broad range of riders reflecting back on the experience amplified by long-lost VHS footage, photographs, from the early 1980s. It is also a powerful look into many of the riders lives since that summer and the lifetime repercussions of this event.