RAGBRAI LII July 19 - 26, 2025

How cycling helped an Illinois man on his road through substance abuse recovery

  • 26 July, 2018
  • Des Moines Register

STATE CENTER, Ia. — As Justin Shelby zoomed down the road Wednesday to catch up with members of his RAGBRAI team in State Center, the sound of his bike turning and cranking reminded him:

This is what peace is like.

“I’m always looking side to side at the plants and the sights and the clouds in the sky,” said Shelby, 34, of Aurora, Illinois. “It’s amazing to me.”

But before he came to his first Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa this year, Shelby struggled with substance abuse for over half of his life.

It started at 16. After high school, Shelby kept a balance between a steady job and “having fun,” he said. His addiction got steeper, though. Seven years ago, his substance abuse took a turn for the worse.

Shelby was arrested. He overdosed. He went through rehabilitation and then some more rehabilitation and had three relapses. Several of his friends overdosed and died.

“There was no substance I would turn away from,” Shelby said.

RAGBRAI: Day 5 photos | Animal shelter fosters rider connections | Guardian angels of the road | Corn, bikes and the rising sun

After Shelby nearly overdosed again on Jan. 31, 2014, he turned his attention to food instead of drugs and alcohol. He gained nearly 60 pounds and lacked any motivation. But a family friend, Peter Buchanan, 57, of Aurora, Illinois, introduced him to biking three years ago.

It was an instant hit.

“Honestly, I feel at peace when I’m out on the open road in the middle of a cornfield and I’m taking in all of the sights,” Shelby said.

Buchanan, who’s riding with Shelby, invited him to join his team Team Painful Perineum and ride across the state of Iowa. They’ve been soaking in the gentle temperatures, kind towns, and of course, the food stands.

And while the cravings for substances in his past still exist, right now, he’s focusing on climbing that next RAGBRAI hill.

“It’s calming and you feel energized when you’re out there on the bike,” Shelby said. “The sights and the sounds and the nature is what does it for me.”

Submit a Comment

Related Articles
No results found