Homeless San Diegans are bicycling toward independence

Homeless San Diegans are bicycling toward independence

On a sunlit Thursday morning in downtown San Diego, the sidewalk in front of Father Joe’s Villages buzzes with an excited energy. Nearly two-dozen people, dressed in everything from street clothes to aerodynamic Lycra, gather around a lineup of bicycles and tricycles. Among them are experienced riders from local clubs like Major Taylor and first-timers tentatively gripping handlebars. Towering above most, clad in a neon yellow cycling jersey, is Deacon John Roberts — chaplain, cyclist, and the force behind a growing movement that is, quite literally, helping people out of homelessness one mile at a time, Reasons to be Cheerful reports.

Father Joe’s Villages is Southern California’s largest homeless services provider, offering hou