Case Study: Get Active

Dave Roberts cycling. (Photography by Rett Peek for Bike AR.)

Dave Roberts keeps coming back to cycling. It’s a hobby that keeps the rhythms of his life constant, informs his career as vice president of business development at Crafton Tull and frees his mind from the stresses of life.

“If your body is working like the machine it is, I think your mental health functions like it should too,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to stay active to keep that mind working.”

Cycling wasn’t always Roberts’ hobby; growing up in Miami, he was a competitive swimmer. He picked up mountain biking in his early 30s with a friend.

“Northwest Arkansas is a mountain biking Mecca, so I imagine if I lived up there, I’d probably do a lot of mountain biking as well as road biking,” he said. “You’re flying through trees and jumping rocks – it’s a lot of fun.”

Roberts also tried running, competing in one marathon before deciding to take up road cycling. He knew it was a low-impact sport and quickly found that it was a good fit for his lifestyle. He joined the RevRock Cycling Club and started training for long-distance rides.

“I read an article that said for executives, cycling was the new golf. It used to be, go to the golf course to make deals or bond with a client, and golf still does that. But as I got into it, I noticed more and more that cycling clubs were made up of people from all different levels of the workforce, including executives, so I was meeting people that were friends with clients or potential clients,” he said.

With the group, Roberts participated in the Tour de Rock benefit ride for CARTI and the Big Dam Bridge 100 Cycling Tour.

“We would do 50-mile, 70-mile, 100-mile rides. The bug had bit me,” Roberts said.

Shortly before the COVID pandemic started, Roberts was in an accident and had to take a break from cycling for six months. Getting outside and connecting with nature was crucial to his recovery.

“When I’m out in nature, whether I’m riding or hiking, I feel connected to my environment,” Roberts said. “All your senses are active; you’re in tune with everything around you.”

As soon as Roberts could get back on the saddle, he did, and since he started riding alone, he’s really hit his stride.

Roberts works 40-45 hours in a typical week, he said, and some of that time is also devoted to cycling. He’s on a team that helps communities with urban planning, and trends in that field are prompting cities across Arkansas to enhance cycling and walkability.

But his job isn’t easy, and work stress is one of his biggest mental health challenges, Roberts said.

“In engineering, architecture, planning, it’s all about deadlines,” he said. “You have to throw a lot of balls in the air; you’re juggling multiple projects.”

Cycling, though, gives Roberts the opportunity to choose whether to let his mind wander or to live in the moment. He’s taken up photography since he started riding, making a point to try to capture a few images every ride.

When on his bike, Roberts is in his element: wind whipping through his hair, sun shining on his face and 1980s rock blasting in an earbud. It’s during the long rides that he’s able to de-stress.

“My legs are moving, my body is in motion, but I don’t have to think about it,” he said. “Instead, I think about whatever is going on in my world that’s positive.”

And it seems to have a holistic impact.

“I think that helping my circulation, my heart and lungs, that helps my mental outlook,” Roberts said. “I usually sleep really well the night after I ride, and when you’re rested, you think better during the day, you’re less likely to need to see the doctor. It’s all integrated – your mind and the rest of your body.”