Dillard Gravely

March 26, 2026

Dillard F. Gravely of Collinsville, Virginia, began cycling the two mile commute to his office after he was given a ten speed bicycle by his wife. Gravelly was one of the organizers of the Martinsville Henry County Bicycle Association in the early 1970s which sponsored events and promoted bicycle lanes. A profile in the Martinsville Bulletin (April 11, 1976) offered detailed descriptions of Gravely and two other leaders, Jimmy Frith, Fred Tudor, and R. A., Wilkens, with a particular emphasis on cycling safety. 

This same article indicated that Gravely would be a leader for a section ride of the Bikecentennial on the 1340 mile ride from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to Yorktown, Virginia. In early June, after Dillard completed his training as a tour leader, the Martinsville newspaper offered a more detailed account of the planned trip. The section was planned for 30 days, with cyclists averaging 55 miles a day, with plans to stay in youth hostels. Whereas the first report indicated the ride would begin in Missouri, now the itinerary began in Yorktown and ended in Carbondale, Illinois. No record has been found of Dillard’s completion of the trip. 

Gravely passed away in 2013, at the age of 83. An obituary in the same newspaper described his extensive family, forty year career with American Electric Power, status as a Master Gardener, and community service — but no mention of his pioneering role in supporting cycling in southern Virginia in the early 1970s.