Aids Ride June 1 to June 7

[ACG]

I am riding my third Aids ride. This year no on I personally know is going and I'm looking for a tent mate. So if any of you are please contact me, or maybe you have a friend who is going. Thanks to all!

[Trek420]

ACG, there're are quite a few TE'ers this year. I hope we can have a TE tent section. :D

[Zen]

You guys need an AV flag to fly over the TE tent city :)

And when you're done, let the Mid-Atlantic contingent borrow it for our canal ride :D

[Trek420]

Is there a TE flag? I looked, we don't really even have a TE jersey. UK and I wore AV jerseys on day 1 last year.

If I can find my tent decor pink stuffed flamingos ....

[Trek420]

Especially for our 1st time ALC'ers, let everyone in your circle know that they can send a message of support to you and any or all riders and crew during the ride. Starting on Day 1 ALC will webcast live from their site with pictures, maybe they will have podcasts again, rider blogs.

There will be a link to send a message to a rider. These are printed out and downloaded daily by your amazing crew. After long day in the saddle trust me, these messages of support kept me going. Especially last year when I was struggling with injury it was very helpful.

You won't be able to reply, it's not e'mail but we will be able to send a greeting to you!! So let's get a list of your rider numbers together (if you want) that way we'll be able to cheer you on.

[sadiethompson]

Totally brand spanking new to biking and I am bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle, which if you don't already know is 7-days, 545-miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles on June 1-7, 2008. DONATE: http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1613.

Went on my first bike ride in over 7 years back in Jan 2008, so this will be a huge challenge for me. Any tips, tricks, suggestions, etc. would be so welcomed!

I also need a tent-mate for the ALC, if anyone else is looking (ACG, are you still needing one?). I am a really slow rider, btw!

Trek420 - Thanks for the tip on "send messages of support" during the ride. I am going to tell everyone I know about that, especially my donors.

[Trek420]

1st, welcome to TE. :D You're all in for an awesome ride. One of the motivators each day is getting to see this crew; the fabulous roadies of rest stop 4. Sometimes that was what got me up hills "I just gotta see what the theme is at rest stop 4" :p

www.reststop4.com

[KnottedYet]

So, by my count this year we have 6 TE'ers doing ALC, and one crewing.

Anybody lurking who should just jump in and introduce yourself? :D C'mon, lurkers, don't be shy! We don't bite! much...;)

[Trek420]

Well, we have an even number so you could tent together even have a TE section. I will be there on Day 0. I know, I know....never volunteer but I signed up for afternoon shift on Bike Parking. I'll be in the lugged steel bike section (just kidding, they don't have one).

When you get to registration that's probably the first thing you do is park your bike, see ya there!!

I'll be the one in the Volunteer t-shirt. :cool: Snapdragen is usually at tent assignment. Right, Snap? So you'll see a TE'er first thing and then last thing you do.

Trek tip of the day-get to Day 0 early. The earlier the better, there's usually even a top secret showing of the safety video about 15 min to a half hour earlier than the earliest advertised showing :rolleyes:. Get in, get out .... go somewhere and eat, try to relax and get to bed early. Don't leave registration to the last minute.

[MM_QFC!]

This last of the mega-AIDS rides closed registration in March and will kick off their 7-day journey from San Francisco with a record 3000 participants this Sunday.
http://www.aidslifecycle.org/press/alc7_main.html

Kudos to all of the AIDS Lifecycle volunteer cyclists and roadies, expected to bring in $11million dollars to care for thousands of Californians affected by HIV/AIDS.

No doubt, Lifecycle will continue until there's a cure, so let's stop HIV now! Then we can ride down the spectacularly beautiful California coast just for the fun of it. :)

I'm still heading to New York in August, as co-captain for our team: the ARI Breakthrough Riders, as our beneficiary is the west coast-based AIDS Research Institute at UCSF, even though I was (oh so rudely and painfully :() sidelined from riding recently, so...on behalf of the east coast's Empire State AIDS Ride, I send a heartfelt thank you for joining the road trip to end AIDS and best wishes for a safe and successful journey.
You'll be amazed at the lives you will touch from the saddle of your bicycle!
Ride strong. Angels will give you wings when you need them.
Mary

[Trek420]

I'm volunteering in bike parking this year, afternoon shift. I'm going to commit to wearing a blue/grey Recycled Cycles bike beanie for ease of recognition. Any TE'ers c'mon over and say hi.

A little last minute but if we can get a list of Rider #'s, the website will go live with a webcast of the ride. There's a way folks can send a message of support to all or any riders and crew.

Thanks for riding and here's to MM_QFC's recovery and that she does not need to ride next year. :o Let's go find a cure and ride for somethin' else or just for the fun of it. :cool:

[ACG]

Good morning all.

Trek my number is 5845. This is my third year. I am very excited. This is the one ride where I live in total euphoria the entire time! I can ride up any hill, conquer and amount of wind and make great friends while I'm there. Thanks for he support.

[Trek420]

I went to Day 0, registration on the ride and helped in bike parking. It was great to see the riders, whether you're new or a grizzled vet you can feel the nerves and excitement in the air.

This Orbea rider has a unique way of warning others "don't touch the bike" :rolleyes:

[Trek420]

I got a text message from ACG, she is doing fine. I don't know if she's in touch with any other TE'ers. Ya' know we've never really got that coordinated on the ride.

Yesterday, day 2 was a century day, my favorite. Relatively flat (except the end) and often huge headwinds. Tomorrow is day 3 and riders climb what's called Quadbuster. They'll have BBQ lunch served by kids in the tiny town of Bradley.

You can follow pictures, podcasts of the ride on

http://aidslifecycle.typepad.com

[maillotpois]

This was on my friend David's blog, about roadies at the ride. Watched it yesterday and it made me cry:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=roadie%20AIDS%20ride&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#

[Trek420]

Yep. Harder than riding. :rolleyes: Crewing once convinced me to ride.

Roadies rock! And ALC roadies most of all, spoils you for almost any other supported ride. Anyone here, anytime you do a supported tour thank the crew. Whether it's one day or multiple days, a charity ride or just fun ... they are working harder than you and we can't do these rides without 'em.

[Trek420]

If you go to the ALC website, click on "experience the ride" you'll see the pictures of Day 3. Now, I can't import the individual picture because the photographers wisely programed it so you can't import them but ..... on the slide show there's a picture of our very own Carolp & Mr. Carolp on their lean green Trek tandem climbing machine. Looks to me like the crest of a little hill we call Quadbuster.

Both smiling, laughing and looking great on top of the hardest hill on the 3rd day of a tough ride.

Who says tandems can't climb, and climb well!

Day 3 DONE. :D

http://aidslifecycle.typepad.com/alc7/aidslifecycle-7-photos.html

[Trek420]

About now TE'ers melissam, resumer, carolp, sarahoc, ACG, sadiethompson should be done with day 7 of the AIDS ride. Closing ceremonies are often around 3 so they are probably in LA right now waiting for that to begin.

Congratulations, we want the ride report and pictures. :D

[KnottedYet]

Trek, thank you for all the updates!

[Trek420]

Well, not as together as we could have been. On ALC 4 I tented with a TE'er, the amazing BG. And best of all Spazzdog acted as intrepid reporter posting a daily updates from us.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2826

We'll get it together next time. :rolleyes: And maybe MM_QFC can post from her ride.

[melissam]

I'm back!! Rolled into San Jose yesterday and my bike (whose name I learned at Day 0) is taking a well-earned rest in his cozy space in the garage.

The Ride was, in a word, AMAZING! I'd love to tell you all about it, but I'm currently buried under a mass of unread emails and a work deadline rapidly approaching.

I'll try to post a ride report when I reach a stopping point here.

- Mel (No rest for the weary)

PS Thanks to all who sponsored this Ride -- we raised over $11.7 million dollars!!

PPS Thanks to all who wrote personal messages of support -- they're a huge boost!

[snapdragen]

Congrats Mel! Welcome home!

[Bike Goddess]

Welcome home to all of you! Looking forward to the stories! :)

[Trek420]

Pictures! We want pictures! Congratulations and welcome home, rider!

[carolp]

This was my second year riding and it was even better than last year. We didn't have to ride Carback Mountain on Day One, which was wonderful. Last year we did all of Skyline and I hated it.
The ride logistics just seem to get better and better every year, and it seems people really took safety more seriously this year. There were a few accidents, a couple of them fairly serious, but in general, people watched their speed, their passing and were amazingly courteous and helpful. It's hard to imagine a group of friendlier people.
For the second year I did the ride with my husband on our tandem, and this year we were faster and stronger, even occasionally passing other riders up hills-- a real first for us. There were about six tandems on the ride, and for the first time, a triple. Five guys rotated between a tandem and a triple.
We once again had lunch in Bradley. They sell hamburgers, hot dogs, buttons, pens and refrigerator magnets to raise funds for their school. They treat us so well and look forward to our arrival. The school has 30 students and we have helped provide scholarships for the kids.

People seemed to really outdo themselves on Red Dress Day. Every year it gets more outrageous.
And speaking of outrageous, the Rest Stop folks keep getting more and more creative. Rest Stop Four performed "Grease" this year-- last year they did Dreamgirls.

Getting back to the real world is tough. Also not eating thousands and thousands of calories a day takes some getting used to.

The ride raised close to 12 million and being part of it almost feels like being part of a cult. There are riders of all abilities, ages and sizes, but we are really unified behind a cause.

I hope to keep being involved as long as there is HIV and AIDS. I want my positive friends to die of old age.

[melissam]

Well, I'm not even close to being caught up at work, but thought I'd give a long overdue ride report of last week's AIDS/Lifecycle 7.

What an amazing ride - on many, many levels! For starters, the organization to pull off all the logistics is incredible. The fact that it goes so smoothly is a testament to the dedication and organizational skills of those involved.

The sense of community is unlike anything I've ever experienced. We formed a genuine, utopian community within a week. Not only that, but this was a diverse group of folks that were pretty tired from riding or crewing all day and sleeping in a tent at night. Nevertheless, everyone was helpful, cheerful, funny, inspiring. Where else could you make a lifelong friend while waiting in line for the shower? Where else would someone take the huge step of making their first public admission that they were HIV Positive?

The roadies -- oh my God, the roadies! They were thrilled to help us in any way they could. Whether it was a massage, medical care, another packet of Chamois Butter, help with wardrobe malfunctions, fixes for mechanical problems -- all were handled efficiently and dispensed with a smile and a hug. I can't believe the creativity that goes into all the rest stops -- the themes, the costumes, everything was hilarious and executed to perfection. I'd never make it as a Rest Stop Roadie -- I can't even come up with a clever decoration for my helmet. :o

Then there were the unofficial roadies that boosted our morale. The Chicken Lady made a brief appearance on Days 6 and 7. The Chicken Lady had had a stroke, so couldn't ride this year, yet still made sure that each of our bike seats had eggs with a special message in them on Day 7. Got me all teary eyed, which isn't a good thing when you've freshly applied sunscreen to your face. There was the impromptu Team Pie stop on Day 1 -- I had the blueberry pie, which was awesome! The Cookie Lady on hmmm...Day 2, I think with her dozens upon dozens of home made cookies. The guy dressed up in various costumes cheering us on; on Day 7, he wore a 4 leaf clover with a sign that said "Last Chance to Get Lucky." Ginger Brulee, Mom & Dad cheered us up all the tough hills. So did the drummers on Highway 92 -- amazing way to set your cadence. Robert serenaded us. Jen, whose partner was riding also rooted us on up the tougher sections. We saw her in Lompoc after she'd spent the day cheering, and her voice was shot, but she was more than willing to come out the next day. There were also the kids that lined the sides of roads to give us high fives, the people who handed out licorice and beads when we hit the summit, drivers who gave the "happy to see you" honks and thumbs up, and people who lived in the area and hung out on the corner to thank us for riding as we cruised by. The whole towns of Bradley and Casmalia gave us a hero's welcome. And who can forget Paradise Pit on Day 6? Ice cream and strawberries never tasted so good!!

I swear, at times I felt like a rock star out there!

OK, so if you're still reading this, you might be wondering how the actual riding part went. Let's just say that I trained like a maniac, and I'm glad that I did, as it made everything so much more enjoyable. I cruised into camp on Day 2 after doing 105 miles, and felt like I could do a lot more miles that day. It was a good thing, because we had over 60 miles (and Quadbuster) to do the next day. Let's see, around Day 4, I found that it was hard to sit down on the grass for my picnic lunch, but my legs still felt great on the bike. On Day 6, though, they'd lost their oomph. I was pretty happy to get to camp at the end of the 84 miles on Day 6. On Day 7 ... well, I was glad that the route was flat and we didn't get too many coastal winds that day.

But really, with the gorgeous scenery or funny costumes, it was pretty easy to take your mind off of any discomfort.

So...if you're thinking of doing the Ride, DO IT!! It will be unlike anything you've ever experienced, and you will change in ways that you never imagined.

- Melissa

[melissam]

My housemate LeAnne and dog Gizmo dropped me off at the Cow Palace on Day 1. We got separated in the crowd, so I didn't see either of them during ride out.

After a few miles, it was time for Rest Stop 1. As I pulled into Rest Stop 1, I noticed a dog amongst all the people. In fact, it was a Boston Terrier...that looked a lot like my Boston Terrier. Hey, it WAS my Boston Terrier!! What a cool surprise -- I had no idea they'd be at Rest Stop 1, and it was nice to see a familiar face at that point.

Here's a picture of Gizmo and I at Rest Stop 1 on Day 1:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/moose964/SE9XcvvYmlI/AAAAAAAAAHw/SgPHpEEeGIk/DSCN1107.JPG?imgmax=512

Doesn't Gizzie look handsome in his bandana? ;)
OTOH, I'm glad I was wearing sunglasses to cover up the look of terror in my eyes that I undoubtedly still had at that point.

[snapdragen]

mel -- you are a rockstar! Great report, and yes, Giz does look stylin'!!

//omg -- Chicken Lady had a stroke? Damn, when I did the ride she was recovering from a heart attack.

[Trek420]

Snap, I forgot that you know him and other TE ALC'ers know the Chicken Lady too.

I've heard he started the tradition of faster/stronger riders repeating a hill, descending and then going back up encouraging slower riders by doing that many times on one of the New York rides.

In my case he helped me with just a simple look. On ALC 3 I had overpacked, as I struggled with a rolling duffle I saw him with just a tiny carry-on size bag (don't know how he does it!!). He just smiled and shook his head.

I've packed light ever since and will do so on any tour. ;)

[carolp]

Ken (aka Chicken Lady) was at camp at Ventura and read us a poem. He is going to recover fully, and my guess that one way or another, he will be with the ride next year.

[snapdragen]

Wouldn't be right without the Chicken Lady! I'm glad to hear he's doing well, I've no doubt he'll be on the ride next year.

[ACG]

I put my pictures on flckr, how do I invite the group? Sorry I'm so technically challenged.

This was my third year and I signed up again for next year. I can somehow ride this ride without a bit of hesitation at all. The wind did get to me more than previous years, but since it was not new to me it was okay. The views are fantastic and the comraderie is the best. I love spending a week in this utopia cycling world.

[Trek420]

flicr? I think you just post a link :)

[ACG]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/audreyecu/

I hope you can see my pictures!