Team Amici Veloci (and other TE'ers) do ALC 6

[Duck on Wheels]

I was rider 6009 on a tandem with my husband. What a fantastic ride. My longest ever, and we rode every mile. We've already signed up for next year.
Can't wait!

I saw you guys !! Well, I don't know exactly who I saw when, but I saw two or three couples on tandems, so you must'a been one'a those couples. If you saw three people (bearded guy, woman in volunteer shirt, and her mom sitting on a little stepladder or bus stop bench) waving just before Pismo Beach, that was us. I may even have a picture of you, but if so it's on my cell phone and not on the computer yet. I'll be loading all the pics up on the net when I get home, prob'ly on Flick'r since there're lots of pics there already, searchable with tags like ALC6 or AIDS ride, or such like.

[Kallisti]

Hi gals,
What an amazing event this was!
I'm proud to say that as a member of Team 100, we (112 members) raised over $457,000!!!!
I've blogged my AIDS LifeCycle 6 Experience on the donations page:
http://aidslifecycle.org/1713
(still accepting donations, if the spirit moves you)
and the blog is a little more organize (with pics) on my website:
www.cyclemaven.net
I've also included some tips on how to do the ALC ride (or really any multi-day excursion).

It's too bad that I didn't get a chance to meet some of you this time out, but it sounds like everyone had a great time all around. I did too!
In fact I'm already signed up for next year, although next year, DH will be a roadie and we'll be doing the "princess tour". Can't wait!

[uk elephant]

I am finally sorting out my pictures from the ride so I thought I'd post a couple for others to see....

The first one is climbing up that never ending hill on day 1, second picture I've come down the other side to the coast. Dreamgirls were the rest stop crew on rest stop 4. On the morning of day 7, we all woke up to find a little egg left by the chicken lady. And in the final picture...I did it!!! And the family was there to greet me when I arrived. On my right is Duck on Wheels, on my left is my dad.

[snapdragen]

So glad the Chicken Lady was there this year. Was he riding or following?

[Trek420]

So glad the Chicken Lady was there this year. Was he riding or following?

Riding!

[snapdragen]

Riding!

Yay! When I first met him it was right after his heart attack. He followed CAR 7 all the way to LA in a convertible. Such a lovely man.

[Trek420]

Yay! When I first met him it was right after his heart attack. He followed CAR 7 all the way to LA in a convertible. Such a lovely man.

Chicken Lady has ridden nearly every AIDS ride, is a very strong rider. Does the ride on a mountain bike. I've heard that he started the "tradition" of stronger riders repeating a climb to encourage the slower riders when he did a climb on the New York ride some 20 times or something like that.

He could ride in much earlier but he still stays with the back pack and enjoys the rest stops.

On Day 3 of ALC 4 I rode with him from that flat section along the strawberry fields up those *&^% nasty short steep narrow roads and on to rest stop 4.

We didn't talk much but he was so encouraging and to all those at the back of the pack.

The day had turned cold, we were getting headwinds, misted by industrial sprinklers, sandblasted with dirt ....we both got to rest stop 4 which was closed.

I had a choice of turning around and doing the last miles but when I saw that Chicken Lady was taking a ride in I didn't feel so bad and that was the only day I SAG'ed that year.

Here's a good picture of him in his trademark harlequin glasses from the Specialized web site. I think this is either rest stop 1 or 2 on Day 2.

Another Chicken Lady tradition is the night of Day 6 he (along with some help from other riders) puts a plastic egg on each riders bike. The morning of Day 7 we crack open the eggs and ride. Inside the egg is a saying, this years was

"To leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. R. W. Emerson. You have done an "egg"celent job. Applaud yourself!! The Chicken Lady."

Oh, I don't know the name of the guy on the right, but I'm pretty sure I've seen him on ALC 3, 4, now 6 (so probably 5 ). He rides with his son, a lovely guy, his son told me that he trains by riding to work and they look forward to this as a family vacation each year.

http://www.specializedriders.com/blog/1/post/show/138