AIDS Life Cycle -- first time!

[Trek420]

I agree, as I always say: I like to be able to comfortably walk into the bakeries and bars, pre/post rides!

And up hills. All self-propelled forward motion counts

[carolp]

I've been off this list for a while, but I'm also an ALC rider. this will be my second ride. I'm a stoker on a tandem. I also post to the alc discussion forum. Before the ride last year I hadn't ridden in ages, and I also had a knee replacement. I was training mostly as knee rehab, but now the ride and everything that goes with it is such a part of my life. I have met the best people I know through ALC and I'm proud to raise money for such a great cause.
Carol
rider 1282

And I also blog --- www.ridingtoeat.blogspot.com

[melissam]

I'm doing the ALC ride this year too! It'll be my first time, and I'm rarin' to go.

I'm keeping a blog on my AIDS/Lifecycle homepage and trying to update it fairly consistently: http://www.aidslifecycle.org/6752

Who else from TE is doing the ALC this year? Let's see, so far we have:

resumer
carolp
sarahoc (did you decide on a bike?)
ACG

Velogirl, are you riding in the ALC this year?

Anyone else participating as a cyclist or roadie?

- Melissa

[sarahoc]

I was wondering how all the AIDS/Lifecycle girls are doing?

I ended up with a Specialized Ruby Elite....its pretty and I love it.


I will have a lot of free time to train between now and June so I'm excited....I'm totally new to all this.


Getting back on a raod bike after not riding for years....It comes back pretty fast. Clipless pedals have been my biggest obstacle so far.

[Trek420]

I ended up with a Specialized Ruby Elite....its pretty and I love it.

Well that is of course the most important, that it look good

Good choice!

How's everyones training and fundraising going? Have you found that perfect red dress? Mel are you going for a replica of the party dress?

It'd be great if we can get a group shot, ride reports (I know that's hard during the long ride) or you gals could tent together. Well not all of you in one tent, nearby or sumthin'.

I'm missin' the ride the excitement, the community, the route, the views... but can't join you this year. Have fun and thanks for riding!

[sarahoc]

Well that is of course the most important, that it look good

Good choice!

How's everyones training and fundraising going? Have you found that perfect red dress? Mel are you going for a replica of the party dress?

It'd be great if we can get a group shot, ride reports (I know that's hard during the long ride) or you gals could tent together. Well not all of you in one tent, nearby or sumthin'.

I'm missin' the ride the excitement, the community, the route, the views... but can't join you this year. Have fun and thanks for riding!

My fundraising is going good. I've almost raised $5,000.00. I have some red dress day ideas in mind.

As long as I can get more and more confident on my bike, I'll be fine. I feel wobbly at times.

I had it fitted for me...that was great and a lesson riding clipless pedals where I fell over.


Do any of you put the extra brakes on the top of the bars for an extra option for your hands on such a long ride?

[Trek420]

Do any of you put the extra brakes on the top of the bars for an extra option for your hands on such a long ride?

I don't. Sometimes called "stoppers" the extra brake levers are not so much for hand positions but to give you access to the brakes from the flat of the bar.

On my road bike my hands are usually on top of the hoods. I feel comfortable from there stopping the bike with the first two fingers on the levers in most conditions.

When climbing my hands are usually on the bar. I don't know if that's right but I feel as if my chest is more open and it's easier to breath. I don't worry much about reaching the brakes from there. I'm a slow enough climber that if I just stop pedaling ... I'll fall over anyway

But if I'm in that position on flats or downhill I can get to the lever easily though it takes some core strength.

Where you may be tempted to have "stoppers" is on our long screaming descents like the one after Evil Twins, and Quadbuster. These go on forever and are steep. The scenery is breathtaking there too. Pull over and look (if you can actually stop) you need your full attention on this descent.

But it was actually on a TE ride that jobob and aka_kim taught me how to descend in the drops. And from there you have very comfortable access to the brakes.

Do you have 'em? Wants some?

Totally unrelated thought: if it's in the same spot the rest stop BEFORE quadbuster is chock full of goathead thorns. Carry your bike in to bike parking, carry it out, and check your tires before you go.

Tailwinds TE gals and thanks for ridiing

[melissam]

How's everyones training and fundraising going? Have you found that perfect red dress? Mel are you going for a replica of the party dress?

Hey Trek,

My training & fundraising are going really well. Well, fundraising's not going as well as sarahoc's; raising $5k is outstanding, sarahoc! Good job!

I haven't come up with the red dress -- that replica might take too long to make. Plus I don't think latex is the best material for riding apparel -- it doesn't wick, it doesn't breath, it's gotta be hotter than heck.

I started doing some of the ALC training rides. Did a CAT3 distance ride last weekend that was 70 miles and I felt great. This group will be doing a ride out to San Gregorio next Saturday; I'm calling it The Ride to the Beach. I've also been doing some of the Sunday morning CAT2 rides. We have ridden on Stevens Canyon Rd., which is where the cyclists were killed this morning. Kind of makes you stop & think.

There was an ALC training ride to do a sneak preview of Quadbuster today. I wanted to see what this infamous hill was all about. We all made it up the hill in one piece and smiling for the most part. Unfortunately, the downhill proved to be the most difficult part of the ride -- one of the guys in our group fell and broke his collarbone. It was heartwarming to see the ALC community in action -- we took care of him until the ambulance arrived, called his wife, and we made sure that his bike and car made it back to San Jose.

After seeing one of our group go down and then hearing about the fatalities on one of our regular training routes...I'm just not as excited about riding right now.

[sarahoc]

Hey AIDS/Lifecycle group...how is it going?


Can anyone tell me about the downhills on this ride? Are they really steep?