Aids Ride June 1 to June 7

[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.

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:



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.