How do you Honor those you love when you ride?

[Trek420]

When I rode my first ALC my Dad had just died a month before of cancer.

A close friend gave me this biker angel before I left. She is on a motorbike if you look closely enough. She's always on my road bike.

On Day 6 I was on a long section of bike path right before camp, no road, no SAG so some training ride leaders were on the route. I ran into my "cycle buddy/rep" and we rode into camp. I talked about how Dad would have wanted me to go ahead and do the ride but I was sad he did not get to see me finish it. And he said "he's with you, he's right here"

I'm not religious or particularly observant, nor was Dad but that pin's always been meaningful to me. I might have to give it to Duck on Wheels for her ride this year.

Each year I'd send a jersey around to my sponsors. What's fun is I send the jersey out with instruction to sign/draw/be creative and send it to the next sponsor. From the time I start fundraising till right before each ride all I'd know is where it is as I called or e-mailed each person "send it to this person with instructions for them to send it to ..."

My apologies to anyone here who sponsored me and did not get to sign. Don't tell but I ship it mostly via company mail to coworkers so the tons of shipping is free.

Right before each ride I get the jersey back. Mostly it has encouraging messages to me, but others the writing about their loved ones is very touching and inspiring to me. The people who ride often sign the most inspiring meaningful things upside down on my sleeves or bQQbs so if I'm climbing hard and look down .... there it is.

PS: year before last when UK Eliphant and I rode on day 1 and also I think day 7 we both wore AV Gear.

Thanks to all who ride/crew for a good cause.