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

**Trek420** · 06-12-2007, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by RoadRaven

Wow, Trek! UK!

What a great achievement and very impressed with you for pulling out - a sensible decision but it must have been a very hard one to make.

Trust your foot heals quickly

My bad. I broke the # 1 rule of ALC or any other multi day event for that matter:

Don't change anything 2 months before the ride.

Say you're training in Birkenstoks and Leiderhosen, and all around you folks are wearing Sidis and Scottish kilts. But the Birks and funny leather shorts are comfy training and worked fine on your previous rides.

I don't care how much you want to wear Sidis and how good you look in a kilt or how good they feel in the store, on training rides .... Don't change a thing.

I knew better, my bad.

**KnottedYet** · 06-13-2007, 05:37 AM

Funny observation:
Y'know how when you drive you have a spatial sense of the car around you? If you drive a truck, you have a sense of how big your truck is, then you get in a little car and you still drive like it's a truck? And vice versa?

Well, Trek spent a week on a bike, and when she started driving her car she still had that spatial sense of a bike! It was funny, but there were occaisional ummm, *thrilling* moments.

(she's a very good driver, I just noticed the "driving the big Pontiac like it's a little Mondonico" syndrome.)

**Trek420** · 06-13-2007, 07:25 AM

and calling out "on your left" and pointing out "bump"

Originally Posted by KnottedYet

On a sad note, there have been two crashes caused by families rushing onto the bike route to cheer their rider. (other bikers crashed trying to avoid hitting the family members)

Those weren't crashes per se because of this just near misses. I noticed that Day 1-2 there were several riders whose families followed them. Those of you who do centuries and such know just how crowded and hectic rest stops can be. These same people would be;

parked near the entry of the rest stop causing congestion

walking in a group with their protective loving arms around afore mentioned loved one so that riders coming in, or trying to leave were navigating around what seemed to be a human wall of Mom, Dad, a rider and her bike.

Somewhere here we have debate on personal SAG vehicles. I don't think there's any place for it. Observe from a safe distance and let your rider ride.

There were at least two crashes I heard about that were the standard rider outa control going downhill too fast for his/her comfort or skill variety. One of those I think was Day 6. In terms of climbing Day 6 is the mildest. Less I think than even the short 47 mile day. We start with a 20 mile or so climb but it's the long gradual I could do this all day type.

But it has one very steep gnarly downhill.

I was already in the SAG but having done the ride before it's quite tough descent, and on a Hwy to boot. It's a bit of a canyon so you get the wind, plus gusts from trucks.

This is were I discovered on the last ride that I love my aero wheels but they act like a sail and can skip sideways

We picked up one rider, looked strong and experienced if muscles and gear and previous ride jersey are any indication

and he'd stopped at the top, looked down, just not doing it.

A hard decision to make but a wise one given that he might have seen the crash.

**LBTC** · 06-13-2007, 07:33 AM

or getting set to hop the pothole

H&B
~T~

**snapdragen** · 06-13-2007, 09:16 AM

Trek - is the day six downhill the same as years past? If so, I remember it well. I got hit by some kind of bug, right in the ear. By the time I got to the bottom I was bleeding something fierce. There just happened to be a Medical Tent worker there - got me cleaned up and on my way. Ears bleed like madness from little bites/scratches!

**Trek420** · 06-13-2007, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by snapdragen

Trek - is the day six downhill the same as years past? If so, I remember it well. I got hit by some kind of bug, right in the ear. By the time I got to the bottom I was bleeding something fierce. There just happened to be a Medical Tent worker there - got me cleaned up and on my way. Ears bleed like madness from little bites/scratches!

Probably, my route sheets are with my luggage which thankfully Duck on Wheels took back up north.

I can look it up unless they could not stand the stench and threw it out

The medical staff and all the crew are amazing and seem to be magically everywhere. The support and volunteer crew on this ride spoils you for any other event.

**MM_QFC!** · 06-13-2007, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Trek420

...
The medical staff and all the crew are amazing and seem to be magically everywhere. The support and volunteer crew on this ride spoils you for any other event.

Totally agree...I think it's a mutual love affair between riders and crew shortly into any AIDS ride. Just can't beat the camaraderie and general atmosphere: respectful of each other, passionate about the reason you're riding, full-on fun, each person is genuinely appreciated for whatever their job on the ride is...all efforts are necessary to get everyone safely to the finish, right? I just haven't experienced the same on any other ride, although I admit to only doing AIDS rides since 1997 and donating to many other causes/efforts in order to support friends.

Glad it was such an overall success; great job to the ALC contingent from TE!

**Duck on Wheels** · 06-13-2007, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Trek420

Probably, my route sheets are with my luggage which thankfully Duck on Wheels took back up north.

I can look it up unless they could not stand the stench and threw it out

Haven't thrown it out yet, no. It's still in the car. The car didn't stink toooo bad when I pulled it out of the driveway this morning in case the mutual Mom wanted to get HER car out of the garage while I was here at the internet cafe. But thanks for the heads up. I prob'ly should head home and get your bag and UK's out of the car now before the day and the car heat up ...

**Trek420** · 06-13-2007, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Duck on Wheels

But thanks for the heads up. I prob'ly should head home and get your bag and UK's out of the car now before the day and the car heat up ...

Or the neighbors complain ....

**carolp** · 06-14-2007, 07:48 PM

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!

**Duck on Wheels** · 06-15-2007, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by carolp

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** · 06-25-2007, 07:56 AM

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** · 07-01-2007, 12:55 PM

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.