How do you Honor those you love when you ride?

[polly4711]

Hello!!!

I am doing the MS 150 this weekend. I want to honor my mother (who has MS) along with some others while riding.

I was trying to make it clever..... let me know what you have done!

[Veronica]

I wear my Amici Veloci jersey. If I'm doing a tri I wear my AV hat on my run. It's not terribly creative, but it meanssomething to me, and reminds me of friends who have encouraged me along the way.

Veronica

[Possegal]

Well we designed a cycling jersey with my sister's name on it for our Livestrong rides. Our team is named for her and so her name is right there on the shirts. One of our team was also riding for her uncle who had died of cancer and she managed to get his picture, which was laminated, on the bike. I tried to do that but it didn't work. My sister and I are riding in a charity ride this weekend that is for a women's heart health charity. Our mother died of vascular disease and the ride is on her birthday. I printed us two copies of a picture of her and laminated them and we will pin them to our jerseys. I've seen lots of people with names written on the bibs for the ride.

[papaver]

Well yesterday I went for a ride to Scherpenheuvel, that's a place where pelgrims gather.



Once I arrived i went to the chappel and lit 4 candles, one for my parents, one for my inlaws, one for us and one for work.

Lighting a candle is a strong signal where I live. It really comes from the heart.

It was a 70 kms long ride (with lots of hills), and it felt good. Spiritually and mentally.



I know it's a bit different, but the IDEA and the intention is the same. I don't wear stuff to honour someone. I like to do it this way.

[polly4711]

I agree... lighting a candle is very powerful..... I've done that before when visiting places.

[shootingstar]

Perhaps wear something if it's not a photo of her, more of something that expresses the spirit of your unique mother-daughter relationship. Maybe a certain pair of colourful socks or something light stuck on, that won't fly off your helmet.

As for how I occasionally honour who I love when a ride... sometimes by trying to make up hills that look difficult. When my partner was living in Calgary for over 2 yrs. and I was still living in Toronto, I did do 99.5% of riding during those yrs. solo. I have an image of him ahead of me, mounting a hill.

And for my parents, I think of how small the hills that I am mounting, compared to what inner strength they had to have to deal with life here as immigrants, not knowing the language.

[ttaylor508]

My nephew died in an accident right before a double century DH and I were planning to ride. We wore his picture next to our numbers on our backs and another one on our handle bars. It was a very tough ride for me as I was so emotional, but I truly think a part of him was with us the whole way. We honored him several weeks later by forming a team to do the Lifecenter NW walk for organ and tissue donation.

[papaver]

maybe put a bracelet or something around your handlebars...

[polly4711]

You all have great ideas... Keep em coming. I'll let you know what I end up doing....

[melissam]

I've seen people put a picture of their honoree on a button, and pin the button to their seat bag or Camelbak.

[SadieKate]

I wear my Amici Veloci jersey. If I'm doing a tri I wear my AV hat on my run. It's not terribly creative, but it means me something to me, and reminds me of friends who have encouraged me along the way.

Veronica

I've still got my calendar on the wall and going through it again! People are rather confused when they walk into my office and still see a 2008 calendar. Tough, it ain't about the dates.

[Veronica]

I've still got my calendar on the wall and going through it again! People are rather confused when they walk into my office and still see a 2008 calendar. Tough, it ain't about the dates.

That's funny!

We'll have to see if we can come up with another calendar for 2010.


Veronica

[sundial]

My mother was diagnosed with cancer and I will wear the Susan G Komen jersey when she starts her treatment.

[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.