General Cycling Discussion - My fellow Bike Forumians

I've noticed several Mo. area members. I do the KC Ms 150. Would there be interest in doing the ride? A bike forums team would be a "good thing" Also do the ADA Wheel to Weston on Fathers day. Just a query. Bike Forums ROCKS!! Ride long and prosper. Stan

Stan, that's a great idea--I'm just not sure I'll be in good enough shape physically or financially, is the only thing. But there's still time for things to change.

I hope you can work out something for both events. Now: where are the Team Bike Forums jerseys? :D

Stan, I know a few people here have already hooked up as riding partners, I hope you can find a group to do this ride with ya, would be awesome.

Jon (everyone else), you can view the jersey part of this thread here (http://216.215.238.193/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1869).

Sometimes people who get enough pledges to clear their minimum share the excess.

I'm going to be riding in the Heartland AIDS Rids in July. Is anyone else doing this?

Yeah, it's from Minneapolis to Chicago.

Just a question, that may result in getting myself cyber beaten. But why would you ride to raise money for an AIDS cure? I can understand diabetese, but people who have aids live a disgusting life style, and it was their choice, so why should we shell out money to reverse their decision? Of course, there are always the people who contract AIDS by accident, like medical people, or dirty restaurants,gas stations. I guess if I was riding in a AIDS ride I would be riding for the people who got it by accident.

I tend to agree with badger. A cure is important not neccassarily for the people who have it, but for the people who don't.

Originally posted by CalvinNhobbes
Just a question, that may result in getting myself cyber beaten. But why would you ride to raise money for an AIDS cure? I can understand diabetese, but people who have aids live a disgusting life style, and it was their choice, so why should we shell out money to reverse their decision? Of course, there are always the people who contract AIDS by accident, like medical people, or dirty restaurants,gas stations. I guess if I was riding in a AIDS ride I would be riding for the people who got it by accident.
Are you a monk? Completely abstinant? Do you consider sex disgusting That's heterosexual sex. Man and a woman. It happens you know. They get it too. Really. You can look it up. How about hereps? Syphilis? Hepatitis B? Does everyone that suffers from these diseases lead a disgusting and shameful lifestyle too? Nobody chooses to get these diseases. Trust me. It's an awful, terrible way to die. I've seen it happen.

I was originally going to post some information to try to educate you a little. At the moment I have decided against that, because I've found that most people that are discriminitory are very unwilling to change. I may change my mind in the future. For the record though, very few people get AIDS or HIV during medical operations, unless a child is born of a mother that is infected. I sincerely doubt that many (if any) people have gotten AIDS from patronizing a local gas station. That is a rumor and a myth that was created by people that were too afraid to learn the truth, and I would appreciate it if you would stop perpetuating it.

As to the question of why I'm riding, I'll answer that too. I am riding because there is currently a horrible dissease that effects millions of people world wide. We can't cure it. We can't stop it. It's killing people. Millions of them. People like you (yes, you) and me. I am riding to try and help the people that live with this disease. I am riding to help keep more people from getting it. And, pehaps most importantly, I am riding because, unlike a lot of people, I am not afraid to get off my high horse and stop acting like I'm better than everyone else. I am riding because people like you don't.

I know. But saying that everyone that has AIDS has a "disgusting lifestyle" is a gross generalization, closed minded, and is really not fair. It is a very, for lack of a better word, ignorant view point (whether opinion or otherwise). I'm not trying to be mean here, really, and I'm sorry if it appears otherwise. It happens sometimes.

Reading some of the posts in this thread, I'm reminded
of the words of two great and often unheeded teachers
of humankind. One, Siddhartha Gautama, whose followers
called him the Buddha, taught that there are three poisons
that largely contribute to making our existence one of suffering:
they are hatred, greed, and ignorance.

The other, later, teacher, named Jesus, urged his listeners, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

I thank the posters in this discussion for reminding me of these
important teachings. :)