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Has anyone here done the Aids Life Cycle bike ride from SF to LA. A friend of mine did this ride a yr ago and had nothing but positive things to say about it. It's 545 miles that are to be ridden in a matter of 5 days. I personally didn't know anyone with aids or hiv, but have done a training ride with a few people, and wow is it an eye opening experience. What I loved was that b/c of cycling a gap was bridged. For those few miles everyone was equal, and everyone who on the surface wouldn't have anything in common did. We all shared the love of cycling. Has anyone else experienced this feeling? That cycling see's no physical color, no personal preference, and it brings people together.

And anyone with experience with this ride please let me know what your opinion on it was/is:D.

Thanks,

Z

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[sfbob]

I couldn't agree more with your friend's assessment. I've done AIDS/LifeCycle and its predecessor, the California AIDS Ride, every year but one since 1999. It is truly an incredible experience. Minor correction: the ride is seven days, not five :-). I can say that ALC is, one of the best supported cycling events you can imagine and creates an amazing sense of community. You will meet people of every conceivable type. Approximately ten percent of participants are themselves HIV+.
Riders register to raise funds either for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation or the LA Gay and Lesbian Center's Jeffrey Goodman Clinic, both of which provide services for people, primarily low-income, living with HIV and AIDS. Registration for San Francisco is already closed and registration for LA is expected to close very soon; I understand there are fewer than seventy registration spots remaining. While it's still possible to participate in a non-cycling capacity on many of the support teams, even this may close out. If you are considering participating, you can go to www.aidslifecycle.org to learn more. And if you want to sponsor me (my goal is to raise $6,500 this year) go to my homepage there, www.aidslifecycle.org/1174.

[sfbob]

As of today, registration for AIDS/LifeCycle has closed for riders, though roadie (support crew) registration is still open. This is the first time, since the very first California AIDS Ride, that rider registration has completely closed prior to the event.
www.aidslifecycle.org/1174

[sobrbiker]

I participated in the very first California AIDS ride back in 1994. Then we were only 470 riders strong with a crew of 130 I think. I don't recall that exact numbers but we were a small group then. Since then, I have participated in Calif AIDS ride 2, Texas AIDS Ride 1, Heartland AIDS ride 2002 and AIDS Life Cycle 3 and this year am riding again www.aidslifecycle.org/6692.

In response to Bob, this is an incredible event and a life changing one. Not only will you meet the most diverse mix of people you will ever experience in your life, you will walk away with a new respect for human kind, have a new found compassion for life and people, and the greatest sense of accomlishment anyone could ever wish for.....and that's just in a week.

The community support is amazing and the people who stand on the side of the roads and cheer you on as you ride thru small towns, and the signs and banners that appear out of nowhere when you are tired keep you motivated to keep riding. Add to that, the sense of belonging, volunteerism and shared sense of making a difference really adds to this great event. Then, there is the life time friendships that are made. Speaking from my own experience, we are still in contact to this day from 1994 of a friend we met on a training ride, shared tent space (side by side) on the ride and eventually participated in her wedding and bike ride wedding procession to the reception and now look forward to annual visits from her and her husband when they come to the US from Costa Rica. That's just one of the many friendships made on this ride that we still have 15 years later.

The rewards are too many to count and the change within yourself is noticed by anyone that knows you.

Take the time, check out the ride site, www.aidslifecycle.org and even check out some of the video they have to download from one of the rides. If you are not moved by then, maybe its time to get on your bike and find out why not!

I hope this answered a few more questions and peaked your interest now. If you can't ride this year, try to come out and stand by the roadside and watch and cheer the riders on as they go by. That makes a lot of difference to us when we are tired and get a CHEER from the side of the road.

Have a great week and let us know what you decide!

Andy