Experience AIDS/LifeCycle 4 (2005)

Oh, so THAT’S why California is known as the Golden State. Well, one reason, at least. The AIDS/LifeCycle community rode through beautiful golden countryside pretty much all day long, punctuated with deep green live oak trees.

Some impressions from Day 3:

• Being outpaced by Nancy, a 65-year-old woman from outside Sacramento… who has arthritis… in her knees. We know these facts about her because we talked to her at Rest Stop 2. She makes us feel better about besting us (we know, we know, it’s a ride, not a race) by telling us about the cycling club she belongs to, members of which, she proudly told us, she’s convinced to sign up for ALC 5 next year.
• A woman announcing at the bottom of the Quad-Buster (a 1.5 mile famously challenging hill) that she’s going to be the first woman to ride up and down twice. Clearly, this woman is from a different gene pool than most of us.
• Being met in Bradley by the sweetest little boy, Michael, about 7, decked out in an oversized AIDS/LifeCycle t-shirt and a wrist band. “Do you want to buy a pen?” Of course we did. For years, Bradley has welcomed AIDS Ride and ALC riders into their tiny, dusty hamlet, selling burgers, hotdogs and t-shirts (not to mention pens) as their biggest school fundraiser of the year. The school conducts HIV education each year so that students will know why all these cyclists are coming through town. We <<heart>> Bradley. By the way, the custom pen reads, “BRADLEY CALIFORNIA   AIDS RIDE PIT STOP   REST – FOOD – DRINKS.”
• Note to Governor Schwarzenegger: More funding for Caltrans. Those miles and miles of bumpy roads could use some smoothing out before ALC5.
• Being greeted along a long stretch of flat (if bumpy, naturally) road, by LAGLC supporters handing out welcome snacks – Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and, our favorite, M&Ms.
• Riding into Rest Stop 4, all tricked out as Salzburg, complete with the Von Trapp Family in their drapes/play clothes and Fraulein Maria herself. We thoroughly enjoyed being served orange slices by Leisl, who muttered B**ch at The Baroness Schader, who came to spell her so she could go appear in the Lonely Goatherd puppet show. How could anyone not love gay people?
• Overheard in camp: “It’s not a ride, it’s a buffet.” The food on the ride is spectacular. Did we mention these little graham cracker, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Never seen ‘em in stores, so note to self: save a wrapper and get the website.

A relatively short ride today -- only 75 miles. Tomorrow, the Evil Twins and 100 miles to boot.

Reporting by:

• Quentin O’Brien, Director of the Health and Mental Health Services (Rider #3532), LAGLC
• Curt Shepard, Director of Government Relations (Rider #3029), LAGLC