David's AIDS LifeCycle 2
June 8-14, 2003

We have done it again! Another successful fundraiser and ride for the fight against HIV/AIDS. All donors should be congratulated. Your generosity is heartfelt in these difficult economic times.

My donors contributed a total of $3,381 and AIDS LifeCycle 2 raised a total of $4.2 million for the SF AIDS Foundation. This is significant since thousands of people rely on the services these monies provide. You can check out the Foundation's web site at www.sfaf.org.

PICTURES

What Are We Doing Here?

Ready, Set, ...
Wait, I'm not ready yet! Did I really tell people I'm going to do this?

Wacky People, Wacky Places

From Hooters to Pilgrims,
you never know who you will run into on this ride.

Lights, Camera, Action

The scenery, the places, the wedding,
pictures that say "wish you were here".

BACKGROUND

This is a bike ride that tests your mettle. Up and down mountains along California's coastline, rain and fog, cold and heat, body aches and butt sores. I rode every mile and then some to complete the trip. No flat tires for me but plenty of body aches.

This year 1,011 cyclists and 350 support staff moved down the coast like gypsies, setting up an enormous camp at each town. There were cooks creating the food, crews setting up our camp, truck drivers transporting our luggage, doctors healing our wounds, and physical therapists treating our aches. Ibuprofen relieved our swelling, tiger balm warmed our muscles, and butt balm cooled our behinds.

The ride started 4 AM on June 8 at San Francisco University, a cold and drizzly morning. After a few warm ups and announcements we were off. Overcast and moisture hovered over us the first two days through Santa Cruz and King City. 5,000 ft climbs and several 100 mile days treated our joints with displeasure. One day a headwind tried to push us back with every crank. My knees ached and my butt throbbed. Yet no one complained, not even me. We smiled, joked about it, got back on our bikes and abused our bodies some more. We were on a mission to finish what we started. In the end 585 miles later we found West Hollywood and stopped for the last time. The end brought unbelievable sadness. When the stress of riding was over I felt a lump in my throat.

You will notice in the pictures below my rider number is #5222. All San Francisco-based riders have numbers with a 5xxx and LA-based riders with 2xxx. In my opinion this was the most experienced group of cyclists of my three AIDS rides. In previous rides many did not know how to fix a flat tire or they could not complete the ride. This year most riders were capable cyclists and in good shape. I rarely needed to play good samaritan to a cyclist in trouble.

"The trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more."
- Erica Jong

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updated May 21, 2004
by David Greenstein