Our longest day, 107 miles
Artichoke Stand (Artichoke Muffins with Artichoke Frosting for those of us with a sweet tooth)…….off Modena Road around Salinas)
AIDS Altar Cloth (Sharpie written memorials…) Inside Mission Soledad
Mission Postcards….the Altar Society ladies offer to AIDS/LifeCycle participants to use (and the ladies mail them.
Fellow-Participant (with Rainbow Hair)
3:30 AM alarm to get to (yawn) the Cow Palace (behind me)
This wonderful guy was twirlling away while we all rode off.
You can just catch me as I by him.
7:30AM rode out of the Cow Palace , immediately had a flat, finished the day’s 82-mile ride at 3:30 PM. (Chocolate milk for any cyclist at bicycle parking)
Today’s route map
And the detailed route description
6:30 AM, San Francisco here we come!
Noon Lunch in Brisbane
At Alpine Inn , ready to walk bicycle to the Cow Palace
Tom and Ashe for the traditional shot in front of the nice ALC backdrop
My bicycle is #1519 out of 2500 cyclists inside the Cow Palace
Registering to ride in 2019
Leaving Lompoc – Do NOT mess with the Sumo Roadies
At the GIrsh Park lunch stop in Goleta with friend Mary.
Tom with friend Ashe at GIrsh
A short video showing a typical lunch setup on AidsLifeCycle
My Truck “N” loaders on Red Dress Morning
An interesting group throwing off their shackles and escaping via bicycle.
An Hawaiian Roadie
Some Roadie Sirens luring unaware riders onto their truck.
Halfway from the Cow Palace to Fairfax High, the penultimate shot.
And now, drum roll please, THE ULTIMATE SHOT.
Tom with Mr. Truvada in camp in Santa Maria
Our Santa Maria Tent City with the line of Budget gear trucks in the background.
Here I am at the Bradley lunch stop grabbing a photo op with Coney.
1:00PM as I stop at the Camp Roberts Museum. The route varied this year and we rode through part of Camp Roberts.
4:45PM – I’m all showered and posing outside my nightly accommodation.
One at 72, the other turning 70 this year. This is their second ALC ride. They also rode in ALC-2015 when the first one turned 70, nice.
I’m mailing my first three days of bike clothing home so I don’t have to fight with closing my “Monster Bag” each morning from now on.
A rest stop and artichoke vendor along the journey down the rich Salinas Valley.
Outside the Soledad Mission – One of the important rest stops of the week.
Inside the mission approaching the altar
In front of the altar is a cloth whereon we write comments on loved ones we’ve lost to Aids.
The official ALC map for today’s ride
Six AM – Tom “N”elson loading his baggage onto truck “N”.
As I inflate the tires on my bike, #1535, Peter next door is trying to attach a large sunflower to his steed. Fun and creativity abound on AidsLifeCycle.
6:35AM – Only one glove left and it’s time to ride off.
Here comes the parade on the way to Santa Cruz for the night.
8:00AM — at an early rest stop with Mr. Condom
Almost nine o’clock as we ride along the beautiful Pacific.
12:33PM — A stoppage along the route with fire trucks and a helicopter on the scene.
Looking toward Japan
3:45 and into camp in Santa Cruz as our tent city begins to expand.
The turn by turn route slip we use throughout the day.
Santa Barbara at 6:30AM, all loaded and set to head to San Francisco.
11:43 – For the third year we stop for lunch at Melissa’s Taqueria n Brisbane.
1:00PM – just into the Alpine Inn across the street from the Cow Palace. A quick, refreshing drink of milk then off to the Cow Palace.
The now traditional “Jeff Feldstein” shot before walking over to the Cow Palace
Just arriving at the Cow Palace where I join the line to turn in my bike.
Haven’t even ridden one inch and already signing up for next year. Note the cool looking guy to my left. His jersey accounces he raised over $10,000.
A last shot of Tom with his Uber driver, Ashe, as they depart the Cow Palace
A quick map to show the day’s drive.