Day 3

Originally uploaded by bmiller1710

We arrived in San Louis Obispo today as we completed day 3 of the lifecycle. And it’s been both an exhausting and emotional journey.

Our day starts each morning at 4:30 am when we wake up, eat breakfast and pack-up. Our gear is loaded into one of 14 trucks (photo) and we lunch roadies head to our stop at 6am. Thirty of us spend two hours transforming an empty park, small town, or parking lot into a full-service lunch site by 9am, serve over 2000 riders, and then return it back to its empty state by 4pm. We are back at camp at 5pm, shower,
eat dinner, and head to bed by 9pm.

Yesterday the riders completed 108 miles. They were greeted towards the end by “cookie lady.” A local resident who bakes homemade cookies each year to pass out to passing riders. She starts baking the 2500 cookies in March as her way to support the ride.

Today the riders got on their bikes again to do another 64mi, including the infamous “Quad Buster” hill. One first time rider, Bart, not only did Quad Buster once, but coasted back down and pedaled up
the hill 2 more times; once for each partner that he has lost to AIDS.

I’m moved by stories like this each day. All reinforce the reason why we participate in this ride.