Training for the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles AIDS/LifeCycle Ride - Part 2

Photo by Ving N on Unsplash

If you're looking to train for the AIDS/LifeCycle ride, this one's for you.

It's a tale of my own training experiences, which were pretty tough, but helped me get through the actual ride week.

The ride started at Orinda and went up to Pinole, but I’m pretty sure we really rode to Canada. When I signed up for AIDS/LifeCycle, the image in my mind was (so embarrassingly) of Julia Roberts cruising through Bali, only in California. I mean, bike “touring” sounds so nice, so relaxing. You pedal every once in a while, you check out the view – it’s awesome! 

No. When you think of a hill you think of a steep, short climb up and then you’re set. But what if you’re on the side of a rode that is gradually spiraling upward? That’s a hill too, and it’s the worst kind. We were climbing for at least 10 minutes. I was straight up panting while pushing my bike up (of course I got off!), wondering how everyone else managed to keep riding. They’re superhuman! 

Eventually I got back on and managed to keep riding for a good 14 miles. Other riders were getting numerous flats and weird issues, so I felt lucky and proud of my grandpa bicycle. So of course my first problem was caused by me. I switched gears while going uphill (don’t do that) and my chain fell off the bike. It got pretty stuck somewhere in the nameless recesses of the gear…spirals, and the ride leader who was with me couldn’t get it out so we had to wait for help. Eventually someone came and yanked it out, and then realized that my gear..cable..thing (I will learn the terms, I promise) had rusted through and snapped. So my bike was stuck in the hardest gear and we hadn’t even gotten to the halfway point. Oh, and I was dying. 

We made it to the pit stop, got lunch and basically hung around for an hour. I was surprised that no one felt really inclined to leave right away and finish the ride faster. Eventually we got back on the bikes (butt…so bruised)(only not my butt)(hehe)(that’s not funny) and the inevitable happened – I got a flat.

Now, we’re very well prepared for flats, so generally they’re not a problem. Unless you’re me, and bought a vintage bicycle that doesn’t have auto-release wheels. When I purchased the bike, the man told me it’s good that the bike doesn’t have those, so then “the crackhead needs special tools to steal your bike”. What he didn’t tell me is that when I get a flat, I am the crackhead who needs special tools to fix my bike. We needed a wrench and didn’t have one.

So one of the ride leaders and I walked our bikes, singing Avril Lavigne songs, looking at the actually gorgeous scenery and hoping for help. A note on the cycling community – everyone is so damn nice. Not a single cyclist who rode by us didn’t ask if we needed help or if we could use any tools or anything. Everyone’s always looking out for each other and everyone else who’s on a bike can be an instant friend.

In fact, I went over to the Avril Lavigne-loving rider’s house yesterday and he completely fixed my bike and gave me new parts, including clipless pedals and riding shoes! The last two things greatly increase my chances of falling with (not off) the bike, since your feet are stuck to the pedals and can be hard to get out…in time. So he had to literally re-teach me how to ride a bike with the pedals. I was 5 all over again. Anyway!

Eventually we found a guy with a wrench and fixed the bike. And I’ll just end it there. We got back to the BART station, and I got home three hours after I thought the ride would end. But. It. Was. Awesome.

*Side note: I know I’m behind on training. I’ve been amping up the number of spin classes, but I don’t actually get on my bicycle for long periods of time very often. This is bad. I am worried. But I’m planning on changing that by going on night rides (since I have no damn time) and people who’ve done the ride before have been telling me that my age and size are on my side. Hopefully.

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