Richard Conn's
I'm Riding to Help in the Fight Against AIDSThe following is a copy of a letter I'm sending to everyone I know, you're included! Thanks for reading it. 120 Heron Drive - Pittsburg, CA 94565 - Fall 2007 Dear _________ , I hope you won't look down at the name below and scratch your head. I know I owe many of you a letter, a card, or a call. For some that contact may be many years, even decades, overdue. And you may have known me as Dick, not as Richard. I'm writing you now to renew our connection and to ask for your help. Early in the Winter of 1993, when I was working as an RN for Hospice by the Bay in San Francisco, one of my first assignments was to work with a man who was losing both his sight and his life to AIDS. He had a small bell which he would ring to call his live-in caregiver. I was given that bell shortly after he died. He was 28. That bell is my constant reminder of human pain that we can all do something about. It's not deja vu. The above two paragraphs and some of what will follow are taken directly from a letter I sent many of you early in the year 2000. I was writing to ask for your support when I rode my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in their effort to help individuals living with AIDS and to implement important AIDS prevention programs. Well, you supported me big time. You raised $7,397.50 ! The 545 mile ride took us, the more than 2500 riders, 7 days to complete. We slept in tent "cities" along the way. The experience conjures up every adjective from glorious to completely exhausting. I was the oldest rider and had just retired from a second career as a nurse practitioner. As a retirement gift my co-workers gave me hip protector underwear, hoping it would dampen the falls they expected me to take off my then 16-year-old Cannondale bicycle. Some of you may remember me from that period of my life, others from different times - as a kid you grew up with, in the Army during WW II, during my thirty-some years as an engineer, as a running partner, or you may only have met me recently, after my retirement. If so, you may know me as a fellow sailor, or from Indonesia or New Orleans where I had the privilege to help out after the tragedies there, or from the Coast Guard Auxiliary whose members trained me to become qualified as crew. In any event, retirement is teaching me that as long as possible it is important for me to keep moving, to repeat those experiences that have had great meaning in my life. The AIDS Ride ranks among the top. So here's the plea: on June 1 of next year, about three weeks before my 82nd birthday, I will again start out with another large group of riders on that 545 mile, 7 day, ride. This time I will be riding a Greenspeed recumbent tricycle, so I will not have as far to fall, but I need your support more than ever. AIDS has not gone away. More than 150,000 Californians are currently living with HIV and nearly 10,000 become infected each year. There are over one million infected nationally and 40 million worldwide. Although antiretroviral medicine is slowly becoming available, the vast majority of those infected remain untreated. I have agreed to raise at least $2500 in pledges, but the effort seems to warrant at least $10/mile, so I am aiming for a personal minimum of $5450. Please help me make it. All pledges are tax deductible, and some companies will match your gift. Thanks for your generosity. I promise to keep you updated. With great affection,
Richard W. Conn
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Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 
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Richard's Goal: $5,450.00
Current Total: $6,850.00 |
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Richard's BlogSaturday, June 28, 20082:28 PMWRAP-UPWell it's over. I look like a skeleton with great legs. But we did it - you and I. Our home page website at www.aidslifecycle.org/1800 currently shows $6,350 in pledges (at least $500 more is still on its way), and we pedaled each of the 545 miles down the beautiful California coast. For those of you who watched me being interviewed on San Francisco's ABC, Channel 7 (still viewable - google "ABC7 salutes" and click on "I'm Feeling Lucky"), you may recall my saying: "I think the ride's going to be easier than the training." Let's rescind that statement, OK? I was so focused on riding each mile that I sacrificed some of the trip's flavor to just keep moving. My trike and I are pretty slow by comparison with most of the 2499 other riders. It's a ride rule to pass only on the left, and to shout out, "passing on your left", when you do so. Except for two short days, we were limited to riding during the twelve and one-half hours between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. For a long hilly day, I could pretty much count on moving along at a pace of about 10 mph. The longest day was to be 105.4 miles, or by the 10 mph rule, ten and one-half hours, but I worried about mechanical problems and opted to forego pulling in at most of the fun rest stops (there were usually four) and just stopped for lunch or when essential for water or a porta-potty. Consequently, I heard "on your left" several times a day from the same riders. Two of them dubbed me "the energizer bunny", but most often I was called either Richard or by my number, 1800. I had thought the number was assigned to me as the oldest rider. It was my age reversed times 100. I found out later it was simply the luck of the draw - one of the ride's serendipities or unaccountable mystiques. After months of training it seems we were all eager to leave the Cow Palace and be on the road. My trike, only inches off the ground, was swallowed up in a sea of bikes. Once a month, cyclists in San Francisco stage a ride through the city called "Critical Mass." Leaving the Cow Palace was "Critical Mass" on steroids. Thankfully, within a few miles we thinned to a tolerable stream. I stopped at San Gregorio Beach, about 41 miles out, for lunch. There I was hailed by Dave Ellison, the S.F. Aids Foundation's publicity person. Dave was responsible for my ABC interview. Now it was CBS for that Sunday's nightly news. Because of Dave I was interviewed there and down the coast, and my picture was taken many times by fellow riders whom I accused of being paparazzi. Day Two began in a panic. I couldn't find my helmet or gloves. I was graciously offered a new helmet for free by the always helpful roadies when Joyce found the items in our truck. She was following behind, always out of the biker's way, in case I needed to be picked up, my trike being too large and awkward for the SAG vehicles. While still in Santa Cruz proper and just short of two miles from camp¸ my chain snapped in two. This was to be the longest day of the ride, 105 plus miles. I was in a snit. I called for help from the camp and then called Joyce. First Joyce, then a SAG wagon appeared. The wagon driver's mission was to transport me back to camp. I pleaded that what I needed was a mechanic. He was relaying that message when a young rider, Kenny Pillard, rode up on a newer model of a trike just like mine. "What's the problem?" he asked, "I'm a bike mechanic." Just another example of the ride's otherworldliness. I'd lost an hour or so and made plans for Joyce to pick me up when I neared the cut-off time. Then it happened - the tail wind came and my spirits with it. The last forty miles or so the trike seemed to take wing.
And so it went, one day at a time. On Day Three, just past Mission San Miguel, I got a flat. One of the Positive Pedalers (riders with HIV) offered his thumb and I accepted. If you stop and don't hold a thumb up, everyone will ask: "Are you alright?" A thumb down means: "Help me!", and arms crossed overhead means: "I'm in big trouble!" Eddie Brown, did more than just hold up a thumb. He sensitively explained why my pump couldn't possibly work the way I was trying to attach it, and he helped me reposition the tube so I could get back on the road.
After a couple of ghastly climbs on Day Four we made our wonderful 1700 foot drop to the sea. The 97.7 mile day flowed by nicely.
When we got to the bike parking the morning of Day Five, "red dress day", we were greeted with another flat. Joyce discovered that I had not eliminated the source of the flat Eddie and I had repaired two days ago. She found a tiny sliver of metal in the tire liner. With her help, and a good floor pump, it didn't take long to get started. Day Five is the shortest ride day, 42.5 miles, but harbors two terrible hills. When viewed from the air the parade of bikes circling these hills looks like the AIDS awareness ribbon. That prompted riders of preceding years to at first wear red jerseys on this day, and in later years dresses, to highlight this particular stretch of road. The short ride got me in at midday, but the hills and the day after day riding took their toll. After an interview with a Lompoc reporter and the threat of more interviews to come, I wanted nothing but food and sleep. Poor Joyce.
Much of Day Six was along the shoulder of Highway 101. I don't remember it being that bumpy when Joyce and I did the ride in the year 2000 (who was Governor then?). Knowing that tomorrow it would all be over made Day Six one of reflection and awe. I rode along the gorgeous coast like an automaton.
What can I say about the final day? A dream concludes. L.A. city policemen whistle and stop traffic for us at intersections, and at the end I am given a unique and special honor. Aaron Li, the youngest rider, just three months into his eighteenth year, Mark Cloutier, the S.F. Aids Foundation Director, and I are to lead the other riders into the Closing Ceremony arena. Then Aaron and I will walk the Riderless Bike (a symbol of those lost to AIDS) through a phalanx of Positive Pedalers to the stage. The Positive Pedalers are the great teachers, the real lemonade makers. That's it, that's my trip. Without Joyce Gunn's support I wouldn't have made it. I thank her here along with my fellow riders and YOU. YOU whose contributions will eventually end this unnecessary plague. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Love,
Richard
P.S. There are many pictures, video streams, and podcasts on the web for those of you who would like to catch more of the ride's flavor. If you go to www.aidslifecycle.org you will find pictures and sometimes video clips from each of the seven days as well as the routes and daily papers we got along the way. At "You Tube" you can find videos of the ride into the closing ceremony, the walking of the riderless bike, and many other shots of the ride by searching for "ALC7" videos. You'll need to click on the film maker's name (From " ") to find all of the options. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, June 9, 20088:41 AMElation After Pedaling Each of the 545 MilesDear Everybody, First I'd like to apologize to those of you who sent messages of support or donations to me after the thirtieth of May. I haven't had the chance as yet to send you appropriate thanks, but I promise it will be coming sometime later in the month. Now the good news. Thanks to great weather, occasional wonderful tail winds, help from fellow cyclists Kenny, who fixed my broken chain, and Eddie who provided a thumb and technical support when a tire went flat, and to the constant support and gophering of Joyce, I was able to complete each of the 545 miles. And finally for this entry, I was greatly honored at ride's end by first - together with Aaron, the youngest rider, and Mark, the Director of the S.F. Aids Foundation - leading the riders into the closing ceremony, and second, by - together with Aran - walking the riderless bicycle up to the stage. I'll write up and post the details when I get home. For now - Love to you all, Richard
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Tuesday, June 3, 20086:38 PMEnd of Day ThreeOne broken chain, one flat tire, but no lost miles to date. No clever thoughts in dull brain. Details in time. Love, Richard P.S. Joyce is road angel Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, May 30, 20083:31 PMWow - It's Almost TimeGas is in the truck. The truck is in the garage. The trike is in the truck. Our clothes, gear, snacks, toiletries and incidentals are in the truck. It's get to San Francisco day (GTSFDay) - 1. Tomorrow we will be in San Francisco where we'll drop off the trike at the Cow Palace, watch a safety video, and check-in for the ride. We'll spend Saturday night in SF and return to the Cow Palace before 5:30 on Sunday morning. The Opening Ceremonies will be at six, and then the pedaling starts .... Stay tuned. If I have any chi left in the evenings I'll keep you posted. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, May 24, 20084:12 PMTraining Ends, Trike Tune Up, and Some TV and Magazine PublicityIf I’ve said this before, remember that seniors forget, I’ll be the oldest rider in this year’s slog from This last interview on May 8, was put together by ABC writer/producer Jennifer Olney. It had been originally scheduled for April 17, and was the postponed picture taking I spoke of in the April 21 blog. Jennifer brought photographer Cathy Cavey, herself a rider in several California Aids Rides. After Dan’s interview, Cathy followed me around Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, May 11, 200812:42 PMConnect the Dots between San Francisco and Los AngelesA number of you have asked me about the route south. I tried to post a map, but without any luck, so here's where we start and stop and a list of the places we'll be along the way. Opening, Closing and Sunday, June 1st - Opening Ceremonies – The Camp One: Camp Two: Camp Three: Mid State Fairgrounds, Paso Robles - Camp Four: Camp Five: Camp Six: San Buenaventura State Beach, Saturday, June 7th - Closing Ceremonies - VA Center, Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, April 21, 20088:07 PMFirst 100 Plus Mile Ride and How to Run Over Your FingerLast week was a bit strange. I’d been worrying a lot lately about how I’d feel on a ride of over 100 miles. On past I wanted my mileage to stay up without overdoing, so I rode 41 miles on Tuesday and anticipated a very short ride on Thursday during some planned picture taking. (That’s a story for a future blog.) The Tuesday ride was a bit of a chore, so I waited until Wednesday afternoon to clean up the trike, lube the chain and be ready for the pictures and the century ride. To try and prevent flats after riding over glass or debris, I’m in the habit of cleaning off the tires by running my hands over the wheels without slowing down. For protection I wear bike gloves with full fingers. On this Wednesday I had on no gloves as I checked out the gears by doing circles in front of the house. I did have a clean rag in my lap and decided to use it to clean the tires. All went well with the front wheels, but when I reached back to clean up my rear, power wheel, the rag caught under the rotating wheel, dragged my hand down and Ouch, I ran over the middle finger of my left hand. (Try to do that on your standard upright bike.) It, the finger, still looks a bit like a bent sausage, but it’s slowly shrinking back to size. Fortunately the Thursday picture taking was postponed. The hundred miler turned out to be beautiful: gorgeous vineyard country, some parts along the Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, April 10, 20086:00 PMVoices Along the RoadMy tricycle inspires many comments from those I ride past and from those who pass me. Thankfully, the positives greatly outnumber the belligerent. On a couple of occasions cell phone photography accompanied the voices (I may be a YouTube star). Here are a few of the remarks: Most disliked: “You’re going to get killed!” Most Liked: “You Rock!” Most frequent: “Cool (or nice) bike.” Second most frequent: “How much did that cost?” Third most frequent: “How do you steer?” Fourth most frequent: “Did you build that?” Most unique: “You should mount a DVD player on the fairing.” Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, March 28, 20085:10 PMTreasures from the break-down laneYou can call it the bike lane or the break-down lane. Its official designation alternates from place to place and from one municipality to another. It’s seldom as smooth as the main road, and where you’re permitted to ride the freeway shoulder it’s corrugated to wake up drifting drivers. It’s also the place where it all ends up; the broken glass, the tire remnants, and the lost treasures. I’ve made it a rule to forgo the collection of roadside treasure, but broke it on one occasion. I had run over a small wrench and couldn’t resist checking its size. My rear wheel has a 15 mm nut and I was carrying only vice grips. Sure enough, it was a double headed end wrench, 13 and 15 mm. The world yields other serendipitous items. On Good Friday I passed a bright blue stuffed bunny about the size of a healthy jack rabbit. But by my observations, statistically unconfirmed, the most prevalent roadside item is the single glove. It gives rise to the speculation of a large population of one-armed travelers. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, March 17, 20087:18 PMPracticing ScalesI know how lucky I am to still be able to do this sort of thing, but the human body is a phenom. If you talk to it as you would to an undisciplined dog, and keep pushing it just short of doing it harm, it will do remarkable things. A large part of my self-talk stems from a fear of failure. Training is now my top priority, kind of a full time job. When I was seriously running, a typical week was made up of one, two or three short faster runs and a single long slow one. On this upcoming ride to The longer rides are usually fun, like mini adventures, while the shorter, daily rides can become a lot like practicing scales. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, March 2, 20085:29 PMThoughts from the Bike LaneI pass a few little shrines along my training routes. If I'm ever in need of a little shrine, please no silk flower arrangements. Just passed by a Chevron truck. It had a half dozen or so hose nipples below its tank. Pictured a bunch of little trucks nursing at the nipples. An Odwalla truck moved by an arms reach away. Wondered if it would be more wholesome to be taken out by Odwalla than Chevron. Like to hear and see the birds, but Seagulls are such showoffs. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, February 29, 20085:03 PMSeptember through February - Getting the body to moveGetting into a really serious training routine has taken me longer than expected. I think the most important reason is that Joyce isn't riding with me as a training partner. What a difference that makes. When we rode in 2000 we were part of a great local Aids Ride club which also decided not to participate this year. Joyce had a turtle horn on her handlebars and got a kick out of riding in last with the sweep leader, while I usually rode up further in the pack. Now, on the official rides, I'm at the rear and it bugs me. On my first hill ride, from Orinda, up Skyline and Grizzly Peak to Tilden Park in Berkeley, I made the ride last an extra hour for the leader. The effort to keep up makes it harder for me to listen to my body, so I'll probably do a lot of the training solo. Bummer, cause it's fun to interact with an energetic group. Anyway, I started last week to ride every week day and will probably keep that up on alternate weeks. On in-between weeks I'll do a couple of long rides. My longest ride to date has been 48 miles, the hilliest one 34, and it's 108 for the most mileage in one week. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, February 7, 20087:50 PMFirst BlogIt's now early in February. It's been about five months since I decided to once again participate in the California Aids Bicycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I rode 14 miles that first week in September. Last week my mileage was a bit under 83. I've already gotten a lot of pledge support from friends and family, even though I've only sent out a handfull of letters. It's time to let you all know what's going on in greater detail than I have been able to fit into the short thank you notes I've been sending. This blog may be the answer. In future installments I'll fill in the events of the past five months, then go on from there. Thanks for being part of this. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb |
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