Gerald (Jerry) Simmons'
AIDS/LifeCycle Homepage

Gerald (Jerry)'s Links

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, a leader in battling AIDS and caring for those who are HIV-infected since the earliest days of the pandemic, provides free medical care to those who can't afford treatment and distributed more than $17 million worth of free HIV medications last year. The Center also provides one-on-one and group therapy, mobile testing/counseling, education, advocacy, and prevention services. Each month 700-1,000 people are tested for HIV at the Center.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Committed to ending the pandemic and human suffering caused by HIV, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation develops innovative solutions, combining scientific evidence with community experience to fight HIV/AIDS and promote health. Established in 1982, the Foundation provides direct services to thousands of people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS and supplies information to thousands more about HIV prevention and treatment through programs that include the California AIDS Hotline (800-367-AIDS). The Foundation promotes HIV awareness in the community and advocates for sound HIV/AIDS policies at all levels of government.

Experience AIDS/LifeCycle 2007
Get a taste of last year's event, with participant blogs, audio podcasts, and hundreds of photos.

Gerald (Jerry)'s Blog

Subscribe to this blog

Thursday, December 20, 2007

My Journal - AIDS/Lifecycle 6 June 3-9, 2007

I'm Riding to End AIDS by Gerald "Jerry" Simmons

I did a most incredible thing this year that changed my perspective about bicycle riding. From June 3 to June 9, 2007, I rode my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was my first attempt and I wasn't sure at the outset what it would take to complete the journey. Did I wonder if I would make it? Yes. Did I find out I could? Yes. Am I a special kind of rider, a triathlete, or a record-holder? No. I'm just a regular guy, a 56-year-old weekend bike riding enthusiast. Most of you reading this article have as much experience on the road as I do. The ride itself was probably one of the most physically challenging endeavors that I have undertaken. It was a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. I was one of 2,333 riders. As a group, we raised over $11 million, which helps to support HIV/AIDS related services for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. We were supported every day, every step of the way, by more than 400 volunteer roadies that made the event work.

As challenging as the ride was in June, I just had to sign up to do the ride again next year from June 1 to June7, 2008. The AIDS/LifeCycle ride to end AIDS is something that I can not pass up being a part of again. If others from Hawaii sign up, we can ride together and keep each other company.

If I've awakened your curiosity, the following is my journal, recounting my first experience in AIDS/Lifecycle 6, June 2007:

Day One: San Francisco to Santa Cruz (89miles) Today was more than I had ever imagined it to be. It started out a bit frantic what with waking at 3:30 am to do the final packing and heading out for the Cow Palace where the ride would begin. When I arrived at the Cow Palace, there were hundreds of other riders arriving, so many that I had to be dropped off six blocks from the entrance. I have spent six hours yesterday going through registration lines, checking in my bike, watching the mandatory safety video, getting my tent mate and tent assignment, and shopping at the camp store. Today, all I needed to do was lug my empty bike case, suit case, and sleeping bag to the assigned gear truck where 2,332 other people were trying to do the same thing. We were all wanting to finish loading in order to start out by 6:30 am. That's right. The participants were 2,333 people in AIDS/LifeCycle 6!!!

All new riders, I am sure, have heard many stories from veteran riders about how unbelievable the experience of setting out from Cow Palace is. During a highly emotional opening ceremony, a rider-less bike was brought in, representing all of the people who have died from AIDS. After the opening ceremony, we were asked to head for the bike parking area and line up for the ride out. It was very difficult to do justice to that moment at step-off. Thousands of people "click, click, clicking" into their bikes all at the same time. We knew we would all be looking out for one another. Our common goal as we started out from the staging area was that we were determined to finish together. Keeping each other safe and doing it with sincere kindness. As we rolled out, the day was chilly and foggy, but I don't think anyone was feeling the weather as much as their excitement. I had a huge smile on my face as I passed through a line of well-wishers, cheering us on, and it felt like we were royalty. It was truly an amazing feeling. And what a journey this leg was. It was very hilly, but also very worth the effort. We rode through many different California terrains. The Big city. Foggy wet forest areas. Foggy wet coastal roads. Grassy hills along the ocean. Live Oak Country. Farmland. We had it all.

Some of this might have been missed while climbing the 8-mile hill to the top of Skyline Drive that seemed to never end. All I could do was keep my head down and pedal. Of course, I did stop to see my friend Ginger along the route, standing next to the wonderful Taiko drums beating a steady cadence for us to cycle to. It came at a perfect time on the climb, along with wonderful people who were there with peanut butter cookies and fresh strawberries.

Then it was back on the hill. I must tell you that the effort was TOTALLY worth it. Eight miles of climb reaching from sea level to over 2,500 ft. put us above the clouds. This was followed by 8 miles of killer curvy downhill through pine trees that arched over the road and finally ended at our lunch rest stop along the beautiful rugged Pacific coast. After lunch, it was back on the road: many rolling hills with geography that changed from redwood forest to arid desert in a flash with about 3 or 4 other terrains in between. California is amazing.

I made sure to stop at the daily rest stops along the route before finally pulling into our first campsite. I had put 89 miles behind me on the first day of the ride. I was surprised to find that I made it into camp before my tent mate, so I gathered up my gear and tent and started the search for the numbered stake indicating my assigned tent space. With the help of other riders, I was able to put up the two-man tent and head off to the shower trucks. Yes, we had shower trucks with plenty of hot water to wash off the soil and toil of the ride. Then it was back to my tent to put on some warm clothes as the temperature was already starting to drop with the sun slowly setting.

After hanging up wet clothes and towels to dry, it was time to head off to the food tent for a much needed meal. Let me tell you that the food was healthy and plentiful, covering all the basic food groups. There was no limit set on how much we could have and we ate as much as we felt we would need to refuel for the next leg of the ride. Even though I am exhausted, I am very much looking forward to tomorrow's ride. 105 miles await us all and I am sure we will do as well as we did today. It is time for bed. Thank you for reading and I will see you tomorrow!

89 miles behind us.

Day Two: Santa Cruz to King City (105 miles)

Today I rode my bike 105 miles. It was a long, long, long, LOOOONG day. The day started at about 4:30 a.m. when I first started to hear other riders waking up in their tents. By the time I got dressed, ate, packed, took the tent apart, stood in line at the port-a-potties and got to bike parking it was 7:30a.m. That meant we had to ride 105 miles by 7:00 p.m. It took us an hour to just get out of Santa Cruz.

Skipping ahead, our first rest stop was so blanketed in fog that we could barely see the ocean. The weather was really crazy...even though it was foggy and dreary, it wasn't terribly cold. Maybe about 55 degrees. Most rest stops are simply stops to get rest, but on ALC (AIDS Lifecycle) rides, the volunteer roadies do their best to keep our spirits up. There is a different theme and they greeted us with outrageous costumes while serving us an abundance of snacks. This rest stop had one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and, let me just say, she really knows how to rock black boots!

The thing I remember the most about rest stop one, however, was the heinous hill that waited for us as soon as we rolled out. Shortly after climbing the hill, I encountered my first of two flat tires for the whole week. I had picked up a staple and was determined to get it fixed quickly so I could get back on the road. I found out it is not that easy to quickly change a tire when you are being passed by so many other riders that are wanting to stop and help you.

After about another 20 miles, I rolled into Pazinni artichoke farms where the whole parking lot was full of riders grinding on fried artichokes. What a great snack in the late morning. Back on the road we were met with lots of little hills and big ass hills. ALC would probably refer to them as rollers. Let's just call them what they were, hills. All day I kept hearing how flat this ride was. Oh yes, there were parts that were flat, flat as a pancake, but no one bothered to mention the head winds. I heard about tail winds, but head winds, not one word. And let me just say when you are happily pedaling away and are suddenly hit by a head wind that wants to take your tires out from under your meager 120 pounds of weight....well its not a whole lot of fun.

Lunch was at a warm but windy little park. I don't remember the town, but I do remember the food. I had a nice chicken sandwich on a ciabata, with chips, an apple, and a big fat cookie. Yum!! Okay anything would have tasted good after 45 miles. By this time the weather was sunny and the sky blue. It was still windy as hell. I said that already, but I really can't say that enough. After lunch we hit a lot of flats and finally the much talked about tail winds. I was really cranking out some miles riding at a steady 25mph as we plowed our way to the next rest stop whose theme was Super Heroes. I don't remember all the super heroes present, but Superman in his tight blue undies certainly stood out (uh, not literally, okay maybe literally). Rest stop three is also where a friend I had met from Orange county gave me a shoulder massage which saved my life as my shoulders and neck were starting to cramp up. After thanking her, it was back on the bike.

The ride at this point was still flat and still windy. With the wind at my back, I finally had time to zone out and find a rhythm in my pedaling. I could look up and look around to see the absolutely amazing scenery of the countryside. There were rows and rows of grapevines, artichokes, carrots, strawberries, and I'm sure a plethora of other veggies. Just incredible. It's a shame, really, because sometimes you miss out on a lot when you're concentrating on the road.

In between rest stop three and rest stop four was a water stop. This stop really summed up the ride for me, not because of the otter pops (popsicles) that awaited us, or the gaily dancing men in their bright tutus, but because of Mission Soledad with a small church I was told not to miss seeing. So I made sure to stop. With my otter pop in hand, I got a few pictures, then went into the church. It was just a small space really, but at the alter in front, there was a white cloth laid out for riders to sign. I went up, found a spot and wrote about why I was riding. I then took a moment to sit in a pew and think about the people I knew that have died from AIDS and that is when the tears started.

Once I regrouped, I took a few more quick pictures and headed out. The one event I did not partake in was the skinny-dipping under the green bridge around mile 80 or so. It did look inviting, but the stream looked too cold and the thought of riding up the first hill that was waiting for us right after a cold dip kept me from doing it. All in all, today was another fantastic day on the road. The only thing is that it would have been nice to have had family and friends to share this experience with.

194 miles behind us.

Day Three: King City to Paso Robles (75 miles)

While others dreaded day three because of the steep 1.3-mile long hill called Quadbuster, I love hills, so I enjoyed the climb to its top. Although today was not the longest day of the ride, the difficulty for me was the roughness of the road for most of the day. Some friends told me to beware of the first few miles with all the potholes, but it didn't prepare me for how much wear my butt would have to endure.

Still, there were many enjoyable events along the route today. Our lunch stop was in the town of Bradley, a tiny little town that you would miss it if you blinked while driving through it, What is great about this stop is the symbiotic relationship AIDS/LifeCycle has had over the years with the local school. It is my understanding that, during the first AIDs rides through Bradley, the teachers used the ride as a teaching tool to educate the students about HIV and AIDS. The school is a very small K-12 school with no more than 50 students. Each year the ride came through this town, the students and parents greeted the riders. Eventually, they threw a barbeque for the riders as a school fundraising project. The money made from the lunch sales in this little town now help with the school's annual budget. The money funds their field trips and enables them to build such things as a much needed computer lab for their students. The win-win is that they need their funds and we need to get fed. Perfect combination.

Rest stop four was also a lot of fun as four of the volunteer male roadies had dressed up as the Dream Girls in shimmering blue sequined dresses. Everyone had a great time having their pictures taken with the beautiful "GIRLS". The campsite tonight was at the Paso Robles fairgrounds where we had an actual indoor dining hall for a change. The dining hall was the perfect place to end the day with the volunteer roadies putting on their fashion show for the weary riders. They made a great entrance as they all rumbled into the fairgrounds on their Harleys wearing Great Outfits!

320 miles on the road.

Day Four: Paso Robles to Santa Maria (99 miles)

This was the day of the dreaded Evil Twins: two long climbs back to back. We had all been warned about them and the stories about the twins were too many to count. Well, I have to say that these twins were not too difficult for me, but again, I like climbing hills. Perhaps the new asphalt had something to do with it. I swear CalTrans paved the road just for us to bike on. What a huge change from the pothole-ridden roads we were on yesterday.

The most rewarding part of the ride was at the top of Evil Twin #2 where the official half way to Los Angeles mark is set. As you crest over the top of the hill, the vista opens up to a sea of grassy hills with the ocean beyond, the perfect location for the half way marker. It was another windy day that created white crests across the ocean making for a great photo opportunity. I am told that this was the first year that it was clear enough to see all the way to the Pacific coast. There were three sets of signs saying, "Half the Way to LA", for the riders to take a photo in front of with the landscape behind. This meant another line to stand in, but who wouldn't wait in line for that?

Talking about lines, we had to stand in line for pretty much everything: for the Port-a-Potty, for snacks at rest stops, for getting our tents at the end of the rides, for getting our food, for taking showers, etc. At Disneyland, waiting in lines can get some people annoyed. But waiting in these lines turns into an integral part of the experience. I met more people standing in line, and, let me tell you, I never saw a single person get upset with the lines the entire week. New friends to ride with are never a bad thing.

Getting back to the Evil Twins, we had a fantastic downhill ride, braking all the way down the descent at a steady 35mph. It was so cold at that speed, I had a hard time keeping my handlebars from wobbling in my hands, as I was shivering so much. At the bottom of the mountain, we rode along the coast past Morro Bay and through Pismo Beach.

The wind was both a godsend and a nuisance. It was great when it was a tailwind, but was hateful as a crosswind. Later in the afternoon on our last leg into camp, the crosswind was fierce enough to almost blow us off of the road. We were blinded by the dust it kicked up from the fields surrounding us. My vision was impaired and I couldn't tell if it was because I had lost a contact lens in the driving wind, or if dust and sweat had rolled into my eyes, blurring my sight. I went to the medical tent at the next rest stop to have my eyes irrigated so I could see again and continue on to the next campsite. We were fortunate that a medical tent was available to us at each rest stop for emergencies and problems just like this.

Thanks again to the Cycle Gods of the Tailwind who pushed us the last 10 miles to camp. Cruising at 25 mph with no effort is always exciting. We all came into the next camp very dirty and very tired. The hot shower was much deserved for us all.

364 miles on the road.

Day Five: Santa Maria to Lompoc (44 miles)

Today was day 5 of the AIDS Life Cycle ride. For people not familiar with the ride, that may not mean much, but for the people of the ALC, it meant only one thing, RED DRESS DAY!!

This day was originally dubbed "Dress in Red Day", because, as the riders go through a particular overpass on the course, they form the shape of the AIDS Ribbon, which is symbolically red in color. But since so many of the riders are gay-oriented, their sense of humor redubbed this day "Red Dress Day" and they started a trend of wearing red dresses for the entire day. Soon the fever spread to all the riders.

I woke up that morning to an amazing sight. Besides the sea of blue tents I'm now used to seeing, I saw a sea of red. As riders emerged from their tents, all manners of red attire were in use. There were as group of Minnie mouses, some cow girls, a dominatrix, Sunday church going frocks, dresses made of duct tape, Chinese lanterns, fringes, tassels, sequins, spandex, lace, and tons of boas. Oh, and let us not forget the fake boobs, lots of fake boobs. Their sizes varied, as did the materials used to shape them.

The most impressive costume I saw today was a straight man wearing red leather knee-high boots with 6 inch spiked heels. His riding cleats were attached to the bottoms so that he could clip into his bike all 44 miles. How is that for dedication, courage, and ingenuity! I still cannot believe he was able to make it through the day. We had a couple of tough hills to climb that we were unaware of and I can only imagine how hard they must have been to climb while wearing stilettos.

Oh, I almost forgot our second pit stop in Casmalia, a town of maybe 100 people in the center of a small valley. They throw a killer dance/BBQ party in front of the General Store for the riders every year. It was like an even gayer version of the Movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" with so many riders dancing in red dresses and costumes. How we found the energy for dancing no one knows. Perhaps when you are running on Gatorade and Cliff Bars, the sound of music triggers that dancing gene in us all. And what a day it was. 408 miles behind us so far.

Day Six: Lompoc to Ventura (84 miles)

Today was day six of the AIDS Life Cycle. Our route was Lompoc to Ventura. We were told it would be 84 miles, but I hear we actually rode 90 plus miles. Don't know if that is true or not. At times it felt it, especially since we started the day with a 15-mile climb that never seemed to end or level out. Let me tell you that, for me, today was the most challenging day of all 7. At the top of this climb, the skin on my right buttocks finally gave out, ripping open and blood-staining my pants. Thank goodness one of my fundraising donors who told me that, if I did not do every mile, he wanted his donation back. Well, with that thought in the back of my mind, I made every mile today riding most of the day side-saddle. At lunch I was able to get taped up with some gel pads at the medical tent.

A majority of our ride was along the ocean, down the 101 freeway, where, in some sections, it seemed as though the ocean would crash over the freeway if given the chance. The smell of the sea was so strong along the route that it literally made it difficult to breath. Who knew that the ocean spray could do that to someone?

One of the better stops was the unofficial Paradise Pit stop in Santa Barbara where its mayor hosted the largest ice cream party I have ever been to. It was held in a large median between lanes of traffic. The space was large enough to contain a number of tables for serving ice cream, 5 or 6 massage tables (free massages by local heroes), and an entire troupe of Paul Mitchell students with face moisturizer spray to cool us off.

Finishing the day was the candle light vigil held on the beach in Ventura next to our camp sight. It was truly one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. 3,000 people lighting a beach by candle, not saying a word to one another. Simply us, the sand, the waves, and the appreciation of knowing that we are participating in something very important in the memory of those who are not with us anymore because of this disease. I will never forget this night for as long as I live.

Now to bed for my last night in a freezing cold tent. I would not have it any other way!

About 492 miles on the road.

Day Seven: Ventura to Los Angeles (61 miles)

Oh no! Can you believe that the ride is already over? It will take something pretty spectacular to top this event. I cannot think of any other way I would have wanted to spend my week's vacation. Not only was this the last day of the ride, it was also one of the more beautiful. The sun was shining when we woke up and followed us the entire way to the finish. Luckily it was not too warm. The air was still nice and cool while cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway.

A majority of the route took us down the coast through Ventura, Oxnard, and Malibu. I was a bit nervous about Malibu, since we were warned about the parked cars that line the roadway and the danger of them opening their doors into the passing cyclists. That combination can be disastrous for a biker. However, the beaches today looked like ghost towns. Very few people out on a day that shaped up to be the perfect day for the beach.

I was not able to see a lot of the scenery as we rode through the route. I found myself lost in thought quite a bit throughout the ride, completely floored that the ride was coming to an end. We have covered so many miles and had so many new experiences in such a short time. It is almost too much to process in a coherent manner. How lucky we are to have the ability to do what we have done this week in a state that is ideal for this sort of event. How fortunate are we that we are able to be this perfect little community where hope is a constant and joy is in abundance. Why do the good things never seem to last as long as they should?

The closing ceremony was a great way to end such an amazing event. Thousands of riders coming in to the presentation area flanked by our loved ones who were with us every pedal stroke of the way in one manner or another. Thousands of us knowing that something great was accomplished this week beyond what we ever could have imagined before.

Thank you to all of my sponsors who were extremely generous towards this cause. Thank you to the ALC staff who made the entire experience fun and stress-free. Thank you to the roadies who made sure biking was the only thing we needed to worry about this week. Lastly, thank you to those who are reading my story. Maybe I will see you out here next year. I am already registered, now it's your turn to come along too!!! Look me up at my homepage at www.aidslifecycle.org/homepage/ and enter my participant # 5260. Then click on my name and go to make a donation. My fundraising goal to participate in next years ride is $2,500. Please help me by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past.

553 miles of a completed and successful journey!

Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb