Why Do I Ride?

This will be one of many narratives and slide shows from the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe on June 7, 2009! This is me with a Chile pepper guy on my helmet that says "Hot Tamale" on it. All the teams wore items on their helmets that signified their state. These items helped you to identify your team amidst the 3400 or so cyclists. So, as we cycled along people called out "hello Pepper Head! Where are you from?" It was a fun element that got us all talking and making friends. We saw the capitol with Barak Obama Waving, peaches, cows, crabs, whales, tomatoes, beer cans with monkeys sitting on them, Santa's
stockings, cans of spam,a casino with stars flying behind it and much much more!

About half the riders were fundraising for the LLS. All together, for this ride, we raised 6.8 million dollars to fund blood cancer research! WOW! We could not believe it!

Why did I Ride? When I got home, I received a wonderful email that made me cry. It was from a friend at work whose niece Alex I honored during the ride. I dedicated the dreaded switchbacks at Emerald Bay to Alex ....this is what Natalie wrote:

"....you have given us a special gift...keeping the memory and spirit of those that we have lost alive. Alex was a fighter and I am so glad you felt her strength around you."

Not only did I feel her strength, but I saw her beauty.

This is why I ride....with the hope that one more child does not have to pass due to cancer.