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545-Mile Cycling Blog: Last Night in the 'Love Bubble'

Team Long Beach's John Pierson is among 2,300 riders who are fundraising to prevent HIV/AIDS, one pedal at a time. Join him on Day 6 of his journey from San Francisco to his Saturday arrival in L.A.

Day 6 Ends

Friday Night in Ventura

"It's just like riding a bike."

That's what people tell you when they want to convey simplicity, or that a task is easy to learn.  But riding a bike is far from easy, especially on a journey like this one. And, while it's easy riding after a long trip, it's also easy to get complacent and forget just how dangerous propelling yourself on two wheels can be.  A lesson I learned firsthand this morning.

We left Lompoc this morning, headed south toward Santa Barbara and the Gaviota Pass.  For those of you unfamiliar, this is a hilly region of the state; it's the western end of the mountains that border Santa Barbara to the north, away from the ocean.  After completing a gently meandering climb over 10 miles of highway 1, I found myself descending a 7% grade for two miles.  This is a road as steep as the Grapevine on it's northern end.

I let myself fly down this stretch of road, feeling the wind in my face, feathering my brakes to keep from accelerating past 40 miles an hour.  Nearing the end of my descent, I saw brake lights on the cars around me.  Then I saw riders in front of me slowing down.  
Then I saw the ambulance.

As I approached the scene, riding at a much slower pace, I saw two cyclists strapped on boards, waiting to board the ambulance, and heard rumors of a third cyclist as well. The two I could see were covered in scrapes and cuts, their bikes laying on the shoulder of the road, riderless. 

I don't know the details of what happened.  I don't know if there was a car involved.  I don't know if someone was trying to pass someone else, or if someone just lost control.  What I do know, though, is that it's important to know how to ride safely.  Long Beach has a web site dedicated to promoting bicycles as a mode of transportation, and bicycle safety as well.  Please take a minute to check out the following link for a page filled with bike basics:
http://www.bikelongbeach.org/Bike101/Default.aspx

I'd like to take a moment to thank the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce for serving up free ice cream sundaes to all the riders along the way today.  The "Paradise Pit" stop has been scooping up ice cream for us for 12 years, and is a free, unofficial, stop on the ride.  They also served fresh fruit, cookies, and pastry, as well as made us riders feel greatly appreciated.  Perhaps the biggest display of their appreciation for us was the running water and liquid hand soap they provided; the first many riders had seen since last Sunday morning.  Due to limited resources, we wash our hands at the porta-potties with wetnaps and hand sanitizer.

Finally, we finished off the evening in Ventura, at San Buenaventura State Beach, with a candlelight vigil to honor those affected by HIV/AIDS. It was a beautiful, lasting moment of silence, lit by thousands of candles, before dousing them in the ocean.  

I look forward to riding into Los Angeles tomorrow, and getting back to sleep in a real bed, and using a real bathroom and real shower.  But I don't look forward to leaving this way of life behind.  An environment has grown in these camps over the last six days.  One of camaraderie brought on by our united goal, by riding together across the state, by huddling together in the rain, or singing karaoke on a makeshift stage at lunch.  One person referred to it as the "love bubble."

There really is a bubble surrounding this camp site, and the road as we ride along it.  So many wonderful people along the way have come out to greet us, to wave, to hold a sign for a friend, or ring a cowbell to cheer us along.  Every day ends with a peaceful feeling as I reflect back on the friends I've made each day.  I'll miss those fleeting friendships, but I suppose that's the beauty of them.

If you'd like to see Team Long Beach ride in for our big finish, show up at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles by 2:00 p.m.  For the address, and lots more photos from the ride, go to www.aidslifecycle.org

Day 1:Long Beach Cyclist Blogs On 545-Mile Ride

Day 2: Rain Delays Push Day 2 Onto Day 3 Blog

Day 3: Cyclist Blogs Day 3 of Ride for AIDS Cure

Day 4: Cycling Blogger Meets Evil Twins 

Day 5: Spread the Word, Don't Be Afraid

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 01:40 pm
Hi Mark. I'll see if I can find out. Roughly what time and nearest landmark if any?
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Love it! Thanks to our new bloggers. :D
Should he be teaching your children?
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 01:36 pm
Prior to his election as a write-in candidate, Councilman Patrick O'Donnell told the Long BeachRead More Business Journal on February 28, 2012 the following:***** LBBJ: If you win the reelection, will you commit to a full four-year term?***** Councilman O'Donnell: If you run for four, you serve four. ***** LBBJ: So, you're not going to run for Assembly in two years? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. ***** LBBJ: No matter what? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. If you run for four, you serve four. ***** If you can't trust O'Donnell's word, why would anyone vote for him to be their representative for political office? ***** http://www.lbreport.com/news/jan13/odonlbbj.htm
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 02:22 pm
And do his supporters care about this, do you think? No doubt others will.
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Regarding, "do O'Donnell's supporters care?", many of O'Donnell's supporters are inRead More elected and appointed public positions, and their support of O'Donnell includes placing the financial burden of a $150,000 special election on the taxpayers. I would think that a responsible journalist would ask each of them about that issue.
This is what the new path will look like.
Richard May 31, 2013 at 10:54 am
This opinion piece is so full of self-serving hot air it could float. Two paths will make the beachRead More look like a freeway? The author clearly hasn't seen too many freeways lately. Speaking of seeing, if the author would care to spend a little time looking at the beach (which I do on a daily basis, as I live overlooking the Bluff) they would realize that the current bike/pedestrian path is the most heavily used and enjoyed segment of the beach from the Belmont Pier to Shoreline Village. On any given day, there will be hundreds of people on the paths, compared with a handful on the sand itself. The author inadvertently makes that point when he or she writes that the beach "...should be valued for its own recreational value." Clearly, many more people enjoy walking, running or bicycling on the path than on the beach itself. Give the people what they want, and not what a mysterious, nameless, faceless group is trying to block.
Shore Resident June 3, 2013 at 08:37 am
Uh, Richard? Opinion pieces are by nature self-serving and one sided. I'm not saying that is agreeRead More with the opinion, just saying that gordana can have her say.