Why I ride (and why I need your money).

My fat pants
As just about anyone who would read this blog would know I’ve worked pretty hard over the last couple of years and have dropped some serious weight.  I’m literally half the man I used to be.  It seems somewhat traditional for folks to pick a big physical challenge to train for when they are nearing or have reached their weight loss goals. Running isn’t my sort of thing, but I’ve always found cycling to be interesting.  It comes with interesting fashion choices (viva le spandex!) and any sport that consumes this much carbon fiber has to be awesome, right?
I decided to set a goal that would be a stretch goal – and the one I’ve picked is the AIDS/LifeCycle 12.  From June 2nd – 8th I will be riding from San Francisco to LA.  545 miles in 7 days.  It still sounds kind of crazy to me, but then I have to remind myself that I went from no bike to riding in an organized century in 5 months.  As long as I follow the training plan I’m sure I’ll be ready.
But being ready isn’t enough.  The most important part about ALC is that it raises money to provide life-saving treatment to folks living with HIV/AIDS.  So I also ride to raise awareness that this disease is still with us, to help remove stigma, and to do what I can in general for a very worthy cause.
If this is a cause you also believe in and would like to support me, then please consider heading over to my participant page and donating what you can.  It is all greatly appreciated!

My new bike

My new bike
Yeah, I finally got a road bike.  I got out and did some test riding – the Domane 5.2, the Ultegra version of the Synapse, and this.  This is the one that honestly felt the best.  And the looks don’t hurt one bit either.  It’s the Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert Compact and it’s my new steed.  I’m sure it can take me all the way to LA.