LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN)—A group of 25 volunteers from Cannondale, Mike’s Bikes, Helen’s Cycles and “Bike Tech” recently dedicated themselves to this year’s AIDS/LifeCycle.
AIDS/LifeCycle ride is the single largest AIDS fundraising event with riders ranging in age from 18 – 81, pushing cranks for seven days over the 545-mile ride that departed San Francisco in route to Los Angeles.
This year’s event will raise $11.6 million.
“This is the most incredible event I have ever been a part of. It’s literally a rolling city on wheels of over 3000 riders/roadies all coming together to make a difference in the world,” said Bill Rudell, marketing manager for Cannondale. “I’ve witnessed riders on $14,000 race machines and a mother daughter team on Magna’s encouraging each other to keep pedaling.”
With thousands of riders traveling from 12 different countries and 42 states, Cannondale’s team of mechanics worked sun up to well into the night in an effort to keep everyone’s bike operating smoothly. With such a vast flavor of bikes on the ride, “impossible” repairs meant that Cannondale supplied one of 40 high-end loaner bikes including SuperSix, SystemSix and Synapse models.
“When it’s all said and done, you have 3000-plus people with sore muscles, blistered feet and sun/wind burns who have 51 weeks to catch their breath and who can’t wait to do it all over again,” Rudell said.
—Jason Norman
