AIDS/LifeCycle 2008

[Steven_Draker]

Hey Raul,

My Monoc bike has a Quattro Pro frame - black color, the wheels are Continental. I had a choice between Michelin and Continental wheels and I opted for the latter.

 

I'm still recovering from my training week in Provence. It took me a few days to recuperate and let the new muscles I use acclimated. I still have 7 weeks to train hard and get some mileage on my bike.

 

I'm doing the Aids Ride mainly for two reasons: first - it's a personal challenge, because I like to push my limits and go where I haven't been before. The second reason is for the Cause and also to help and support my friend from Belgium who is infected with HIV and who is doing the Ride with me. I have a good feeling about the Ride and I'm full with optimism and willpower.

 

I uploaded a new pic from Provence on my LifeCycle homepage http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

 

Thanks to all for your messages of support and donations.

 

My best, Steven D. ~

 

[a href=http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk]website[/a] [a href=http://www.daddysreviews.com/review.php?who=steven_draker_brussels]reviews[/a]

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

[+ David-SF]

Steven

I dont know how to thank you for being apart of the ride

you standing up and doing this is one reason i thought i could do it too.

I have been training hard every week riding through the marin headlands and very steep hills in San francisco and salsalito and many of the marin county towns.

its been so great to meet and connect with very lovely and generous people.

after reading some of the posts in this thread i just wanted to comment about the money

 

i dont know where all the money is going that we are raising.

I know that the SFAF is under constant scrutiny by federal agencies

trying to cut funding and say its not needed anymore yet some how my friend still gets part of his rent paid every month by SFAF. He lives on 8 hundred dollars per month and cant afford to pay it all. he is very very ill and may die any day the meds dont work for him anymore.

 

I also thought that if the SFAF showed just one person how to not contract HIV and just raised some awareness in a town like ..... Fresno or Hayward Ca. or some hick town anywhere usa. just one life

was saved as a result of their work ..........if that one person was your brother sister best friend parent ........ would that be worth 11 million dollars ?

 

so i dont really need to find out where every penny goes but i know because i live here in San Francisco that without The Aids Foundation

hundreds of lives would be in despair and maybe even lost.

I will do this ride with great pride and I will do it again and again and every year i will try to raise as much money as i can.

I look forward to June 1st and I hope I get the honor of meeting you (Steven) to personally thank you for helping me connect to this very important cause,I know doing this ride will save at least 1 priceless life. thats what counts for me thanks again for your help and encouragement.

Love David/SF

 

aidslifecycle.org/2611

[Steven_Draker]

David,

Thanks for the nice words. I hope your training is progressing well.

The weather here in Europe has been great for the past two weeks and allows some nice and long rides in the countryside.

 

Looking forward to meeting you in just about three weeks.

 

Steven D. ~

 

[a href=http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk]website[/a] [a href=http://www.daddysreviews.com/review.php?who=steven_draker_brussels]reviews[/a]

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

 

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another"

Walter Elliot

[Guest josephga]

im wanting too get into biking i think ill go next week to the local bike shop..

[+ deej]

Sounds like a good time to ask if anyone in the LA Hooville contingent wants to form a welcoming committee (maybe a tub of iced drinks and energy bars, and lots of hugs) at the finish line. I know at least a half-dozen of "us" are riding. I'm sponsoring four of them, and I'd love to be there to welcome them to town.

 

I suspect we'd have a quorum.

 

But every time I suggest supporting this event, the world blows up.

 

My inbox is open if anybody wants to do it but not "out loud".

[BARR1965]

"maybe a tub of iced drinks and energy bars, and lots of hugs"

 

 

Am not a rider but a roadie, so do I get an iced drinks, energy bars and lots of hugs, too ;-)

[+ deej]

That's what I'm trying to find out.

 

But you get lots of hugs either way, roadie.

[BARR1965]

>That's what I'm trying to find out.

>

>But you get lots of hugs either way, roadie.

 

Thank you ... looking forward to it then.

 

Info for anyone who is interested in joining the closing ceremonies:

 

Saturday, June 7, 2008

 

Veteran's Administration Center

11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Wadsworth Theatre Grounds, Lot #7

Ceremonies begins at 4 PM

 

Spectator Parking will be available in Lots #6 and #2 at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and will cost $8.00 per vehicle.

[+ Axiom2001]

>Sounds like a good time to ask if anyone in the LA Hooville

>contingent wants to form a welcoming committee (maybe a tub of

>iced drinks and energy bars, and lots of hugs) at the finish

>line. I know at least a half-dozen of "us" are

>riding. I'm sponsoring four of them, and I'd love to be there

>to welcome them to town.

>

>I suspect we'd have a quorum.

>

>But every time I suggest supporting this event, the world

>blows up.

>

>My inbox is open if anybody wants to do it but not "out

>loud".

 

 

 

...superb suggestion! Contact the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (Lifecycle AIDS 2008) division and ask if something what you suggest is already in the works; if it isn't then the LA Hooville contingent could possibly do this along with an AIDS organization in the area. :9

[Steven_Draker]

>connect to this very important cause, I know doing this ride

>will save at least 1 priceless life. thats what counts for me

>thanks again for your help and encouragement.

 

David,

Thank you for being part of the Ride.

Bringing awareness, raising money for Aids, helping those in need, honoring those we have lost: the cause is indeed important.

 

It was great meeting you and talking to you today. Looking forward to the Ride.

 

Cheers, Steven ~

SF cyclist #1554

 

[a href=http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk]website[/a] [a href=http://www.daddysreviews.com/review.php?who=steven_draker_brussels]reviews[/a]

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

[Steven_Draker]

June 8th, Los Angeles

 

http://www.geocities.com/stevendraker/669740777306_0_ALB.jpg

 

My muscles are sore, my back is hurting, however I'm very glad that I had the unique chance to experience the LifeCycle 7 event first hand. This was my first time riding and it was well worth the effort I put in it. The greeting at my arrival in L.A. yesterday was truly a unique moment of happiness, relieve and satisfaction that I have accomplished my goal. The Ride itself was hard. It requires some strenuous effort and endurance, serious training and preparation and of course a lot of willpower to cycle 545 miles in 7 days. During this exceptional week I pedaled a lot, I laughed, I cried, I made some good friends, I fell off the bike once and hurt myself but I continued to the end.

 

The most beautiful day for me was Day 6 when we were riding along the coast in Santa Barbara with some spectacular views and perfect sunny weather all the way down to Ventura. The unofficial stop in Santa Barbara turned out into the biggest ice cream garden party I have ever seen.

 

One of the most emotional moments of the Ride was the Candle Light vigil in Ventura on Day 6. After dark around 3000 of us formed a procession and walked to the beach holding a lit candle. In complete silence, no words were needed as we formed a huge circle on the beach. David was standing next to me as we remembered all those who are no longer with us. We're all there for the same reason to fight the impact that this decease has in this world and with the hope that one day we no longer have to ride for this cause.

 

I wanted to thank everyone who supported me in this endeavor and who sponsored my Ride. I raised over $8000 in total for the San Francisco Aids Foundation. Thank you to the organizers for the great job handling this event. You were great, guys. A special thanks to David/SF who made the Ride so fun, to Julian who was greeting us every evening in the camp (sorry that you lost your voice), to Charlie and Dennis for the continuous encouragement and support in preparation to the Ride, to Ethan for his training advise and help during the Ride, to Bertine for the logistic support and Tom, without who this Ride wouldn't have the same meaning. Thanks for being my friend, Tom.

 

I'm glad that I became part of this incredible community for 7 days in this life-changing event. The Ride doesn't end until Aids does!

 

Steven Draker ~

 

 

[a href=http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk]website[/a] [a href=http://www.daddysreviews.com/review.php?who=steven_draker_brussels]reviews[/a]

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

[BARR1965]

A

>special thanks to David/SF who made the Ride so fun, to Julian

>who was greeting us every evening in the camp (sorry that you

>lost your voice),

>

>I'm glad that I became part of this incredible community for 7

>days in this life-changing event. The Ride doesn't end until

>Aids does!

>

>Steven Draker ~

 

Losing my voice was well worth it when I see you and David/SF and all the riders coming in at the campsite every night. I met a lot of people and lot of people remembered who I was when I was meandering the campsite.

 

To be a rider or a roadie for AIDS Life Cycle is a very wonderful, exhilirating, exciting, exhausting experience but it is WELL WORTH IT! The Ride doesn't end until AIDS does!

[Guest josephga]

i would love too do that, what kind of training was involved in getting ready. i bought me a brand new trek 4300 about amonth ago so i could start doing some riding. i hadnt been on a bike in years i figured id start out with a mountain bike then if i stick with it invest in a nice road bike

[BARR1965]

>i would love too do that, what kind of training was involved

>in getting ready. i bought me a brand new trek 4300 about

>amonth ago so i could start doing some riding. i hadnt been on

>a bike in years i figured id start out with a mountain bike

>then if i stick with it invest in a nice road bike

 

 

I don't know how David/SF or Steven started their training but you can get more information thru ALC site.

 

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/index.cfm

 

Good Luck

[Steven_Draker]

>i would love too do that, what kind of training was involved

>in getting ready. i bought me a brand new trek 4300 about

>amonth ago so i could start doing some riding. i hadnt been on

>a bike in years i figured id start out with a mountain bike

>then if i stick with it invest in a nice road bike

 

Hey Joe,

Glad to hear that you're interested in doing the Ride next year. Once you have signed up, your cycle buddy from ALC will guide you through the different steps and he can answer best the questions you may have about training and preparation.

 

If you start your training on your mountain bike, you can do the Ride with the same bike. Don't forget that you'll be riding a lot and you need to be comfortable on your own bike and used to the saddle.

 

Two of the most important things you'll need to do are to have your bike checked by a reputable mechanic and make your bike fit to you by a professional bike technician in order to avoid injuries.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Steven D. ~

 

[a href=http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk]website[/a] [a href=http://www.daddysreviews.com/review.php?who=steven_draker_brussels]reviews[/a]

http://www.aidslifecycle.org/1554

[Guest josephga]

i bought my bike from a local bike shop. they fitted me for it the day i bought it. iv been buying tools and supplys for it a liitle each week

[+ David-SF]

well made it back home and woke up today at 3pm

I spent the night in LA and went to Pride to march with the Lifecycle team it was great!!!

Just wanted to say a few things that Steven and Barr are probably to humble to say

I can not thank you both enough for being such wonderful people

your kindness and generosity just grows in my heart.

I want everyone to know that the 7 days I spent with Steven and Barr

were phenomenal seeing barr at the end of every day cheering us on hugging me daily and always thanking the riders for riding.

his job was not an easy one and the roadies and other volunteers were up very early and worked long hard hours busting their butts daily to make our ride a bit more doable. so that leaves me with Steven

What can I say we never met before and only talked through email.

a guy as sexy and well sought after as he is I could easily see it going to his head but with him that was not the case at all.

his constant checking in on me waiting at every rest stop for me to show up calling me when ever we were away from one another to say where he was and where we could meet he always wanted to know if I was in pain and to take the damn Ibuprofens yuk! he was a good friend as anyone of my friends I had many on the ride Steven was so kind and fun to hang out with.

I know his heart is big and getting the time to get to know him was an honor.

the ride was not easy at all everyday i thought for sure i would not make it

I am so glad i did the ride and plan to do it again next year.

yes its true the ride does not end till aids ends

good people were everywhere but Steven and Barr were right there in the thick of it standing by to share their experience and kindness

with anyone and everyone I am touched and my life is better as a result of their presence. I know lives are saved by this ride I know that people are helped and people show up from all over the world to do this thing.

from the very depths of my soul thank you both for being there.

Love David/SF

[+ David-SF]

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh114/davidnsf/finishline.jpg

i hope this works

this is the finish line photo

steven get in touch with me about how to find yours

these are really great photos that they took of every rider.

what an amazing moment that was for me 538 miles 7 days of 4am mornings lots of love lots of hugs lots of dirty hands arms legs

it was sooooooo cool !!

my front tire was actually almost flat when i rode in and i could have cared less LOL

i just cant believe that they caught this moment on camera i know i was crying like a baby with all the other thousands of people along the road

cheering us on

what a rare kodak moment

I just remember coming up that hill and seeing an ocean of people holding signs screaming and yelling and cheering

my brother and his family were somewhere around

we did it Barr & Steven we really did it !!!

 

the ride does not change you it just brings out what is already deep within your heart and shares it with the world around you.

you both did that everyday WOW!

 

 

 

:-)

[Guest josephga]

did you guys loose allot of weight out riding such a long distance?

[Steven_Draker]

AIDS Life Cycle 11 / June 3-9 2012

 

Guys, I just signed up for the next year's AIDS Life Cycle 2012. I'm looking forward to the challenge and contributing again for this great cause. Next year I'll be riding for the profit of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

 

Donation page: http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/draker

 

Steven ~

[justaguy]

Thanks Steven for signing up. It's a worthy cause if there ever was one.