Happy New Year Readers, Riders, and Donors

Wishing all my readers, riders, and donors a happy, healthy, and safe 2014 with a special shout out to all my new cycling friends in California and beyond.

Every day I watch your progress on Facebook and I think about how great this sport is that so many people can excel simply by simply getting on the bike — no competition and no judgments — just the personal challenge of making it happen every day.

Sean, Andrew, CJ, and me at Lake Hennesey, December 2013.

You are heroes all. Thank you for making this my reality.

Love,

Your Bear

Fundraising for Absolute Beginners

Raising even the minimum donation can be the scariest part of committing to the AIDS/LifeCycle. The AIDS/LifeCycle website has information to help you:

• Getting Started — Technical logistics to start raising donations.
• How to Ask for Support — Engaging your donors in the process.



CJ in a Thanking Mood. Don't forget to thank your donors!

• 125+ Fundraising Tips — A list of ideas that have worked for others.

Plus, there is a calendar of Fundraising Workshops for you to attend and get ideas.

But the number one way to get a donation is simply to ask for one. Your donors are your friends and family. Your donors are committed to seeing the end of the AIDS epidemic, supporting people with HIV, and eliminating the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. Your donors care about you. Your donors have used HIV and AIDS services.

They want to be asked to support your ride. They want to be involved. They want to support you because they know it means that you care. So, the question is: How do you get up the nerve to ask? The answer is: you don't need nerve, you need love and passion to ask. That and a little bit of social lubricant ... er social media ... can't hurt either.

1. Post on Your Own Wall.

If you've not yet started your fundraising, I want you to post this message on your Facebook wall right now (modified to suit your fundraising level and with your own URL):

Hi. I'm riding in the #aidslifecycle #alc2014. I've committed myself to raising $12,000 to fight HIV and AIDS, to support people living with HIV, to end the spread of the disease through testing and outreach, and to finally end the stigma we all have to live with. 

I can only succeed with your donation. Please follow the link and donate whatever you can. Thank you. http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/bear2014.

You won't raise the money if you don't ask! Post similar messages throughout the training and fundraising season updating your status, how far you've progressed in your goal, and with news items or facts about the ride, HIV and AIDS research, or your won cycling training!

2. Send Individual Messages.

Usually, status updates to your wall are not enough. Follow these up with individual messages to each and every one of your Facebook friends — however well you know them. Ask politely, and you'll find only polite responses in return. Not everyone can donate to your ride. That doesn't mean they don't want to support you.

Let me know if you need ideas for the text of these messages; I'm happy to share the text I use.

3. Follow Up.

If an individual responds, always thank them for that response — even if it is negative — and reply accordingly.

• "I understand you cannot donate, but your encouragement is greatly appreciated."
• "Thank you for your offer to donate! I'll follow up in a few weeks to remind you."
• "Your generous donation will go a long way to helping people living with HIV. On their behalf, I thank you."

If an individual does not respond, don't pepper them with messages. But next time you see them in person, you might want to ask if they received it or you may want to follow up with a message in a different media (say by letter, email, or telephone).

4. "Promote" Your Facebook Posts.

Each post on your Facebook wall now has a handy "Promote" link. For about $7, you can make sure your posting will not drop the bottom of the stack. Thus, it will be seen by more people. Usually, I get a 30% increase in views for my promoted posts. I do that once a month or so — not enough to become annoying, but enough to keep my ride in the back of everyone's mind.

5. Team Fundraise.

I don't have the best advise about fundraising with others, but many teams are quite successful raising money together. Ask your training buddies what team they are on to find out about membership.

6. Multimedia.

Don't limit yourself to social media. Use as many forms of communication as you can. Print business cards. Send out mailings to all your friends. Make a Youtube video (it is surprisingly easy). Make your message consistent and redundant!

The AIDS/LifeCycle Participant Center has an email interface you can use to send formatted emails asking for donations or thanking your donors. Explore your Participant Center and use it!

7. Thank your Donors.

A happy donor will donate again and again. Happy donors want to know they are making an impact. You are the face of the ride for them, so show them the impact you're making by thanking them by name on your Facebook wall (ask them if they don't mind being publicly thanked, first). Send emails and messages on social media.

And if you can, send a card or letter to each donor. No one gets handwritten mail any more, so a simple note will make each donor feel really special.

8. Don't Stop There.

Once your donations start rolling in, challenge your donors to help you raise a sub-goal by a certain date, raffle off prizes, or offer prizes to top donors. Keep your donors engaged in the process. Many of them might love to ride, but cannot for various reasons. Therefore, let them know: This is their ride too!

Love,

Your Bear

Over the next couple months, I'm going to write a few articles with the lead-in title "Absolute Beginners," explaining some of the basic principles of cycling. Most of the information is stuff I've learned from other cyclists, bike shop mechanics, classes I've taken, and Google searches. Please help me out and comment with corrections, additions, or supplements which will help my readers learn about how to operate their bikes!

Eating Right: Don't call it Diet (Absolute Beginners)

Among the excellent reasons to start cycling are health and weight loss. Because cyclists require targeted fuel before, during, and after rides, nutrition is integral to successful cycling. Without proper nutrition, cyclist can feel exhausted during or after rides. I've written on eating in preparation for long rides before, but today I want to discuss the greater goal of how to use your quotidian diet to support your goal of riding the AIDS/LifeCycle (or similar rides).

If you have a nutrition-based illness or need some serious weight loss, it is important to start out with a check up from your physician. Only he or she can tell you whether a simple diet-and-exercise regime will help. But for most people, health and weight loss involve getting enough nutrients from the right number of calories. The right number of calories is some percentage less than the number of calories burned during the day. When you have a calorie deficit in this way, you are going to lose weight.

The topic of weight loss is huge and the subject of scientific study and pseudoscientific charlatanism. As Forbes magazine points out, weight loss can be done in a reliable and scientific way, avoiding expensive and possibly dangerous fads and fantasies. For instance:

Image credit.

1. Diet trumps exercise in weight loss.
2. Exercise supports this weight loss.
3. Exercise is going to be your constant companion in life.
4. There is no magical combination of foods which will achieve weight loss.
5. For purposes of weight loss, a calorie is a calorie.
6. Its all about the brain.

And its no. 6 on this list why we must replace the word Diet. Colloquially, "diet" implies a short-term solution to a temporary problem. Whereas, a more-successful strategy is implementing a permanent, achievable, and stable weight loss goal. But how do you set such a goal? The easiest way is to simply start making informed choices in your day-to-day eating habits.

I started my exercise regime with the excellent and free advice given by Scooby on his website Scooby's Workshop. He advocates a number of techniques to loose fat and retain muscle from the easy (exercising and making informed dietary choices) to the difficult (measuring your body fat and weighing your potions for each meal. (Review his "Losing Weight and Building 6-Pack Abs" page for details.) But all he advocates is:

1. Exercise a bit more;
2. Eat a bit less;
3. Drink lots of water;
4. Sleep.

As a cyclist, you're presumably working on (1), and learning the importance of water for (3). Sleep is a topic on which I've blogged before, but if you're not getting 7 to 9 hours a night, you may want to figure out why or consult your doctor to achieve (4). (Read his page, too, for advice about each point.) On eating less, Scooby advises:

The second part of losing fat is eating less, and remember this does not mean hunger and deprivation! Most people fail to achieve their weight loss goals not because they eat too much but because they don’t eat enough! The starve themselves then end up binging! If you are hungry then you are doing something very wrong. If you have cravings for your favorite food, then you are human – I address how to handle cravings at the end of this section. If you dont understand my nutrition section then consider buying the book Bodybuilding Revealed which has the best coverage of bodybuilding nutrition I have seen. 

The #1 easiest way to lose fat is to eat your calories rather then drinking them, this simple tip can help you lose 5lbs fat a month or more without any additional changes to your nutrition. There are many nutritional methods of weight loss and all of them will work, at least in the short term. Where they differ is in how healthy they are and if the results are long term and lasting or not

Apart from his advise, I have the following comments to help you make wise choices:

1. Portion control. Prepare your meal to include everything you want to eat. Then eat it and no more.
2. Plan on eating 5 or 6 meals per day. Its easier to choose a wise portion at one meal when you know you will be eating again in a couple hours
3. Avoid:
1. Sugary drinks. This includes fruit juices where most of the calories are from sugar. Eat an orange, don't drink orange juice.
2. Fats. Not because fat is magically bad, but because fat has a LOT of calories compared to other sources. (Do this by choosing lean meat, avoid cheese, avoid fried foods, use small amounts of spray-on oil instead of pouring out the olive oil.)
3. Empty carbohydrates. While there's nothing wrong with white bread, choose it less often than whole grains to maximize the nutritional impact of your meal.
4. Alcohol. Alcohol is calorie dense with no nutritional value.
4. Choose:
1. Whole fresh fruit, vegetables with no sauce, and whole grains. These will help you feel full by providing bulk, while providing lots of nutrition for the number of calories consumed.
2. Lean meat. Egg whites, fat-free chicken breasts, canned "white" tuna, tilapia fillets, and similar foods give you a lot of protein for a minimum of calories.
3. Fat-free dairy. If you can eat dairy, there are lots of amazing choices which you can use to make your meals more enticing, but which add protein and nutrients instead of fat. (Fat-free greek yogurt makes an excellent creamy sauce for various foods both sweet and savory.)
4. Good fats. Since fat is so calorie rich, you want to choose fats which go along with real nutrition. Salmon and other fatty fishes, for instance, are good choices.
5. Cheat, but know what you're doing. If its your birthday, you will want to eat that cake. Do it, but try to keep it to one slice. Eat pizza, but rarely. Eat french fries at lunch on your ride, but pair them with a chicken breast and not a bacon double cheese burger. Try to save your cheats for special occasions (like Thanksgiving!), so you can indulge and feel good about it.
6. Have healthy treats all around the house and at work. If you have a package of fat-free brown rice crackers, an apple, or some oatmeal at your desk, you're much less likely to scarf the last piece of cake in the lunchroom.

Finally, make small changes at first. Switch from full-fat milk to 1% or skim milk. Start taking lunch with you to work. Eat kale in your salads. Make your tuna salad with greek yogurt, not mayo. Integrate these choices into your routine so they don't feel painful. When you're ready, integrate a new change toward a more healthy diet.

I'll write a second post on advanced healthy eating, but you can get lots of great advice off Scooby's Workshop in the meanwhile.

When your friends ask what diet you're on, you can say: "Oh, I'm not on a diet. I'm making informed choices about nutrition which will last my lifetime."

All that and ride! Don't forget to ride your bike!

Love,

Your Bear

Over the next couple months, I'm going to write a few articles with the lead-in title "Absolute Beginners," explaining some of the basic principles of cycling. Most of the information is stuff I've learned from other cyclists, bike shop mechanics, classes I've taken, and Google searches. Please help me out and comment with corrections, additions, or supplements which will help my readers learn about how to operate their bikes!

Kindness of Friends and Strangers

Many a ride is interrupted by seemingly intractable mechanical problems. When those mechanical problems occur near your house or a bike shop, they can be easy to fix. When you're in the middle of nowhere or you're in unfamiliar territory, a mechanical problem can seem intractable and make you utterly demoralized. But its also at these times you can learn about the cycling community.

My chain wedged between
the cassette and hub

On Saturday, 15 minutes into an AIDS/LifeCycle training ride, my chain popped off the top ring of the cassette and wedged itself into the gap between the cassette and the hub. Fortunately, this happened just as I was stopping. I was one of only two Training Ride Leaders on the ride, and so the ride couldn't go on without me. I was sweep (the TRL at the end who makes sure all the others complete the ride), so everyone was ahead of me. When I looked down, I saw immediately what had happened, but did not absorb the enormity of it.

I've not ever had a chain slip on this bike, so I wasn't sure if the symptoms were typical. the chain was wedged in, so I couldn't spin the rear tire. I had to carry my bike to a safe place. A few seconds of tugging made me realize that I wasn't going to be able to pull it out without loosening the cassette (a task accomplished with a chain whip — not the sort of equipment you usually carry on a ride). But the severe nature of the problem was also sinking in: had this happened when I was moving faster, I might have crashed.

I tried calling the other riders, but since they were riding, they didn't answer. So I started to search maps for local bike shops. Since the area was new to me, the bike shops seemed insurmountably far away. But just as I began to call a cab to get me there, CJ pulled up, having turned around from the ride. He looked at the problem and agreed it needed a bike shop. Then the other ride leader, Craig and a rider, Celeste — both local to the area — came to see what I needed.

William helping CJ with an
emergency tire repair

Celeste offered to get her car and take me to the bike shop. I didn't refuse! So, about 30 minutes later, we were on our way to the bike shop.

She took me to Elk Grove Cyclery which was about 2.5 miles from where I broke down. After only a few minutes of tinkering, the mechanic diagnosed both how to remove the chain and why the chain had slipped in the first place.

He told me that the cassette had been wrongly installed — there was one too many spacers between the cassette and the hub. Also, because the cassette and wheel were not the originals for this bike, the rear derailleur was slightly out of adjustment. Now the spacer is like a couple millimeters thick. And he showed me how off the derailleur was — also a couple millimeters. The total couldn't have been more than a few millimeters. But that is enough to push the chain off the top side of the cassette!

At this explanation, I sheepishly admitted that I had installed the wheel and the cassette. What was astonishing was that I'd been riding with the poorly-installed cassette for nearly eight months without incident. The mechanic showed me how to fix the derailleur and how to tell if you have too many spacers. Then, he charged me only $15 for the repair and derailleur adjustment! Sadly, I didn't have any cash for a tip. But if you go to Elk Grove, stop in at Elk Grove Cyclery!

And this is one of my favorite things about cycling. You're never alone on the road. Your mates care, bicycle mechanics usually love their job and they care, too. But when you get a flat and you're spare is also flat, you'll find that passing cyclist will be thrilled to help if you ask.

The other moral of the story is that I need to get my work check carefully by a mechanic in the future!

Love,
Your Bear

Become a Ride Leader for the Love of it

At the TRL group photo, ALC 12, 2013.

On Saturday, I re-certified to lead AIDS/LifeCycle training rides along with several other so called veterans. The question posed to us was, why are you returning? My answer was that when I'm out on the road, I'm proud to wear my TRL jersey. It means to me that I'm supporting the LA Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the riders who make ALC possible, and the image of gay, lesbian, transexual, bisexual, and allied riders and roadies who participate in the event.

Its a way to show that we're members of the community and we deserve love and support. Even as we're making strides to earn that support, we still have a long way to go. Think about the tragic events unfolding in Iran and Uganda, most of the Arab world, and even in Russia. Although we're curing homophobia here in the United States, our public officials often remain unrepentant about their own personal homophobia and ignorant and cruel about the needs of transgendered youth (even California officials).

Yet, speaking out works. Simply coming out decreases homophobia and encourages support for gay rights among non-allies. I've always thought that being out is the single most important thing we can do to support gay rights. I'm not alone. That was the message Harvey Milk presented way back in 1977. Think about how far we've come since then.

That is why I'm a training ride leader. Every time I'm wearing that jersey, the love bubble expands a tiny bit further. One day it will completely envelope California. Then Europe and the US. Then the rest of the world.

Why will you become a ride leader?

Love,
Bear

Cycling for Fitness

I've been avidly cycling about 3 years now. I've ridden at least 18,083 miles since 2010 (11,102 on the odometer, and the rest estimated from non-odometer rides) — that's an average of about 115 miles per week. And that's nothing. Some of my friends report having ridden over 5,000 miles just in the first half of 2013 (Joseph Collins, you're my hero)!

I have only one explanation: cycling makes life worth living. It gives me energy; it makes me feel sexy fit and happy; it is good for the environment; and I get to do it with some amazing people. Because of cycling, I have friends all over California who I would otherwise never have met!

Matthew Inman has a 6-part series about why he runs which sums up his reasons in typical pithy Oatmeal fashion: he runs to eat. Though its a bit cynical, I have to say I agree with Matthew. I don't cycle because it will make me look sexy, but because it makes me feel sexy, which is just as important!

All this is to say, JOIN ME on the AIDS/LifeCycle 2014. If you do, I promise to help you get fit enough to complete all 545 miles!

Here's a snippet of the 6-part Oatmeal cartoon. Click the links or the image to read the whole thing (then buy something from his store).

Love,
Your Bear

How to Look at Hills

"...the hill isn't in the way, it is the way."

What a wonderful way of looking at climbing. Read more at cyclistthings.com. The author says:

My sister-in-law Christy taming Iron Point! 

Thinking about the mountain’s relentless grade that wants to pull you back down with every pedal stroke towards the top can be discouraging for most but after some time is put into the saddle something changes. Suddenly you find yourself adding that extra few miles to hit a climb or turning back downhill just to hit a section of the climb that you particularly enjoy. 

That moment shift in mentality marks the beginning. The beginning of a time when you actively want to go out and ride these taxing rides that most people wouldn’t dream of. Once you realize that the hill isn’t in the way of your destination but the way you want to go, then you might progress from an average rider to one that will make your cycling buddies groan because you’re taking them up ANOTHER climb.

The way I put this sentiment was: just pedal. Whatever the road brings you, just pedal and you will prevail. Just pedal, because that's why you're out there.

Love,
Your Bear

My Name is Bear and I'm Here to Recruit You

As I look through all the wonderful pictures and comments about AIDS/LifeCycle 2013, I find myself getting excited about AIDS/LifeCycle 2014 already. My fundraising goal is $12,000. I also want to recruit at least one virgin to the ride. And what are the best tools we can use to create donors and future riders and roadies? I think it is probably each other and our stories.

Me and Jim Akers. Photo from Chris Eisenberg.

The hands-down most wonderful part about the ride is the love-bubble. We meet new friends united by a common cause. Each friend has stories and opinions which compliment and enhance our own. One such new friend for me is Jim Akers, a fellow rider and blogger from Las Vegas. In the ramp up for 2013, he blogged about how your donor's dollars are saving one particular life:

Four days without treatment means there's a chance I developed resistance to one or more of the drugs in the pill I take (there are three medications total in that pill). If I develop resistance, I may have to go on what they call a "salvage regimen." Less effective medications. More difficult to manage undetectable viral loads. More side-effects. And greater chance of developing resistance.

*   *   *   *

They deal with nasty side effects and a low, but still detectable, viral load. Until one day, that virus which can still replicate because it's not fully suppressed finds a way around those salvage meds and the patient develops resistance. 

Another salvage plan is chosen. 

Then another. 

And maybe another. 

Until no options are left. 

Then... well, the virus does exactly what it did back in the early days before we had any medications. It runs its course. 

*   *   *   *
You're donations also go to help cover the gap - those who fall through the cracks of the system. Many of which, like me, fall in the middle class. My medication costs about $2,000 a month. Even for those who donate $50 and think it's too little to make a difference, it can cover one pill for one day - and like I mentioned above, I only missed four days. 

That is how you're saving lives. 

And I can't thank you enough for that.

So when you're deciding where to set your fundraising goal, whether to recruit a new rider, or struggling with training, remember: you are saving lives. Thanks, Jim!

Love,

Your Bear

Become a Public Example

From June 2 to June 8, 2013, I repeated an amazing experience for the second year in a row. I rode my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles, California. I was a fortunate participant in the AIDS/LifeCycle 2013, rider number 1483. Join me.

I traveled 545 miles on my bicycle and I cycled every mile. Together with my donors, I raised $6,482 — my portion of the total $14,200,000 raised to support California AIDS charities.

I did this with 3000 friends — riders and roadies, men and women, gay, straight, transgendered, all ages and races, from nearly every state and many foreign countries. I slept in a tent. I got up at 4:00 a.m. every day and went to bed at 9:00. Most nights, I couldn't sleep. I was, occasionally, irritable. Take a look at what this was like through the eyes of thousands of participants:

That's what happened, but it hardly scratches the surface of the depth of the experience. To accomplish this seemingly straightforward feat involved months and miles of training. Hours spent transmogrifying friends and acquaintances into donors. Hundreds of my own dollars in preparation, transportation, and gear. And so many tears: tears of sadness remembering those we've lost to the scourge — tears of joy in comprehension that these efforts are directly impacting our communities and those we love.

All this combined to make me a better person. Not living solely for my own benefit, but for the benefit of my community. Increasing my cardiovascular health and helping me to make better choices for myself and my loved ones. Becoming a public example of the best the LGBT community has to offer for youth, latent allies, and even entrenched homophobes. Getting one more car off the road.

In 2014, I'll repeat this experience. I'll be riding my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the AIDS/LifeCycle 2014. My rider number for the event is 1399.

Change your life. Change the world. You belong here, so join me on the ride.

Love,
Your Bear

Day Six

I've not slept well in days. My body is exhausted. There's no privacy. The food is hot and plentiful, if bland. But I have never been happier in my entire life.

I get to get up at 4:00 am to ride my bike 87 miles along the California coast toward Santa Barbara and Ventura. I get to support my brothers and sisters living with HIV and AIDS who would otherwise be forgotten.

It's 4:00 am. What are you doing?

Bad Blogger

Take it as a good sign that I'm not blogging much. The ride's been amazing beyond all expectations. Today is red dress day. Expect photos.

By the way, spelling errors occur. Please forgive.

Day Four. Dedicated to Donors

Dedicating this ride to my awesome donors. Thanks for saving so many lives!!

20 Million Miles Ridden

ALC riders have done 20 million miles down the California coast supporting people with HIV and AIDS. A real achievement!

Day Three Lunch

If you're not riding the AIDS/LifeCycle, you're missing the charming school children and townsfolk from Bradley, California. The sell burgers to hungry cyclists to support us and to raise money for the local school district. There's not much here, but lots of love.

Some pics from today.

Day Two Rest Stop Two

Cell service sucked. I'll post yesterday's pics later. In the meanwhile: woof!!

Day Two Otter Pops

Who knew otter pops could be so hot!!

Day Two, Rest Stop Three

All about meeting old friends. Dear Dustin Finkle.

Day Two, Rest Stop Twp

These guys take rest stops seriously. Roadies rock. Thank you for volunteering.

Day One, Portapotties

Believe it or not, you get used to Portapotties. They are very clean on the ride. If you search #alc2013 you'll find lots of friend shots in front of Portapotties.

Day One, Rest Stop One

Typical rest stop. Beautiful Sunday morning.