Day Seven - Ventura to Los Angeles

I woke up somewhat early. It was cool and the humidity was higher than we had had to deal with earlier in the Ride.

I took my time relishing breakfast and my coffee, just taking in the sights of the camp. So many people come together to make this happen, behind the scenes and out in plain sight. I had gotten up REALLY early to hit the john and the Food Service Crew was already up, getting things ready for the first crews that would be out on the road. I remembered what THAT was like in Camp Services, getting the road lunches ready for all the crews.

We took the tent down; packing it was unnecessary since they would need to be washed after the Ride. That was kind of a shame. I really take pride in being able to efficiently get the tent back into the bag, but I'll have more chances next year.

After I took care of the camp stuff, I headed to the bike. What a sight it was! On each seat was a little plastic egg! It was just a little "Hello!" from The Chicken Lady. It was a very nice way to begin the day's ride!

The route opened just a little bit earlier than on the other days. Even though there were only 62 miles to ride, they still wanted to make sure that everybody could make it to the VA Center by 3:00.

I felt MUCH better on the way out of Ventura this time than I did the previous ride. It was so flat and so nice, I just wanted to relish this final day.

After providing "Thumb Service" for a rider with brake problems, I was on my way through Oxnard. Yes, there STILL is an Oxnard. I always wonder "Just what were they THINKING when they named this city?" I kept looking for a convenience store to buy some batteries. The batteries in my camera were going dead and I had forgotten just where I packed the spares (yes, I had some spares).

Just outside of the town, we passed a Sod Farm. Well, you've got to figure sod comes from somewhere! It looked like a huge, amazing lawn! We've seen farms for artichokes, strawberries, and cauliflower, now I could add "sod" to the list!

A few miles down the road came one of my favorite moments of the ride. Several riders pulled into the Point Mugu Missile and Aircraft Museum parking lot. It was getting warmer and this was a really good place to remove a layer of clothes. PLUS, there were some pretty cool missiles and jets on "sticks". It would have been a great picture-taking opportunity, if I had had fresh batteries, but that's the way it goes.

As I was admiring the displays, the Ride's ambulance pulled up in the lot next to me. The attendants opened the doors and then started playing THE most perfect song: "Danger Zone" from Top Gun. I had that song going through my head all the way to the first pit stop!

The lines were long at Pit One, but the pace of the day was leisurely. We had no heinous hills to climb. The only real challenge of the day would be the traffic.

Back on the road, the route to the second pit took us a little bit inland. It got a bit hillier. The hills were short and sometimes a little bit on the steep side. They were occasionally tiring, but not too bad.

Pit Two was in the same spot as the last time. I met an interesting guy in line. It was his first ride and he was wondering about how things were going to go at the closing. He said that he was an actor/racquetball instructor. I'm thinking that he makes more money with the racquetball than the acting. He was quite charming in his own way. I wish I had met him earlier in the ride.

As I passed him on a subsequent hill (he was walking his bike up), he told me that he was saving his quads for racquetball. That was HIS story and he was sticking with it!

But first, almost immediately out of Pit Two, traffic was slowed because of a run-in between a rider and an open car door. It looked like the door won that battle. This particular stretch, before and after Pit Two was rather dangerous. The road was lined by cars on our right and there was traffic on the left. But all it took was a little patience and a lot of focus.

I found a gas station to buy my batteries (WAY overpriced). One of our riders asked the attendant for change for a dollar so she could use the air machine. The attendant was VERY short with her. He did NOT have quarters because it was the WEEKEND! That, in fact, seemed to be the truth since he gave me dimes rather than quarters in my change.

I was so taken aback by the curtness of his response to the rider that I did not even think about quarters I keep in my CamelBak or the pump I carry with me! I'm really kicking myself for that. I'm also kicking myself because there was another rider there, the same macho-looking guy who had worn a red dress so unabashedly. I really should have asked him if he was gay or if he was straight. But I did not.

You'd think I would jump at the chance, given that I was presented with a similar situation at the end of Texas AIDS Ride 2 with Mikey. I figured I would NEVER see him again and that I should get his picture. Not only would I see him the next year on Texas AIDS Ride 3, where I would get to know him a lot better, but we would keep in touch over the years and crew a couple more rides together from Montreal to Boston. And, of course, he and Brandon showed up of the Opening Ceremony on Day One! His is probably the deepest friendship I have.

The traffic got a little bit easier as we approached the Lunch Pit, the last pit stop of ALC6. The line for lunch was HUGE! I don't know why this was such a problem this time, except that perhaps everybody was taking their time here. There was really no point in getting to the VA Center early, only to have to hang around there.

The line was moving and I was still about 5 minutes from actually getting my lunch when one of the riders came up with a pizza they had brought in from town. Now that I think about that, I wonder just how they managed that. They must have walked to the pizza place and just bought extra. This wonderful rider opened the box and offered pizza to riders waiting in line! That was amazing, but it's also the kind of thing that just happens on the ride.

I took my time with lunch, got back to the bike. The tires were in good shape (I'd had a flat right here the last time). And within a couple minutes were were back on the road for the last leg of the ride.

I had gotten myself in a line that was going a very comfortable fast pace. I think it was easier to navigate the PCH in a group like that. Malibu was not as "scenic" as I recalled the last time. Either that, or I was focusing better. Saturday....at the beach.....surfers....changing by the roadside. It can be a bit distracting.

Very shortly we ended up on the beach bike path. There is a point where we had to dismount and walk our bikes under the highway to get across. There were only about 3 more miles to go.

The rest of the way was mostly residential and a very easy pace. I decided that I was going to relish these last three miles. It was apparent that I was going to make every mile of this ride. I could even WALK it....if I HAD to!

I was beginning to get a little bit overcome by emotion. Riding this ride has been a goal for probably 15 years or so. I missed out on about 40 miles of the ride four years ago. I made them up this time. I was about to ride into the Closing Ceremonies. I was going to enjoy these final miles.

But before we got to the VA Center, there was one short final hill to climb, about a block from the entrance to the center. I stopped and took in what I was about to do, then I continued on, alone as it happened.

The entrance was lined with spectators. An announcer notified the crowd that another rider (me) was arriving. They erupted into cheers and applause! I thought that was the COOLEST thing (but I would be proven wrong about that!).

The cheers from spectators and faster riders continued all the way down to Bike Parking. I got my bike put up and I just had to call Mikey. I could not hold it together, but that is alright, we're used to that by now.

When we spoke, Mikey asked the strangest question. He wondered where I was. I told him that I was at the VA Center in Los Angeles. "EXACTLY where are you?", he added.

"Bike Parking, why?", I replied.

Mikey: "Guess where I am?"

Me: "I don't know, where?"

Mikey: "I'm HERE!"

I could not believe it! Mikey and Brandon had driven down from San Francisco with no guarantee that they would even see me. Of COURSE I would call him though. He told me he would be back near the entrance where the riders were coming in.

I went up there and could not find him. I called him. I told me to raise and wave my hand. He said that he could see me. Of COURSE he could! He was standing right behind me! I nearly fell apart when I saw him. No...I did fall apart.

We made arrangements to meet after the Closing Ceremony. I told them that they could stay with me at my hotel.

I got my bike, and stood in line for the Final Ride-In. After we waited for quite some time, we rode in. There is always a great deal of celebrating that goes on. Almost all of the riders were wearing their new ALC6 jerseys. Some squirted the remaining water from their bottles. Others held their bikes over their heads.

Then.. The Roadies entered. This is always emotional. Crewing IS really harder than riding! The crew does not get to conquer Quadbuster or the Evil Twins. They don't get their pictures taken at the Halfway point. In fact, the only cheering they get to hear is at the Closing Ceremony.

I was particularly pleased to get this shot with Jeff Smith, who was working Water and Ice this year. Jeff was an ALC2 Rider, but he fell and broke a collarbone before we had even gotten to the first pit. I know now that he has signed up to ride ALC7.

The Closing Ceremony was funny at times and moving at others. The Riderless Bike Ceremony is the latter. Several of the Positive Pedalers walked the symbolic bike and white flage toward the stage. It reminds us of all of why we ride. It seemed to hit the FedEx team pretty hard.

Alec Mapa told us how proud he was that we had ridden for six days to get to LA. INSTANTLY, the crowd corrected him! He pleaded with us to NOT kick his butt; he knew we could. He'd seen our legs!

And here was a video they showed at the ceremony. I was hoping they would replay the video they showed in Ventura, but I was equally glad to get to hear "Proud" at this time.

Lorrie Jean greeted us for the last time with her trademark "Helllllllloooooooooo, Riiiiiiiiiiiderrrrsssss!! Hellloooo, Roadies!" This is sad because it signals the end of Ride. I don't think anybody there REALLY wanted to hear it. Like Lorrie Jean said, "we are happy that we have accomplished our goal, and sad at the same time that it is over." Only those of us who were on the Ride can truly understand that.

A couple more speeches and it was over. Mikey and Brandon met me in the Meet and Greet Section, we went to get my duffel bag and my bike box. After disassembling the bike, we crammed into Mikey's rental car, found the hotel on fancy GPS computer, and headed over.

I'd made arrangements with Matthew Boyer and his partner Ermahn Ospina to meet for dinner that night. It took a couple iterations to finalize those plans but we did finally.

We met at Bossa Nova, a wonderful Brazilian restaurant in West Hollywood. I tried to pay for it, but Matthew would not let me. What a perfect end to the week. I could not imagine it any better. A month and a half after the event, I still get misty just thinking that Mikey and Brandon would drive all that way just to see me at Closing.

We walked around West Hollywood for a bit, then hailed a cab back to the hotel. I had a very early flight, so I needed to be sure that I could get up early enough to catch it. I was going to sleep very, VERY well. So well, in fact, that Mikey would have to wake me because I did not hear the wake up call. Thank goodness they were there.