|
Ride ACT 6 With The Mic
ACT 6 is the sixth annual AIDS Network Cycles Together, the Wisconsin AIDS bike ride, to raise funds and awareness for AIDS Network.
MAKE YOUR PLEDGE HERE TODAY.
Madison's Progressive Talk The Mic 92.1's Program Director, Brian Turany, will be riding in ACT 6. Check back for training reports, fund-raising progress, training tips and news. There will be video and audio podcast to watch and hear HERE. |
|
|
Take Part In ACT 6
Learn More About ACT 6
Register To Ride OR Crew In ACT 6
Make A Pledge To ACT 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
ACT 6 Sponsors
|
|
|
Find Out More About AIDS Network
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ACT 6 Day Four
Tuesday 08-12-2008 9:09am CT
Check out the pictures from Day four of the ACT 6 ride.
It was the ride if my lifetime. ACT 6 is over. I’m sore. I’m so sore that the heat if this laptop is making my quad muscles feel better as I’m typing. However, it was all worth it.
I’ve made friends with people who I only know by their first names. In particular, my riding buddies “Team Storm Front” Chris, Curt, Kim, and Tom. If you have four days to spend as an adult, but acting like a child an ACT Ride is something you should really look into. I’ve also met a number of wonderful people who I cheered and received cheers from.
Day four of the ride was short. The route coordinators wanted to keep all of us together so that we would look like a rolling red ribbon biking into Madison. “Team Storm Front” tried and succeeded to be last out of camp. We discussed sprinting to lunch and then to the back of the pack to cheer riders home. It was a good idea, but we ended up lingering in pit stops to meet more riders who we had not met in day One, Two or Three. It was really nice. Plans were also fouled when I got my first flat... Ever. The team sprung into action with my spare, Curt’s pump, and Kim’s pump and extra help from riders Gary and Zander. We found a sharp seed lodged in my tire, pulled it out, replaced the tube and rolled to AM Pit. AM Pit was perfect for a Sunday morning complete with coffee and a Sunday paper. There was also a nail polishing station. One of the many traditions of the ACT rides is for rider to paint their finger nails red on the last day. Men and women alike took a few moments to preen in the AM pit. We pushed on to Monona in a pack of about 15 riders. When we pulled into lunch I saw a sea of red jerseys, helmets and shorts. After a long lunch break we headed to the Capitol Square for closing ceremonies. On the way there, another rider had a flat. The team sprung into action again. It took two tries, but with Curt lending a tube patch and my CO2 cartridge pump we got on the road again. Once at our next destination in Madison we had another wait as opening ceremonies were staged. After another wait… another flat tire. The same rider we had helped patch a flat just 60 minutes earlier. This time we had over 150 rider assembled to help. A replacement tube was found. Kim pulled off the wheel. Gary replaced the tube and my CO2 had the replacement full in under a second. Eric at Williamson Bicycle and fitness highly recommended the CO2 pump and I am VERY glad he did. Then, we rolled to MLK on the Capitol Square with a police escort. Riders rolled in followed by Crew. That was followed by the traditional ACT water fight. Lee Rayburn emceed the whole event and did a great job. After all was said and done we raised almost $300,000 for AIDS Network and shared hugs and high fives for our efforts. Tears were shed for those who we lost to HIV/AIDS. However hope remains that a cure can be found in the future and AIDS Network can help people dealing with the HIV/AIDS now. I’ve “reacted” to be a rider in ACT 7. In August of 2009, I hope to see you as a Crew member, a Rider, or a day crew volunteer. Thanks to those who gave to ACT 6, expect to hear another request for a financial pledge next year. Until then, you can still give to AIDS Network, and you can start training for ACT 7 now.
ACT 6 Day Three
Tuesday 08-12-2008 9:01am CT
Check out the pictures from Day Three of the ACT 6 ride.
ACT ride Steering Committee member and ACT 6 photographer, Larry Palm, tells us what his favorite moments of the ride are through Day Three. Click Here
One of the many ACT Ride traditions is to welcome riders into camp. Check out this montage of riders who arrived at camp after the 100 mile long Century Day. Click here for the video.
All ACT Riders are cheered into camp. When the final group comes in they get a hero's welcome along with the crew who supported the riders all day long. This is how the caboose was welcomed to camp after they rode over 100 miles on Century Day. Click here for the video.
Another ACT Ride tradition is Rider Zero. Rider Zero is an empty bicycle that represents everyone we have lost and the people who could not be at ACT 6. Barbara Harrington-McKinney, lead Rider Zero into camp on Day 3 of ACT 6 holding a picture of her son, former ACT Rider and NBC 15 Anchor Mike McKinney. Click here for the video.  100 miles. A storm. An incredible closing ceremony. It was Century Day on Day Three. That is the day we bike 100 miles or more on the ACT ride. In this case it was a little over 101 miles. The night before we were told it was going to flat… ha! As a rider named Jerry told me around mile 64 “You show me a single road in Wisconsin that’s flat”. We must have zigged and zagged across the same ridge three times altogether. Up the hill, and down the the next valley. Then, rinse and repeat. Thank goodness the country side was picturesque and the morning was cool. By the time the group I was riding with got to the finally pit stop of the day we had rolled through 94 miles of Wisconsin. We were filling our water bottles when one of the crew members got a phone call. She informed us that severe weather was on the way. A thunderstorm with heavy rain, high winds and hail was supposedly going to ruin the rest of the ride. Instead of waiting to see what was going to happen the group decided to sprint to the finish. We averaged around 22 miles an hour for miles 94 through 101. My legs were screaming, but we missed all but a couple drops of rain. Later in the night Curt came up with a name for our team of riders. So, Chris, Curt, Kim, Tom and I are now… team STORM FRONT. Laugh if you must, but that is the kind of camaraderie that is built on ACT Rides with people you barely know. Every day of the ride we welcome Rider Zero to evening camp. Rider Zero represents everyone who could not be with us on the rider and people we have lost. In a rare special tribute on Day Three a picture of former rider and NBC 15 Anchor Mike McKinney accompanied Rider Zero. The German Art Students will be playing at 1:30; Riders roll in at 3 with Lee Rayburn emceeing the events.
ACT 6 Day Two
Tuesday 08-12-2008 8:58am CT
Check out these photos from Day 2 of act 6. There was no skate park today, but the hilliest day of ACT 6 was still fun with a Mardi Gras theme.
Click Here to watch Curt's ACT 6 Video.
Click Here to watch Kim's ACT 6 Video.
Day two was the ACT 6 hilly day. What an incredible day. When the route planners say “hilly” they mean “HILLY”! We rolled from Albany to tonight’s camp at Sauk Prairie School. The ride stated out smooth quiet and chilly at about 6 in the morning. The cool weather was much appreciated.
Once the hills started, it didn’t matter that the weather was cool. Just five miles into the ride everyone was breaking a sweat. Even thought the early hills seemed big we had more monsters in the future. Enchanted Valley road has the steepest hill I have ever climbed. It starts off reasonable and twisty. Then, on a sort of blind corner, you see the REAL hill. Straight and incredibly steep. I’m not ashamed to say I downshifted to the granny. The lesson of the day was that riders legs hurt and burn on hills. It hurts and saps your energy. However, our hill climbs last for minutes. People living with HIV have to overcome that kind of exhaustion on a regular basis. We are riding for them so that they can feel better more often. Pit stops were also stellar today. A UCC church along the route laid out everything from hard boiled eggs to fresh fruit, homemade backed goods, and gluten free pretzels. Very considerate and tasty. The other pits stops were also a blast. Fun and nutritious across the board. A regular named “Watermelon Man” was at the last pit. He, of course, had watermelon for all and a seed spitting game. ACT 6 Day One
Tuesday 08-12-2008 8:56am CT
|
|
© 2012
