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Big Wheels, Big Heart:
Pedaling Toward a Better World
continued from page one...


Bicyclists Move Fast

After a few organized training rides, you can even venture out on your own. (Always be prepared with spare tubes and a bike pump; safety first!) Check out your local bike club and start riding with them. You'll find out pretty quickly that bikers are some of the friendliest people around.

Strangers may bike up next to you and tell you their life story (it's already happened to me). They'll give you directions, loan you bike tools, and give you tips on your riding technique. When they see your bike by the side of the road, they will stop to ask you if you're OK, even when you wave them off because you happen to be taking a bathroom break in the woods.


Tale of Two-Wheeled Romance Number Two
"I was riding in Central Park and my bike seat kept bothering me," says former AIDSRider Jane Bryant. "So I stopped a guy with muscles to ask if he could help me. Not only did he fix my seat, he asked me out. I was already seeing someone, but it was flattering nonetheless."


During the Ride, you will be provided with luxurious accommodations in... well, in a tent. But wait! This, too, is a prime opportunity to meet someone. If you're doing the Ride alone, your first mission is to find a tent mate. How many other times in your life will you have a truly innocent excuse to invite someone to share a bed with you?

And unlike the "real" dating scene, the risks of sharing a tent with someone are minimal. If you learn that your tent mate snores, you haven't lost much more than a little sleep. But you have ruled out a possible dud for dating. If you're not successful, don't stress. On the day before the Ride begins, you stand in line for tent mates yet another place to look for that special someone.


And You're Just Getting Started...

If you haven't found someone during your training period, don't despair. The Big To Do suggests that you continue your search during the actual Ride itself. Keep in mind that plenty of non-bikers will be present on The Ride as support: the pit stop crew (they feed you), the truck guys and gals (they transport your stuff), the medics (they bandage you up if you need it), and the massage therapists (ahem).

There are also plenty of lines to stand in: breakfast lines, dinner lines, port-o-potty lines. The atmosphere on the Ride has been described by one biker as camp-like. There's lots of music, including live bands, and plenty of dancing and other activities. The exhilarating atmosphere lends itself to quick and lasting friendships. If you're looking for someone of a particular faith or denomination, some rides even have different prayer meetings and Shabbat circles.

And, if all else fails, try the medic tent.


Tale of Two-Wheeled Romance Number Three
After posting her photo on his Web site, Nathalie Winkler's training ride leader introduced her to John. They went on a blind date, and it was a dud. "He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and he wasn't my type," says Nathalie. But she saw him on The Ride, and suddenly "something happened." They began to spend time together during the Ride, and she saw how wonderful he was.

"The AIDSRide changes you. It knocked down all of the walls I'd built up after ten years in New York," says Nathalie. "It's a life-changing event." Within two weeks, she knew that her life would never be the same. They were engaged less than a year, and married last May. Now Nathalie Fischer, she says of ending up together: "Never in a million years would it have happened without the AIDSRide."



It's Not About the Bike

You can find any number of important fights that will have similar fundraisers -- AIDS, MS, cancer -- and still, your surreptitious search for romance will be conducted for a worthy cause. At the very least, you'll end up in fabulous shape, you'll have a bevy of new friends, and a new hobby.

When you undertake a real challenge like an AIDSRide, choosing to participate in something much bigger than yourself, your karma changes. Things change. You become open to new possibilities... and new people.

Remember: it's not about the bike. It's not even about the ride. It's about who you're helping when you set off on your adventure... and who you meet along the way.


Heather Hewett still can't quite believe she biked 80 miles last Sunday. She now spends so much time at her local bike shop that other customers think she works there.


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