Rick's Reflections:
Day 1
Rick's Reflections:
Day 1
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| Fellow reporter/rider Michael Reinbold(left) along with Oz teammates Kay Sailor and Dick Voss |
As I drove toward Minneapolis I kept thinking about how easy the preparation had been. Even after my typical procrastination I had raised my donations, packed my gear, put two 95-mile training rides under my butt…I mean…belt, and remembered to pack plenty of butt balm and ibuprophen. I was ready!!
I felt ready too. The check in process, the night before at the Mall of America, went surprisingly fast. Each step was simple and straight forward with only a ten minute wait for our tent assignments. We first signed in to receive rider numbers for our bike and helmet then went to another table to get our wristbands. The wristbands identify us on the ride for meal preference (meat or vegetarian) and have an emergency number to call in case we get lost or hurt. After that it was tent address assignment, a new ride t-shirt, and we were outta there! I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised considering there were only about 300 crew and riders to process compared to the thousands of people that attended the previous ride events.
Michael was ready and waiting in his doorway when I arrived. We loaded his bike and gear then headed back to pick up my wife, Tinia. It felt good to be on the road. We were excited and ready to ride.
At The Mall we simply dropped our stuff at the gear trucks, (one for crew and one for riders), said our goodbye’s and went inside. This year friends and family weren’t allowed inside for the opening ceremonies due to mall security concerns but we hope to remedy that by next year.
After a short but respectful opening ceremony we were told to line up at the north edge of the rotunda. Through no fault of my own I ended up near the front of the line because there was some hesitation or confusion about where to start. Perhaps people were a little timid or anxious but in a few minutes we were all assembled and ready with our bright smiling faces. Actually, looking back at the riders I saw expressions that ran the gamut from mild apprehension to calm contemplation and uncontainable joy. For myself, I remember feeling that we were exactly where we belonged. That what we were about to do was so right and so good it was as if we were operating under some divine mandate. When 6:30 rolled around and they said, “let’s go”, I knew that was true!
There was a certain irony in riding through the corridors of one of the largest modern symbols of American capitalism and excess for a charitable cause like AIDS awareness but at the same time having the endorsement and recognition of the Mall of America behind us, (or all around us), was pretty cool.
Riding out the Mall’s north entrance was indescribably exhilarating! The crowd of family and friends lining the roadway erupted in a chorus of so long’s and well wishes that reverberated back through the hallways of the Mall which I’m sure even the last rider could hear. The rider’s faces now showed no sign of apprehension, just the happy determination to have a great ride. The first annual Minnesota Red Ribbon Ride had begun!!
The overcast day provided a soft light and an occasional mist that made for pleasant riding. Everyone was in peak spirit and the route was gorgeous. We skirted the river to St. Paul then cut through south Woodbury to Afton. The woman who owns Selma’s Ice Cream Parlour hung red ribbons on the trees leading into Afton and was giving free coffee to the riders and crew.
Out of Afton we went to Hastings for lunch then on through Welch and onto the Cannon Valley trail into Red Wing with beautiful scenery and happy pit crews all the way. From Red Wing it was a gentle down hill ride on Highway 61 the entire way to Lake City where we received a warm welcome, a warm shower, a fabulous hot meal, and a needed rest from our first 98-mile leg.
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