Bike4Alz Team 11 at the Grand Canyon. (Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)
Team 11 at the Delta Xi Chapter House. (Berkeley, CA)
Nine days ago, we began the first stretch of our over two-month-long cross-country journey. After a 46-hour car ride, we arrived at the Delta Xi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at UC Berkeley, who kindly let us stay in their house for the duration of our stop in San Francisco. Before our arrival, we made a detour to the Grand Canyon. Most of the team had never been before and were stunned by its grandeur. While in San Francisco, we stretched our legs and saw the city sights. On May 18th, much of the team got a tour of Berkeley’s campus from one of their brothers from the Delta Xi Chapter and even saw graduation preparation. The next day, we visited the San Francisco Bay Area, climbed the hills to Coit’s Tower, saw Alcatraz Prison from a distance, weaved through the world’s curviest road, and so much more.
Team 11 on the Golden Gate Bridge. (San Francisco, CA)
On Saturday, May 20th, we began with our rear tires in the Pacific Ocean. It was a rush as we sprinted to the road and began our ride. Cycling through the city was a great experience, and the stretch over the Golden Gate Bridge was remarkable. The overcast conditions and rain may have dampened our spirits, but still, that view of the water and the city skyline against the clouds revived us. The following stretch of the ride was relieved of the rain and took us through a beautiful coastline with the ocean on one side and massive hills on the other. Eventually, we joined a large group of other cyclists whose positivity and capability helped guide us through the route. We ended up in Vallejo, where we stayed at the First Baptist Church.
From Vallejo, we rode to Davis and stayed at the Ryder on Olive apartment complex on May 21st. With the sunny day and beautiful weather, the team could relax from our days of cycling by the pool. We also visited the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, where the team learned the history of bicycles and bicycle culture. Later that day, we were hosted by Carlton Senior Living. The team introduced ourselves and our cause to the residents and exchanged stories with them. This visit helped remind us of why we ride as well as meet some great people. Next, we held a fundraising event at Froggy’s Bar & Grill, where we met some locals, sold some merch, and received 10% of the proceeds made at the restaurant that night. It was in Davis also that we realized that our trailer had sustained some damage during the trek. But thanks to some quick thinking, we were able to get a U-Haul to carry us through the next few days.
Team 11 with Sakura Gray from Good Day Sacramento. (Folsom, CA)
From Davis, we rode out from Ryder along a scenic bike path into Folsom, where we camped for the night. That next morning, May 24th, Good Day Sacramento interviewed the team and saw us off for our ride to Somerset. We also discovered a visitor in our van before we left; a mouse had fallen into one of the door pockets but was quickly freed. For roughly 40 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation, the team pushed through the El Dorado Hills and finally arrived at Pioneer Baptist Church in Somerset. The team was welcomed graciously by the church pastor, whom we cannot thank enough. Today, May 25th, we could not ride due to poor road conditions and an extra trip back to Davis to retrieve our now-functioning trailer. Still, tomorrow, we begin our descent out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and into the state of Nevada.
Bike4Alz van parked in front of mountains. (Kirkwood, CA)