The Final Ride: 545 Miles, Two Friends, and a Whole Lot of Love

Every June, riders gather at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, helmets on, hearts full, and begin a 545-mile journey to Los Angeles as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle ride. But this year was different. This year was the last ride.

I sat down with two friends, Sean Rhodes and Mike Chandler, who trained for months and rode side by side (well, most of the time) on the final AIDS/LifeCycle. What they shared with me was more than a recap. It was a reminder of what it means to persevere, and proof that sometimes the road can heal you.

Mike had never done it before. Sean had, but it had been a long time. They trained together with the Desert Roadrunners in Palm Springs, and something clicked. They weren’t just riders. They were a team. The kind that texts “Where are you?” at rest stops and understands the rhythm of what someone needs. Quiet sometimes. Jokes other times. Space. Encouragement. Snacks.

What made this conversation special is that it wasn’t about the glamour of finishing a big ride. It was about what happens in the middle. The breakdowns. The moments of doubt. The feeling when someone chooses to stay with you, mile after mile. That’s the part that stuck with me.

Sean talked about coming back to the ride as a way to reclaim a part of himself. It had been a hard few years. He was ready to draw a line in the sand and say, “This is the start of something new.” Mike showed up for the first time with names in his heart—people he’d lost to HIV and AIDS. And along the way, he picked up new names, new stories, people riding for someone, people who are someone.

There’s a point in the conversation where Sean says something like, “It’s not about the ride. It’s about the people.” And that’s exactly it. The ride is a structure. A container. But what fills it is love, and community, and the kind of quiet courage it takes to keep pedaling when you’re not sure you can.

It all ends in Santa Monica, riding down into the roar of a crowd. The ocean’s on your left. People are cheering. Some are crying. And you realize this isn’t just about finishing a ride. It’s about remembering. And holding space for those who didn’t get to cross the line.

Even though this was the last official AIDS/LifeCycle, the spirit of it doesn’t end here. Smaller rides are already forming. The community is still rolling forward. The love doesn’t stop just because the event does.

You don’t ride alone. You never did.

You can listen to the full conversation with Sean and Mike on Friends, Loves, & Life. It’s about bikes. But it’s also not about bikes at all. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.

-David

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#AIDSLifeCycle #LGBTQStories #GriefAndHealing #RideForLove #CommunityMatters #FriendsLovesLife #GayMenOnBikes #HIVAwareness #KeepPedaling

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