Rider Patti Hatfield takes a breather at one of the rest stops, where the theme was "Armed Forces." The guys in uniform are ride support staff.

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Birthdays may be ho-hum to most adults, but for Patti Hatfield, each new decade represents a chance to do something extra-special.

When she turned 30, she rode three “century” (100-mile) bike rides.

At 40, she ran marathons – four of them – each in a different state.

This year, to mark her 50th birthday, Hatfield outdid herself by riding her custom 25-year-old Bianchi road bike in the 12th annual seven-day, 545-mile AIDS LifeCycle Ride, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

“I’ve known several people who’ve lost their lives to HIV,” said Hatfield. “AIDS is a disease that knows no boundaries. Gone are the days when it was traditionally a gay men’s disease. We rode to raise awareness and money for AIDS research and education.”

Beginning with an emotional sunrise send-off, where a riderless bike was used to pay tribute to those who have lost the battle with AIDS, Hatfield headed out for what would prove to be a truly remarkable journey.

The Valencia Lakes fitness buff had begun training in January, riding as much as 150 miles a week, and was largely prepared for the California terrain.

“It’s very, very hilly out there. I was hoping after 20 years in Vermont, muscle memory would kick in and I’d remember how to ride a hill,” she said.

The event took riders through the nation’s “salad bowl,” where fields of veggies and fruit like lettuce and strawberries lay in every direction.

“I never thought about how lettuce is harvested,” she said. “I never imagined workers squatting in a field, cutting off heads of iceberg and throwing them in a truck. No wonder the lettuce is bruised on the inside sometimes. The ride was a real life experience.”

Submitted

Valencia Lakes resident Patti Hatfield with her trusty Bianchi road bike.

They rode through cities, where it sometimes took an hour to go three miles, because of the traffic lights. She says everywhere they went, people welcomed them with signs and honking horns.

On Red Dress Day, each rider wore some sort of red outfit to show solidarity.

“From the top of a hill, there was a line of red as far as you could see,” she said. “It was incredible.”

Hatfield was impressed by how well-organized the event was.

“We had to follow the roads and there are bike lanes everywhere; when there wasn’t, we rode on the highway shoulders,” she said. “Sometimes it was like riding on I-75, but they had to get permits from every town.”

Hatfield called the ride, which raised $11.6 million with its 2,500 bike riders and 700 volunteer roadies, a “well-oiled machine,” moving people, supplies and equipment seamlessly from start to stop each day.

“The roadies would set up tents at designated rest stops. They’d have chiropractors, massage therapists and bike techs, as well as lunch and showers at the rest stops. If you didn’t show up on time, the sweep truck would pick you up. Every rest stop had a theme like “The Incredibles” or “Carmen Miranda,” with music and decorations and everybody in costume, acting their part. It was incredible.”

Of course, there were rules and consequences. Spotters would discuss the day’s mistakes after dinner and those who were seen breaking certain rules, like relieving themselves someplace they shouldn’t have, were sent home.

Knowing there’d be mornings she would wake up and not want to ride another 80 or 90 miles, Hatfield collected stories in advance of the ride about people who died from AIDS.

“I read those letters every single night,” she said. “It reminded me why I was riding – to celebrate being healthy.”

To learn more about the AIDS LifeCycle Ride go to www.aidslifecycle.org.