The AIDS Life Cycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles is less than a week away and local cyclists are wrapping up their training.

As they flip through their kits and tighten their bike shoes, the idea of riding a bike the length of California is still pretty daunting. But that doesn’t stop them.

“The training involves months of training and commitment, so your weekends are taken. You don’t have a life.”

“In the morning it’s freezing and then by mid-afternoon it’s super hot,” said second year cyclist Scott Ward.

The Aids Life Cycle aims to raise money for treatment and remove the stigma associated with AIDS. The 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles is brutal. Around 2,500 cyclists will average about 80 miles per day and getting ready for the ride is a feat all on its own. Many riders start training about a year in advance.

“The training involves months of training and commitment, so your weekends are taken. You don’t have a life,” said Ward.

“I started in November. I got my bike. We started doing smaller rides. Twenty thirty miles. Even that was difficult at first,” said first time AIDS Life Cycle rider William Finkle.

When you can do 60 to 80 miles a day you’re ready. Cyclist who have made the seven day journey before know what to expect, others are doing it for the very first time.

“I am nervous, I’m excited, I’m scared,” said Finkle.

One thing that first timers are actually looking forward to is something that veteran cyclists call “The Love Bubble.”

“They talk about the love bubble, this community that gets created on the ride. And I’m already starting to feel it.”

The ride starts in San Francisco on June 3rd and warps up in Los Angeles on June 9th. If you want to donate to AIDS Life Cycle, you can go to http://www.tofighthiv.org. You can search cyclists by name and donate to whoever you choose. In 2017 the event raised 16 million dollars.

Cyclists Wrap Up Yearlong Training for 2018 AIDS Life Cycle