Welcome to the TTP community

Be apart of something great, join today!

Dude & Mini Dude's 2016 Ride-2-Survive

Regs

Staff member
Total Bastard
Jun 28, 2001
32,114
18,837
Tokens
16,187
Dirty Money
55,668
My Dad... apparently if you are going to get cancer, that's the one to get according to his specialist.

How was the ride?
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
Ride was yesterday. It was hard. In my eight years doing this, I was probably my fittest, but the conditions were the worse. Dangerous headwinds and crosswinds hit up 1/2 way through the Coquihalla pass and by the time we hit Britton Creek was at it's worse. There were not enough spots in the sag vehicles for all the folks that didn't want to make the descent into Hope. For good reason, it was borderline unsafe. But we can't control weather. My feeling is if the organizers had the ability to cancel at that point they would have.

Happy and proud to be strong enough to push at the front and take the wind. More so, incredibly proud of my kid, who rode like a veteran stud. My proud dad moment was during the section to Merrit. There was another father / son team out this year. I think their names were Zack and William. Zack was the dad- a survivor who has lost a kidney and 1/2 a lung to Cancer. William is his 21 year old son from Ontario, a former pro racer, helluva rider. William was there to push his dad along so long as his dad was on his bike, and enjoy the rest when he wasn't. During a hilly stretch on the 5a, Will had to pull out due to a mechanical. Zack stayed in anyhow. On the next hill, Zack started to fall back. Michael saw this, rode up next to him, put his hand around his back and guided him up the hill. I was about 5 wheels back, helping another rider. For a solid 30 minutes, Michael got Zack through that section as William was busy in the mechanical vehicle getting his bike fixed.

The lady I was helping says to me, "Must be a pretty proud dad moment." It was.

All day Michael was there to help struggling riders. It's one thing to do this day as a 16 year old, another to be one of those guys that sacrifices his legs to help others get through. He did pay for it later, but pretty sure he'd do it again.

So chuffed.

And feeling so wasted right now. I'll get some photos and do a write up this week. Today I have a day full of PVRed footy to watch.
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
My Dad... apparently if you are going to get cancer, that's the one to get according to his specialist.

How was the ride?


I've heard that too, but I'm sure it doesn't make that much easier. Really sorry to hear this; I hope diagnosis came early enough and it sounds like it has.
 

Regs

Staff member
Total Bastard
Jun 28, 2001
32,114
18,837
Tokens
16,187
Dirty Money
55,668
Ride was yesterday. It was hard. In my eight years doing this, I was probably my fittest, but the conditions were the worse. Dangerous headwinds and crosswinds hit up 1/2 way through the Coquihalla pass and by the time we hit Britton Creek was at it's worse. There were not enough spots in the sag vehicles for all the folks that didn't want to make the descent into Hope. For good reason, it was borderline unsafe. But we can't control weather. My feeling is if the organizers had the ability to cancel at that point they would have.

Happy and proud to be strong enough to push at the front and take the wind. More so, incredibly proud of my kid, who rode like a veteran stud. My proud dad moment was during the section to Merrit. There was another father / son team out this year. I think their names were Zack and William. Zack was the dad- a survivor who has lost a kidney and 1/2 a lung to Cancer. William is his 21 year old son from Ontario, a former pro racer, helluva rider. William was there to push his dad along so long as his dad was on his bike, and enjoy the rest when he wasn't. During a hilly stretch on the 5a, Will had to pull out due to a mechanical. Zack stayed in anyhow. On the next hill, Zack started to fall back. Michael saw this, rode up next to him, put his hand around his back and guided him up the hill. I was about 5 wheels back, helping another rider. For a solid 30 minutes, Michael got Zack through that section as William was busy in the mechanical vehicle getting his bike fixed.

The lady I was helping says to me, "Must be a pretty proud dad moment." It was.

All day Michael was there to help struggling riders. It's one thing to do this day as a 16 year old, another to be one of those guys that sacrifices his legs to help others get through. He did pay for it later, but pretty sure he'd do it again.

So chuffed.

And feeling so wasted right now. I'll get some photos and do a write up this week. Today I have a day full of PVRed footy to watch.
So awesome, can't like this post enough!
 

Ballbaby

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 3, 2001
1,919
452
Tokens
1,240
Dirty Money
423
Ride was yesterday. It was hard. In my eight years doing this, I was probably my fittest, but the conditions were the worse. Dangerous headwinds and crosswinds hit up 1/2 way through the Coquihalla pass and by the time we hit Britton Creek was at it's worse. There were not enough spots in the sag vehicles for all the folks that didn't want to make the descent into Hope. For good reason, it was borderline unsafe. But we can't control weather. My feeling is if the organizers had the ability to cancel at that point they would have.

Happy and proud to be strong enough to push at the front and take the wind. More so, incredibly proud of my kid, who rode like a veteran stud. My proud dad moment was during the section to Merrit. There was another father / son team out this year. I think their names were Zack and William. Zack was the dad- a survivor who has lost a kidney and 1/2 a lung to Cancer. William is his 21 year old son from Ontario, a former pro racer, helluva rider. William was there to push his dad along so long as his dad was on his bike, and enjoy the rest when he wasn't. During a hilly stretch on the 5a, Will had to pull out due to a mechanical. Zack stayed in anyhow. On the next hill, Zack started to fall back. Michael saw this, rode up next to him, put his hand around his back and guided him up the hill. I was about 5 wheels back, helping another rider. For a solid 30 minutes, Michael got Zack through that section as William was busy in the mechanical vehicle getting his bike fixed.

The lady I was helping says to me, "Must be a pretty proud dad moment." It was.

All day Michael was there to help struggling riders. It's one thing to do this day as a 16 year old, another to be one of those guys that sacrifices his legs to help others get through. He did pay for it later, but pretty sure he'd do it again.

So chuffed.

And feeling so wasted right now. I'll get some photos and do a write up this week. Today I have a day full of PVRed footy to watch.


Honestly man! To realize and confirm that your son has these humanistic qualities and obvious leadership skills? There is nothing better!!

Well done all!!!
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
Hey guys. Sorry for the wait on this; I wanted to get my hands on some of the photos this year. The chief pro this year was Jason Brawn- look him up on the Crackbook. Unreal quality! He really captured the spirit and emotions of the ride this year.

As I mentioned, this was emotionally my most difficult ride. Not physically- in that way I felt strong from beginning to end this year, it's been the fittest I've been on the bike in 25 years, going back to when I was Michael’s age and an aspiring young stud of a cyclist. Emotionally, though…I went to some pretty black places. There has been so much training in the rain this year I can't begin to describe. Even this morning, I'm procrastinating getting out here in Whistler for my last long training ride before Ironman in 2 weeks. Rain again.

Also, this is the first time I've really let Michael go and be his own man. I focused 100% on the job, and guiding riders through. He did his. As I mentioned, he was STRONG. Many time during the day I'd see him ride up next to a struggling rider, talk them through, and even put a hand on their back when needed. I was proud because there was zero hesitation. I always say that part of being a leader of this ride means that, sometimes, you burn your matches helping others at the expense of your own fitness later on in the day. Sure enough, just after leaving Hope, he had to take his first break. Out of sheer exhaustion, he slept for an hour in between rests. In all, he still covered about 325 KM, and of that, all of the hard sections.

Most people don't understand the concept of this event. It's truly unique, not many like it at all. We all start together, and finish together. We ride as a unit for the whole day, and as a team try to make sure the group is tight so as to keep it as efficient as possible. This is NOT a “Ride at your own pace” kind of event. If you can't keep pace, you will be placed in a Sag vehicle. Therefore, you have to train, and you have to train hard.

We are grassroots and 100% efficient, so far as funds. Our administration does not take a single cent for their efforts. Nobody is paid, not even guys like Jason. All services, food, and gas is donated. We each pay a $250 fee to cover expenses that we can't solicit. Because of the grassroots nature, they cap participation at 125 riders because they simply can't handle anymore.

Everyone has a personal scar from Cancer. Some worse than others.

The day is supposed to be hard as a metaphor of the fight Cancer patients endure. 400 KM, rain, shine, sleet, wind. Over 12,000’ of climbing. At times a hard, unrelenting pace. Serious risk of injury. You face fears, you face emotional swings, you face exhaustion and feel elation. It can be a terrible and incredibly uplifting experience all at the same time.

This year I'm going to post photos as a storyline to try and tell the story myself and portray what we experience. It's truly unique.

Finally- thank you guys for giving up your hard earned cash every year. It's not lost on me, or Michael. He's very familiar with TTP and the support you guys give us both, and believe me, really looks up to us as a community. As a father and friend I precise your support.

Enjoy….

www.r2s.ca
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957

The weekend starts on Friday. We all meet at Cap's South Shore Cycles in Delta, and load up into two Greyhounds for the ride up. A semi takes our bikes. For most first years this is a massive bundle of nerves as they see the Coquihalla for the last time before having to ride it home the next day. I remember thinking how massive it seemed 8 years ago.

Part of prep is the riders meeting, and this is hard. 2 hours where every rider and crew speaks either for a while or some not at all, overcome by emotions, introducing themselves, and if they can hold it together, why they are there. I usually manage to keep it light, but not this year. My son went first, got past his name, and fell apart. He still has difficulty talking about Nana. I then took the mic and spoke for us both. Or tried. In the end my message was simple: I'm here for the kids, and I'm here to support the riders, many of whom I'm awestruck by. Not their abilities, their strength. I'm here to give you a push when you need it.

I have a necklace R2S handed out my first year. The hearts are the same as given to children undergoing treatment at Children's Hospital. They get one per treatment, whatever it is. Some kids have a string of hearts as long as a living room. I now have 8 hearts, one for each year ridden.
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
The "Package" as we call it is an amazing thing. A short caravan of police, ambulance, Sag vehicles, mobile bike repair, porta potties, food, kitchen, and volunteers. We stop aa total of 12 times, 10 of those 10 minutes or less to refuel, go to the john, quick change, whatever. A volunteer grabs our bike and ensures the bottles are refilled. We do our thing. The volunteers are quite honestly amazing, and the heartbeat of this event. This year a wheel literally fell off the food trailer. I knew this as it occurred, as I was on the radio. They had everything transferred into an alternate vehicle and at the next stop before we got there, most riders completely unaware of the issue.

Two stops are for 45 minutes for full meals and a change of kit. We are never late out of a stop.

Truly amazing....
 

Regs

Staff member
Total Bastard
Jun 28, 2001
32,114
18,837
Tokens
16,187
Dirty Money
55,668
Awesome photos, I'll spend some time later to go through them all - thanks @Dude for sharing with us!

Cheers,

Regs.
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
I mentioned earlier the issue of "burning your matches". In this group we have a huge range of individuals and their abilities. We've got guys that have raced at elite levels, and we have men and women whom have taken up riding specifically for this day because something happened to inspire them. One guy saw us riding through Delta last year, on the last leg, and looked into it. Simply "wanted to be part of something great". One young lady, Jessica, was in attendance last year when we as a team rolled up to her home and visited her mum...one of the many Ride-Bys we do every year to try and inspire them. Most are terminal. So was Jessica's mum. She's since passed, and Jessica decided to start training for R2S. She rode every KM. she's shown in he photos below, in the rain, the young lady riding behind Michael and Ray (guy on orange bike). On a side note, Michael spent a lot of time talking Jessica through some stages, and the odd push here and there. :D

I've always had the theory that I'm here to help, and burn my matches helping others. Most raise more money than I do. I'm not a great fundraiser, but I can ride, and I have strong legs and arms to push. My role is to take the wind up front, ride in the back as a tail gunner (often more difficult because we have to often pull over to help a ride get a chain back on then push them up), and generally serve as an ox.

I take a great deal of pride in that roll, and have sometimes gotten in shite from the Chiefs in the front and rear pilot cars for pushing too much. "Mike, number 110 needs to get in sag NOW! No more pushing!" My position is this: often times some riders will have a special reason for wanting to make a climb. I have written about my buddy Denis - "Nemo" - who has survived lung cancer and rode a couple of years with 1 lung. He's such a good dude, hard worker, and genuinely selfless guy that I will push him all day if he needs it. Every year there is someone else that has has "it" that compels me to help.

So, as I sat a few wheels behind my son, helping a lady named Alison, I saw Will pull off because of a flat. Will's dad was this year's Nemo, operating on one lung, and one kidney. Will was there to push his dad to the end. When Will flatted, my kid drifted into Will's spot, and for the next hour kept his hand near Will's dad's back, and pushed when he needed it. He did it for all the right reasons. And to my relief, the front pilot stayed silent on the radio, letting Michael do the work without pulling rank. They let him express himself in the way he's learned from strong leaders around him who've shown him the way ever since he first rode R2S as a 13 year old. I rode that hour with tears in my eyes. Yes, he burned his matches. Yes, he's happy to have done it. Will is a beast of a rider, but that one hour gesture created a bond between Michael and Will that can't be put adequately into words.

My kid can be a donkey...but he's my donkey, and I'm so proud of what he's become as a generous, giving individual.
 

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
This year was a tale of two rides. The week leading up showed only rain and wind. It took me all week to wrap my head around the possibility of fighting wind and riding wet for 20 hours.

The morning was actually very good. Overcast and cool, not cold. Not wind. In fact, that held right through to the top of Larson Hill- the climb to the Coquihalla Summit- then the wind came on hard, and rain droplets the size of kittens. The section from Britton Creek down to Hope was by far the toughest I've ever spent on this Ride in 8 years. Will and I took the front, and stayed there, out of necessity. People were cooked, and this was my time to burn matches. The wind was coming at us from the Southeast, basically a headwind at an angle. The Sags were all jammed full of exhausted and nervous riders- because it was quite dangerous. Will and I pushed a hard pace to force others to grab a wheel, because in this case, some speed is critical to momentum and safety. Too low, and folks will be on the brakes in wet, oily conditions. To say it was hard is an undestatement. Getting the riders through safely was the highest priority, and it meant pushing a pace not all could hold.

Another Jessica- the rider in yellow above- said to me after: "I was literally too frightened to slow down and pull over. I cried twice. Once out of fear, once when I though of the people I'm riding for." That's what it took to get her through. Many were in the same boat. The photos tell the story...

I spoke to a couple of guys that have done all 11...both said this year was the hardest.
 
Last edited:

Dude

Lifetime Better Bastard
Jul 23, 2001
16,735
4,590
Tokens
15,679
Dirty Money
1,957
At the end of the day, we were a good hour and a half behind schedule. The rain never gave in after it started. I'm still cold.

The last mile we call "The Yellow Mile". This is where all the riders who are cancer survivors lead us in. These are some of the strongest people I've even met.
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.

Your TTP Wallet

Tokens
0
Dirty Money
0
TTP Dollars
$0

Latest posts

Top