San Francisco to Los Angeles AIDS/Lifecycle Ride ends, but “Love Bubble” community lives on

“This work has impacted and changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of riders and volunteer roadies,” said Tyler Termehl, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “I lived with HIV for 20 years of my life, long before I became CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I discovered AIDS/LifeCycle and became involved as a rider 16 years ago, and it has been a huge part of my life.”

Termeer said the decision to end AIDS/LifeCycle was an incredibly difficult one given what the experience meant to many of the participants, who said participating in the ride helped them build a support network of “a sense of belonging, pride, acceptance and love.”

The event began as the California AIDS Ride in 1994, at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in California. In 2002, the name was changed to AIDS/Life Cycle, with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center as major sponsors.

Over the past 30 years, the bike tour has raised more than $300 million for these two organizations, with the funds used to provide medical and social services to people living with HIV and AIDS.

For San Francisco resident and longtime AIDS/Lifecycle rider Jim Winslow, the annual event is an opportunity to foster relationships both old and new.

Winslow and her husband, who died last year, participated in 17 AIDS/Lifecycle Rides. During one of them, they met and became friends with a lesbian couple. Winslow's husband eventually became the couple's sperm donor, and they had a baby girl.

“This is about those of us who have been affected by the AIDS epidemic – people who have lost so much – finding a way to fight back and creating a community to raise awareness of people with HIV in California,” Winslow said.

But Winslow said he understands why the decision was made to end the ride.

Each year, cyclists who want to participate in the AIDS/LifeCycle ride must raise a minimum of $3,500 each. In 2022, the ride saw over 2,000 cyclists participate and raised over $17 million. However, numbers have declined rapidly as the costs of hosting the ride have increased dramatically.

This isn't really surprising, Winslow says: In recent years, infection rates have fallen thanks to increased awareness of HIV/AIDS and medical advances such as the prevention drug PrEP.

“The causes of this have changed a lot over the years,” Winslow said. “It has gone from something that was a very important focus for all of us in the community to now being a much more manageable illness.”

He said this is an opportunity for the AIDS/Life Cycle riders to bring attention to other issues facing the LGBTQ community, rather than focusing on the actual event itself.

Termeer agreed, adding that despite the decline in participation, he hopes the community will come together to encourage those living with HIV and AIDS or who may be at high risk for infection. Termeer said the ride's tradition of support will continue.

The final AIDS/LifeCycle ride will be held in June 2025. At this time, there are no plans for new cycling events, but community discussions are ongoing.

“Some of my closest friends and family have been people I've met on this journey over the last 16 years, and it's no exaggeration to say it has been life-changing,” Turmere said. “So many people have met the love of their life, their best friend, the person they can rely on in their happiest and most difficult times, and that has been true for me.”

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