Ride 2 Recovery - Irvine

Your chance to ride with Olympian Dotsie Bausch:

http://www.prlog.org/12181588-ride-...h-at-charity-ride-in-orange-county-aug-3.html

[h=1]Ride with Olympic Cyclist Dotsie Bausch at Charity Ride in Orange County Aug 3[/h] Dotsie Bausch has lived through recovery aided by cycling. On Aug 3 she will join hundreds of cyclists riding in Irvine, Orange County, CA., to support our wounded warriors in their pursuit of recovery using bicycles. Registration is still open.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Dotsie Bausch to Participate at Orange County Charity Ride


PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 25, 2013 - IRVINE, Calif. -- "I love so much about it," says Dotsie Baush. "I just love being able to be outside with the wind in my face and the ability to see so much in a short period of time, if you go 30 miles or 50 miles or 70 miles. But I love the competitive aspect of it more than anything. I love track racing and I love the gift it's given me. It's been an incredible journey so far in just a short period of time." (quoted in ESPN interview.)

Her journey from anorexic runway model to professional cyclist and now Olympic Silver Medalist has been chronicled by virtually every major news organization. But beyond the model exterior and her physical capabilities on a bike, there is her unquenchable desire to pay it forward.

Her story of getting caught up in the crazy world of the New York runway model is nothing new. She drove herself so hard that she finally found herself barely surviving in a 5'9", 90 pound body. After contemplating suicide, she headed for therapy and a big life turnaround. She credits cycling for much of her recovery.

Now she helps others who are disabled by an eating disorder. No one is better at identifying with someone in some form of addiction, than an ex-addict. But Dotsie's big heart doesn't end there.

Our wounded vets sometimes struggle with some of the same needs in their recoveries that Dotsie did. And many of them are finding the same thing she did. A bicycle is a fantastic way to build strength, endurance, and postive mental energy. Through Ride 2 Recovery, veterans across the country are being outfitted with specially designed bikes that allow them to fully participate in cycling.

To help raise money for these vets, A Road Bike 4U is hosting an Aug 3rd ride originating at the store located in Irvine, at the corner of Main St. & Red Hill Ave. Dotsie Bausch will be one of those riding in support of our wounded warriors that day. You can still get in on the fun, and meet Dotsie. Registrations are still open, and you can sign up online at http://beta.active.com/irvine-ca/cycling/ride-2-recovery-...

The ride will be the cornerstone of a huge day of cycling events at the store. Owner Bruce Marshall has big goals for helping Ride 2 Recovery, including a drawing to win a brand new Giant Defy Carbon Road Bike. "We have a huge prize list that includes apparel, helmets, shoes, components and accessories donated by our suppliers. Many of those same suppliers will be at the shop on Aug 3 to talk about their current lines and maybe give some hints into 2014 offerings."

One interesting aspect of the drawing is that the total number of tickets sold is very unlikely to reach 5000. That is great for those who enter, since this means the odds are much better than Lotto or any table in Vegas. And the top prize alone is worth over $2,600. You can enter the drawing by going to http://aroadbike4u.com/product/arb-ride-2-recovery-drawin...

2014 Giant Bicycles will be available to ride, and other top brands will have 2014 products for you to check out. This 2nd annual expo at a Road Bike 4U will also include helpful clinics and, of course, very special deals on cycling gear throughout the store.

For details about all aspects of the ride, events, prizes and more, visit the company website at http://ARoadBike4U.com.

 

For anyone who doesn't want to ride their MTB on the ride, there will be a Giant Demo day at the event. This is your chance to try out one of those skinny tire bikes.

GIANT Demo Day Giant Bicycle will be bringing a demo fleet of 2014 bikes for you to take on extended test rides, including the Ride 2 Recovery! If you would like to test ride a Giant bicycle for the Ride 2 Recovery, please arrive by 6:45am to ensure we can get all riders set up propertly before the start. You MUST bring your own shoes, pedals, photo ID, and credit card (card will not be charged). Giant will not be taking reservations. Bike demos for the Ride 2 Recovery are on a first come, first serve basis. Giant is expecting to have the following 2014 models on hand:


Propel Advanced SL 0 - XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL

TCR Advanced SL 1 - XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL

Defy Advanced 1 - XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL

Envie (Women's Propel) - a few sizes



Additional models/sizes may be available.
Any bikes not taken out for the Ride 2 Recovery will be available for extended test rides throughout the morning. Once bikes have been returned from the ride, all bikes will be available for the rest of the afternoon for extended test rides - all on a first come, first serve basis. All demo bikes should be returned by 2:45pm.

 

Ride will benefit a local Veteran:

http://www.roadbikeoc.com/2013/08/i...an&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook


[h=1]Irvine Bike Ride to Raise Money for Local Veteran[/h] Posted by Bruce Marshall in Cycling Culture, Cycling News, Events
A Road Bike 4U, adaptive bike, Bike shop, California, cycling, Dotsie Bausch, heroes, Iraq War, Irvine, military veterans, Olympic Silver Medalist, Orange County, ride 2 recovery, wounded warrior
This blog post is from an article originally published by the Orange County Register, July 29th, 2013
BY JILLIAN BECK / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
United States Marine Corps Veteran Donny Savard tickles his 2 year-old son Seth as his wife Shawna, reflected, is all smiles at their home in Laguna Niguel. Donny Savard plans to join the upcoming Ride 2 Recovery in Honor of America’s Healing Heroes bike ride.


He wants to get back on a bike.
Growing up, Donny Savard rode almost daily. He bought a collection of bikes using cash earned by mowing neighbors’ huge rural lawns in his Grass Valley neighborhood.
Eventually, he built his own. And he kept riding.
But, Savard sustained injuries while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War. In a wheelchair, he was sidelined from cycling.
These days, his collection is much smaller, and a reminder of what he can no longer do.
At times, Savard gets frustrated. He’ll go into his garage that’s attached to his home in Laguna Niguel, where he lives with his wife and young son, and see the bikes that he can’t ride anymore.
“It’s real frustrating going out there and just thinking to myself, ‘I had a lot of fun and good times riding those,’ ” he said.
The bike Savard needs, one that he can pedal with his hands, is pricey – about $4,000 to $10,000.
During a Ride 2 Recovery ride, a participant uses a hand cycle, much like the model Laguna Niguel resident and local veteran Donny Savard needs.

This time, he’ll have some help earning money for his bike.
Members of the Irvine and Greater Orange County cycling community will gather to raise the money for Savard’s hand cycle with a ride on Aug. 3 at a local bike shop in Irvine, A Road Bike 4U.
Bruce Marshall, the owner of A Road Bike 4U, reached out earlier this year to Ride 2 Recovery to bring an Honor Ride to Irvine. Last summer, the bike shop organized a ride to benefit the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, raising about $2,500.
Ride 2 Recovery is a national nonprofit organization that uses cycling as a form of rehabilitation for healing heroes, said Linda Glassell, national director of Honor Rides for the group.
The organization puts on rides, not races, across the country and the world. They can be a daylong Honor Ride, or a weeklong Challenge Ride. The Aug. 3 event is an Honor Ride.
Marshall was looking for a cause the cycling community could rally around. That’s when he found Ride 2 Recovery while surfing the Internet.
Helping veterans is close to home for Marshall.
Bruce Marshall, Owner of A Road Bike 4U, gazes out at the starting point of the upcoming Ride 2 Recovery in Honor of America’s Healing Heroes bike ride.

His grandfather, who passed away 15 years ago, fought in World War II, losing his left arm in combat.
Marshall witnessed his grandfather’s tough transition back into civilian life with his injury, and saw him use golf as a way to recover.
“The sport was such an integral part of keeping him in good spirits and happy, despite his pain and everything he went through,” Marshall said. “I see cycling as doing that for a lot of people.”
Ride 2 Recovery, and its Project HERO (Healing Exercise Rehabilitation Opportunity) programs, aim to provide training and cycling programs at military hospitals and other veteran affairs facilities to help veterans overcome obstacles they may face once they return from duty.
Many veterans in the program suffer from psychological or physical effects from their service – often, both. Some experience post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Others have lost limbs or brain injuries.
Ride 2 Recovery purchases or builds about 100 bikes for veterans in the rehabilitation programs each year, with costs ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 per bicycle, depending on the specifications and adaptations needed for each injured veteran cyclist, according to David Haines, chief operating officer of Ride 2 Recovery.
Richard Brock, a program manager for Project HERO at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach, said when veterans come back, many have become accustomed to military life, which is mission-orientated. Cycling can let them set and achieve goals, said Brock, who has worked with hundreds of veterans through the Project HERO program.
The camaraderie of Ride 2 Recovery’s weeklong Challenge Rides, and continued support, gives veterans a social environment to talk with one another.
Savard is looking forward to participating in some of the weeklong rides; the cycling itself, but also the social aspect.
Veterans ride adaptive cycles up an incline during a Ride 2 Recovery Challenge Ride earlier this year.

“It’s not just riding with other people, it’s riding with other servicemen,” he said. “Especially the fact that there are other disabled veterans – we’ll always have something to talk about.”
About 75 people have signed up for the ride so far. Marshall hopes this year will be the start of a tradition at his shop. They’ve already set a tentative date for next summer – Aug. 2.
The ride is attracting many from the local cycling community, including Olympic silver-medalist and Irvine resident Dotsie Bausch.
Bausch, who won a silver medal at the London Olympics last year in the cycling team pursuit event, recently started helping out with Ride 2 Recovery.
“We know freedom is not free and the more that we can expose what these guys and gals have done fighting for us to be where we are … is a gift to anyone who experiences it,” she said. “So having (the Honor Ride) here in my own backyard, are you kidding me? It’s amazing. It needs to be everywhere – in small towns to big cities to Manhattan.”
She hopes to eventually coach some of the veterans into becoming competitive cyclers, helping some to compete in the 2016 or 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
Savard’s eventual goal is to compete.
Veterans ride adaptive bikes and others participate in one of Ride 2 Recovery’s Challenge Rides in 2012.

Remembering the feeling of cycling makes him smile.
“It’s nice when you get on a stretch of flat road, or a slight downhill, and you can just relax and feel the wind in your face,” he said. “(It’s) the feeling of not having a care in the world about anything.”
Expect to see him zooming along Pacific Coast Highway in the coming months, getting back to that feeling of tranquility, once he gets his bike. He’s got his heart set on an Invacare Top End Force RX hand cycle, a model that allows him to lay down with just his neck and head tilted up.
Ride 2 Recovery is working on getting Savard a bike to use for Irvine’s Honor Ride next month. He said it might be one of the seated hand cycles, the kind that makes his body feel uncomfortable. But it would be one he can use to at least start off the ride with the other participants.
He’s determined.
It’s time to get back on a bike. ”But, if I get comfortable, I probably won’t stop,” he said, laughing.
Both the 25 and 60-mile rides will start and end at A Road Bike 4U, Main St. & Red Hill Ave, Irvine.
Individuals can register online at https://ride2recovery.com/honorRide.php
$35 pre-sale, $45 for day-of registration, injured veterans are free
The event starts at 8 a.m.