Set 3 col cutline

Bert, looking as dapper as possible, at the halfway mark.

 

Set 2 col

Helaine Fendelman and Jeff Pressman were at the finish line to welcome Bert, complete with a banner, balloons, T-shirts and pompoms. As Bert commented, “Would anyone expect less?”

 

Bert On A Bike

Set 7-31; 707892

By R. Scudder Smith

SAN FRANCISCO–L.A. AREA — After a few months of training, several spills and periods of exhaustion, Bert Fendelman felt he was ready and on June 3 hopped on his bike for a ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Well, believe it or not (and he did not believe it), he was able to complete the trip by June 9, covering slightly over 550 miles.

Actually, it was not just a pleasure jaunt, but part of an event to raise money for AIDS research and care. To qualify, each rider had to raise at least $2,500, but Bert showed another of his hidden talents and came across with $18,000. In total, the ride generated $11 million, a record for the event now in its sixth year.

Bert is not one to get lost in a crowd, but he did get lost in a sea of bikes as 2,300 riders participated, supported by a volunteer staff of 450. Riders aged from 18 to 76 (Bert was at the high end of the scale), and came from 43 states and ten countries. The longest day’s ride was 105.4 miles, the shortest 45.5. In talking about the ride, Bert seemed to put more emphasis on the shorter days.

Each day would start before 8 am, with stops along the way for water, snacks and lunch. Dinner was served at overnight camps and tents for two were provided for sleeping. “The weather was perfect, no rain, and most of the vistas were awesome and breathtaking,” Bert said. Actually he found the ride itself breath taking at times, especially on hills.

Bert is still thrilled by the last day of the ride, and not just because it was over and he made it. “Day seven was exhilarating and we rode into Veterans’ Center in Los Angeles to be greeted by waving and cheering family and friends,” he said.

Congratulations, and more power to you Bert. Will he do it again? Ask him.