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Meet Evan Bachner, who at 67 will participate in his 18th AIDS bike ride from Boston to New York

Courtesy Evan Bachner

Evan Bachner (left) and his husband, Ed Rivera, at a Cycle for the Cause ride

The annual Cycle for the Cause ride starts Thursday in Boston and ends Sunday in NYC.

Almost 30 years ago, what was known as the AIDS Ride began in the Northeast and was a bike trek from Boston to New York City in response to the AIDS epidemic. The ride, now known as Cycle for the Cause, was started in 1995 in response to the AIDS epidemic. The journey has continued every year since, raising funds and awareness to work toward ending HIV and AIDS.

Perhaps there is no one more dedicated to the ride than Evan Bachner, 68, who has done it 17 times over the last 29 years.

Bachner is a lifelong New Yorker, who is by day a technology risk executive with experience at several large financial services corporations as well as an LGBTQ+ rights and benefits advocate within the industry. He has established and led LGBTQ+ employee resource groups at numerous companies.

In his spare time, Bachner has authored three books of World War II photographs drawn from the National Archives. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, Ed Rivera, and their dog, Goldie.

But that’s not all Bachner does. He is a bicycle enthusiast, and his yearly training starts slowly but builds to the crescendo that is the trek from Boston to New York.

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The Advocate caught up with Bachner this week before he began his 18th ride.

The Advocate:So, another ride for you, Evan?

Evan Bachner: Yes, I’ve ridden in Cycle for the Cause since its inception in 1995. This will be my 18th ride over the past 29 years.

Has the excitement to participate diminished over the years?

Every year, I'm excited to ride with a like-minded community of activists, raising money for the life-changing HIV services and education provided by the NYC LGBT Community Center. Since the beginning, the ride has consisted of LGBT+ people, allies, corporate participants, and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. Every year, we come together as a community. It's hard to overstate how the ride and the center have become an important part of people's lives.

For sure, all of our readers are interested in learning how you will be training for this.

Every year, I start with short rides a couple of times a week. Over the summer, the rides gradually get longer and harder. The training rides are open to all riders of all levels, and we try to keep them interesting and challenging, riding in New Jersey, Long Island, and upstate New York. If you can ride a bike, there's a good chance you can ride at least 10 miles. Increase that by five miles each time you go out, and before you know it, you can ride 80-100 miles in a day along back roads and dedicated bike trails, way further than you could have imagined.

So it seems you’re quite a fitness buff!

I'm far from a fitness buff. I go to the gym occasionally, but nothing compares to rolling through scenery that would just flash by in a car or that you would never see staying in your neighborhood. It's amazing what you can achieve by riding with friends every weekend for a cause you care deeply about. Cycle for the Cause feels like summer camp for adults with a serious purpose. My husband, Ed, who is way more fit than I am, rides up front. I talk to other riders and take in the scenery further back. It's definitely not a race.

At 67, I think you’re showing that it's never too late to challenge yourself. Are there any people you look up to for motivation?

Some people are motivated by the good we can do by raising money. Others, myself included, are further driven by the sense of community and purpose that brings us together. Many of us ride in memory of the people we've lost to HIV disease. Most of us participate in Cycle for the Cause as part of either a community or corporate team, but we only compete in fundraising and which team has the best-looking jersey.

I've co-captained two corporate teams and one community team. Most importantly, we ride with the soul of the ride, the Positive Pedalers, who lead us out each day, with orange flags attached to their bikes. On the second day, Red Dress Day, we all wear red, with many of us wearing the Poz Peds and allies jersey. From above, we become a miles-long HIV awareness ribbon. For me, that's the high point of the ride.

I think you touched on this, but what does the ride mean for you personally?

In 1995, when I rode in the first ride from Boston to New York, it was the first time in a decade that I wasn't angry, sad, or scared. A lot has changed. People's lives can be saved and changed by medication and treatment, combined with education and services. The goal of raising money and awareness to provide those services is what motivates me now.

On one of our first training rides in 1995, I met a young man who quickly became my closest friend. We did three rides together in New York and California. Ten years ago, he became ill, and died two years later. Our community team, Team Dave, rides in his memory.

Twenty-nine years ago, when we set out on our first ride, we could not have imagined the advances in HIV care or that our ride would still be necessary. In some ways, I can't believe I'm still doing this, but I plan on continuing until there is a cure and we don't have to anymore.