In advance of an annual bicycling fundraiser for cancer research next month, a 14-mile training ride is scheduled to happen in Arlington this weekend.
The ride in preparation for the BellRinger — which raises funds for Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center — is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 8. Starting at Trek Bicycle in Ballston, the route heads west toward Fairfax before returning to 3924 Wilson Blvd.
This year, the BellRinger weekend is Oct. 25-26. As of this morning, a total of 584 cyclists have committed to riding 25, 50 or 100 miles at the fundraiser that has netted over $3 million since 2021.
Arlington resident Jeff Ridenour, who plans to participate in this year’s race, cycled his first “century ride” of 100 miles at last year’s BellRinger while undergoing leukemia treatments at Georgetown.
Beyond the physical accomplishment of the ride, Ridenour said BellRinger “was more about the process” and connecting with fellow cyclists. Cancer survivors identify themselves on the ride by wearing special green jerseys indicating their survivor status — a practice that Ridenour said helped him and others feel that they were sharing their stories.
“It was a very meaningful experience,” Ridenour told ARLnow. “Mainly, it was able to prove to myself that I could get over this, even when I was not feeling as well… it was a lot of fun, very meaningful and something I’m glad to be able to do once again.”
Now in remission, Ridenour rides his bike to work at the State Department most days and looks forward to participating in his second BellRinger next month.
BellRinger has two other training rides scheduled this month: a 30-mile ride in Potomac, Md. on Saturday, Sept. 14 and a 19.5-mile ride in Georgetown on Sunday, Sept. 22.
