Dear fellow rider:
You don't know me personally, but I ask for a minute of your time to read this message. I'm a 31 year old motorcycle rider living in Northwestern Spain. I'm also moderator for the photo forum at the Horizons Unlimited bulletin board (www.horizonsunlimited.com), but please note this is a strictly personal message, and that the Horizons Unlimited website, e-zine, or bulletin board are NOT sending you this message or endorsing it.

I want to ask you to join our first worldwide memorial ride. Let me explain:

July 2nd last year my oldest brother, Freddy got killed in a motorcycling accident. He was riding his TDM 850 back from a small weekend trip with his wife as a passenger when he collided head-on with a car for not quite explained reasons. He died on the spot, leaving two kids. His wife was helicoptered away in a life-threatening coma.

Next July 2nd, 2001, we will be holding an anniversary funeral for my brother. And here's where you might want to help.

After some hesitation, I got back to riding and must say I've found great comfort in the feeling of freedom we all know so well from riding. Through the bike, and the Internet, I've found many biker friends from around the world. Most I will never really meet, but I can say we all share the joy for life, the thrill of riding, and a passion for the bike as a means of knowing the world, others, and ourselves a bit better. Many of these friends were extremely supportive last summer, and with their help I'm organizing a "memorial ride" of sorts.

After the anniversary funeral, we would like to present my late brother's wife -now fully recovered physically- with a list of friends, from all over the world, who on the previous days have ridden their bikes in the memory of my brother Freddy. All we would ask from you is the following:

- Decide you want to participate, or tell another riding friend about this project.

- Don your helmet, and go ride. Have fun. Somewhere within your ride, please have a moment to think about someone you never met, who enjoyed life, enjoyed riding, and who will live on in our memories, partly because you're riding for him, along with hundreds of others around the world. Say a prayer if you feel so inclined, but we won't ask that from no one. We just ask that you ride, and have fun.

- After riding, and before the week of July 2 finishes, please drop me an email message saying who you are, your nationality, and where you took that ride. The email address is zerozerofoto@teleline.es .

That's all. If you have a camera and want to email pictures, or do anything else, so much the better, but this is the only thing I ask: ride, have a thought of comraderie, and drop me and email message stating "who" and "where". I'm counting on a participation in the hundreds. Will you contribute?

Thank you for reading this far, and enjoy the ride.

Best,

Roberto Alonso.

zerozerofoto@teleline.es

<<After some hesitation, I got back to riding>>

Roberto, just a note from Australia, to say that I can identify more than I want to with your sentiments.

Two years ago, I was touring with a Canadian friend in Australia. He and I had toured together in six countries over about eight years. A very special friend.

After passing a truck in the Snowy Mountains of southern Australia, he failed to follow. After about ten minutes I went back to investigate. He was dead in a ditch by the roadside. And my other immaculate bike which he was riding was scattered all over the road. Eventually a helicopter came to take away the other motorcyclist (not too badly injured) who had collided with him on the almost deserted road.

After about an hour I had to get back on my bike and ride to the nearest town, and then after an unbeleivable amount of red tape (don't die in a foreign country..) I had to ride alone 1000Kms