For a few minutes, Sandy Springs resident John Manser rode alongside the world’s most well-known cancer survivor and cyclist, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in Austin, Texas.

It was both cycling and the battle against cancer that led Manser, a cyclist for more than 20 years, and friend Kelly Wiggins to Austin for the Ride for the Roses Oct. 14 through 16.

“We were jacked up about it,” Manser said of getting some one-on-one time with Armstrong. “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done on a bike.”

He and Wiggins, a Cumming resident, are part of the nonprofit 24 Hours of Booty of Atlanta and represented their charity team, Team Pirate Treasure.

They led a group of 109 people, the largest in the three cities in which 24 Hours of Booty operates, in raising more than $76,000 for Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG foundation and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Along with the private, 12-mile group ride with Armstrong and others who had raised money Oct. 15, they also had dinner and cocktails Oct. 14 at Armstrong’s house, where cyclist Chris Horner and magician David Blaine were also in attendance.

In the beginning, 24 Hours of Booty had nothing to do with piracy.

It started in 2002 when founder Spencer Lueders led the first charity event, riding for 24 straight hours in a 2.8-mile circle in Charlotte, N.C., known as the Booty Loop. He raised more than $6,000 and since then the event has spread to Atlanta and Columbia, Md. Cyclists of all abilities are invited to ride as far as they can and raise as much money as possible ($200 minimum) for LIVESTRONG, which Armstrong founded to help cancer patients and survivors.

“We celebrate someone coming out of treatment and riding six miles as much as somebody who comes out and rides 300 miles,” said 24 Hours of Booty Executive Director Basil Lyberg.

And, for their fundraising efforts, there Manser and Wiggins were, flanking a cyclist who dominated the sport like no other by winning the Tour de France every year from 1999 to 2005 after surviving a bout with testicular cancer.

“We told him what we were about and what we were doing, and I basically teased him that we had a jersey for him,” Manser said. “We told him how much money we raised for LIVESTRONG. He was very thankful. After the ride was over, he caught my eye and said, ‘Where’s my jersey?’”

Armstrong did in fact get his jersey and became an honorary member of Team Pirate Treasure.

“Considering I’ve only been riding for less than two years, it was a very cool experience to get to ride with somebody of Lance’s caliber at such an early stage of my riding career,” Wiggins said.

Manser did his first 24 Hours of Booty bike ride in 2010 and said he wanted to become more involved after the emotions of that experience. Wiggins, who began cycling two years ago, led a small team at the event in 2010 and the two combined forces. Using Facebook as a way of recruiting more members, Team Pirate Treasure grew from 12 people to 109 over the past year.

This year’s Atlanta 24 Hours of Booty event was Oct. 1 and 2 in Stone Mountain. Team Pirate Treasure also raised money through a silent auction called Jeans and Jewels Aug. 19, selling T-shirts and encouraging members to write letters and find other ways to bring attention to the cause.

Information: visit www.teampiratetreasure.org or email john_manser@yahoo.com.