We’ve certainly had nice weekends before. September in the Midwest is my favorite time of the year, though it seems like the dog days of summer have been encroaching deeper into the month in the last couple decades. But this year’s Bike MS ride was incredible. Simply perfect.

Of course, a 72° day doesn’t typically start out that way – it was more like 52° on Saturday morning when the ride started. And that felt a little more brisk once on the bike, and even more so descending into the river valley. After a quick breakfast and team photo, we all lined up in the #2 team position, since United By Design was the second largest fundraising team last year.

As we began our first descent down to the Great River Road, a police officer stopped traffic for our left turn. Just as we made the turn, there was a large crowd gathered around a fallen cyclist, and it became quickly evident that it was one of our United By Design team members. We have such a large team (87 people this year!) that I sheepishly must admit I didn’t know this rider. The medics arrived within minutes, as they were already in route to the bottom of that hill, where accidents are more likely to happen based on history. Thankfully Shon’s injuries were limited to a black eye, a fractured rib and a minor concussion, it could have been a lot worse. We are all just very grateful that he’s okay.

Road work on the Great River Road forced the event planners to have us climb out of the valley, and then ride back down again to a longtime rest stop in Elsah. Only to have to climb back out again. You can see the elevation gain/loss at the bottom of the image below – steep drop down, climb out, another descent and another climb. That’ll get your blood pumping and body ready to shed a layer!

The rest of the day was just a joyride. My longtime cycling partner Harold Anderson and I took our time lollygagging at rest stops, so much so that our ~8-hour day only included about 5 ½ hours of actual riding. So, as I often claim, it’s really just a bunch of 10-mile rides with a (non-alcohol) party at every rest stop!

Team UBD is THE team to ride with. Harold and I shopped teams back in 2017, and chose UBD because of the amenities – food & drink, lights, masseuse, porta-potty, cell phone/battery charging station. And a dedicated group of team members preparing a feast in our tent (no cafeteria-style food will do for these guys!). I love and appreciate Allan and Sherita Gober’s tireless efforts to ensure the buffet is laid out and ready to eat. Ferguson Brewery always provides a colorful selection of ales in kegs (blonde, pale & brown), and there are mixers & spirits for cocktails as well. And always plenty of desserts. Which makes for a nice party both Friday & Saturday!

Sunday morning is always a little more relaxed, given that we don’t have to pull everyone together for the team photo or lineup at the start. So we could ease into the morning a little more. Harold decided that 25 miles was enough for a Sunday, but I felt like it was such a great day to ride, the 50-mile route seemed a little more preferable. We didn’t plan enough to know who was doing which route (100, 75, 50 or 25 mile) so I had to scramble to catch up with one of my teammates doing the 50. We didn’t have nearly as many deep descents and steep ascents, though there were a few climbs that tested my resolve to stay on the bike. And one where I decided to actually finish it with a walk. No shame or pride any more!

I ended up riding with three other UBD team members most of Sunday, and three of us crossed the finish line to gather our medals just before noon. So after a little celebration in the team tent and a shower, I headed home to enjoy the rest of the afternoon quietly.

I’m so grateful to be in a position to continue doing this ride after 25 years. I’m also grateful for my supporters who help me raise so much for the National MS Society, with just over $3500 in contributions so far this year, and nearly $75K since 2001! If you’ve already donated, thank you again. If you haven’t and are willing, here’s the link. 😊

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/sro25

All the best,