MS 150 Bike Tour

New Bern NC, September 11-12, 2004

Turn up your volume for "Country Roads"

I made it again! 175 miles in two days with 1300 cyclists and raised $1555 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society!

It rained most of the 100 miles Saturday and my bike computer quit working crossing the Neuse River bridge. I felt like I was flying blind not being able to see my speed or saddle average. But the rain felt good and apparently we cycled faster than usual in large groups and I beat my record for last year's tour. The weather was beautiful Sunday until the wind came up. One really had to hang in with a group or tough it out in the wind alone. Wind, by the way, is the greatest obstacle in cycling.

Below are my numbers for the 2004 tour. I'm still hanging in at age 75 and feeling pretty good. We heard that the Multiple Sclerosis Society decided to return to New Bern again for the 5th year in the Fall of 2005, especially since they had over 1300 cyclists riding this year. I'll only be 76 then so I'm hoping to ride again if I can get support.

Saturday September 11 - 100 miles:

It was a big disappointment to wake up Saturday morning and see rain. It was even worse to see it continue throughout most of the 100 miles cycling through Pamlico county. Everyone was kidding at the 52-mile lunch stop how grungy we looked with all the dirty road grime. Riding in a pace line is fun moving along at 18-22 mph as long as you can keep your front wheel about 12-18 inches from the bike in front. The problem, however, is that backsplatter from the bike in front hits you right in the face unless you offset your wheel a few inches. There were times I could hardly see out of my dirty glasses. But the weather wasn't hot and I heard from several cyclists that said they made better time in the rain as I did. All went well. I developed no signs of leg cramps and finished with no pain whatsoever. I had to clean up my bike for the Sunday 75-mile trip and had to use a hair dryer to dry out my clip-in bike shoes. It was a fun trip.

Saturday evening banquet:

As usual, the high-carb pasta buffet was held in the Convention Center and was a first-class affair, including free beer supplied by Coastal Beverage Company. Lots of recognition was given to the top teams and individuals raising money for the MS Society. I sat at a table with my good friend Mark Verrill and his wife from Holly Ridge. Mark, a retired Marine, travels to New Bern often to cycle cross-country with us in the New Bern Century Cyclists group (NBCC). See http://pages.suddenlink.net/davew/nbcc.htm

Sunday September 12 - 75 miles:

It was a beautiful day, cool and sunny, as we headed west towards Kinston. I reached the first rest stop on Tuscarora Road (14.9 miles) with a saddle average of 20.1 mph by hanging in with a group of about 25 cyclists. From there on my average went downhill battling wind that was mostly all the way to the lunch stop at Yoders Farm and Garden Suppy store (51-mile). As usual, Yoders made great homemade ice cream for us on the spot. I hated to get back on the road. Returning, I was in and out of groups all the way home. If we went downwind I often felt more relaxed riding alone but if the route turned back into the wind I didn't hesitate to join a group. Groups of cyclists were everywhere and would pass by every few minutes. I even passed a couple rest stops because I was in such a nice group going at a comfortable speed, usually at 18-20 mph. 

Pictures:  http://pages.suddenlink.net/davew2/photos.htm

As I did last year, I purchased a small Kodak throwaway camera that I could keep in my Jersey pocket. I got it from Wal-Mart, turned it in on Sunday afternoon and got digital photos on a CD an hour later. Fantastic! You can see a few of the pictures at http://pages.suddenlink.net/davew2/photos.htm Check out the shot of the father and his 5-year old pedaling a tandem, who passed me by! I kept seeing then only because of pit stops they had to make for the 5-year old.  

Where to send your check:

If you haven't done so already and you are listed as my sponsor below, please write your check to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and note on it "MS-150 sponsor for Dave Wallace." Send it to:

    Multiple Sclerosis Society, 3101 Industrial Drive, Suite 210, Raleigh NC, 27609

If you have questions you can call them at 1-800-FIGHT-MS. Also if you forgot your pledge amount send e-mail to davewallace@XXXsuddenlink.net .com (remove the XXX) and I'll return your pledge message. 

Thank you folks! 

Thank you for your wonderful support for me to cycle the MS-150. Many of you have pledged money year after year to the MS Society for me to ride the tour. I always felt that I have the easier part of the deal because it's a lot more fun cycling than parting with money. But I want you to know that we have two young family members with MS and can see how it affects them. We can only hope that a cure will be found before it's too late which will only happen if research is continued. The MS Society is the largest private source for MS  research worldwide. Check them out. 

Thanks also go to Amy Lott and all the good folks at the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Raleigh for putting on a really first-class bicycle tour. 

Sincerely,  Dave Wallace

The following is the original web page that solicited your pledge of support to the Multiple Sclerosis Society

Hello folks, I'm back again and ready to hit the road!

I'm Dave Wallace and alive and well and ready to cycle the MS-150 on September 11th and 12th for the 4th year. I'll be 75 then and probably the oldest male cyclist again this year. Last year I met the youngest cyclist, an 11-year old boy at a rest stop. See photos at http://pages.suddenlink.net/davew2/2003ms150photos.htm.  We're fortunate that New Bern was chosen by the Multiple Sclerosis Society for the tour again. The town really made a hit with the Society as well as hundreds of cyclists that travel here from all over North Carolina.

What is the MS-150?

The MS-150 is 150 miles of cycling in two days with an option of adding 25 more miles each day for a total of 200 miles of cycling. It's not a race but many cyclists love to cycle fast. 1300 cyclists are expected this year, the 4th year for the event in New Bern. On Saturday the tour will make a 75 (or 100) mile loop east through Pamlico county and on Sunday a 75 (or 100) mile loop west towards Cove City and Fort Barnwell. Each day's tour starts and ends in Union Point park in New Bern.

What I need from you:

The purpose of the tour, of course, is to raise money for research to find a cure for the devastating disease of multiple sclerosis. I would love for you to be my sponsor by pledging a donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society provided I complete the MS-150 tour, which in my case will be 175 miles of cycling in two days. A list below shows my previous MS-150 web pages and sponsors for the past three years that raised $635, $1449 and $1562 respectively

This year I'm hoping to have more sponsors even if they pledge only a couple dollars. Most sponsors pledge a fixed amount but you may pledge an amount per mile if you wish. To be a sponsor send e-mail to davewallace@XXXsuddenlink.net (remove XXX) with your name, address and pledge amount. I will then enter your name (less amount pledged) to the list of sponsors on this web page. Upon completion of the tour all sponsors will be notified by e-mail where to send their checks to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and invited to see a narrative on this page how the tour went. Please don't send money to me.

Why donate to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and what is MS?

The National MS Society is the largest private sponsor of MS research in the world. They support research and training projects aimed at finding the cause of MS, better treatments, and a cure and are currently spending over $30 million (FY 2004) for over 300 MS investigations. Where's the money going? Here's a list of where most of it goes:

• University of California at San Francisco
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Mayo Clinic and Foundation
• Wayne State University
• Washington University
• University of California at Los Angeles

What is MS? Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be life-long. Everyone knows someone with MS. We have two family members with the disease.

Can I cycle 175 miles in two days?

Hey folks, it's getting tough. I'm no spring chicken at age 75 while the average age cyclist in the tour is 37. I've discovered that I can't keep up with the fast guys as long as I used to. It's not that I get physically tired - I get mentally tired of having to stare at a bicycle wheel about a foot or so ahead of me moving along at 20mph. I don't dare take my eyes off the wheel or I could plow into it and the whole group go down behind me. It happens every year and lots of folks get messy road rash and their bikes dinged up. It's fun and easy drafting in a fast group but dangerous so every now and then I just have to relax and unwind by breaking out and cycling alone until I'm ready to hang in with another group. Will I make 175 miles this year? Of course I will!

Where does the MS-150 Bike Tour go? See route sheets below:

Why don't you cycle the MS-150?

I don't want to leave you with the impression that all cyclists in the MS-150 are young Tour de France prospects. There are lots and lots of folks riding slower bikes that still complete the tour and come in an hour or two later. Look into joining the fun by visiting the Multiple Sclerosis MS-150 web page at https://www.nationalmssociety.org/nct/event/event_detail.asp?e=8671. I'll be glad to answer questions if you'll send me e-mail. 

Dave Wallace - davewallace@XXXsuddenlink.net (remove XXX)

MY SPONSOR LIST

Below is a list of folks sponsoring me in the MS 150 Bike Tour in New Bern on September 11th and 12th, 2004, including the sum total of the pledges:   

Addresses are in North Carolina unless noted otherwise                       

PLEDGE AMOUNT TOTAL = $1555.00

(Total is posted periodically after hearing from several sponsors)

Last Update: 9/14/04

Background photo taken at 2003 MS-150 start at Union Point park