Champions for MS

THE MS Bike Tour and TEAM

The attached video shows how  some of the best teams have done it.

 
Team is the foundation of the MS bike tour. It’s groups like ours that help make the dream of a cure for MS a reality. On each team, there are goals, for the team and every rider. For some, it’s the connection with MS through a family member or a friend who is fighting the disease. For others it’s the personal challenge, and for others still it’s the camaraderie that comes from doing something great with great people…
Team is what helps accomplish everything in this event, and it starts with you. As many of you know I first became associated with the MS bike tour, through my first team with BOB’s Stores in Connecticut..We had a great 6 year run, 4 of which we were the top team in Connecticut…Our teams trademark was our heart and teamwork and as a result we took down the Title sponsor after 2 years, not a bad result for a little 36 store chain, with 60 riders. But we were a team in every word, and we had heart..And we delivered on what we said, $40-$50K each year.
Five years ago, after I left Connecticut, I received a phone call from Dan Sabia the CEO of the Title sponsor, of the Connecticut MS Tour I was involved with. Dan and I had trained together, and developed a good friendship over the years, and he offered to fly me out to ride for his team, and to give me the opportunity to ride a tour which I really had grown to love and become a part of.
How could I say no. It was the beginning of May, and the Tour was the first week of June. Bear in mind, up to this point I had very few miles in my legs, and no hills (they don’t have those in Indy). I knew the course well, and knew I could still ride it comfortably, if I paced myself, and worked with my former teammates…To make a long story short, I started training, in the famous West-East headwinds…I flew in late Saturday afternoon, after my flight was delayed for three hours..It was 85 and beautiful in CT. my kind of riding weather. After getting to the hotel, I quickly assembled my bike, and went out for a short check ride.
I was a little tired but excited…
The next morning I awoke at 4:30 for breakfast, to find conditions had changed, it was 62, foggy and light drizzle…When I arrived at the start of the Century course, rain was falling steady and temps were dropping..I thought if I took my time, I would still be ok..
Initially the pace got off to a fast start, almost too fast given my lack of hard miles in the hills…40 miles in I started to cramp in both quads and 1 calf….The pain was intense, I was losing ground fast, and was falling off the pace of the group I was riding with…I was in trouble…One of our teammates Laurie Gammons and another close friend, Donna Davis, kept riding back to bring me back up to the front. They kept talking to me, and when we hit rest stops, they made sure I was eating and drinking enough…At the 75 mile mark the cramps were gone, I was cold, wet, and more determined than ever to finish, finally feeling good…
We rode that century in 51/2 hours…When we hit the finish it was 42 and heavy rain…
As I look back today, I’m still not sure if I would have finished had it not been for Laurie and Donna that day…I’m convinced today, that I could not have finished this tour without their help, encouragement, and believing more in me, then I did in myself at the time…
As a team, we help each other though every aspect of this event…Training, fundraising, riding the tour itself.

I ask all of you today that during the tour or training rides, no rider is left alone on the road…..
Team is what helps us do great things…

Heart…Determination…Courage…We are Champions for MS!

It’s Time to ride.

-Jeff H.

Eye wear for cycling is an important part of your cycling gear. Check out this informative article. A few years ago, I was experiencing vision problems, and a few changes to my cycling eyewear made a world of differance.

By Dr. Ed Burke, PhD.
Active.com
Not too long ago, it was possible to compete in cycling without sunglasses and win races such as the Tour de France. Is the upsurge in professional cyclists using sunglasses just an easy way to attract more sponsorship dollars into their pockets and look good on TV?
No! In addition to protecting eyes from dirt, dust and a laundry list of projectiles, sunglasses are the best way to ensure that they won’t suffer from cataracts, keratitis and other eye ailments caused by UV radiation.
Studies have shown that the risk of cataracts, a gradual clouding of the lens of the eye that can lead to total blindness, is tripled by long-term exposure to the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays. Protecting the eyes with specialty sunglasses that block 100 percent of the sun’s UV radiation is the best way to prevent cataracts.
Exposure of the unprotected eye to UV rays can also result in keratitis, a temporary loss of vision coupled with a burning sensation that results from inflammation of the cornea. A secondary solar threat the sun’s heat, can dry out the eyes, cause eye fatigue and perhaps accelerate the negative effects of UV exposure.
The risk of eye damage from the sun is directly related to length and intensity of exposure. No one knows what the critical amount of exposure is, but effects are cumulative; short but frequent periods spent outside can add up to trouble.
Fortunately, cyclists have been getting the word on sunglasses for a few years now, which explains why, while watching the Tour de France on TV, we haven’t seen the irises of Lance Armstrong, Jan Ulrich, Stuart O’Grady or Erik Zabel and almost everyone in the peloton.
Key Features
When looking for sunglasses that will offer protection while cycling and other outdoor activities there are several key points to consider when selecting a pair for cycling:
Lens Color: For the best protection, you’ll want to block out 75 to 90 percent of visible light in bright sun, 35 to 50 percent on dull days.
When buying a pair, look for a tag indicating their light-absorption qualities, or the opposite, their transmission factor. Several brands of glasses allow of changing out of lenses to allow for environmental conditions.
The best color to choose for all-around use is neutral gray because it doesn’t distort color, though brown is OK, too. Stay away from fashionable tints and bright colors. They are not really sunglasses.
Photochromic lenses, which darken as the light increases, will cover the broadest range of conditions and are available in several density ranges.
Ultraviolet Radiation (UV): Almost all quality sunglasses produced today offer essential protection against ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) radiation. Some lens materials have a built-in ability to absorb U/V light, but most protection is added in the form of lens coatings.
Most U/V on its way from the sun to earth is absorbed by the upper and ozone layers of the atmosphere and is diffused further by the time it reaches sea level.
U/V levels that should concern skiers are encountered at higher elevations where the atmosphere is thin and intense light is reflected off the snow. U/V radiation increases approximately 15 percent for every 3,000 feet in altitude.
Shields or Wraparound Frames: Wraparound-type frames and lenses offer several advantages for cyclists. Wraparounds allow the best peripheral (side) vision, thanks to the lack of obstruction by the frame and temple. Peripheral vision is especially important for maneuvering safety in a group of riders and in traffic.
Wraparounds also help keep drying wind off the eyes, while allowing enough air circulation to prevent fogging of the lenses. Wraparound lenses that extend higher above the eyebrow allow unobstructed vision when riding low on the drops.
Lens Type: Ploycarbonate lenses are virtually unbreakable. They’re also lighter and will not fog up as easily as glass. But plastic lenses are more susceptible to scratches and aren’t always optically-sound. To check for distortion, hold a pair of sunglasses at arm’s length and look through them at a source of light. Images should be clear through every part of the lenses.
Frames: Among frames, nylon or plastic is lighter, safer, and more durable than metal, but either can become brittle in cold weather. With any frame, look for hinges that are simple and tough. Some cyclists prefer a one-piece frame.
Face it. There are only two reasons you wear sunglasses: to protect your eyes and to look cool. You have available to you both safety and style engineered into sport-shield sunglasses for cycling. Now you can have functional and fashionable glasses while riding your bike and look like the stars of the field.

Good Morning Everyone,

With rain in the forecast for most of the weekend, I am cencelling this weekends rides. I am fighting bronchitis and hope to be back out next weekend.

Thank you.

-Jeff H.