Good Afternoon Champions for MS,

 Happy New Year !

 I know it has been a long time since we last spoke. It was September since I last rode, my knees are tight and I am a little tired..Sleep has come hard for some reason, and I think I know why…Something has been nagging at me these past few weeks..Earlier today I walked upstairs and saw my trusted two wheeled friend resting on the trainer, beckoning me to get off the couch and ride for MS once again…Why..You see MS brought me back to this wonderful sport…I guess it’s my destiny to ride for those with MS and to share this experience with any and all who might be interested in joining me…

 You see I can’t do this alone, I need your help, to ride, volunteer, or sponsor this year’s effort…I’m not sure where this year’s journey will take us, but what I do know is we will make it memorable…

 Each year I approach the season and the new year, with a little apprehension. You see this is my 12^th year as a captain, and I know that I have asked so much from all of you.

 Here I am once again asking you for your time, energy, heart, determination, courage and one more weekend of your life to ride for someone other than yourself…

 Save The Date : June 11^th and 12^th 2011—Registration is now open…

 This past year’s tour weekend was epic, with mother nature throwing high temps, high humidity, rain, and oh, who would forget, liquid fertilizer at us(I guess you had to be there for that one J)…

 This group has always been known for our courage, our passion, and our commitment to fighting MS, and this year was no different…

 What we achieved last year during a tough economic climate cannot and should not be minimized..Think about it, we still delivered over $29K to MS…This brings our six year total as a team to over $314K to MS…. Thank you all so much…But we are not done yet…

 I was on You Tube the other day and I think this video is our rallying cry for this year’s ride :

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqus079lUz8

 Yes our best days are ahead of us…

  Earlier this week I set up the team page…Registration is easy, just click on the link below..

 http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/PAXBikeEvents?team_id=221341&pg=team&fr_id=15151

 Registration is just $25 until January 3^rd, $35 until May 5^th, after May 5^th $45..Remember each rider is required to fundraise a minimum of $250.

 We are a friends and family team and are open to anyone who has a passion to join us in our journey to fight MS….

Communication this year will be through our Team web-site, Twitter, and weekly team updates..

 Keep an eye out on our web-site for future updates..

www.championsforms.com

 Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/Champs_for_MS

 Twitter will be used for quick communication and there is a link on the home page of the team site as well…

E-mail

 To be honest I would prefer to get away from using it, but you told me last year that weekly updates are necessary, and then our final 10 day count down to the tour..I will also post these updates on the web-site…

You tell me what you want…

 Training

 Well part of this is up to the weather gods…Evening training rides will begin at the start of daylight savings time March 13^th, or there abouts..Watch the web-site for updates…All evening rides will be operated out of Imperial at the mile 8 parking area on the Montour trail on McClarren road (Directions will be posted on the web-site)..

Weekend Rides : 3^rd or 4^th week of February, Will be operated out of North Park and or Imperial.. (over the last 2 years NP has become very busy with Marathon traffic, so I would like to refrain from training in the Park) Watch the web-site for updates…

Do you have a passion to lead rides? Or do you have a favorite route? Let me know, and we will post it up..

 We need ride leaders, if you would like to volunteer please let me know..

 Once again it has been an honor.
Thank you all so much!!

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

Here is to great tour J

Cheers…

-Jeff H.

Due to severe weather in Robinson, tonights training ride hasd been cancelled.

-Jeff H.

I wanted to thank all of our riders and members of the Pella team for coming out, and braving 40 and low 50 degree temps for our second weekend training ride. These days riding is all about time and distance in the saddle.

Any day on the bike is a good day on the bike.

Remember our rides are geared to all levels….Don’t ever think, am I fast enough, I don’t want to slow you down. When we ride these training rides, no one gets dropped..So come out…Have fun…Chase a few runners

Remember why we are here…The Champions for MS Team was built on the fact, that all of you truly Champion the MS cause….

You Commit to ride, and we will make sure you finish!

We have moved the Sunday ride time to 1:00 to ride in warmer temps.

We meet by the basketball courts next to the ice rink…

18+Miles….

You can do this…Join us this Sunday!

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

-Jeff H.

SPOKESNOTES

 Ride Across America

Phil Keoghan (of CBS’s THE AMAZING RACE) to Embark on a 40 Day, Coast-to-Coast Bike Ride Across America, Averaging 100 Miles Per Day, Covering Over 3,500 Miles Total with Pit Stops in Over 30 Cities INCLUDING PITTSBURGH!

 Phil Keoghan, host of CBS’s THE AMAZING RACE, will embark on his boldest adventure yet – cycling from Los Angeles to New York – a ride that will average 100 miles per day for a total of over 3,500 miles, spanning 40 days with pit stops in over 30 different cities.

 Phil Keoghan’s “Ride Across America Presented by GNC” will kickoff on March 28 in Los Angeles and end on May 9 (the day before the finale of THE AMAZING RACE 14) in New York. Along the way, he’ll attend meet and greets with supporters at local GNC stores, visit CBS affiliates, attend open-casting calls for the next installment of THE AMAZING RACE, sign copies of his best-selling book No Opportunity Wasted, and ride alongside ex-Racers and fans of THE AMAZING RACE. Koeghan has been a long time supporter of the National MS Society, and a participant in Bike MS. He will also be participating in rallies hosted by the National MS Society to build awareness for Bike MS and the MS movement.

Our chapter will help him depart from Pittsburgh on May 2nd with a rally ~ save the date and come ride with Phil!

Check out this video segement on CBS

http://360mediawatch.com/download.php?vid=6088

SAVE THE DATE: Spring Workshop

This year we will be holding the FREE 2009 Spring Workshop on Sunday March 22, 2009 from 10am-1pm. This a fun day with raffles, bike inspections, various vendors, outdoor activity clubs and organizations, a safety clinic and training ride. This year we are holding this fantastic cycling event at the Cardello Building on the North Shore. 1501 Reedsdale Street ~ South Entrance.

 SPEAKERS: Bill Ankrom, UPMC Cycling Performance, “Bicycle Fit”

Leslie Bonci, Director of UPMC Sports Nutrition and sports dietitian for Pgh’s Professional Sports Teams will discuss Nutrition

Eric Hodos, Team Manager, UPMC Cycling Team, will discuss “Training for Long Distance Rides”

TBA: Cycling for Female Riders

(Times will be announced next week)

 FUNDRAISING: NMSS Staff will be there to answer questions and help you set up your participant center/personal page, and discuss other fundraising ideas.

VENDORS: Trek of Pittsburgh: will be attending with clearance items

Rapp’s Bicycle Center: will be attending with items for sale

Immel Bicycle: will be conducting FREE bicycle inspections

Vomax: information about ordering jerseys and kits and samples

 Training Ride: Join us for an afternoon ride from the workshop to OTB Bicycle Café and back! (depending on the Weather)

Raffle: WIN PRIZES!

Many other Bike Shops and vendors will also be there along with numerous cycling and outdoor organizations.

SAVE THE DATE: MS Awareness/Team Week 2009

March 1-7th is MS Awareness week. We will be offering an open house at our office Thursday March 5th from 8:00am 7:00pm to answer questions, and offer assistance with personal pages/participant centers.

WIN PRIZES!!!! This is team week, so get ready to recruit new teammates and start fundraising!

-The top two teams with the highest % of teammates signed up this week will receive $25 Macy’s gift cards.

-The two teams with the highest total team members signed up this week will receive Qdoba gift cards for free burritos

-The team with the most money turned in this week will win a $100 gift certificate for OTB Bicycle Café (www.otbbicyclecafe.com) in the Southside to be used for a team lunch or happy hour (if you live out of the area we will buy your team a pizza party!)

Are You Covered?

Active.com

By Jim Kaese
As a former trial attorney with a successful law practice for 12 years, I appreciate that discussing insurance coverage is about as exciting as watching somebody else’s kid play goalie in a pee wee soccer game. But, keep reading because I’m about to explain a little known part of your automobile insurance policy that actually covers you while bicycling, jogging, walking or performing any other activity in the midst of street traffic.

Take a look at the declarations page of your auto policy–a fancy name for the paper sent to you by your insurance company that summarizes the types of coverage included in your policy. Likely, you’ll see words and titles like “comprehensive,” “collision” or “medical pay.” Now, look for an “uninsured motorist” and/or “underinsured motorist” reference (it may be abbreviated as UM and UIM). Do you see it listed? If not, call your insurance company to determine whether you have both. If UM and UIM coverage are not currently part of your policy, order them immediately–especially if you jog or ride a bike near vehicle traffic. Why? Keep reading.

What is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Let’s say you’re driving your car and another car crashes into you. In the best case scenario, and assuming the crash was the other person’s fault, the other driver carries a large auto-insurance policy that will cover all of your property damage (car), medical bills (if you’re injured), and any pain and suffering or other out-of-pocket expenses you incur.

But, what if the person that crashes into you was driving without auto-insurance? That’s when your uninsured motorist coverage comes into play–if you have it. Since the person who hit you has no insurance, all of your property damage, medical bills and any pain, suffering or other out-of-pocket expenses will be paid by your own insurance company–up to your UM limits.

Similarly, let’s assume that the driver who hits you has auto-insurance, but only pays for what’s required under state law–most state minimums amount to a measly $20,000. If your expenses total more than $20,000, you would make a claim on your own underinsured motorist coverage (underinsured meaning the person that crashed into you does not carry enough insurance to pay for the fair value of your losses). In this scenario, you would obtain the first $20K from the other driver’s insurance company (with your insurance company’s consent), then make a claim for the remainder with your own insurance company up to the UIM limits.

Not Just For Driving a Car
What makes UM and UIM so important and valuable for active folk is that its coverage is not limited to driving your car. That’s right. If you’re hit by a driver without insurance while riding your bike, your automobile uninsured motorist policy will cover it. And the same holds true for jogging, walking, etc. This benefit is invaluable as runners and cyclists are more vulnerable to suffer severe injuries if involved in a crash with a car.

How likely is an accident with an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver?
Although the statistics vary from state to state, 15 to 25 percent of drivers do not have any insurance with California, Arizona and Mississippi having the highest percentage of uninsured drivers. Roughly another 25 percent carry only the state minimums. So, approximately half of the cars you see on the road are being driven without adequate insurance to cover a significant accident or without any insurance at all.

Making matters worse, the ailing economy is causing more drivers to drop their car insurance coverage. A study by the Insurance Research Council (to be released in January 2009) estimates several hundred thousand drivers failed to renew their insurance in the past year as the jobless rate climbed.

How Much Does UM and UIM Cost?
The cost is surprisingly low. I paid an additional $35 per year to increase my UM/UIM coverage to the maximum amount available by my insurance company–$500,000. Since half the states require some form of UM/UIM coverage to be included in any auto-policy, you may only need to increase your existing coverage limits–probably for less than $100 per year–well worth the added protection it offers vulnerable cyclists, joggers, and walkers…not to mention drivers.

Editor’s Note: Not all policies are the same so please check with your individual insurance company regarding coverage. Please also remember it is the responsibility of every cyclist to follow the rules of the road.
Jim Kaese is co-founder of Athletic-Minded Traveler, LLC, which operates the largest healthy travel content site on the web, creates healthy lifestyle content for various media, and generates online custom wellness and work-life solutions for Fortune 500 employers.

This article comes from Active.com. With Daylight Savings time starting 3/8, we should be able to start our evening training rides 3/9 or 3/16 (weather permitting). Our first weekend training ride will be 3/21.

Cold-Weather Riding: Tips to Stay Warm on the Bike
There’s no reason why you can’t cycle all year round. Dressing properly is the key to winter riding.
By Frank Eastland and Todd Kaib
For Active.com

Cold, winter weather is finally here. If you’ve been taking some time off or haven’t had to endure cold-weather riding in awhile, you may not be fully prepared for the frigid onslaught.

So, what do you need to do to continue riding as it gets colder? For one, learn to dress for warmth on the bike. Although it’ll mean making an investment in winter clothing, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Try these tips and you’ll ride warm and strong all winter long.

General Rules
A good rule of thumb when preparing for a cold weather ride is to start off just a little cold, because after about 10 minutes of pedaling, you’ll warm up quite nicely. If you overdress, overheating can be uncomfortable, so you may have to experiment a little before you get it right.

The Core
First, consider the rule of layering. This is a technique of wearing varying weights of clothing designed to wick, trap, hold and block. The overall purpose of layering is to trap insulating air between layers of clothing and subsequently hold heat in.

Wear a lightweight, high-performance, polyester-based wicking fabric next to the skin. Several manufacturers produce excellent high-quality, high-performance fabrics that are designed for cyclists. This type of garment will wick moisture away from the skin, keeping your skin and clothing dry to avoid heat loss through evaporation.

Next, wear something with thermal capabilities (polyester is excellent here as well) that retains warmth while allowing a slow “breathing” process of the fabric. Modern synthetic fabrics like polyester breathe and will help you stay warmer longer.

The outer garment will serve two purposes: Hold warmth in, while blocking the cold air and wind. The outer garment should serve as thermal barrier as well as a wind block, since cycling through cold air increases the wind chill factor. Fabrics like nylon serve this purpose well. Natural fabrics like wool and cotton get wet and stay wet, so don’t wear your cotton T-shirt next to your skin thinking it will act as the primary wicking garment.

Also, if you’re riding without a windbreaker and find that you need one, insert sections of a newspaper inside your cycling jersey. Insert it in the front to block on-coming cold air, and in the back to conserve core body heat and act as an insulator. You’ll see amateurs and pros alike using this technique on long, cold descents.

The Head
About 30 percent of the body’s heat is lost through the head. A tremendous supply of blood circulates through this area, so if you keep your head warm, your body will stay warm. Depending on the severity of the cold, differing levels of head gear can be used. Ear bands or ear warmers are a good beginning. A scull cap of synthetic fabric is a good lightweight remedy.

Remember your short billed cycling cap? It’s not just for staying warm. The bill can be invaluable to protect against both sun and rain. Flip the bill up out of the way when you don’t need it, or just turn the cap backwards to protect your neck.

In very cold weather, use a heavy-duty winter cycling cap that has both a bill AND ear flaps. Worn under a helmet, the helmet strap holds the ear flaps down, keeping the head nice and warm.

In extreme conditions, use a balaclava (or full hood) which covers the head, face and neck and has a small opening for the eyes and nose. Just don’t walk into a bank with this on!

And don’t forget the eyes. Traveling through cold air causes your eyes to tear, making it extremely difficult to see. Choose a good pair of cycling glasses that curve around the face and protect eyes from wind and other elements, without fogging up. Good eyewear, like all good cycling gear, is a good investment.

Respiration is another way to lose body heat, so if you’re not wearing a balaclava, fold a bandana into a triangle and tie it to fit over your nose and mouth-just like the robbers in the old Westerns. This can make the difference between a comfortable ride and a miserable one. Just remember, don’t go into a bank like this.

The Hands
I recommend cycling gloves for a couple of reasons. Most cycling gloves are cushioned on the palms, providing proper circulation in the various hand positions on your handlebars. Gloves also protect your hands from road rash if you fall. In the winter months, full fingered gloves are a good idea or cycling mittens for more extreme conditions.

The Feet
Since the feet are pedaling circles and churning through the cold air more than the rest of your body, they need to be protected from the cold. Like the head, body heat is lost to a large degree through the feet. For cold-weather riding, use a heavier thermal cycling sock that wicks moisture and retains heat; choose socks made from synthetic fabrics.

Cycling booties slipped over your shoes are great in cold weather. The booties are designed to accommodate your pedal cleats, and insulate your foot and ankle as well. For days that aren’t cold enough for booties, wear toe covers. Toe covers accomplish the same thing that a windbreaker does for your chest: they keep the cold air from penetrating your foot.

If you’re on a ride without booties or covers and your feet get cold, get plastic bags from a convenience or grocery store and slip them over your feet (inside your shoes). While you’re at it, you might as well ask for a hot cup of coffee-the hot coffee will help heat up your core from the inside.

The Legs
Another rule of thumb is to keep knees covered anytime the weather is below 50 degrees. This helps keep them warm and protected from the cold air, thus keeping them properly lubricated and functioning. For semi-cold weather, short cycling tights are a good option; they come down just below the knee without covering the entire leg.

Cycling leg warmers are also very convenient as they are easy to zip on and off quickly as needed. For colder weather, full cycling tights range from lightweight to heavy and waterproof, or you can find insulated cycling pants.

The Arms
Like cycling tights and pants, arm warmers can be used to keep arms warm in semi-cold conditions. Arm warmers can be quite useful for days that start out cold and warm up as the sun comes out. As the weather warms, the arm warmers can be rolled down or taken off and stored in your jersey pocket. Again, there are varying degrees of thickness and insulation of arm warmers.

On winter days that don’t warm up, wear a long-sleeved jersey (either insulated or not depending on the cold) for your middle garment as described above.

Basic Apparel
Now that we’ve gone over the cold-weather apparel to protect the body, don’t forget the basics: A proper helmet, good cycling shorts with chamois and proper cycling shoes.

Now, adequately armed with what it takes to stay warm in the cold, you’re ready to hit the road year round. You’ll love it and your fair-weather cycling buddies will be envious. So just get out there and ride. Don’t let a cold day keep you inside, just prepare for the cold properly.

Special thanks to Chuck Johns who became our 100th registered rider today.

Remember we still have plenty of time to register. All it takes is 5 minutes and $30 to commit to helping someone with MS.

Just click on the link on our home page to join our team.

Heart…Determination…Courage…We are Champions for MS 

Thank you all so much.

-Jeff H.

Welcome to the home of The Champions for MS cycling Team. We are a Pittsburgh based Bike MS Team. Coming off a successfull 2009 tour. Join us Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and 13th, for the 2010 for the 25th anniversary  Bike MS : Escape to the Lake(Erie) Tour, organized by the The National MS Society. If you’re  passionate about helping those with MS, join us. Registeristration will open shortly : 

“Save the  Date : June 12th and 13th 2010“