Team Iron Eagles: 2025

“The Only Constant in Life Is Change.”- Heraclitus

This year was different in many ways.

1) Half the team volunteered to staff a rest stop instead of ride.

2) Reid's family was unable to ride with us.

3) Marianne's family came after 8:30pm on Friday and ended up having their Olive Garden carbo-load as take out

4) Bill and Sarah road e-bikes for the first time.

5) I road a full-suspension MTB ebike. That was super cool.

6) We picked cherries at Lisa's house. I don't ever remember picking cherries before when we have come up for BikeMS. The cherries either came earlier this year or we've been neglecting our cherry picking duties for many years.

7) Recovery from this ride was the hardest I've ever had. A few weeks before BikeMS, Lisa, my SIL Kirsti and Kirsti's sister Cherisse and I rode in Little Red, a ride to support cancer research. We had a beautiful time and I wasn't sore at all afterwards. Looking back though we only did the 17 mile route. Oh what a difference 35 is from 17! Not sure how I've gotten so out of shape and old. 20 years ago Bill and I did 75 miles on BikeMS and we didn't need ebikes!

8) The route changed this year. It was sooooo nice to not have to ride the last 7 miles on a hot, busy street with no shade and fast moving traffic. So so nice. THANK YOU to the organizers for changing that. Mendon was absolutely gorgeous. THANK YOU Mendon City for allowing the ride to go through your beautiful city.

Every memory becomes sweeter with time

This year was a little nostalgic. The route change took us back to the very first BikeMS route I ever rode. 2005. I was the only rider in our family that year. The rest stops were the best! One rest stop had valet parking for our bikes. Another rest stop had a masseuse -- no lie! A free massage for riders, right on the route. That didn't last long. No masseuse year two. It was fun to get to the Mendon rest stop this year and have cheerleaders cheering us on. Hyabusa! THANK YOU cheerleaders :-)

In 2005 lunch was also on the route for everybody, not just the 75 milers. If I'm remembering right. hmmmm. Ok. Don't quote me on the lunch. I did the 40 mile route that first year and I seem to recall having lunch on the route. Since no one else in the family was riding they drove to the rest stops and met me at the rest stops. I think that's what prompted Bill to join me next year. The rest stops were so fun.

The route was really fun too. Of course back in those days we did the 75 mile route and there were some really beautiful places to ride. Quiet places. Rolling hills. We got a little bit of that this year in Mendon. That was nice.

The Constant

Although the ride has changed a lot for us through the years one thing has remained constant, the mission. I mentioned that we rode in Little Red earlier this year. It was a beautiful ride. I love Lewiston and I love having a 17 mile option. What I really missed at Little Red was the connection to the mission. BikeMS is great that way. They have posters with information about MS. They spotlight people with MS. I remember one year they had a station where you could put on gloves and crazy goggles and get a bit of an idea of what it would be like to live with MS. BikeMS is not just a ride. It's a mission to find a cure and to help people living with MS. We've met so many people who struggle with MS. Some are able to ride. Some volunteer. I remember the first year that I rode. I remember being at the start line and seeing so so many people lined up to start. I think there were 3300 people that year. I looked around and thought about how each of these people probably have some kind of connection with MS. And even if they didn't they had each raised $200 or more to be able to ride. Money that goes to helping people with MS and/or finding a cure. I could just feel the love. It was palpable. I'm so glad for the route change. We really want to continue riding BikeMS. If it gets to the point where we can't ride though we will still be there to support those who can ride.

THANKS to all of you who read this blog and who support us in any way you can. WE LOVE YOU!

PS. If you haven't had a chance to donate yet there is still time to donate this year.

Here's the link to donate: https://events.nationalmssociety.org/teams/71660

Here's to a cure! Hyabusa!