I flipped over the handlebars of my bike when I was 8 and didn’t get back on until 14 years later when Don and Kristen convinced me to give bikes another chance. Soon afterward I bought my mountain bike. When Don decided to Bike the US for MS again in 2009, that pair convinced me to get a touring bike and give biking across the country a first chance. I’ve been saving up ever since. I’m currently an AmeriCorps volunteer making about $11,000 this year, so when I say I’m saving money to be a part of this bike ride, you have an idea of how much I care about Bike the US for MS.

I work for a non-profit food distribution group called SHARE, and I plan to continue in the vein of non-profits when my year with AmeriCorps is over next fall, so being a part of Bike the US for MS fits into my long term goals perfectly. To be honest, I’ve never done anything like this ride before. Previously I’ve only run a few half marathons, but I’m up for the challenge.

Amanda, Nina and Kristen

I’ve known Don and his family for three years now, and Nina is my main inspiration for this ride. She is a wonderful person, and it’s the least I can do to bike across the country on her behalf. Of course this trip is much bigger than just Nina. I am so excited to meet and help other individuals with MS while simultaneously raising public awareness and money for MS research. This will be a powerful experience: biking further than I’ve ever gone, seeing amazing things, and meeting incredible people. I will grow as a person to say the least. I’m so proud to be a part of this, surrounded by good friends and knowing that I will make many more along the way.

Watch out America! Here comes the Shark☺

Amanda “the shark” Clark

Here we go again...

So it's official- Bike the US for MS lives on! I've been living in a van working for immigrant wages so it can only get better from here. Don and his associates in Blacksburg are hard at work planning the 2009 edition- applying what we learned from the first trip and improving where we could do better, this time with a full year's head start. The basics of the organization are in place but we want to extend our reach and get the attention of more people affected by MS and more people who can help us contribute to research efforts. This is where you can help- and yes I'm talking to you blog-addicts who still check the website daily for more worthless additions much to your disappointment- start talking it up and don't hesitate to send us suggestions for how we can make this trip astronomically successful. Also, please feel free to contact your old favorite, Karl, at karl@biketheusforms.org and encourage him to participate. If these efforts are unsuccessful I shall distribute his phone number in the next entry, then credit card numbers, then darkest secrets and confessions, and so forth, respectively. Anyways, we've got quite a team assembled from all walks of life and the gender barrier has been shattered. Hopefully Vidshadow will sign on and continue to air our adventures to the masses. The excitement is thick, the possibilities are endless, and the girlfriend of a certain member of the team has a whole year to convince him to remove the patch of back hair just above his bike shorts! Welcome back!

Mason

Calling all bikers!

I have followed the Bike the US for MS team by reading blogs, watching webisodes, and talking with the bikers from the minute they pushed their bikes out of the Pacific Ocean. Needless to say, I am very proud of their accomplishment. The total amount raised is now up to $19,174.81!! That’s $19,174.81 that Partners MS Center can use to continue the search for a cure for MS! But even more than the money raised, I feel so proud of the team when I see emails and letters received from people (often total strangers, spread throughout the country) expressing their gratitude for what they have done.

The Bike the US for MS crew is now planning a second ride during the summer of 2009. This ride will differ from the first in that it is going to begin earlier in the summer and follow a different route. Hopefully more people will come along for the 2009 ride, and most importantly, more girls will come along ☺! This ride is a wonderful way to raise money and awareness for MS, see the country, get in better shape, and have an unforgettable summer. In addition, there will be experienced leadership from Bike the US for MS veterans. This time around I am going to follow Bike the US for MS in a different way: on my bike.

-Kristen Scheller

Bike the US for MS - Summer 2009

Join us for the ride of a lifetime in 2009! If you have ever dreamed of riding across the country on a bicycle this is the perfect opportunity.


Bike the US for MS is a grassroots effort to raise awareness and funds to help people with MS. Along the way we will organize volunteer stops which may include helping out around the house or stopping by adult care facilities to relax and enjoy some good conversation. I can't tell you how rewarding this is - people are genuinely thankful for our efforts.

Joining Bike the US for MS is a great idea because we offer experience and leadership at no cost to you (except personal expenses of course). Unlike many other guided tours, you can help play a role in planning and daily decision making. Also, the reward of helping people with MS makes it much more than just a cross country bike ride.


Our visit with researchers and patients at Partners MS Center made it abundantly clear that we need to get back on our bikes and continue where we left off.

For more information please email us - info@biketheusforms.org.

Sincerely,

Donald Fraser
BiketheUSforMS.org

After the ride

At this point it's hard to say if we'll plan another transcontinental ride - but who knows? The webisodes continue to raise money from the ads, so check them out - and expect a BIG donation from vidshadow soon. Also, check out the Partners MS Center home page!

It really IS all about me

So at long last, the dreaded time has come. The members of Bike the Us for MS, each with his own dreams, each with his own path in life, each with his goal in mind... have realized that Don still has the map and we're actually quite lost. Because of that I'm actually sitting with Don right now in Blacksburg Virginia(Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!) preparing to, of all things, go on a bike ride. Idiots, all of us.
Hello Devin and Mase. Welcome home too, sort of.
Don and I drove down from Boston Yesterday. Nice trip save for missing the exit that we had very carefully been reminding ourselves not to miss. Tuning the radio. After an extra stint through rural Connecticut we got back on the 81 and cruised. The trusty Suburban, with Don at the helm, safely and efficiently conveyed us to our final destination. Now for those of you who have never been to Blacksburg (Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble!... a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!), you don't understand the meaning of glory. Driving into VT is like returning to Rome at its apex...while everybody was asleep. Colonnades of Limestone glisten along wide sweeping boulevards. The edifice of Academia stand tall, their graceful bulk supplying a certain sense of mass to an otherwise airy view. Gleaming lights cast authoritative shadows across vast expanses of lush grass. And in the distance, above the gentle breeze that's whispering through gilded columns, you can faintly make out a most enchanting cry...Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!
Just got done with a little mountain biking. Mucho fun. 1st time and it was awesome. We're over to Don's house soon to hang with his mom in a bit see a little bit of the 'burg. While I'm speaking of Don's family I'd like to thank his dad Jim for coming up to Maine. First it was cool to hang out. Second, the Suburban was huge.
I'm gonna hang out here for a couple of days then back to Seattle fro this guy. I've got a new nephew, Levi Cutler Steel, that needs some poking. Congrats to Lindsy and Joe the happy mom and pop. Updates will be forthcoming. Until then, signing off.
Karlito Mang

Partners MS Center

Our trip came to a triumphant finale yesterday as we had the pleasure of meeting the kind folks at Partners MS Center in Boston. They had lunch waiting for us and gave us a tour of the Multiple Sclerosis research labs. To actually see the research projects and meet the researchers made it very clear to us that we biked for a noble cause and that our efforts will make a real difference. We also had the opportunity to meet the doctors and nurses at the MS clinic and see the treatment and patient-care aspect of the center, and it certainly seems as if the patients are in good hands. It was humbling to be in the company of people who make a tangible difference in people's lives everyday, especially since they were thanking us- we felt as if it should be the other way around. It was a special day for all of us and one we will not soon forget, and we feel like we made the right decision in choosing Partners MS Center to receive our contributions. Thanks to Bill Florentino for being our point man in Boston, and to Dr. Weiner and all the people at the center for taking the time out of their busy schedules to meet us.

Boston is nuts. None of us have ever experienced such extreme chaos. I think it must have started in colonial times before the modern practice of street grids. The sidewalks are packed with ambitious people and the roads are literally lawless. Honking is something I forgot about until I came to Boston. We've enjoyed our stay but are reminded of the tranquility in small towns all across the country.

Our 4,300 mile journey is over but we still have a lot of work to do and will continue to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis research at Partners MS Center. Thanks for following our trip and stay tuned for more pictures and webisodes.

Trivia Question:

Who is Karl's future wife?

Taste of Maine

We just returned home from our celebratory dinner in Bar Harbor. The "Taste of Maine" special - chowdah, salad, lobstah, potato, blueberry pie & ice cream - was ridiculous. Tomorrow we pack up our bikes and head to Boston, the last step of the journey. Photos and video from the rest of the trip will be posted soon. But for now, just more celebrating.

Trivia: The geographical term "Down East" refers to the coastal region of Maine from Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border. Why is this area referred to as "Down East"?

Today's destination: BAR HARBOR

Believe it or not, today is the day our tires take a drink in the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The last leg of the journey should take us about 40 miles from Bucksport to Bar Harbor, where Don's dad will be waiting with a camera and other implements of celebration. This morning is incredibly surreal, as it doesn't occur to you as you leave Seattle on a bike that you will actually make it to the Atlantic. What next? We have all become so accustomed to our lifestyle on the road that returning to our normal lives will take some adjustment. Regardless, we are excited to be here and proud of what we've accomplished. Coastal Maine is every bit as beautiful and interesting as you would think, and although it's cold, it doesn't seem like we will see any snow. After we load the bikes on the rack and polish off the champagne and lobster, we plan on taking a drive through Acadia National Park to check out the scenery. Then Beantown awaits...

New England General Synopsis

As we inch closer to our terminal destination, we find it increasingly necessary to squeeze every last drop of experience out of each precious day. So while this medium of expression is still at my discretion, I will take the opportunity to publish as much useless information about these experiences as possible.

New England is one of the most stereotypically accurate places I've ever been that is somehow different what I expected. Quaint historical buildings dot the countryside, cow fields alternate with pumpkin patches, and people speak with a thick accents, however the feel here is friendlier and less pretentious than I imagined. It seems more isolated and unchanged than most of the places we've passed through and the blend of hamlets and authentic wilderness is refreshing. We haven't been talking much while we ride due to sheer awe of our surroundings.

We've heard a lot of hype about the wet weather and steep climbs of New England, so the guys made a great decision our first night in Vermont to make camp under a covered pavilion to stay dry and rest comfortably. Unfortunately for me, I'm an idiot and decided to set up my tent in the grass. The 4 am monsoon flooded me out and I was forced to abandon ship- stuffing my pockets with valuables and making a break for cover with only my sleeping bag. The guys woke up to a good laugh and I set out towards a laundromat to dry out as much as I could, only to get more soaked by monsoon # 2. Laundromats should really provide a rental gown of sorts for the guy who literally needs everything washed and dried, but I digress. Our prospects for dry shelter had never seemed so bleak the following evening when we arrived in Sharon, VT- especially after a lone-toothed drunkard told us his place was our best bet- until we learned of a local couple who run a B&B. A few miles up a dark dirt road later we were on the doorstep of Ken and Nancy, who had four twin beds and a shower, and oh yeah by the way: "we lead cross-country bicycle tours... we've done what you guys are doing six times." Jackpot. I took over the garage to dry out my things and we all got a great night's sleep, especially Karl, who was finally able to rest in peace knowing that an unnamed, but particularly hairy member of our clan would not be attempting an "accidental" midnight spooning maneuver.

More on New Hampshire later. These tired legs need some rest to tackle the fierce undulations of central Maine in the morning.

Maine!

It's hard to believe we're actually in Maine. Vermont and New Hampshire were short and sweet. Pretty much exactly what you would expect - nice people and green hills. What you may not expect are some of the steepest climbs of the entire route. Today we conquered Kancamagus Pass in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was cold, foggy and rainy but we pedaled hard, determined to reach Maine.

We're about 195 miles from our final destination, Bar Harbor. At 65 miles per day we should arrive Saturday night. We'll update again soon, but now it's time to replenish our bodies.

Trivia: What is the location of the fastest wind ever recorded? (Not including tornadoes)

Middlebury, VT - and tshirt winner

Yesterday we rode the ferry across Lake Champlain - leaving the Adirondacks and heading towards the Green Mountains of Vermont. We slept under a pavilion in Middlebury, a college town nestled into the mountains. It has a European feel with great shops and restaurants. We are all very excited to be in Vermont, a first for all of us. If everything goes according to plan we should arrive in Bar Harbor, ME the evening of October 13th. Only 6 more days of riding. We've pedaled almost 4,000 miles and have raised only 15% percent of our fundraising goal. Thanks to everyone who has shown support - please pass our info along because time is running out! We'll never know which dollar actually finds a cure for MS so give the 400,000 people out there reason to hope - donate now!

The tshirt winner from this week is Paul Anthon, our friend from the Erie County Home in Buffalo, NY. Your answer is correct, the Adirondacks recieve more snow than anywhere east of the Rockies.

Trivia: Which state's constitution was the first to abolish slavery and eliminate property ownership as a requirement to vote?