Fourteen years! That is a long time for anything in this fast changing world. Our team has weathered all manner of challenges - babies, families, injuries, a global pandemic. At our core has always been our commitment to the weird fellowship of road biker - early morning, long distances, and the friendships built in the spaces between. I never guessed that the crazy team of 5 back in 2010 - who completed the a two day ride of 150 miles on the heaviest bikes made by man and a total lack of knowledge about training - would grow into a perennial team of 25-30 of the nicest people and friends!
This is the year we grow past your yearly commitment to the BikeMS. The National MS Society head office killed of a few smaller rides around the country last year, and our beloved ride was one. It was a shock and a blow, and it still generates not particularly nice feelings (betrayal, anger, indifference). We had a good run - raising over $325,000 for the MS Society - but our efforts where not enough, and the fellowship of the amazing people in NM were deemed not worth our local and national chapters efforts anymore.
So this we start with a clean slate and a new mission. Our goal this year is to build and sustain our local rider community, as we work through what the next phase of our efforts should be. Those of us passionate about having our own local event are organizing something new under the Pedal los Pueblos banner! We will be co-sponsoring rides this year with other local groups and building toward a new future of our own local events - organized for the benefit of NM by NM!
Below is the schedule for the Saturday rides. They are designed to be progressive - so will slowly build in length and intensity through the summer. There will be an ride on Sunday too, but it is a bit more flexible, and is focused on shorter distances working up to about 50 miles by the end of the summer. Our normal departure time is 6 am from the O'Neill's parking lot on Central!
SATURDAY RIDE SCHEDULE
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