As Bike the US for MS Alumni, you are always looking forward to that next great bike ride! Our 2025 season will not disappoint. There is something for everyone, especially if you can’t devote a whole summer to a single ride. And don’t forget about the Bike the UK for MS rides!
The rider support for the cause is tremendous! The fact that over 60% of our riders are “repeat” riders speaks highly of the cause and the organization.
Given that many of us have been involved with the organization for over 10 years, it is time to encourage others to join in this adventure. As alumni, you are the ambassadors of the organization. Please reach out to your friends, bike clubs, colleges/universities, and social media groups to encourage more to sign up for rides.
How you can help make our bike rides a success.
The organization’s leadership cannot do it all. Especially if we want more funds donated to go to assisting those living with MS. We have been able to grow and expand over the years with help from all the amazing alumni like you! Bike the US for MS humbly started with a group of friends biking across the country to spread awareness and raise funds to end MS. Please share our story so we can continue to grow and get more riders to join this amazing group of alumni.
A challenge to the Alumni – Review the 2025 schedule and encourage/support one “newbie” to join us for a bike ride! We look forward to a very full ride schedule next year!
Alumni Tailwinds – March 2024 by Neil McCallum and Kelly Wolf
For many Bike the US for MS riders, rest day service projects are the first opportunity to meet and support a family living with MS. Over the years, our Alumni have built walkways, cleaned back yards, replaced light bulbs, painted rooms or houses and performed a whole host of tasks near impossible for those living with MS.
The Heart of Our MS Mission
Volunteering our time, as we bike the country, goes hand in hand with our mission make a difference to the lives of those living with MS. The gratification of knowing that you have made such a personal impact lasts a lifetime. Yes, we are tired from the long days on the bike, but with a little effort and a lot of fellow riders, we do make a world of difference.
You can appreciate the skepticism and concern of a family knowing that a group of bikers are going to show up and carry out a service project at their home. On more than one occasion there was a big relief that those ‘bikers’ turned out to be cyclists and not motorcyclists. However, we have all gained more from the experience than the little effort that was required on our rest day. Our hosts are always eternally grateful for our efforts.
Key takeaways from service projects:
It’s amazing how much we can accomplish in a few short hours. Usually more tasks need to be added to the list because we get so much done.
Fundraising and knowing your money is helping people is impactful. Getting to meet them and perform service projects for MS families feels doubly impactful.
We find out other needs they may have! This leads us to fund further ramps, medical devices, wheelchair accessible vehicles to support their lives. We get to hear how our organization has helped make their lives easier.
There is always plenty of rest day left to relax after doing a service project! Oh and of course do your laundry.
Everyday tasks can be such a challenge for a family living with MS. Service projects are a great reminder of how much we take for granted.
Please share your stories of memorable service project experiences and any photos you may have!
Alumni Tailwinds – February 2024 by Neil McCallum and Kelly Wolf
As we get closer to kicking off the 2024 season, we wanted to celebrate our unsung heros of Bike the US for MS – our Route Leaders. Without your unwavering support over the years, we simply wouldn’t have been able to run 16 years of successful bike rides for MS.
We thought we’d ask you, our alumni, to share stories and insights about the joys of route leading. It is truly a life changing experience and another way for you to show your support for Bike the US for MS and the cause.
Do you have a favorite Route Leader you want to thank, particular memories from the road about your Route Leaders or have stories of your own as a Route Leader you want to share? Add you comments below!
Route leading is such a unique experience. I remember riding into Seattle to dip my tires when I finished my Northern Tier ride. I was so overwhelmed with emotion and pride. As a Route Leader, having the opportunity to see your team experience that moment for themselves is so special and rewarding in its own way. Knowing you played a part in helping people complete a life-changing challenge is so rewarding. It kept me coming back!
Kaylyn (center right) celebrating with her team having biked across America.
Here are some positive thoughts I had on being a Route Leader:
The best part of the Route Leader role is you get to share with others the joy and fun you had on your previous adventure.
If you like helping and being kind to others, Route Leader is a great role.
I loved again spending those weeks of living a simple life.
My most positive aspect of the 2012 TransAm ride:
Here was my biggest accomplishment in 2012. You probably know the story. Like in 2010, we had a few tag-along riders….solo self supported cyclists carrying their own gear. I encouraged them to stop at our stops for water and said it was no problem if they stayed with us at campgrounds and churches.
However, there were a couple of our riders who wanted me to kick them off. They weren’t raising any money was the main issue. They were costing Bike the US for MS nothing. Several were visitors to the US, and to me it was just being friendly and nice. I refused to stop helping the self supported riders.
Our tag-along riders ended up donating and even came back as leaders the following year. One of the riders the folks wanted to kick off in 2012 was James Whateley, now Executive Director of Bike the US for MS and Bike the UK for MS. You talk about a fork in the road from a simple act of kindness.
Don Fraser said that the TranAmerica 2011 was totally disorganized. He wanted me to make sure 2012 was more organized. My wife, Christine, and I put two pages of notes together for each day, in advance. Those 60 days in 2012 were flawless as far as the stops, the accommodations, etc. Of course all that went unnoticed because things ran so smoothly, which was the goal!
Things to be aware of:
One of the most difficult aspects of route leading is problems that can arise that you could never have anticipated.
One of the dangers is that returning as a Route Leader will not be the same experience as a rider. This does not mean it’s a bad experience! Simply that the added responsibility of Route Leading will change how you go about the ride.
Dale finishing up his 2010 TransAmerica ride in San Francisco.
When you experience something amazing and extremely worthwhile you want to share it and contribute to it. Riding with Bike the US for MS around America is that experience. After logging over 11,000 miles with BTUSFMS I felt like part of a cycling family and wanted to contribute my time and experience with other riders so I volunteered to become a Route Leader.
That was a great decision. Being a Route Leader gave me a much greater appreciation for the organization and the important duties of the route leaders. I learned so much from the route leaders that had guided me and I enjoyed sharing that knowledge with new riders.
Ted (front center in yellow) is one of our local Route Leaders on the GAP & C&O in 2024.
I was lucky enough to start route leading the Southern Tier right after completing my first ride. The transition from cyclist to Route Leader was an eye awakening experience. I hadn’t realized all the things the Route Leaders were responsible for; arranging accommodations and service projects, choosing locations for rest stops and calculating daily milage.
I immediately realized how amazing my route leader team had worked together to keep my Pacific Coast ride running smoothly. The first major situation I delt with as a Route Leader was realizing that due to a miscalculation in the mileage, one of our days was 120 miles! We had to scramble to adjust our overnight stops and were grateful we started calculating mileage a week in advance.
Route leading has been an amazing experience to not only assist people through the ups and downs of a cross country ride, but also watch how they grow to become skilled and confident cyclists. It has also given me the confidence that I can deal with any problem thrown at me no matter where I am. I never thought I’d have to help cyclists with things like dehydration, a cracked tooth, broken bones, dog encounters, stollen bikes and then throw in a hurricane, a tornado, and a van accident.
I truly feel like I experienced it all! It is such a wonderful opportunity to be a route leader and get to experience the ride from a whole different perspective.
Kelly (center right), one our many amazing Route Leaders, enjoying meeting up with the 2023 GAP & C&O team.
Riding my bicycle across the nation was a life altering event for me. I wish I had had the option to do it in my youth! It has been my pleasure to lead the Pacific coast tour 2 years in a row. Being able to ride with the riders and support them during their journeys. Often times one act of kindness by you means the whole trip to a rider. Being their leader, guide, supporter, confidant, and friend makes each and every trip special. The friends you make on the ride will be with you for life!
Sully (right) has been riding and Route Leading with Bike the US for MS since 2016 and is back for more as a rider on the Florida Coast in March and Olympic Peninsula Bike Tour this summer.
As a ride leader, the memories of all of the wonderful people that we interacted with comes to mind. Working with our “Legacy” hosts, those that have been there year after year for us is the most gratifying. Driving into a new town and being greeted like old friends is very memorable.
It is so great to represent an organization and dedicated riders so respected for their efforts to help those living with MS. A special memory is being able to hear the MS stories and then be able to provide funds to ease the burden. A very special time.
Neil (back row, second from right) will be back Route Leading the inaugural North Lakes ride this summer.
There is a special satisfaction and challenge in helping a group of cyclists get from one coast to the other. Cycling a big ride for charity is meaningful and impactful, and helping those in need with MS is a great thing. Leading a team of cyclists across the country is ten times as rewarding.
You have to keep them on the route and figure out where the group stays and what service projects the group performs. But you also get to meet and interact with more people as route leaders—the hosts you stay with, the families you help, the communities you visit, and the entire cycling team. You get to experience new places, people, and challenges. It’s fun and exciting, and all for a great cause.
You have to have answers for the cycling team, and you need to be able to help them. All the riders couldn’t make it to the end without you, and knowing that you got them across the country is gratifying and empowering. You will have fun, you will be uncomfortable, and there will always be something you don’t expect. That’s what makes being a Route Leader worth doing.
Greenbrair Braag riding the 2018 TransAmerica route.
Interested in becoming a Route Leader in 2024? Submit your interest today!
Alumni Tailwinds – January 2024 by Neil McCallum and Kelly Wolf
Welcome to the first 2024 edition of “Alumni Tailwinds,” where we catch up with our Bike the US for MS alumni to see the amazing journeys life has taken them on since their adventures with us. Their stories continue to inspire us and showcase the lasting impact of our cycling family.
Natalie Love – TransAmerica 2014
I was living in Virginia, the start of the TransAm route, prior to the ride and ended up calling San Francisco home, where we finished our cycle across America. It’s fun to think that in a way, I moved out to SF via bike. Claire, one of our incredible Route Leaders, GoPro’ed most of our adventures and it was always a highlight on the trip when all the riders would sit around a laptop or small TV to watch the short videos she put together.
I ended up applying for a job at GoPro and submitted some of the videos with my resume and luck behold, ended up getting a job there. Since then, I’ve biked across 5 more countries; Spain, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania and a few more states.
I now live in Salt Lake City where biking remains my number one passion. I spend my time volunteering to fix up bikes, participating in city councils/open houses on how we can make bike lane better, riding with my dog, Dash, and I have a few social groups where I invite any and all riders to come bike around and grab a beer after. Huge thanks to BTUSFMS for kickstarting this life long passion and I’ll keep doing my best pay it forward!
James Whateley – Global Executive Director and longtime Bike the US for MS alumni
2023 was certainly a big year of change for me and it seems 2024 is going to be much the same! Having taken on the new Executive Director role in April with Bike the US for MS, balancing my time between that and managing Bike the UK for MS with the help of my colleagues Duncan, Felix and Tommy, has been an exciting challenge.
We’re starting to make some big adjustments to our annual calendar of events and seeing alumni excited to return on shorter rides as well as new participants from across the US has been fantastic. I can’t wait to see many more of you in the year to come!
On a personal level, last year saw Abbie and I get married in the UK back in September before a much overdue holiday and honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand (thanks Duncan for holding down the fort while I was away!).
2024 is already bringing new excitement as Abbie and I found out, while in Australia, that we are in fact expecting twins in the Spring! Any parenting advice from you all is much welcome, add it in the comments below, as I haven’t got a clue. It seems a whole new world of adjustment and balance is going to be needed for me this year, but I’m excited for our new challenge whilst taking Bike the US for MS from strength to strength.
Fred Zelt – Too many rides to mention – Founder of the Social Distance Cycling Club
Some Bike the US for MS alumni may recall Thomas Stevens as a mysterious ride donor. Stevens is better known for being the first to cycle across the USA and world, in 1884-86 on a high wheel bicycle (aka penny-farthing). Stevens’ subsequent book “Around the World on a Bicycle” and David Herlihy’s excellent 2010 book “The Lost Cyclist” about 1880’s-1890’s Pittsburgh cyclist Frank Lenz inspired BTUSFMS alum Fred Zelt to acquire and learn to ride a used reproduction 48” high wheel bicycle.
Fred reports that the first 2-3 cycling sessions were terrifying and he doesn’t recommend trying a high wheel bike. Donna observed those sessions nervously, with a first aid kit in one hand and phone ready to dial 911 in the other. Starting, pedaling, balancing, steering, stopping and properly dismounting a high wheel bike are totally different than on modern bikes.
But in the spirit of past adventuresome cyclists Fred now plans to pedal the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage rail trail on the high wheel bike in June, with leisurely 10-30 mile days. This will include a group ride to commemorate the June 15 anniversary of the first known bike trip down a beautiful, 17-mile segment of Youghiogheny River Gorge, which was first cycled by Lenz and a colleague on high-wheel bicycles in 1890.
Fred hopes to survive the June rides and demonstrate high wheel bike riding for BTUSFMS cyclists in Pittsburgh before the September BTUSFMS GAP and C&O ride.
Lina Garada – Bike the US for MS alumni and Board Member
The past two years or so have been focusing on advocacy with the big event being Hood to Coast, a 198 mile running relay in Oregon. It was a blast being a part of a team that were all adaptive athletes. I had the pleasure of repping those with invisible diseases and MS.
In 2023 we upped the bar with sponsorship from ON Running and pivoting the legislation from So Kids Can Move to So Everybody Can Move. With the 2028 Olympics in LA this year, the goal is to get 28 states by 2028 to pass legislation to ensure insurance has to cover prosthetics for mobility.
For the MS community this would ensure those who AFO’s or any other device would be covered. Links to read about the race and legislation : 2022 race, 2023 race
On an everyday level, recovering from an overuse injury and happy to be back running! This past weekend I had the joy of supporting Team Catapult and running my first 5k in years. It was great being reuniting with friends from Hood to Coast and meeting new friends as well in the adaptive community!
Running is always a moving target with MS for me, so while hitting my time goal was a nice plus, my biggest takeaway and accomplishment was reigniting my joy in running. Stoked to run more miles!
Ed Osuna – Bike the US for MS alumni
No bicycle updates but Ed did climb Kilimanjaro this year. A fantastic achievement.
Laurie Martinelli – Northern Tier 2017
What a fabulous adventure that was. I’ve lived and worked in Boston for 35 years, but now I’ve retired. I’m selling my house and moving to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts where I grew up. I’m very excited about this new life chapter. The Berkshires is a pristine area w excellent biking, hiking, skiing and culture.
I feel very fortunate. Bring on 2024! 🚴♂️
Stuart Shapiro – Bike the US for MS alumni
After 20 years of bike riding to raise money and awareness to End MS I was sidelined by a fractured pelvis while getting ready for a 2017 MS event. I switched to walking events for MS ever since. My family and I have seen so much progress over the years in the treatment of MS for our daughter and others. All due to the efforts of all who have participated in these events. I will never forget Bike the US for MS.
Jeff Smith – TransAm 2022
Retired, sold my practice and moved from Calif. to the East Coast. Splitting time between Virginia and winters in Florida. Riding with a good group in Florida several times a week and volunteering/riding with my sweetie Peggy on multiple rides in NY, Virginia and Florida. Visiting good friends I’ve met like Neil along the way! Also taking tennis lessons and playing Pickleball.
Alumni Jeff Smith and Peggy with Jim and Martha who provided pizza to the TransAmerica team.
Shannon Catalano – Pacific Coast 2017
Since becoming a Bike the US for MS alumni, in 2019, I started the non-profit Lone Star Wheelers in Plano Texas. I wanted to be able to give people the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of riding a bike even when they aren’t able to pedal themselves. I was inspired by my grandmother and although I wasn’t able to give her a ride, I have been able to give many other people the opportunity to take a ride on a bicycle. Here are some of the highlights and accomplishments we achieved in 2023.
Rides at DaySpring Senior Living Plano and special events
141 individual rides
25 unique riders
66 hours of ride time
28 minute rides on average
Staff-led rides at W.T. White High School
The adapted bicycle is used daily during the school year by the special education department. The staff pedals students around the large campus.
Borrow-a-bicycle
Our loaner bicycle was with a local family of four that loves to bike together. Our loaner bicycle allowed this young family to bicycle together again. The bike was then loaned to Hightower Elementary School after we pedaled eight students during their Bike Rodeo. They loved it so much, the school counselor decided that she wanted the students to experience joyrides on a regular basis.
Trailer & Awards
We purchased an enclosed trailer with a ramp and had our logo added to the sides and back. It serves as transportation, storage, and advertising for the program. We were awarded the 2023 Best Non-Motorized Unit in Plano’s All American 4th of July Parade.
Media Coverage
We were on Good Morning Texas on February 27, 2023. We had a two-page feature in the April 3, 2023 edition of Woman’s World Magazine, America’s #1 best-selling weekly women’s magazine.
Start-up assistance
We provide complimentary assistance to anyone wanting to start an adapted bicycle program in their community. We maintain a detailed document of the steps to starting a program and offer consultation as needed.
Natalya Naneen- TransAm 2019, Southern Tier 2022
I was sworn into my new physician assistant position in gynecology at the VA while Route Leading the Southern Tier October 2022, at 6am in the trailer while looking for spandex, and have been learning a new field of medicine since. It’s really rewarding to be in this position where I get to take care of exclusively women and trans veterans.
My now husband Eric and I had been dating for 2 years and had wedding rings for 16 months. We knew we wanted a little wedding and planned a little ceremony with our immediate family in a week. We’ve been married for a month now. He and I just closed on a house!
Kaylyn Procter (Messenger) and Nick Procter – both BTUSFMS alumni
In 2015 I signed up for a trip with Bike the US for MS. It was my way of grieving, processing, and doing what I could to make meaning out of a loss of my Aunt Jamie. 8 years later, I rode 361 miles around the Olympic Peninsula with some of the people I love most in the world. It was great to reconnect with so many familiar faces and be back on the road with our BTUSFMS alumni family.
Speaking of family, October 14, I was lucky enough to marry my best friend Nick and join the Procter family. We had a gorgeous ceremony with family and friends before we started our honeymoon adventure out West. In just over a week we visited 8 National Parks, hiked many miles, took plane rides, went rappelling & have lots of wonderful memories. We look forward to all the new adventures 2024 will bring.
Beyond my efforts as BTUSFMS Alumni Coordinator, other volunteer activities include Chairperson for Wheels For Winners, a local not for profit that renovates donated bikes and provides them to people doing community service, AARP Driver Safety Instructor, Sec/Trea of Clan MacCallum Malcolm Society of North America and several other. In 2022, I received the Andres Award from AARP for Outstanding Community Service!
We’d love to hear from more Bike the US for MS alumni. Share your updates and stories in the comments below.
A TAILWINDS feature by Alumni Coordinators Neil McCallum and Kelly Wolf
The recent Olympic Peninsula ride provided a perfect opportunity for an impromptu alumni reunion. Many hugs and stories were exchanged. What a wonderful opportunity to create and renew friendships! Our alumni are very dedicated to the cause of helping those living with MS. Hear from those on the ride and others that were with Bike the US for MS in 2023.
Riding the 2023 Olympic Peninsula Loop was like being at a family reunion. So great to see so many familiar faces and to catch up with everyone, in some cases after several years. And what better setting than the Pacific North West?
Rivers, ocean, sound, strait; mountains, valleys, rollers; forests; bobcats, elk, deer; and people—amazing people. So much fun, so humbling to see the appreciation for our efforts in the faces of the MS group in Sequim and the woman in Port Angeles who called out from her car, “Thank you! My daughter has MS!”
Loved the accessibility of the short, week-long route, although the end came too soon (maybe we should have gone around twice…).
The Olympic Peninsula was a glimpse into the future of what Bike the US for MS can do in short format ride, huge participation and even bigger fundraising dollars were amassed. Duncan’s hard work detailing every part of the ride made it easy to execute, bravo Duncan!
The bulk of the 34 cyclists were alumni from across a decade of different cross-country rides. Stories were told, ideas shared, and new cyclists were welcomed and turned into alumni. The broad spectrum of backgrounds and personalities that come together on these trips are what keep everyone coming back for more!
James and Duncan have great vision for the future of this organization, let’s keep riding, continue fundraising and making a difference for those living with MS.
Kaylyn Messenger – 2015 Alumni
What a stellar week! Being back on the road with Bike the US for MS for the Olympic Peninsula was such a powerful experience. Seeing so many old friends who are still connected to the cause reminded me of the major impact this organization makes on the lives of those involved. I can’t wait to sign up for my next ride!
Thanks to an alumni email, I “Adopted the Stop” in Alexandria VA on May 9th. When I took bananas, mandarins, muffins, and applesauce to the group of Bike the US for MS “strangers” touring the Atlantic Coast, I had no idea I was about to change the trajectory of my summer and possibly my life.
I met the riders, reconnected with Doctor Nick Patrone, and met Route Leader Jeremy Francis, who quickly became a close friend. Within days, I was signed up for the Minneapolis to Bismarck leg of the Northern Tier. I had no idea that would lead to eleven new friends that I’d share both laughter and tears with amongst the 500 miles I’d ride.
Returning home, I felt drawn to surprise the team at the finish in Seattle, but knew I’d also get the opportunity to see alumni friends from my previous segment tours on the TransAm (2014) and NoTier (2015). And, boy, was it a party!
The Alumni Connection
It was so fun to reconnect with many of my friends, and it was also impressive to see so many other alumni who traveled from afar just for the finish, such as Gayle Fothergill (whom I rode with in 2015) and Robert Morris (whom I had been Facebook friends with since 2015 but had never met)! The finish line party was filled with smiles and tears, and the brewery after-party was filled with laughter, sharing memories, and making new friends.
This was yet another incredible experience with BTUSFMS, one that will forever remain special to me for so many reasons; new best friends, a new partner, great memories and miles, reconnecting with old friends, and sharing the love for BTUSFMS and all that this organization stands for.
The Alumni Family
It never ceases to amaze me how BTUSFMS brings people together who remain lifelong friends on incredible cross-country rides, while simultaneously raising hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to support those living with MS and also raising awareness about the disease.
I’m guessing founder Don Fraser had no idea the reach, impact, and connections he was creating when he wanted to start this organization for his mom. Thank you, Don, for creating this for all of us alumni and for everyone impacted by multiple sclerosis! And thank you to all the BTUSFMS staff and route leaders who make these experiences memorable. Can’t wait for the next ride!
The range of ages, careers, personalities have made for quite an eclectic group of amazing people out for a common cause—-to help stop MS!! I had the pleasure of driving from my home state of Idaho over to Seattle Washington this summer to see the group off for the first ever Olympic Peninsula Bike Tour for MS on August 6th. It was so great to see former alumni that I have met over the years and catch up on their lives.
As long as I can pedal my bike, I hope to join other MS rides in the coming years. Ride on!
This summer was my first trip with Bike the US for MS, and we were a tiny but mighty crew! With just four cross country cyclists, four route leaders, seven segment riders, and our team “mom” in her Subaru, we made up a historically small team.
We were so fortunate to have support from so many alumni throughout the trip. Several alumni joined us along the route to bring us food and share their company. We all know how precious a good meal or hearty snacks are on the long days.
I was always seeing messages and comments of support on our social media pages. And I was touched to see all the alumni who cheered us in when we rode into Seattle in August after 70 days. Between the families who came out to meet us, the alumni who were preparing to start the OP, and other alumni who just live in the area, we came together in Seattle largely as strangers.
There’s no community like the Bike the US for MS family
Even though we were on different tours in different years, we have an instant connection and something in common with each other. We all love to ride bikes and we love Bike the US for MS! From all of us on the 2023 Northern Tier team, huge thanks to all of you alumni who supported us from near and afar!
When I signed up to lead this team in February, I had no idea of the whole community that existed behind Bike the US for MS. I learned quickly about the many alumni who sign up for another ride, come back to be route leaders, or join for a segment now that they know the tour is coming through their state.
There are so many repeat names written in sharpie in the trailer! I was surprised and delighted to learn that the new Olympic Peninsula route was not only totally booked, but entirely filled by alumni and friends of the organization.
I love to see the engagement over voting for a Great Lakes or Grand Canyon tour next year! It says something special about Bike the US for MS, that they keep drawing people back for another trip.
I am honored to be a part of the BTUSFMS alumni community now and look forward to paying forward the generosity we experienced this summer to the 2024 teams!
Adam Hunter – 2016 Alumni
It was awesome to connect with alumni from every era of our long mutual journey. I particularly enjoyed connecting with folks from the very early days of Bike the US for MS and hearing all the cool stories about how everything got started.
I particularly enjoyed riding with Kevin and also meeting Mason at the end of the ride; it was so cool to hear their perspective and think about how long we’ve been around! Here’s to many more years ahead.
