Sunday was the 11th annual Tappan Zee Bike Tour for MS and my first on this beautiful loop of the Lower Hudson Valley. This ride was not only an excuse to enjoy the roads with a large group but to support a photo editor friend who has MS. While they make fundraising easy with their personalized website, I promise to increase my donations next year, I’d like to get enough for a jersey.

The ride starts early and the call for rain leading up to the event was a little ominous. I think this kept riders away this year and they missed a wonderful event. When I pulled into Kraft Food’s parking lot at 6:55am it was nearly full of riders reading their bikes. Sign in went off quickly and without a hitch with a large amount of volunteers, they even pinned your number on your jersey for you. What service!

One of the highlights of this ride is to travel across the Tappan Zee Bridge and that comes quickly in the first mile. Safety is key as you make your way across with 650 of riders of varying speeds and skills. But this is part of what makes a ride like this special. There’s a wonderful energy of all the riders to just be out their on their bikes for a great cause.

I knew it would be a push for the long ride since I have not been able to ride for over two weeks, but it felt great across the bridge and heading North through Rockland. The first stop at Rockland Lake State Park I met a the mechanics for New City’s Cycling World. They helped with a few minor adjusts while I was there, sure is nice to have this support along the way. This was also the spot to turn back across the bridge for the 40% of riders who choose the 20 mile ride while the other 60% headed North for the hills.

Rolling North along the Hudson and through the river towns is nice, with views of marinas and the coming highlands off in a distance. The biggest climb of the day takes the edge of Dunderberg Mountain on 9W. This long steady climb keeps you working but never nails you with a super steep section. Before the climb a ran into two friends from past rides, Bill and Ave, both WCC members and riding as road marshals to keep an eye out for trouble. Ave who is 55, has only been riding for the past year and half and faces a challenge due to Vitiligo, an auto immune disease which makes his skin hyper sensitive to sunlight. This has not stopped him from riding, while as he describes, “So I look like some kind of Arabian clown and other riders must be wondering how comfortable I am in the heat.” Riders who have been riding for years are envious of his high cadence.

The reward is the super fast and fun descent into Bear Mountain State Park. There’s another short climb to the second rest stop at the Bear Mountain Bridge.

This stop was busy with riders fueling up at the halfway point. The many volunteers made hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Stacks of drinks and cases of fruit made for a terrific break. But it’s not the food that makes these stops such a pleasure but the people you meet. Two volunteers running this stop were Vera and Gerry DiMeglio. Vera was one of the people making the hundreds of sandwiches, while Gerry was moving the heavier water and Gatoraid to the tables. They started to volunteer at the event in 1999, a year after their oldest daughter Valeria was diagnosed with MS. Vera and Gerry were two helpers at a rest stop, with a friendly welcome and smile to make our day more enjoyable. But a special thanks needs to go out to Gerry and Vera, Gerry volunteers all year long as a member of Executive Board of the Southern NY Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Back on the road I meet Rick Pollak, (Blue Jersey) of Eastchester and Michael Darviche, (Red Jersey ) of Edgemont as we road across the Bear Mountain bridge and made our way up the southern side of the rim of Anthony’s nose on our way South. We could really enjoy this climb as the road was fully shut of to car traffic and only the chug of a tug pushing a barge on the river and a freight train interrupted the peaceful Hudson Highlands.

At the pull-off for the overlook a team photo was being taken. I jumped off my bike to grab a photo. This team lead the group to start the ride in the morning in honor of their team captain Al Poggiogalle who worked at Kraft Foods and brought co-workers and friends together for many fund-raising rides as Team Balance. Poggiogalle loved cycling and skiing and was instrumental in coordination Kraft’s participation as host site for the ride. He was killed this past June in Dutchess County while riding. I wish I’d have had the opportunity to have ridden with him, he clearly was a goodwill ambassador for cycling as his many team members and friends attest.

Down the sweeping hairpin filled descent of route 6 into Peekskill was a thrill and a salute to the two Balance team riders who dropped me!

The ride South brought many ups and downs through the river towns back to Tarrytown. The route took us through a beautiful section of Oscawana Park and past mansions in Briar Cliff.

Many of us struggled up the last real hill on Bedford road with cramps and tired legs. But the long descent into Sleepy Hollow and the easy rollers back to Kraft Foods made for an easy finish.

What a finish they planned with the New Rochelle cheerleading squads cheering us home and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs waiting for the tired and hungry riders.

The ride reached $350,000 so far in the fundraisning to fight MS and you can still help them reach the $400,000 goal by contributing. Here’s a link to the TZ Ride for MS.

I know I’ll be back next year and will be organizing Team Cycling Central.

To see a photo gallery from the ride, please click here.