October 17, 2005 . . . Mike has reached his goal. He raised $1,049.00 for the Multiple Sclerosis Greater North Jersey Chapter. He is pretty happy that he raised this amount. Mike never raised this amount for this chapter before.

       Ready to hear Mike's version of the MS-100 bike tour.

       Sept 24th . . . I woke up about 5:00am saturday morning. Got dressed, tv and eat. My mom wakes up a bit later then me. I stretch out and get the stuff into the car. We leave left after 6:00am. Made it to Verizon parking lot on James Street in Morristown, NJ about 7:00am. Sign in for the tour. Set up my bike and put my bags near the van. Took photos and chat with friends. The ribbon cutting was about 8:00am. I left 2 minutes after that. There was a mix-up somehow. Where a couple of cyclist and I followed a MS marker and wind up back on another part of the route. A small circle.

• Missed the first rest stop somehow. The first rest stop was in the Township of Chatham Municipal Building. I realized that when I saw my speedometer reading 20 miles.
• Reached the second rest stop at the Liberty Corner School at 9:28am. With max:29.1 mph, av:16.6 mph. Saw the moon in the sky. I felt good and no problem. Pretty cool! Did meet two members of the M&M's team. (You will see the photos from the 2005 MS-100 tour soon.) I liked the cycling uniform a lot. I said to the captian that I wish I had one. He asked for a trade. I said the Cycle Craft jersey was given to me as a gift. The captian then said to not worry. He would give me one at the finish line sunday afternoon. I said awesome!!
• Reached the third rest stop at 10:17am. Which is lunch. Max:32.2 mph, av:16.3 mph. This place has a big pond with a water fountain and two swans. Dixie band playing live music for all the bikers. Chat with my friends. Because I had a lot of time on my hand. I did not leave lunch till 11:58am.
• Reached the Mendham Township Library fourth and final rest stop till 12:46pm. av:15.6 mph.
• Reached the Parsippany Hilton at 2:28pm. av:15.3 mph. Everything else with no changes. I decided to slow down on my cycling. Even slower when I crossed route 10. I was not tired or hurting. Just wanted to enjoy the slow ride into the Parsippany Hilton.

       Did sign in at the finish line. Hung outside for a bit. Watching some bikers come cross the finish line. Chat with a few people from Westfield AV. I went ahead and drew on the ground with my BM logo. Then went in to get my room card key. Get my bag and go to my room. Went into my bathing suit. Try going into the outdoor pool. The water was kinds cool. Brrrrr!!! Chat wiht Donna and her friends. Then I went into the indoor pool. Which was better. Then the hot tub. Chat with an old friend I have not seen for three years. Then got back to my room to shower and dress. Walk to the outdoor BBQ. Bumped into all my friends I made through the years in the MS-100. Then to the comedy show. First was the Multiple Sclerosis speech and slideshow. A friend from CNBC came by with his family to see me and hang out a bit. I played my bike number 215. Hung outside in the parking lot for awhile. Hung out with two of my friends that are the MS staff. Then to bed after 11:00pm.

       Sept, 25 . . . Woke up about 5:30am. Got dressed and packed up. Look at the Weather Channel for the weather for the day. Brought all my stuff down. Signed out the room by giving my room card key back. Eat breakfast and chat with a few friends. Even said HI to the M&M team. Then signed out. Call my mother that I am about to leave. First I got the brake pads straighten out by getting new front pads. My friend from Montclair Bikery was one of a few volunteer bike repair folks in the tour. He is cool! I left the Parsippany about 8:15am. It was kind of cloudy out.

• Made it to the first rest stop at 9:00am at Mendham Township parking lot. Max:27.2 mph, av:15.8 mph. It is cloudy out. Still sat the M&M Team.
• Made it to the second rest stop at 9:58am at the Far Hills Railroad Station. Max:29.0 mph, av:15.6 mph. The weather is still cloudy. Still doing good.
• Made it to rest stop 3 at 11:10am. Which is also lunch at the Pluckemin Schoolhouse Park. av:15.7 mph. Did look at a airport before reaching lunch and saw a one prop engine plane land. Planned on leaving lunch at 11:45am. But this banana slurp energy gel got all over me and the bike. Had to lean up the sticky mess first. Left lunch at 12:04pm.
• Trouble brew after lunch. While going on a right hand bend going downhill. I saw bridge at high speed. At a last second thing. I then saw a hole in the ground on the bridge. Had only enough time to get the front wheel over the hole. The back wheel hit the hole. Stopped the bike to check on the rear wheel. No problem! Then as I jumped back on the bike. I noticed the speedometer was going wacky. Checked the sensors and wires. No problem was detected. No more readings from the speedometer computer for the rest of the day.
• Passed the fourth rest stop which was the Millington Railroad Station at 1:05pm. No readings from the bike. Sun and clouds.
• Made it to the finish line at the Verizon parking lot on James Street at 1:53pm. Warm and cloudy.

       At the finish line area. Which was in the Verizon Parking lot in Morristown. There was a live band playing, BBQ food, massage for all cyclist, pick up photos taken by WestfieldAV.com for MS riders and pick up your MS medal. Cheering section as bikers coming into the finish area. Everyone enjoying chatting.

       During the tour. Saw farms, cows, horses, a beautiful scene, a pretty river bank view before Far Hills RR, A really nice huge houses on top of a couple of hills, a plane about to land at a small airport that gone over Mike's head, met up with a couple of wonderful friends that rides in the tour and more.

       The tour was fun. My only word is this. The first rest stop was missed for a reason. Because a few or one sign was confusing to Mike and a few other bikers on the first day of the MS-100 bike tour.
       Going to keep this short! Mike only had one bad problem. Which was from the second day of the tour. After leaving lunch. Mike was flying down a right hand downhill. Mike came across a bridge. He did not see the hole in the concrete till the last few seconds. He only had enough time to keep the front wheel from hitting the hole. But the rear wheel still hit the hole. No problem with the rear wheel, but when he stopped the second time. He noticed the speedometer computer was not reading a thing from the sensors. No more reading from the speedometer for the rest of the tour.

       If you like to learn more about this MS chapter. Please go to Greater North Jersey Chapter for more information.