What: MS-150 Bike Ride

When: All Day, 21-22 May 2005

Where: Franklin Park, Purcellville, VA

Spring is here - and that means the MS 150K Bike Tour will soon be upon us. This will be the 23rd Bike Tour!!! I got started volunteering for this event in 1988. However, I believe there are a few hams who volunteer for this event that started 22 rides ago - when the MS Bike Tour first started. Anyway, it is just an indicator of how old I am getting!

The "Ride" is sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Capital Chapter and raises funds through this and other events to help those living with the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis and to bring us closer to a cure.

This year the "Ride" will be in Loudoun County again. However, instead of Great Meadows, the Start/Finish will be in Franklin Park, 17501 Franklin Park Drive, Purcellville, Virginia 20132. The Overnight Campground is as last year at the 4H Fairgrounds in Leesburg.

We need Hams with vehicles that can carry a couple of bicycles to ride the routes and help or pick up bicyclists with problems and take them to the nearest Rest Stop or Bike Repair Station. MS refers to these types of vehicles as SAGs - pretty common name I suppose, but still a strange name to me.

A pickup truck is great, or an SUV or car with a bike rack. The nice thing about people with trucks or vehicles with bike racks - is they can either take care of a rest stop OR ride the course helping riders.

We also need Hams that can provide communications with Rest Stops. There are a number of these - some busier than others. Essentially, you check in with the Rest Stop Captain, and if there is any need for back and forth communication, they will contact you.

An "installed in your vehicle", 2 meter transceiver works best for this event. A dual-band transceiver (2 meter and 70 Cm) is even better. However, an HT with a good antenna can do well, since we are usually allowed access to the 147.300 repeater which has excellent coverage throughout the route. A "Good Antenna" would be defined as a magnetic mount with at least a quarter wave whip antenna.

This year, our Net Control person, Howard Cunningham (WD5DBC) would like to use APRS to keep track of SAG locations. So, if you have APRS, this is a good chance to play with it. If you do not, and are planning to get APRS, here is a great excuse.

This is a fantastic public service event! The weather is usually super. You get to ride around in the country helping people. Although MS personnel get cell phones loaned to them, they really do not work that well in the country. So, the event REALLY needs Hams with their unique capability to communicate when others can't.

Saturday is our busiest day - and the day we need the most help. It starts at 6 AM and can go on until 7 PM or so as we try to herd in the last of the bike riders on the course. Dinner is donated by Red Hot and Blue at the overnight site. The Sunday ride is usually completed by early afternoon.

If you can volunteer - please contact me by email at [email protected]. If you have any questions, you can reach me on my cell phone at 703-855-1656.

Once I have you on the list, you will be provided with directions, maps, route details, and assignments via email - shortly before the event. If you can't help this year - please forward this to any fellow Hams who might be able to help.

Bo Pierce, N4VEC

MS 150K Bike Tour Communications Coordinator

Cell: 703-855-1656