ALS Double Day Ride 2007

For the fourth year in a row we've supported the ALS Double Day Ride. Just what is ALS? Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease, first described in 1869 by the noted French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Although the cause of ALS is not completely understood, the last decade has brought a wealth of new scientific understanding about the disease that provides hope for the future. Lou Gehrig first brought national and international attention to the disease in 1939 when he abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with ALS. Most commonly, the disease strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. We're very proud to support this ride and it's been great to see it grow over the years. This year the riders raised at least $80,000 for the cause and after the matching gifts they are sure to break last year's record of $100,000.

We were out there to make sure all the bikes were running properly and provide support on the road. We also donated some prizes to the event for the great raffle that the event puts on during their annual Pasta4PALS Dinner.

The weather was great for the ride. It started out a little cloudy in the morning but the temperature was great and the sun made an appearance later in the day.

While these riders look pretty serious, the ride was great for all abilities. The people that came out to ride (close to 200 people) almost all have a direct connection with ALS and ride as part of a team supporting a family member or friend with ALS or in remembrance of someone who has passed from the disease.

ALS is takes people, often in their prime, and takes them quickly. The average lifespan after a diagnosis is less than 3 years. The families and sufferers of this disease are amazingly brave and generous.

Click here for a slide show of pictures from the event

Yes You Can

More and more people are getting back on bikes. Whether they are getting back in the saddle to save money on gas, get into shape or just to have some fun, they are finding that bicycles are a great way to stay active. One of the most important reasons that people are getting back on their bikes is to raise money for charity. Charity rides bring all types of people out to get on their bike and support the cause of their choice. Most of these rides consist of relatively new cyclists, some of them brand new. Most people have heard of these types of rides and some have even been encouraged to participate. Some people take the challenge, dust the bike off and do their best to train a little bit before setting out to do the ride. Others find excuses not to participate. The excuses come in many flavors but the generally come down to this:

1. I'm not in good enough shape to ride 50 miles!
2. I don't have a bike/my bike isn't good enough to ride 50 miles!

Well, I'm here to tell you. You can do it. There is a ride for every ability and an ability for every ride. What does that mean, "an ability for every ride"? It means that anyone can do the rides that are out there. It means that you may have to go slower, walk a little bit or even take a ride in the support vehicle but you have the ability to do the ride. How do I know this? I've seen it in action. Gregg's Cycle supports all kinds of rides during the year and I am generally at all of them. As a cyclist I am constantly amazed by the people that are out participating in these charity rides. I look at the shape of the bike, the gear that people are wearing and I think to myself, "you couldn't pay me to ride that bike for 50 miles! How do these people do it". Yes, it's true, sometimes I'm a bit of a bike snob. But the thing is, these people do it! They get on all kinds of bikes and they ride. And they have a great time doing it! The bikes are old, they are borrowed, maybe they are brand new but from a department store in every case people climb aboard and ride with a smile on their face. Could they be more comfortable on a new bike? Sure. Could they go faster on a new bike? Maybe. But they don't have a new bike. They have the bike that they have and because they believe in supporting the cause, they know someone that has the disease being supported, or they just want to challenge themselves, they do the ride with what they've got. These are the truly amazing cyclists and here are some pictures of their bikes.

These bikes were all ridden in the 2006 ALS Double Day Ride. A total of 85 miles in two days through beautiful Skagit Valley. The riders raised $89,000 to find a cure for ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Most of these riders were not "cyclists". They were people that cared and wanted to make a difference. Their bikes weren't the best, they weren't in the best shape but each and every one of them rode their bikes and made a difference.