2015 BP MS-150

The largest charity bike ride in North America is the BPMS-150.  It is a two day ride from Houston to Austin with a mandatory fundraising amount of $400 for every rider.  The ride is capped at 13,000 riders!  Last year, 2014, the ride raised over $20 Million for the MS Society.

Riders packet

This year because of epic rains for a week leading up to the ride, the overnight campground at the La Grange Fairgrounds was too flooded and the ride organizers cancelled the first day.  Since I had friends and family, many from outside Texas, donating $$ for me to do this ride I didn't want them to think I spent Saturday on the couch.  I got a few teammates together and we did a 50 mile ride from Katy.  I like this route because it looks kind of like Texas.

Our day 1 well it's cancelled but we gotta ride something route

For the second day the official start was at the courthouse in La Grange. We decided to avoid the sea of people and start on the route a few miles past the official starting point.  This made our ride into Austin a little shorter- 63 miles instead of 67.  So my final stats ended up- rode 113 miles and raised $650.  This is such an iconic ride in Houston that I think I'll do it every year.

Our day 2 route.  We cheated ahead by 4-5 miles

 Last year my two regrets for the ride were that I didn't slow down and enjoy the first day.  A lot of people come out to cheer the riders and make it a festival like atmosphere, I wanted to take that in more.  The other regret was not doing the challenge route the second day.  Well the first day was cancelled and the challenge route was flooded out.  Next year!

Thank you from a woman with MS

Spectators cheering on their family

Top of one of the day 2 hills

Finish line from the spectator side

I had a few conversations while on the road.  I was riding with my old company and had a nice chat with a client from that company.  I went up to a guy who was killing it on his mountain bike and told him he was doing great.  He told me he was tired.  He said he rode the first day route the day before from the start of Terry Hershey Park to La Grange.  His hotel was in Smithville- an extra 20 mile ride- so he had ridden 120 miles the previous day.  I also stopped at a make shift stand a woman with MS had made to cheer on the riders.  I bumped into one of my son's old preschool teachers and we had a good chat.  And of course this being Texas the ride showed the extremes of our weather.  Epic rains, flooded campgrounds and routes, to a sunny 90 degree day on Sunday.  Classic.  Here is my crossing the finish line video.  Until next year BP MS-150, cheers!