MS Bike – Grand Bend to London was a huge success!

This past weekend cyclists participated in Canada’s largest MS Bike tour, Grand Bend to London. Participants raised an outstanding $1.35 million in support of those living with MS! With 1893 riders, the event celebrated its second year as our largest tour.

We would like to thank all the dedicated participants, enthusiastic supporters and hard-working volunteers; you are all an important part of this amazing success story! The pledges you raised will bring us one step closer to ending MS! Woo hoo!

Keep going MS Bike – Grand Bend to London participants, you're almost there!

It’s day two of the 2013 MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! Good luck to all our riders finishing the last leg of the tour. We can’t wait to see you at the finish line for a BBQ celebration! Thank you to all our participants for your support in the movement to end MS!

Good luck to all our MS Bike – Grand Bend to London participants!

TODAY, we are gearing up for the first day of the 2013 MS Bike – Grand Bend to London. Thank you to everyone participating. We hope you all enjoy our NEW start/finish location! Please post on our Facebook wall or send us a Tweet @MSBikeTour. We’d love to hear from you today!

Countdown to MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! 1 day away!!

“MS Bike not only raises money for people living with the disease, but it's also a way for us to raise awareness,” says Ron Hay, Team Captain of Steve’s Cyclepaths “It's an opportunity for us to do something for those who are close to us."

There’s only 1 day left until the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! We’re so excited to see all of our wonderful riders. If you’re participating this year let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

Riders don’t forget to bring your completed pledge sheets and pledge submission form with you tomorrow! To check-in, you’ll need to completely fill in your pledge sheet(s) and pledge submission form, including the dollar amount you are submitting on event day, your prize choice (if applicable) and the waiver. You can download and print a copy of each from your Participant Centre.

Countdown to MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! 2 days away!!

We hope you’re as excited as we are for the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London!! Riders will now be starting and finishing at our NEW START/FINISH, Grand Bend Motorplex. Perks of our NEW location include access to tons of parking, showers and camping! But wait there’s MORE

1) This year’s residences are: London, Essex, Perth, Delaware & Elgin Halls!

2) There is a reserved start for our 2012 Top Fundraising Team – Butt Ugly!

3) The 100 Club BBQ is back, in addition to the BBQ for all at our Sunday finish line.

4) A bigger motorcycle support team on route to support YOU!

5) Composting at our rest stops.

6) Designated cheering sections along the route!

For EVEN MORE information and details, DOWNLOAD the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London pre-event newsletter http://bit.ly/12Othvm.

Countdown to MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! 3 days away!!

It can be hard to meet your daily calorie requirements, especially when you’re training for the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London!

As the tour is only 3 days away, it’s VERY important for all riders to ensure they are getting enough fuel. Check out this article from Bike Radar that highlights how to eat enough to support your training http://bit.ly/Rtn4lr

Countdown to MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! 4 days away!!

There are only 4 days left until the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! Are you ready for the 150 km ride? For those who don’t want to sweat it out outside, try training with a spin class! Spinning is one of the best ways to condition yourself as you train for a cycling event. There’s a large variety of spin classes that work to fit various needs.

Here are just a few:

1) Endurance Spin – Best for those looking to cycle longer than 45min. Most are approximately 75 minutes – wow!

2) Sunrise cycling – Best for those who want to start their workout bright and early! Most classes start as early as 6:00am.

3) Spin Yoga – One of the latest yoga mash-ups (picture 30 minutes of spin followed by 30 minutes of yoga). Spin yoga hybrid classes are best for those looking for an intense yet relaxing workout.

Check out some of the spin studios affiliated with MS Bike for more amazing classes!

Brown's Indoor Cycling Studio (Toronto) - http://www.brownssports.com/cycling-yoga/index.php

Quad East Studio (Toronto) - http://quadspin.com/bulletin/quad-east/






Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

Countdown to MS Bike – Grand Bend to London! 5 days away!!

Get out and enjoy some of the best bike trails Southwestern Ontario has to offer! With the MS Bike – Grand Bend to London only 5 days away, check out this list of our favorite bike trails (both on and off road) to get some last minute training in.

On Road

1) Grand Bend Rotary Nature Trail (Grand Bend)

Distance: 9 km trail extending from Pinery Provincial Park to Grand Bend alongside highway 21.
You’ll love this trail for: Its beautiful meadow of wildflowers.

2) Fanshawe Lake Trail (London)       

Distance: 20 km loop trail traveling around Fanshawe Reservoir.
You’ll love this trail for: Its spectacular views, mixture of wildlife and variety of terrain.

3) Riverside Trail (Grand Bend)         

Distance: 1 km trail passing from dry upland oak/pine forests onto the Ausable River floodplain.
You’ll love this trail for: Its ancient trees and sun-drenched meadows with unique butterflies, songbirds and reptiles.

Off road

 1) Pinery Park Cedar Trail (Grand Bend)

Distance: 2.3 km trail overlooking the Old Ausable Channel with a 1 km extension that provides access to the shore of Lake Huron.
You’ll love this trail for: Its lovely extension to the beach. 

2) Savanna Biking Trail (Grand Bend)          

Distance: 14 km trail that travels through wooded landscape from the Park Store to the traffic circle.
You’ll love this trail for: Its picturesque bicycle trail that will allow you to explore all Pinery has to offer.

3) Westminister Ponds Trails (London)

Distance: 10.5 km trail that is a mix of gently rolling and short steep hills. 
You’ll love this trail for: Its many ponds and rich variety of natural habitats in a relatively undisturbed state.

 

For more information on these biking trails and others visit http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trail-regions/southwestern-ontario/

MS Bike Team Captain Profile – Ron Hay

MS Bike – Grand Bend to London holds a special place in Ron’s heart. “My best friend’s wife has MS and I spent summers growing up in Grand Bend,” says Ron, who also participates in the Niagara tour. “I ride not only for her, but for others who live with MS.”

Ron’s team, Steve’s Cycle Paths, started out with a group of co-workers.  The team participates in many charitable rides and first joined the MS Bike in 2011.  Since then, the team has grown to include close to thirty members made up of friends and family; raising over $15,000 to-date for people living with MS. 

For Ron, raising funds for the MS Bike is important in improving the quality of life for people with the disease. “I’ve watched my friend go from being a very physically active person, to someone who suffers daily with pain and mobility. I want her to be able to move again.” says Ron. “I want to end MS.” 

As Team Captain, Ron helps his team prepare for the MS Bike by holding weekly team rides. “After a long winter, no one has really been on their bike, so we have our team rides on Friday afternoons,” he says.  In the weeks leading up to the MS Bike, the team holds barbecues and other get-togethers as they gear up to end MS. “The MS Bike is something that we all look forward to as a team. It’s really a lot of fun.”

With MS Bike fast approaching, Ron hopes to increase his team’s fundraising. “The MS Bike not only raises money for people living with the disease, but it’s also a way for us to raise awareness. It’s an opportunity for us to do something for those who are close to us.”

On your marks, get set…GO!

The day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived – online registration for the 2013 MS Bike season is now open at msbiketours.ca!

Mark your calendars!

Prince Edward County – July 7
Grand Bend to London – July 27-28
Acton – August 17
Niagara – August 25
Toronto – September 8

Details about the event nearest you can be found at msbiketours.ca.

If you’ve already pre-registered you will receive a confirmation email soon, but it’s time for the rest of you to gear up to make a difference in the lives of people affected by MS. Don’t let event day sneak up on you – the earlier you start the more momentum you’ll have by the time the big day arrives.

And don’t forget, our time-limited 10-10-10 registration discount for one-day tours also begins today! Be sure to spread the word to your family and friends by sharing our content on Facebook and Twitter.

Registration for the 2013 MS Bike – Grand Bend to London is now open!

 

 

The day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived – online registration for the 2013 MS Bike – Grand Bend to London is now open at msbiketours.ca! Join us on July 27 & 28 for this unforgettable two-day Tour – the largest MS Bike event in Canada.

If you’ve already pre-registered you will receive a confirmation email soon, but it’s time for the rest of you to gear up to make a difference in the lives of people affected by MS. Don’t let event day sneak up on you - the earlier you start the more momentum you’ll have by the time the big day arrives.

And be sure to spread the word to your family and friends by sharing our content on Facebook and Twitter. 

Relive the excitement of the 2012 MS Bike Tour Grand Bend to London!

Visit http://bit.ly/S4rldD to check out a great video of the 2012 MS Bike Tour  ̶  Grand Bend to London. Special thanks to participant and videographer Corey Stanford!

Relive the 2012 MS Bike Tour ̶ Grand Bend to London: NEW video posted!

Visit http://youtu.be/Z7KdkjbFbOQ to check out an awesome video of the 2012 MS Bike Tour  ̶  Grand Bend to London courtesy of our local radio partners Corus Entertainment! Thank you to Fresh FM’s Ian Sterling for sharing!

Grand Bend to London photos are now up!

Photos from the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London are now up on our Flickr page. Check them out by visiting http://bit.ly/O4ALWT 

MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London a great success!

This past weekend cyclists participated in Ontario’s largest Tour, MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London, and raised an amazing $1.237 million in support of those living with MS! At 1,883 participants, the Tour has surpassed the MS Bike Tour - Leduc to Camrose to take the top spot as Canada's largest MS Bike Tour! Cyclists arrived early on Saturday in great spirits and excited to get on the road for this two-day event! We would like to thank all the dedicated participants, enthusiastic supporters, and hard-working volunteers, whom we couldn’t have done it without!

Keep your eyes on gearingup.ca for info about the upcoming MS Bike Tour –Acton to Waterloo on August 18 and 19.

Day 2 of the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

TODAY, we are gearing up for day two of the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London. Good luck to all our riders, we can’t wait to see you at the finish line for a BBQ celebration! Thank you to all our participants for your support in the movement to end MS!

Good luck to all our MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London participants today!

TODAY, we are gearing up for the first day of the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London. Thank you to everyone participating!  Please post on our Facebook wall or send us a Tweet @MSBikeTour. We’d love to hear from you today!

Event Day Countdown – only 1 more day left until the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

The 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London will be taking place this Saturday, July 28 to Sunday, July 29! We can’t wait to get out there and enjoy Ontario’s largest Tour with all the cyclists and volunteers involved! We would like to wish all our cyclists participating this weekend a safe and fun ride!

Thank you to our participants, supporters and volunteers for your help in creating a future free of MS!

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - 3 more days!

We hope you are getting as excited as we are for the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London! If you haven’t already, please check out our 2012 Cyclist Handbook for all the information you need to get ready as well as important event day information.

Thanks for gearing up to end MS!

Event Day Countdown - 4 more days until the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

That means only 4 days to gather pledges to hand in on event day. Don’t forget a $250 fundraising minimum is required to ride.

P.S. You can also continue to raise pledges even after the MS Bike Tour is over.