The 2013 MS Coast the Coast Bike Ride Charity Event

Another year of watching amazing people ride for a great Charity event. I have settled in for the evening and am going over this weekend's events. I feel like a seasoned vet working this event for the third year with my good friend Chris Matos by my side. The event starts at Monmouth University and splits into several ride categories with the smallest being a 25 mile loop and the largest being a two day 170 mile journey ending in Cape May, NJ. My day was pretty simple, consisting mostly of flat repairs and cheering on happy riders. It was very sad to see what hurricane Sandy had done to this area of the shore and my heart goes out to all the families affected by the storm. Day one winds down with dinner at the Tuckerton Seaport, at least for those who are participating in the two day event. Dinner is accompanied by live music, a sea museum, mini golf and a lot of stories being exchanged by hungry cyclist and volunteers. Dinner is also a great time to talk to those people you see year after year who are there to show support for a great cause. Waking the next morning I was greeted by dark clouds and rain. I instantly felt sorry for the riders who were going to be dealing with the day from a saddle as I would be dealing with it mostly from a car seat. The riders knew it would be a long day and you could see it in their faces. As the day progressed spirits seemed high despite the weather and people just kept putting in more miles. Most of the day for me was the same as the day before with mostly tube and tire repairs and one broken chain. Wrapping up the day it seemed as though I had just done last year's event the week before. I couldn't and still can't believe another year has gone by. I'm already looking forward to next year's event and hope that the riders are treated to lots of sunshine. I would like to thank High Gear Cyclery for supporting me and the riders in doing this event. It's the caring volunteers and sponsors that make this event successful.