Summer bike ride to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis

On June 7th, a two-day cycling event goes across Minnesota. Bike MS hosts its MS 150 bike ride over the weekend to bring awareness and funds towards curing Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This 150-mile bike ride is not a race, but rather a fundraiser across the state of 10,000 lakes.

Bike MS was founded in 1980 with the inaugural Bike MS: MS 150. This two-day cycling event starts in Proctor and goes along the Willard Munger State Trail and through the northern hardwood forests, lakes, and bogs. The ride has festivities of food, drinks, and live music on the grounds of Grand Casino Hinckley before riding to the finish line in White Bear Lake.

Roughly 2,000 cyclists meet in the Twin Cities parking lot of Century College at White Bear Lake. Then everyone takes charter buses and semi-trucks filled with their bikes up to Duluth-Proctor. The night before, riders rest in Proctor together before hitting the trail that Saturday morning. The first 75 miles brings the riders to Hinkley for an overnight stay before finishing back where they parked.

A Bike Ride for Anybody

MS 150 is open to anyone to join. The minimum age is 12, as 12–17-year-olds must have a parent or guardian with them. Otherwise, all skill levels are welcome and any type of bike. Darren Josephson, Bike Director for Bike MS National MS Society, said that besides the $300 fundraising minimum for each rider, they want to make it as accessible as possible.

“Someone who cycles as a way to stay healthy and cycles throughout the year,” he said. “Also, people who haven’t ridden their bike in many, many years who want it to be approachable. We want anybody to be able to say, “Hey, if I get out there and get a few rides in the spring this early summer, I can do the MS150 as well.'”

Some of the cyclists have MS, as last year the bike ride raised just under $2.5 million for MS. This is out of the total $50 million raised across the country in metro areas. Last year, MS 150 had just under 2,200 riders. This year, they are hoping for a 2,300-ridership level. You can register up to the day of the event on their website.

The First Bike Ride for MS

This event’s been going on since 1980. It’s the first ride in the Bike MS series. Bike MS hosts almost 50 rides across the country. Most are quite close to metro areas. Darren said, “we’re very proud of the MS 150 here in Minnesota because it was the very first ride that started all of it in 1980. And it’s a big part of helping fund the mission of finding the cure for MS.”

Darren also mentioned how, through his time with the National MS Society, he has seen the impact of their work. “1946 is when the MS Society started. There were really no treatments or really no options for anyone living with MS. So today, 2025, there’s over 22 different treatments for MS. There are options.” He attests it in part to events like the MS 150. People cycling and raising funds year after year, helping to fuel their mission of a world free of MS to find a cure for this disease of multiple sclerosis