Testimonials |
About Bruce White, Event Coordinator…………..If you haven’t figured it out yet, Bruce has a passion for biking. His interest started as a young scout in NJ where he would enjoy his long weekend rides. In 1993, he challenged an old friend and neighbor to get in shape and do a Century Ride at Death Valley. That ride rekindled his love of the pastime. Bruce went on in the next years to do the Aids Ride (Charlotte, NC to DC) the New England Classic Diabetes Ride, and several MS and 24 Hour Booty Rides that all raise funds for medical research for their specific causes. He has participated with many of his scouts in riding with the Disabled Veterans and the Face of America Rides. He organized the Fredericksburg Area High School Cycling Club with included 14 Area Schools. That group biked 501miles from New York City to Fredericksburg, VA in the summer of 2008, in 10 days. |
The bike rides organized by Bruce White were hands down, the most fun I had while in scouting; he pours his heart and soul into making the ride a great experience for everyone. The rides were generally grueling but filled with laughter the whole time. Moreover they gave me the opportunity to see life and America through a different looking glass. Whether it is waking up early to see a beautiful red dawn or just appreciating what it means to really be exhausted. The best part though, is looking around after the rides and knowing that you have completed something, and you can share that something, a bond, with all those fine people for the rest of your life. Here it is, about 10 years after my first ride, and I still tell stories about it, and most of the people on those rides I still consider some of my closest friends. |
I have ridden over 1000 miles with Mr. White, and every moment has been a blast! With the number of flat tires I have gotten and breakaways I have led, I am very surprised that he still enjoys cycling with me; Nevertheless, I thank him for his leadership and look forward to Cycling the Loop in 2010! |
Riding with Bruce and T165 gave me some the best memories I have from my young life. Without the trips I went on (over 5 trips) I would have never been able to see the outer banks of North Carolina, beautiful mountain scenes in West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia or the Florida Keys. These rides are extremely well planned and executed, and most importantly a great experience for boys and families alike. I did several rides with my father, mother and all of my brother and we found no better way to bond as a family. In the many years (over 10 now) I have been riding with Bruce and T165 I can think of no major safety issues that we have ever encountered. Safety was always emphasized to us as riders and due to this we never have had any problems on the road. The experiences were amazing and seeing the country a little bit slower and on two wheels is something I would not trade for many other experiences. I would highly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to seize it and take a ride! . . . . Riding since 1998. Douglas Smith |
One of my most memorable stories I like to tell about riding with Bruce has a tag line of “don’t be last”. The short version of the story goes like this… One summer while at camp the adults went out for our daily 25-30 mile ride; we had a new adult rider that year. Being new to the cycling world his equipment was designed for short neighborhood treks and not the longer street riding that we were doing. Needless to say the adult needed extra encouragement and required a slower pace, until……. we saw a mother bear cross the road ahead and noticed that her cub and decided to remain on the other side. Now we found ourselves between a mother and her cub. Bruce quickly found words of encouragement for our newest adult rider…. “Don’t be last”….. |
| I have done many long distance rides with Mr. White and Troop 165. What I have most enjoyed about these rides is seeing the beauty in our country, and meeting incredible people. I have witnessed the wonders of Niagara Falls, discovered the waters of Key West, and the battlefields of Antietam. Riding in a steady downpour for hours, or the relentless 99 degree heat, showed me what I was made of. What was most important to me was the time and experiences that I shared with my 2 sons and my husband. We have memories and stories to tell, and a bond not only with our family, but the other young men and families, who are now, and forever will be, our “extended “ family. Vikki White (Mrs. White) Eagle Scout MOM - 2002 and 2005 |
| I never really rode my bike until I started riding with Mr. White. He helped get me into biking and I have been biking ever since. Mr. White was the first person who even thought about getting me to ride my bike for 100 miles in a day. I accomplished my first Century bike ride with Mr. White and I have since rode every other century with him. I want to thank him for helping me get into biking and encouraging me ever since. With Mr. White's help I was able to ride from New York back to Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was a new experience and I was glad to be able to do it with Mr. White. Oh, and I can’t believe I forgot to mention Ice cream stops…..Another great thing about cycling with Mr. White is that he uses a GPS to map out every possible Ice cream stop throughout the ride. John Engiles Eagle Scout 2007 |
| Bruce White not only brings a great deal of enthusiasm to cycling, but also tirelessly promotes scouting values in everything he does. During July 2008 Troop 165 participated in the Erie Canal ride, cycling from Buffalo to Albany, NY (400+ miles). The ride was spectacular, and throughout the 8-day event I was struck by how often our scouts truly lived points 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Boy Scout Law (Helpful, Friendly, Courteous and Kind). At every turn the boys offered assistance to rider who needed it, warmly greeted everyone on the trail and used outstanding cycling technique & manners. My observations were born out during the closing ceremony on the last evening of the ride when our troop received a standing ovation from the 450 assembled riders. “Scoutmaster Bruce White – Growing great cyclists and distinguished gentlemen.” Christopher Conrad Assistance Scoutmaster, Troop 165 Vice President, Neosys Corporation |
I would have to say that the best memories that I have with my father exists either on a bicycle, or in the planning of a cycling trip. Little did I know that when I was 10, and rode the entire C & O canal with him, that it would be the first of many great rides. He takes care to make every little detail fall into place perfectly, and makes everyone feel like they can do anything. Whether he is riding 8 miles an hour with the boy who is struggling, or giving me a hard time for hitting a parked car, he’s always having a good time enjoying himself. He’s not without faults of course. He seems to complain about having to ride into the wind all the time and he likes to give me a hard time for every little accident I get myself into. In the grander scheme of things, a better father, and a better biking buddy, there is none. Cory White Eagle Scout 2005 |
| My name is Ed Dobyns; I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech and an Eagle Scout from Troop 165. When I look back on my time with the troop, it is not hard to remember all the cycling trips we have done as a troop. That was a huge thing that we did as a troop and something that will be with me for a longtime. Not only did these trips help me to have a new found respect for cycling but it also revealed to me a brand new passion. I remember my first practice ride that Mr. White, the scoutmaster, set up for the Greenbriar Trail trip. Now before that day, if I had to approximate how many times I had gotten on a bike before, I would say 10 times. So I wasn’t the best prepared for this simple practice ride. That practice ride was probably the hardest thing I had done up to that point in my life, and Mr. White was behind me the whole way, literally. I was the slowest rider on that ride and Mr. White stayed behind me, giving me words of encouragement and some other mechanical tidbits that I probably didn’t hear, since I was too focused on the pain in my legs to listen. Looking back on that practice ride reminds me how we as a troop encourage new riders on trips, never putting them down but pushing them and staying with them. Mr. White’s encouragement does not stop there. He keeps on pushing us to go higher, go harder, to not give up but to take on more difficult rides such as century rides. Personally, cycling has been a great experience taking me to places ranging from the Erie Canal to riding a century ride in the Outer Banks. Even though I am off to college and not in scouting anymore, I still enjoy going on practice rides and long trips because of the relationships that have formed over the many years and the excitement I get from cycling. Cycling has changed my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined and I encourage other scouts to check out the enjoyment that comes from cycling. Edward Dobyns Eagle Scout 2006 Virginia Tech – 2011 |
| Some of the most amazing memories I’ve made with my father have been on a bicycle…whether mountain or road! We’ve always had loads of fun. I remember when he helped me through my 1st century ride in Maine when I was 11. I wanted to quit numerous times, but he kept reminding me it was mind over matter and that I could do this… and anything I put my mind to. He does the same for any new scout who’s never road a bike before. He’ll ride with them even if it is at 10 mph, just so they feel good about themselves. He pours his heart into every trip he plans and they always turn out to be loads of fun. I have done many rides with the scouts and they have given me the chance to see and experience things I otherwise might never have seen. Ian A. White Eagle Scout – 2002 |
One of Mr. White's bike rides is a trip like no other trip you will ever take; maybe you'll have more appealing experiences elsewhere, but none quite as memorable or as character building. Where else can you be awakened by the orchestral masterpiece entitled "Shaking of the Tents" Although humble, the bike is the freest way to travel. There are no restrictions to how fast you can go, or how far. When you ride with Mr. White, you sprout wings and fly, sometimes literally. When you reach camp, it doesn't have to be the end of the ride; you just bust out the ramps and go crazy. And once you're tuckered out, you are greeted with the ever filling and truly mouthwatering vittles that have magically appeared. After these overwhelming festivities, should you hunger on for amusement, it's time to set up the tables and venture into the world that is Spades. The addicting world of two wheels is not only a gift I will cherish and improve on, it is a gift I will pass to my children and grandchildren. |
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