MILFORD _ Each night this week, Eric Loch is sharing details about the next day's bicycle route.
The riders of the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer know where they will start and finish, Loch, of Emmaus, Pa., said Wednesday night during an overnight stop in Milford, but they don't know which roads or terrain they will face.
Cancer is like an unknown route, filled with changes in road surfaces, names and inclines, Loch said. Cancer can catch patients unawares, he said, and the challenges of the 540-mile tour this week build camaraderie among riders who give and accept help depending on the day and the hill.
They celebrate ride highlights, he said, and ``realize at the end of the day, there are so many people who can't.''
Bob Freed, of Allentown, Pa., started the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer in 1983. The American Cancer Society ride is planned every other year and takes different routes.
This summer, the riders are raising about $150,000, which pushes the total fundraising effort past the million-dollar mark, Freed said.
Cyclists travel between 90 and 110 miles each day, Freed said, and Wednesday's ride was 94 miles. Riders range in age from 17 to 65 and included some cancer survivors, he said.
Several cyclists said Wednesday that they were spending vacation days on the benefit ride. The weeklong trip is a simple daily cycle of riding, eating and sleeping, with a start in Burlington, Vt., and a destination of Palmerton, Pa.
Some cyclists, who described the trip as "great," said the deaths of relatives prompted them to join. But they were quick to add that their efforts are small compared with the challenges faced by cancer patients.
Each rider raised at least $1,000 to participate, Freed said. About 95 percent of the money goes to the American Cancer Society; expenses are reduced by donations of food, lodging and other items by communities along the route.
Riders said they appreciated the hospitality shown at Brewery Ommegang and at Mad Dog's Big Tent Barbecue Wednesday. They were staying overnight at Milford Central School and having breakfast at Jackie's restaurant in Milford, organizers said.
On Wednesday night, the cyclists, plus about 20 crew members, were dinner guests at Mad Dog's Big Tent Barbecue in Milford, said Jessica Scanlon, of Oneonta, a restaurant hostess. The wait staff donated their time, she said, and the owner donated food.
``I couldn't not do it,'' said Michael Downey, the restaurant's owner who opened the eatery May 15. Downey said he lost a nephew and his father _ the latter of whom would have been 80 on Wednesday _ to esophageal cancer.
But Downey said the focus of the night was the effort riders were making to fight cancer.
Greg Morrison, of Nazareth, Pa., said the Milford supporters were among many communities and organizations that showered hospitality upon the group and showed gratitude.
``People put themselves out to help us,'' he said. ``Yet they'll thank us.''
