Staff Writer

 When Riley McNeil pushed off from the start line of the 2010 Trek Across Maine, one question passed through her mind:

“Why am I doing this?”

The 12-year-old member of the Community Bicycle Center Trek team based in Biddeford was reminded of the answer 180 miles and three days later when she crossed the finish line.

She did it for her brother.

McNeil, whose brother is asthmatic, will again ride from the mountains of Sunday River in Newry to coastal Belfast to support the American Lung Association. She will be joined by 2,300 cyclists, including 40 riders on the Community Bicycle Center team for the three-day event that begins Friday.

 “It was really fun,” McNeil said of her first Trek. “It was definitely an experience to remember because I was with our Trek family. At the end I was very proud of myself.”

McNeil said she trained for a second Trek because she had fun last year and because of the reaction of her 10-year-old brother, Jacob.

“He was all excited last year because I was doing it for him,” she said. “He’s been a big help with fundraising this year.”

McNeil and the other youth Trekkers from the bicycle center each had to raise at least $400 to participate in the annual event. She organized a lemonade stand that raised $40 and helped other riders with a bottle drive. To date, the team has raised $12,000. The bicycle center team has raised $200,000 for the Trek since 2000.

Amber White, 12, said she wanted to try the Trek this year because she likes cycling and wanted to help a good cause.

“I saw everybody was doing it and they said it was fun,” she said.

Matt Perkins, 11, trained for the Trek last year but was not able to participate. This year he is ready for the challenge of riding for three days. The Trekkers spend ever Saturday morning training and often ride as far as 50 miles. The team has logged 4,502 training miles in preparation for the Trek.

Team members are quick to point out the training rides are fun even though they have to get up early on Saturdays. They said the best training ride of the year was to Cape Porpoise, where they were treated to large sticky buns.

Caleb McGuire said he joined the team for his second Trek because last year’s event was exhilarating even when cycling up a steep, 4-mile hill.

“When we were going up the Weld Hill, it was scary because our chain was about to snap,” he said. “I had so much fun last year. Why not have more fun?”

Bronwyn Potthoff, interim director of the center’s resource development and community relations, also will participate in the Trek again this year. She said she is impressed by the amount of work youth Trekkers put into the event.

“I think it’s a huge deal. They’re committing from April to mid-June to ride every Saturday and committing to fundraising. Some adults can’t even do that,” she said.

Potthoff said the young cyclists also benefit from meeting cyclists who are passionate about the sport and bonding with other Trekkers.

That bond with other cyclists is one of the things Jonathan Clegg looks forward to during the Trek. The captain of the Sebago Brewing Co. team is readying for his third Trek, which will include a 25-member team of company employees, customers and people from the community.

Clegg said the team includes hard-core riders and people who are riding a long distance for the first time. Together, they hope to raise $20,000. The team raised more than $16,000 last year.

Team Sebago Brewing Co. raised money through donations and Brewing For a Cause, which allows people to brew a professional batch of beer with a brewer in exchange for a donation. This year the company also brewed a Trekker Pale Ale to raise money for the cause. Clegg said the fundraiser combines the team’s passion for biking and brewing.

“For me, brewing beer and cycling are both adventures,” Clegg said.

Clegg said team members come from across the state and as far away as New York. Although not everyone can train together, the entire team looks forward to a weekend of fun, he said.

“We believe in what the Trek is trying to do. It’s a great weekend of cycling together. It’s a time to hang out with your friends and make new friends,” Clegg said. “It’s good, clean fun. It makes me feel like a kid again.”