At seven years old, Ross McKee logged more miles in one weekend on a bicycle than many people do in a year.

Ross, riding a tandem bicycle with his father, Don, completed a 150-mile course from Cranberry to Conneaut, Ohio on the weekend of June 7 and 8, as two of over 2,500 riders in the area's MS-150 bike ride.

It was the second time the 7-year-old Sewickley resident has completed the course, but the first with his feet on the pedals, making Ross the youngest rider to participate in the fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

"I just wanted to do it because I did it last year," Ross said. "I like to bike ride, but it's hard."

For his father, a employee of FedEx, one of the event's major corporate sponsors, it was also his second time up the course.

"They allow people under 12 to ride with special permission," said Don McKee of his son riding as such a young age.

"Last year we did it on a ride-behind tandem, but this year we were on a regular tandem bike with his feet on the pedals."

As part of the event, Don and Ross also raised sponsorship money for their ride, toward a total goal of $50,000 set by Team FedEx, a group of approximately 80 riders who complete the trip on the company's behalf.

This year, Ross took on a bigger role, not just with the pedals, but in the fundraising department, as well.

"Last year I did most of it for both of us, and most of his contributions were from family members," Don said.

"This year, we got permission to raise funds in front of Wal-Mart, and we raised close to $500 that way."

But even after collecting the money, the younger McKee had to make quite a sacrifice to complete the two-day bike ride.

The same weekend of the ride, Ross had a school picnic at Kennywood that he could have attended, instead. Given the decision to make on his own, Ross chose to take part in the ride, opting for the sandy shore and cool water of Lake Erie over the splash of the Raging Rapids.

"I don't know why I picked it. I just felt like (riding)," Ross said.

According to his father, Ross' young age adds to the thrill of the ride, and the duo are one of only a handful of tandems in the event.

"He's far younger than anyone else out there, so he's kind of like a celebrity. Everyone there seems to know him," Don said.

"Plus, when he and I are on the bike together, he's pedaling with me. It's kind of like we're equals when we ride."

While Ross was unsure if he was going to take part in the event again next year, he certainly plans to keep riding.

"I've got my own bike. It's blue, but I'm getting too big for it, because I've had it since I was four or five."