Bike touring is an inherently dangerous activity.* The risk biggest risk on this tour is the same as when I biked across the country in 2016 and the same as when I got hit less than a mile from my front door in 2021. There is no true way to eliminate all risk while riding bicycles next to moving vehicles. With that said: I am doing everything I can to mitigate and manage those risks on this trip by choosing the least risky routes and attempting to stay as visible to cars as possible.

*Bike touring, strictly speaking, is not inherently dangerous. Cars are inherently dangerous, and riding bicycles next to them exposes the rider to their danger. Thousands of non-bike riding pedestrians are killed by vehicular collisions every year in the United States.

To be honest: I don’t know, but I think it will hold up okay. I’ve gotten significantly stronger over the past two years and have learned how better heal my body and keep my injured limbs in working order. The daily mileages will be significantly lower than on my previous tours, and I’ve planned one rest day for every three days riding to allow plenty of time to recover.

This route is accessible to my home, a good challenge, naturally beautiful, relatively lower-risk, and a meaningful capstone to my first five years of recovery. No matter the path I experimented with, the route was always going to end with the same 14-mile ride to Santa Monica that I was trying to complete when survived my collision.

The plan is to camp where it makes sense, but primarily stay with generous hosts who are willing to offer up a free night on their couch, floor, or guest room. If you, or someone you even kinda know, might be interested in hosting a traveling cyclist or two along the route, please check out the Host or Join the Ride! FAQ

I will attempt to document the trip as thoroughly as possible and we’ll see what comes of that footage once the trip is completed. The most important part of this trip for me is the cycling. A piece of media that goes along with it would be a nice bonus.

If you are interested in helping with documenting the trip, please send an email to codyrideson@gmail.com‍ ‍and we’ll set up a time to talk.

YES! Absolutely! The more the merrier! Part of the goal of this trip is to celebrate the happiness of surviving five years post-crash, and as the saying goes: “happiness is only real when shared.” Come join for as short or long as distance as you’d like. Check out the Host or Join the Ride! FAQ and send an email to codyrideson@gmail.com.

Yes, 100%. Check out the cities and towns I’ll be passing through and send me an email and we’ll try to meet up for meal, a coffee, or even just a quick hello.

There will also be a gathering of friends for the trip’s start and end in Portland and Los Angeles, respectively.

Financial contributions and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!

You can also follow along on my trip blog and tell everyone you know about what a cool thing it is I’m doing.

Of course. This is a big, crazy goal that will likely push me right up to and probably beyond my physical, mental, and emotional limits.

Because living in fear is no way to keep on living.