Bike4Alz Team 12 at Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)

On May 17th, 12 men packed very tightly into a van to begin a very long 50 hour drive to the other side of the country at San Francisco California. Ultimately starting the journey of a lifetime for us. Even though it was a 50 hour drive out to the bay, we made the most of it by getting to visit some stops like the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend out in Arizona. Once we made it to San Francisco, we were blessed to stay at the Delta Xi chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at UC Berkley until we depart. On May 19th that Sunday the team spent the afternoon exploring the campus and walking around the local area. We even managed to play pick up ball in the football stadium. After exploring downtown San Francisco, watching a Giants game, and hosting a meet and greet event, We were ready to depart.

Bike4Alz Team 12 sending off the ride (San Francisco California)

Team member Dawson Bechman connecting with a resident (Carlton Senior Living, Davis California)

From Davis we rode to Folsom where we were very blessed by an unexpected host who met one of our guys at the Giants game. we originally didn’t have any place to camp or stay but a very kind man named Gary Brickler emailed us and allowed us to stay at his house for the night, and even rode with us for part of the ride from Folsom to Somerset. We stayed at another local church in Somerset before we began a grueling climb of 8,000 ft into Kirkwood. After what seemed like the hardest ride of our lives we made it to Kirkwood in one piece and got to stay at the ski lodge before descending into Carson City Nevada, ultimately concluding our journey through the state of California.

Bike4Alz Team 12 at Oracle Park for a Giants game (San Francisco California)

On May 21st we dipped our tires in the Pacific Ocean beginning the journey across America. Our first stop was Vallejo where we got to stay at a church for the night. It was a thrill to ride through the city and across the very windy Golden Gate Bridge. It was chilly that day but we still stopped to appreciate the view of the city and surrounding bay area on the bridge.

From Vallejo we rode to Davis where we were very lucky to stay at the Ryder on Olive Apartment complex for 2 days since we had a rest day. After the ride we relaxed before we got to go Tommy J’s and Froggy’s Bar & Grill for a tabling event. It was an amazing experience getting to meet all the locals and talk to more people who haven’t gotten to talk to past teams before. May 23rd was our rest day and we spent it getting to see the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame learning the beginning of bikes as a whole. We then later that evening went to Carlton Senior Living where we got to meet and present our cause to the people living there. The entire team got to have great conversations with the residents and learning their life stories. “ It was a great reminder of why we ride this trip”, said Tanner Blood.