XR2

He needs to hook up with this guy.

TrojanHorse

OMG, that was my first bike!

It looks like he's had to ... erm ... tweak it to fit an adult but honestly, I don't think the gearing is suitable for your average TDF wannabe (ie me)

Beachgrad05

I get that you have lost lots of weight etc. this guy has not. again, I think you aren't understanding what I'm trying to say with regard to how I am viewing this guy's effort to get healthy. You have your activity and diet dialed in but he does not. Just suffice to say his food choices are not what "I" expect to see in someone new to trying to eat healthy for weight loss. Most cut too many calories, eat things thought to be healthy...talking about perception. I think he thinks he is burning a gazillion calories in his 5 mile rides when he does ride and eating in proportion.

im also not saying he should eat a certain way...because I'm not a dietician, nutritionist or any sort of healthy eating expert. I am only giving my observation and interpretation of the his seriousness with regard to this endeavor he has gotten so many folks to follow and donate to in many instances,

indyfabz

Not until Tuesday.

indyfabz

You should join him. You could inspire each other.

Willbird

I get what your saying exactly :-). We see it here a gazillion times, folks think riding a bike will be the magic pill to weight loss, and compensatory eating offsets their riding calorie burn :-).

Bill

Mr_Garth

Kinda hope that the guy would simply be clueless but I'm afraid its fools and their money..

-Garth

Fahrradfahrer

What's also entertaining are his route constraints. He was to hit Philly, Columbus and Indiana, and then end up in Cali. Philly to Columbus, there's this mountain range called the Appalachians in the way. ACA's cross-country routes all try to avoid it, probably with good reason.

TrojanHorse

Appalachians, hah! What about the Rockies! You can skip them if you go way south of course, but then you're in no man's land between cities.

indyfabz

Actually, you can ride west from Philly on PA Bike Route S and then turn south at Bedford, PA (original home of Cannondale) to Cumberland, MD to pick up the GAP, which will take you to Philly. As hills go, it's not as bad as crossing through the enter of the state. And you can cut out one big climb by riding "pike to bike," which an unofficial trail using a portion of the abandoned stretch of the PA Turnpike. It's a great ride that takes you through two, unlit tunnels. One is about 3,800'. The other is over a mile. Very post-apolocalyptic on the road, at least when no one is there. One of the tunnel portals was used in the film "The Road" with Viggo Mortensen:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davez2...7635548910265/

With all that said, he would nee to show an extremely marked improvement in fitness to tackle what hills there are.

Null66

NERSYS? Is that you?

Beachgrad05

Now he has his own App SMH

KLiNCK

Is this fella sportin' SPD equipped Crocs?

FBinNY 

No one is an example for others unless they choose to adopt him/her as such. It's a blog about someone at a crossroads of sorts (or a fake one) and that's all it is. On the assumption that it's sincere, I wish him the best, as I would anybody who tries, no matter why or how.

OTOH- I wouldn't hold him up as an example because there's too much going on. Nor would I put him down, unless I had reliable knowledge that it's all a fraud. It's just one story and anyone can take whatever they wish from it.

Willbird

I guess FBinNY the whole thing is a study in human nature, him, his wife, and the people giving him money :-).

Bill

FBinNY 

I just take stuff like this at face value. He's not relevant to me, so I'm not involved. OTOH- I don't see a need to look closer and accuse him of being a fake either.

OTOH- I'm sure that there are people for which this story strikes a chord, and I don't see a need to spoil it for them either.

Johnny Mullet

Nope. Not Nerys. I know Nerys personally.

Fahrradfahrer

And an official logo, and a SPOT GPS system. He'll ride ... soon.

JackoDandy

I aspired to own a Chopper. I was stuck with the lowly 'Tomahawk' with no gears.

MikeRides

Over $10,000 raised already. Anyone figure out what a touring cyclist needs $15,000 for? Stealth camp for free, stay with generous WarmShower hosts, eat cheap but fulfilling you won't need even a fraction of that. Bulk of his initial expenses were do(new bike and gear) were donated.

FBinNY 

No comment on whether it's a scam or not, but over the last month he's ridden all of 18 miles of a 3,000 mile trip. At that rate, he'll still be in the Northeast when we get our first winter snow.

Either way, it's strictly California Dreaming.

TrojanHorse

He'd be safe and warm now... if he was in LA. Nice hair on the Papas in that video, I'm pretty all glad we don't do that to our heads anymore.
@MikeRides - he needs the money to fix his wife's truck and replace all the gear he keeps breaking, and perhaps you missed his menu the night he ate at some tavern. I don't know if you noticed his technique for re-truing his front wheel - he took it off the bike and basically whacked it on the ground till it looked good. Everything he has on the trip seems rickety.

TrojanHorse

You missed out man - ah, the lovely sweet shifting of an IGH - with overdrive! You did get to enjoy the same, erm, unique looks.

RollingBlubber

There's just so much about this entire saga that doesn't make sense. I've been following it since it got picked up on ****** and it's slowly started to look like total fraud. I used to be his size and am now down to a point where I can ride 100+ miles a week so I figured I'd post bike suggestions (48h wheels, Brooks saddles, fitting) on his FB and blog and they've all been deleted. This is looking more and more like another in the "interwebz" stories that don't make any sense when you look at the facts.

Chites

You have no idea how many of the comments on this thread are spot on. Let me start by saying that this Fat Guy Across America internet sensation is a total scam. I have known the world's slowest cyclist for 40 years. He is, unfortunately, my brother. This is by far the biggest hoax that he as attempted, but by no means the first (or second, or hundredth...). I don't think I could take enough time right now to point out every lie or misdirection being perpetrated, but I will make some bullet points right now.
1. Published author: This cookbook being referred to is nothing but a collection of recipes that he swiped off of the internet. Sure, the bio in the book states that as a college student struggling to get by on a tight budget, he created these dishes to save money but still dine in style, but that is not true and brings me to the next point.
2. College student: He did enroll once, receive a financial aid check, and then never attend.
3. Lost his job: He has never held any full time employment for what would remotely be considered a reasonable time span. It is always "the boss was a jerk", "they knew I was smarter than them", "that place is ran terribly", "they pushed me out before I took over", "some crazy person had it out for me." The last job he had, aside from his little rascals style mobile dj side gig, was running a dive bar owned by his father-in-law in a one horse town. After months of losing money due to unfiled paperwork, and from knowing him I assume wiping out the till every night and giving free drinks to friends, he was relieved of his duties. This leads to the next point.
4. Wife threw him out: The home they shared was also owned by said father-in law. put two and two together. Dump the loser or be homeless. The only reason they lived in that house was that the one our parents bought him - yes, bought him - was completely filled with garbage and junk and became unlivable. Rather than clean, they just moved. 2000 sq ft home, and attached 2000 sq ft garage, all destroyed.
5. Wife?: Coinciding with the loss of the bar job, is the exact time little miss Angie threw him out. That was a year ago. Since then she had become engaged to another man. July 5th, this new guy changed his facebook profile pic to a snapshot of her. July 13th she is vacationing on the east coast with him and his parents. Eight days!
6. Who or what is he riding for?: Love, health, book deal, late friend, God? Take your pick. Whatever is going to bring in the cash for his Go Feed Me account, right?
7. Past Scams: Poor wittle Ang, has had a lot to deal with. Of course, none of it confirmed. There are too many ailments to remember them all, but here are some highlights. Broken ribs lasting three years from jumping in the pool. Lupus. PTSD from driving through a thunderstorm. (in a car her parents bought) And the big one, leukemia. This was the first big ticket farce they tried. They actually held a benefit for her in Terre Haute and took donations. So far, whatever miracle treatment she's getting must be amazing. She looks as healthy as a juvenile water buffalo.
8. Not moving: The broken junker he was riding was his way out. He already had little wifey back, so it was time to come home defeated, but proud of his efforts. That's when this snowballed. A local reporter with no fact checking skills jumped on the story and it spread like wildfire. Suddenly he has new gear and money rolling in. Now he's scrambling to find a new endgame to get out of this. Notice how there isn't anything but one shaky thirty second video of him actually on a bike?
So, that's all for now. I will try to shed more light on this snake oil salesman's escapades in future comments.