50 Capital Bike Tour in 1 Year

Hi Friends,

Some of you already know this, but I'm trying to ride my bike to all 50 state capitals in 1 year. I knew my money would eventually run out, and it has. I decided to go for Broke.

Now, I'm faced with a tough decision: Do I continue, or do I stop?

At this point, to achieve the goal, I need to speed up, and taking on a job to get any money will lead to getting further behind, making a 1-year long goal into a multi-year goal. Thus, if getting a job is the answer, this journey is over.

Spring break 2004, my dad and I were on a road trip, and I told him I wanted to go to all 50 State Capitals. In 2009, I decided I wanted to bike across the country. On Nov 24th, 2017, to achieve that goal, I got rid of my car and became a commuting cyclist. In 2019, after losing my city council race, I started to prepare to bike to Colorado from Indiana. In 2020, my plan was stopped by COVID-19. Sept 2020, I took off on my bike, heading north in hopes of biking across the country. Within 200 miles, my bike was stolen in Torrington, WY.

Sept 25th 2023, on the anniversary of my dad's death, I truly began my journey to ride my bike to All 50 Capital at my first capital, Juneau. Finally, I was ready to try and achieve a goal I've been working towards for years now.

With running out of money, I've decided to cut the dream short. I'm raising money to make it to Phoenix, AZ. From there, a friend is going to get me. It's still another 800+ miles and 20k+ feet of climbing.

As much as I would like to continue on, I realize now that the cost of doing a year-long trip is just too expensive.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me up to this point. I've been inspired by so many of you to keep pedaling. If I can get to Phoenix, I'll give up and go home.