Hi, my name is Mike Moorhead and I am going on a bike ride. I've loved cycling for fun for many years and there have been several times that I have chosen to ride a bicycle rather than drive in a vehicle, as most do. I have been a physical education teacher at Woodlands Elementary School for over 20 years. I enjoy trying to be an example to all who know me; from students, colleagues, and family. I want to encourage all individuals to make simple choices, that in the long run will provide them a much better quality of life. I would specifically like to be a cycling activist that could help promote local changes to occur, and that would make cycling a safer and more practical choice for all. These changes could potentially take place in the area of investment in local infrastructure, through designated bike lanes and bikes trails that would make cycling safer for everyone from children to the elderly. This would make cycling a practical option for local travel, fitness, and also change the perception that cycling is just for kids and people too poor to own a car.

I started with the plan to ride to Arizona after the 2021-2022 school year has ended. I plan to take US 60 from Ponca City, Oklahoma to Egar, Arizona. This trip is a distance of 854 miles. If I can average traveling 60 miles per day, it will take about two weeks to accomplish the trip. After further thought, I realized I needed a plan for how I was going to improve my cycling fitness. In response to this, I modified my long-term goal of cycling to Arizona to also include cycle commuting from Newkirk to Ponca City for work every day this school year. The only exception in my riding to work would be the strong possibility of lightning in the area at the time of my ride. With the basic plan of cycling 30 miles per day combined with the number of days in the school year, I will cover a minimum of 5400 miles. This number will actually be higher because in the last half of the year I will begin having extended riding days to prepare me for the longer miles I plan to cover on the trip. As of today I have completed the first three weeks of school and have covered 450 miles so far commuting to school. My wife has covered one of the highest expenses for the trip by purchasing and surprising me with a much higher quality bicycle for which I'll trail on and make the actual trip. This bicycle is a salsa cutthroat she bought in Stillwater from district bicycles. This bicycle is a gravel bike designed to cover the longest bicycle trail in the world called the continental divide trail in the western US. That trail is over two thousand miles long which goes from Canada to the northern border with Mexico. This bike was designed to carry the equipment and supplies needed to cover the distance for trips such as this and can be outfitted with various bags, tools, and electronic equipment while also being comfortable for endurance-type riding. This type of riding is called bike packing. With an eye towards safety on my trip, my family plans to shadow me on my route to Arizona in case of a breakdown or health concern while I'm far from other people. They will travel in a pickup and sightsee on the way while maintaining a safety net for me as I pursue my goal.

I would really appreciate any support to assist in reaching my goal. I will need to purchase accessories for the bicycle as well as food, supplements, and fuel for the support truck. I set up this fund to reach out for support from all my family, friends, past and present Woodlands Elementary School students in order to help me reach my goal.