A Ohio man will attempt to ride his bicycle through 48 US states in 48 days to raise US$48,000 for the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society, and land a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Phil Nagle, 23, of Tipp City near Dayton, Ohio is planning to leave on July 6 on his 8,000-mile challenge, something he has had in his mind for four years. He’s dedicating the ride — and the fundraising effort — to his late Uncle Alvin Nagle, who died of leukemia at age 16.
“I’ve heard stories about his athleticism and ambition,” Nagle said. “He was very tall, kind of like me in a way. Family friends have told me I remind them a lot of him. So I wanted to do an athletic feat to commemorate his life. But I wanted to give it some type of big challenge, to push myself to my limits, to see what I’m capable of.”
Speaking exclusively to BikeRadar, Nagle said that he typically cycles alone on country roads around Western Ohio, usually just lightweight credit card touring.
"I have done 215 miles in one day, but never on a consecutive basis," he said. "I have done a few small triathlons and time trials locally, but I never tried any racing."
He will be using a ‘chase crew’ for the first time ever plus a GPS - another luxury he never had in the past. Training has been fitted around his full time college schedule, meaning cycling almost every day and cross training on other days by swimming, running, and rowing. Cycling training runs have varied from 10-150 miles.
Asked about the main challenges he thinks he’ll face Nagle says, "I think that the inclines in the serious mountain ranges, the Rockies and Appalachians, along with the altitudes in those areas will mostly create extra fatigue that I’m not used to. Living below 1000 ft elevation all of my life will make it difficult for my body to adjust to elevations as high as 9,000 ft during the journey. I have never been that high before…"
He’s also aware weather will be a factor he must consider.
"With the extreme heat of the summer, I plan to stay out of the midday sun altogether and use that time to rest and eat," he added. "I may even shift my riding to the night if temperatures start to become unbearable. In the event of strong storms or high winds, I will take time out to get out of elements. I have to expect the unexpected, so I will plan to ride ahead if my physical condition and weather conditions permit."
For more information, visit www.go48in48.com.