Preparations for Vegas

Let me catch you up on the recent happenings of Ride Ataxia:
In the past couple of months we have been busy trying to figure out how this next ride is going to work. First of all we need a route so about a month ago my friend Cole and I drove to Las Vegas to check out possible routes for the 2008 ride:
Memorial Day Weekend:
We left Sacramento at 330pm on Friday afternoon. Our plans were to drive down I-5 and over to Lake Havasu where we would meet our San Diego friends Meghan and Dana for a couple days of fun in the sun. Then we would continue on to Vegas and up through the western part of Nevada and then west near Tahoe back home. So we got in the car at 330. We soon realized that it was going to take more than 8 hours to get to Havasu so we decidedd that it was not a good idea to try to make it all the way that night. So I called my friend Ben who lives in Bakersfield. Ben told me that he was not going to be there that weekend but he could make a call and see if we could stay with his Mom (Kathy) for a night. A couple minnutes later Ben called back and gave us directions to Kathy's place, "there's a key under the mat, just make yourselves at home, call me if you need anything." Wow, we got hooked up! We arrived to a note on the door from Kathy that said "Welcome Kyle, make yourself at home. Eat and drink anything, I'll be home at around 11pm." Sweet, thanks Kathy.
Cole and I had never been to Bakersfield so we figured we had better check it out. So we went into town to get something to eat. When we returned, Kathy was home watching a movie so we came in and she offered us a beer and we chatted for a while before we hit the hay.
In the morning, Cole and I took showers and stumbled into the kitchen where Kathy was making pancakes and sausage. Like a true loving Mother she wanted to feed us before sending us on our way. So we ate many pancakes and jabbered a while.

When it was time for us to go, Kathy had us bring in our ice chest. She loaded it to the brim with snacks and drinks. Thanks Kathy, it was nice to meet you, maybe we will be back when we make the trip on bikes.

So we were on our way to Lake Havasu...another 4 hours in the car, hooray, but we had some good tunes and the time passed quickly. When we arrived at Havasu we called Meghan and Dana, no answer. So we decided to check out the scene while we were waiting for a call back...Havasu is crazy! So many people, boats and booze, quite entertaining.


We wandered around a little while longer and still hadn't heard from anyone so we decided to just head for VEGAS!

We left Havasu at about 830pm and arrived in Vegas at about 1030. We did not have any reservations and it was Memorial Day weekend so the place was packed. We drove around for at least an hour trying to find a hotel room and finally found a room at a dumpy place on the strip that cost us an arm and a leg but we had a place to sleep.So we enjoyed a couple of days in Vegas...Everybody knows what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but I will give you a peak:

Late night at the casinos.


Recovering: watching golf on our single fuzzy channel 12 inch screen. Our room had green shag carpet held down by duct tape in spots. The door did not shut without applying some serious shoulder weight, the shower drained very slowly and it smelled like nobody had been in the room for about 2 years. I guess thats what you get when you don't plan ahead...next time.


Chilling poolside at the Flamingo (site of the 2008 NAF annual membership meeting)


Cole getting crazy on the dance floor...I guess that's why they call him Crazy Cole.



After a couple crazy days and nights in Vegas it was time to hit the road again.

Power Breakfast

We left Vegas on Highway 95 going north through Western Nevada. We soon realized that there is absolutely nothing out there and the shoulders are nonexistant at times..this was not a good bike route. So we crossed into California and headed north up highway 395. 395 is really sweet, great scenery and it is relatively level, decent shoulders and did I mention the scenery. However, the elevation on 395 is about 3,000 to 5,000 ft and in March at that elevation we could run into some nasty temperatures and weather.

Recap: I-5 is a major freeway carrying much of the North-South traffic in California and though it is legal to ride this route, it would be no fun and pretty dangerous. Nevada is empty desert with no shoulder. The elevation on Highway 395 will likely present some nasty weather...So we came home empty handed.
That was about two months ago and since then we have been working on a different game plan: a route through the valley. This plan will produce a route that will give us decent weather and traffic conditions. A draft of the route should be ready in a couple weeks.

Next Post: More updates, a lot has happened in the past couple of months.

Ride Ataxia II

Hey Folks,

Ride Ataxia is back!! After a good 3 month break, we can't wait to get back in the saddle for another epic journey. Words cannot express how successful Ride Ataxia I was. We raised $40,000 and with the help of the National Ataxia Foundation and the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance we funded the $100,000 Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award. This money was awarded in June 2007 to the lab of Dr. Nuri Gueven at Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia. Find out more here.

The sky is the limit for Ride Ataxia II. This ride will start in Sacramento, CA on March 15 and will end March 28, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV at the National Ataxia Foundation annual membership meeting. We are very excited about this year's ride because we learned a lot last time and we would like to invite anyone who would like to ride for as long as they would like. The ride will be fully supported (sag, food, lodging) so mark your calendar and come along for the ride...more info to come.

Success!

For the past couple of days I have been cleaning up the house, mowing the lawn, doing laundry, eating tuna sandwiches and reflecting on the past couple of months while sitting on the porch. Its been nice to relax because next week its back to work and back to the daily grind...

The conference was totally amazing. We arrived on tuesday and went out to celebrate that night. The next day I had a meeting with Mike Parent and Arnie Gruetzmacher in which we discussed what would be going on during the conference. We visited Graceland that afternoon and learned that Elvis was very rich, tacky and awesome.

Went out to dinner that night for Jina's (my sister in law to be) birthday, happy B-day Jina!

Thursday I slept in and went to the NAF leadership meeting at 1. At this meeting I met many people who were working very hard to bring support groups to their areas and to raise awareness and funds for Ataxia research. The NAF now has 61 support groups and chapters in a few different countries, very encouraging, we are not alone! You can search for your nearest support group or chapter here.

That afternoon I reluctantly went in for a hair cut. I asked around and the shoe shine guy at the hotel recommended that I go to a place called Down to Earth just down the street, so I got on the main street trolly and headed to 10 Main Street. On the way there, a lady sitting next to me had who was attending the NAF conference asked me what my green bracelet means (she knew that the blue one is for Ataxia Awareness). So I told her that it represents a cycling organization in Sacramento who raises money for organ donation (Check them out, Team Donate Life, some dedicated cyclists and GREAT people). So she knew I was a cyclist and asked "So, have you met Kyle or are you going to meet him at the conference?" That was crazy.
I finally made it to the Barber Shop, got a hair cut and had a great time BSing with the guys there. If you are ever in Memphis and are in need of a hair cut, see the guys at Down to Earth at 10 Main Street.

The Grizzlies (basketball) had a home game that night and we got a few tickets so Dad, Collin (brother), U. Steve, Roger (family friend and funny guy), and I went to check it out. Kobe Bryant and The Lakers were in town so we (mainly Roger) hecckled them all night. It must have helped a lot because the Grizzlies managed to hold Kobe to only about 60 points.


Friday was a busy day. Paul Marcott from FARA had set up a TV interview for that morning at 9 so I got to be on TV in Memphis! Some guy named Rupert from Survivor was on before me, he was promoting his new book. There was also a live band that morning. The hosts of the show were really great and I had a blast!

At 11am, I was on a panel for a seminar at the conference. That was pretty fun, I told some stories and had some good conversation with the group.


1230, go time...We had a reception and I gave a little presentation about my ride. I could have gone on for hours but I kept it to about 10 minutes. We had a fairly small room which quickly filled up so they opened up the wall and that too filled up. The room was packed with about 200 people. I am getting chills just writing about it. After I gave my little presentation, Mike Parent came up to present me with a plaque on behalf of the NAF and its members.

Here is what the Plaque says:

In recognition of outstanding achievement, this honor is bestowed upon Kyle Bryant

For his courageous 2,800 mile bike ride starting in San Diego and ending at the 50th NAF annual membership meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, to increase Ataxia awareness and to raise funds for promising Ataxia research.
The Foundation applauds your important efforts and your inspiring journey.

Thanks NAF I am truly honored.


The rest of the weekend I met many rad people who all had a common goal: Stop Ataxia. There was a feeling at the conference that was different than the previous three conferences that I have been to. There is an optimism in our community of Ataxians. Many people think that we can actually beat this thing. There is a lot of promising research going on and the main thing that the researchers and scientists need to push their treatments through is MORE MONEY. They have told us this many times and we, as a community of Ataxia families, are responding. Countless Ataxia families are organizing fundraisers which raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for research every year and it seems like new fundraisers are popping up all over the country. We are taking it into our own hands and doing what we can. What can you do to help Stop Ataxia? RAISE MONEY!

Saturday night, we had dinner, entertainment, dancing, and a raffle. The winner of the raffle donated their winnings back to the NAF.

I had a blast meeting all of you and I cant wait to see you next year.

I am not sure what the future holds for Ride Ataxia but this is just the beginning. See ya soon!

I leave you with a few pictures of friends new and old:

More to come!

I am typing this from the comforts of my own bed in Sacramento. We made it home safe and sound.

There is more to come, I want to tell you about the conference, it was a blast. Stay tuned!

We Made It!

Our easy last day turned into a long struggle to find our way on the map. However I was running on adrenalin. 43 miles on a bowl of cereal and a power bar. Friends and family were there to meet us with baloons, banners and a shower of champagne, what a finish!


I am so happy to be done and I am so glad that so many people got involved along the way.

After our arrival, we had a bite to eat and a nap then went out to celebrate.

Late night on Beal street.

Time for more celebrating and connecting with people that I have not seen in a year.

Note: Please bear with me on this one. This is a rush job and I plan to clean it up and add pictures later. It may be a little incoherent at times but here is my best shot.

This blog goes way back. 8 Days and 450 miles ago we started riding in Baton Rouge. We wanted to get a jump start on the mileage between Baton Rouge and Memphis so we rode about 55 miles through the back country of Louisiana. At one point that day the pavement disappeared and we were off road for .3 miles. Fortunately the bike map warned us of this so we were ready for it and it wasn’t a problem. After a few more miles we passed some good ‘ol boys on ATV’s. I saw something totally sweet and slammed on the brakes to take a picture, Dad was riding behind me and could not stop in time and slammed into the back of me and fell over. Dad was alright but the good ‘ol boys came to see if we were alright. We told them what we were up to and had a chat before moving on.

That night we picked up Alessandro and Adriano from the airport in Baton Rouge, took them back to the campground for a bite to eat and then took them to their hotel so they could catch a few winks.

The next day we packed up camp including 6 people, 2 bikes, and 2 trikes. We picked up A & A (adding 2 more people)at the hotel and drove an hour to the spot where we left off the day before. By this time it was about 11am and we had 55 miles to go to get to Natchez with rain threatening the whole day. Many hills later we made it to Natchez, damp and tired.

The next day we started out at the very beginning of the Natchez Trace. Years ago the Natchez Indians used this route to get from north to south in this area. This route became a known route in the area and was used by white traders, hunters, outlaws, barneys etc. The soil in the area is so soft that the trace settled almost 20 ft in some areas due to the heavy traffic over the years. Now it is a beautiful parkway with great roads and very little traffic. At one point the road surface quality was less than spectacular and we slowed down for a bit. When the road changed back again, we all let out a collective AAAHHHHHHHHHH and picked up the pace.

That night we stayed at a sweet camp ground right on the trace, there was not a hotel for miles so the A’s (Alessandro and Adriano) set up our tent and roughed it for a night. At dinner that night, we were trying to eplain the meaning of the word “stuffed” (as in, I can’t eat anymore, I’m stuffed) to Adriano. This explanation lead to an attempt to explain the meaning of the most ambiguous word in the English Language “stuff.” That was pretty funny.

The next day we got an early start right from the campground. Before we even got out of the site we discovered that I had a flat tire. So we sent the Italians ahead with a copy of the directions while we fixed the flat. It took 4 tries (you’d think we would have this figured out by now) but we finally got the air to stay in the tire. And we were off… About ten miles in to our travels we encountered a 4 way stop. The directions called out this intersection but did not say which way to turn. The next direction was a right so we turned right (does this even make sense?). About 2 miles down the road we figured out that we were on the wrong road so reluctantly we turned around (this was the first time we had backtracked since day 1). When we got back to the 4 way stop, we found Alessandro and Adriano, lost as well, they went the wrong way right out of the campground. Luckily we ended up at the same place and when we finally figured out which way was up, we continued on reaching Vicksburg, MS by about 4pm on a day that was supposed to be a short one.

That night Alessandro informed me that he and his caregiver, Adriano had decided to travel alone. In the morning, Alessandro, Adriano, Dad and I sat down to figure out what needed to be done. In the end we all decided that we (Dad, Steve, Mom, Wally, Mary and I) needed to continue on to reach our goal. So we parted ways that morning.

The next 3 days were a blurr. 55 miles then 65 then 35 and today was another 60. Smooth, flat roads with very little traffic on the Mississippi River Trail, smooth sailin’.

Today we quit biking about 60 miles south of Memphis and we are staying about 25 miles north of that. We set ourselves up to have a couple of easy days (25 mi and 35 mi) to cruise into Memphis. A few good friends are going to show up tonight, Jim, Kim and Kele Dobrinski and Lyle and Joyce Miller. They are going to help us celebrate as we roll in!

As we count down to the end of this trip, I want to draw attention to the goal of this crazy adventure. The main goal has always been to raise awareness for Ataxia which is a huge part of my life and the lives of many others. Amother goal of this trip has been to draw attention to the many research projects that are aiming to better understand the cause of this disease.

The outcome of this trip is beyond my wildest dreams. The following is an excerpt from a recent Friedriech's Ataxia Research Alliance and the National Ataxia Foundation:

The National Ataxia Foundation and Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance will establish a Kyle Bryant Fund with matching grants to provide $100,000 for preclinical Friedreich's ataxia research. Details of that effort will be announced at a celebration honoring Bryant at 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, in Heritage I at the Memphis Marriott Downtown hotel, 250 North Main Street.

The amazing thing is that these two organizations are combining their knowlege and drive to work together to "stop Ataxia."

Gettin' There

Wow, its been a while! We have covered about 200 miles since my last post and we are now in Greenville, MS.

After three days of riding with the Italians, Alessandro and Adriano, they have decided to travel alone and we parted ways this morning.

We have had some great days through the countryside and backroads in Mississippi. We cycled through about 55 miles of the Natchez trace which was just about the most beautiful place we have been. We got lost and found our way again on a day that was supposed to be a short one. Today we had another beautiful day near the Mississippi River and we are now watching barges go up and down the river out the window of the Desert Fox. Chuggin’ along. We have a rough plan for our approach which includes about 250 miles in 5 days, should be fun...