For Immediate Release: October 18, 2003

"Bicycling Comedian" Pedals into Los Angeles

Comedian Tom Snyders has spent the past 16 years pedaling his fully-loaded touring bicycle to all his stand-up comedy performances. He's cycled more than 123,000 miles and to all 50 states.

His next stop is the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24, where he'll perform a portion of his one-man comedy show at 8 p.m. Snyders will arrive at the show by bicycle, having recently returned from pedaling to Hawaii and back.

Reaching Hawaii fulfilled a longtime goal of Snyders' Forrest Gump-like journey to pedal to all 50 states. The first 49 were relatively simple; that elusive 50^th state was more of a challenge. He did it by placing his bike on a stationary stand on deck of the cruise ship Carnival Spirit and pedaling six hours a day until the ship reached Maui.

Snyders was not a stowaway on board; he performed his comedy show for passengers in the evening.

While in Maui, Snyders rode his bicycle 38 miles uphill to the 10,000-foot summit of the volcano Haleakala before reboarding the ship for his cruise to San Diego. He will remain in the Los Angeles area until Oct. 29. 

Snyders' journey and his "Smile America Bicycle Comedy Tour" began in 1987 when he left Las Vegas by bicycle. Since then he's been pedaling the back roads of this country performing at bike events, conferences and comedy clubs.

In August 2000, Snyders left Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on his bike and pedaled the 6,100 miles to Key West, Fla., encountering 500 miles of isolated gravel roads and six grizzly bears en route. That would've been a lifetime adventure for anyone else, but for Snyders, it was another interesting two months within an incredible, ongoing, 16-year bike trip.

In 1995 Snyders spent four days in a coma and on a respirator at UCLA Medical Center after being hit by a car and dragged 30 feet. "Apparently the driver didn't think I'd had enough yet, so he backed over me," Snyders says. After eight months of physical therapy, Snyders returned to the road with a plate and eight screws in his ankle.

Snyders has also written a screenplay; coincidentally, it's about a comedian who travels by bicycle to all his stand-up comedy performances. "It's Forrest Gump meets Seabiscuit," he jokes.

You won't believe what Snyders has planned next. For more information, contact: bookbikecomedy@aol.com or www.bikecomedy.com.

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