"Bicycling Comedian" Pedals into Chiefland

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 124,000 miles and to all 50 states.

His next stop is Chiefland, Fla., where he will perform two shows at the Chiefland High School Auditorium, 808 N. Main St., on Wednesday, April 7 at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. The show is featured as a part of Bike Florida. A $5 donation is requested at the door. Snyders will arrive by bicycle to perform his one-man comedy show. 

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. Along the way he snaps pictures of weird and amusing road signs he encounters. He now has a collection of more than 7,000 images from America's back roads, the very best of which are featured in his live performances.

"I'm off the interstate and not going by at 60 miles an hour so I see a lot of strange stuff," Snyders explains. "Some of it's incredibly funny, and I always keep my camera loaded and ready."

Snyders has made nine national television appearances along the way, including three on "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee. He's also appeared on Comedy Central and ESPN. He's been a featured performer at the "Just For Laughs" International Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada.

Snyders recently signed a contract with RuggedLand Books of New York City, in conjunction with National Lampoon, to use more than 200 of his comical photos in the soon-to-be-released hardcover book National Lampoon's Big Book of True Facts. This new collection of absurd-but-true humor from everyday life will include headlines, advertisements, personals and signs. Snyders and his bicycle will be featured on the cover.

Snyders will promote the book this summer and fall on the first ever book tour by bicycle. The tour will begin in Florida and continue up the coast to New York City, the first leg of the combined book tour and his never ending "Smile America Bicycle Comedy Tour." He will continue pedaling across the country, doing comedy shows and book signings along the way, eventually ending up in Los Angeles in October.

I'm really excited to be collaborating with National Lampoon," Snyders says. "I've been collecting these images for 16 years, and I'm happy to be able to share them with a wider audience."

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.

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It's not just a comedy show, it's an adventure!