Questions & Answers

Q. How much of my donation goes to support melanoma research?
A. 100% of your donation goes directly to the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF). The MRF is a volunteer-run organization with no paid staff. Currently, between 80-90% of their yearly expenditures go to support melanoma research, in the form of research grants to top investigators. The remainder is spent on other programmatic activities such as publications and a small amount on administrative overhead.

Q. Isn't skin cancer one of the most curable forms of cancer?
A. The "typical" skin cancer, sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancer, is usually less worrisome, because the cancer starts in the skin cells and does not spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma skin cancer starts in the melanocyte cells of the skin, and then spreads to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.

Melanoma is also particularly insidious because even after successful treatment, there is always an increased risk of the melanoma returning. As an example, in the fall of 2001, Lance Armstrong had his final cancer checkup on the five-year anniversary of his original diagnosis. Fortunately, all the tests came back clear, and he is now no more likely than the average person to get cancer again. Unfortunately, there is no such cut-off date after which melanoma survivors can be considered "safe."

Q. Bicycling from coast-to-coast...are you crazy?
A. Maybe. I have done several other cycling tours that involved 75 miles per day for two days. With the right training and preparation, I feel that I will be ready for the challenge of maintaining that level over the nine-week period of this ride.

Q. When will you be riding through my area?
A. See the schedule page for a complete breakdown of the entire route.

Q. Where do you live?
A. I grew up in Adena, Ohio. I went to college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and live there until just after completing the cross-country bike tour. In October of 2004, I moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio (near Cleveland) for a new job.

Q. Where do you work? How were you able to take so much time off for this trip?
A. At the time of the trip, I had been doing independent software consulting. I now work as the webmaster for Century Cycles. Past places I have worked are (in reverse order): Blattner Brunner, eToll, Armco Steel, Nextel Communications, and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel.

Q. How is your last name pronounced?
A. Say it like "Mad's Eye" (rhymes with hawkeye, buckeye, etc.).

Q. What kind of bicycle to you have?
A. My road bike is the Mongoose Bosberg. I purchased it in July of 2001 at the Ambridge Bike Shop. Component highlights:

• Titanium frame
• Reynolds Ouzo Comp carbon fork
• Shimano Ultegra brakes, shifters, and drive train with Dura-Ace rear derailleur
• Cane Creek Aerohead wheelset
• 3T Forgie handlebar and Mutant stem
• Thomson seatpost
• Selle San Marco Arami saddle
• Crank Brothers Candy SL pedals (later switched to Shimano M520 pedals, see my journal for the story)
• Planet Bike Protégé 9.0 cyclo-computer

Q. Why do some cyclists shave their legs?
A. Many people think that it is to help increase the cyclist's speed. This is true in the sport of swimming, but in cycling, the wind resistance caused by the hair is not really a factor.

The primary reason is that for people who spend a lot of time cycling, and especially racing, crashing is inevitable. We refer to the large patches of abrasion caused by these crashes as "road rash." Caring for road rash is a lot easier in the absense of leg hair. There is less chance of infection, and as you can imagine, changing bandages and tape is a lot less painful without them getting stuck to hair.

Another benefit that I discovered is that it is a lot easier to apply sunscreen on my legs. With hair, trying to rub sunscreen lotion onto your legs results in a gooey mess.