Cyclist hits halfway point of 3,400-mile ride

A Minnesota cyclist is in the middle of completing a bike ride that will end with 3,400 miles ridden and whose journey reached its halfway point earlier this week in Topeka.

Charlie Manzoni is traveling with about 15 people on a cross-country bike ride sponsored by CrossRoads Cycling Adventures.

The group started the ride May 11 in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and will end June 28 in Boston, Mass.

Manzoni decided to complete the bike ride for several reasons, one of which is in support of his son, who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in 2011.

His son's diagnosis led him to the Children's Cancer Research Fund, which sponsors The Great Cycle Challenge — a fundraiser that encourages people to set a goal during June for how many miles they want to bike.

Manzoni, who retired a year ago, said he figured if he was going to do a cross-country bike ride, now was a good time.

"When I put all the pieces together it seemed like the right thing to do," Manzoni said.

Manzoni is raising money during his bike ride for CCRF and has a goal of $17,000. He has raised $16,162.44 so far.

Day 26 of the bike ride brought Manzoni and his group to Topeka, and he said it was his first time visiting the capital city.

Because the stop in Topeka was a short one, Manzoni said he didn't get the chance to explore but his group did stop at Sommerset Hall Cafe in Dover and eat some pie.

"I think one of the things that makes me happy that I've done the trip is I'm seeing a part of the country that I probably would not have seen," Manzoni said. "There aren't high-volume tourist towns that we are going through, but they are all interesting. When you're riding a bike, you see things that, if you were in a car, you would be going by it 60 mph not even noticing."

Manzoni also made stops in Liberal, Dodge City, Great Bend, McPherson and Junction City.

While weather for the cycling group has mostly been good, Manzoni said, some days have offered some challenges.

"We had one bad day with serious head winds which were very challenging coming out of Flagstaff," Manzoni said. "(That) was very challenging because it was very cold, we had freezing rain, sleet and it wasn't what anyone was expecting at the end of May."

Manzoni has created a blog for people to follow his journey, and he posts updates daily.