This is the first segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
Greg's Solo E-bike Tour Across America is Completed After
4,685.8 Miles = 7541.1 KM
Lindsay Colbert, Executive Director of the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy and Gregory celebrate the completion of the E-bike Tour Across America in San Francisco after 4,685.8 miles of cycling in four months.
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Gregory's Journey: The Tour in Numbers
Total distance: 4,685.8 miles
Average mileage per day: 65.1 miles
Maximum incline: 27.1%
This map shows the real GPS data of the cross-country e-bike tour. Gregory followed parts of the historic Lincoln Highway, U.S. Bicycle Routes 44 and 50, regional trails, and many new local routes that e-cyclists rarely explore.
I am Gregory Maassen, a Dutch-American cyclist living in Washington, DC. Linkedin.
I e-biked solo and unsupported across the United States from Washington, DC to San Francisco, a 4,600+ mile journey to raise awareness and support for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Thank you for joining me on this historic journey.
The E-bike Tour Started on April 2 and was completed four months later on August 2, 2022
Gregory followed the historic Lincoln Highway and a new transcontinental cycling route designed for this project, in the footsteps of a young President Eisenhower as he traveled in 1919 as part of a military convoy, inspiring his creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956.
They drove at a speed of 6 miles per hour. Gregory (age 54) hopes to bike at an average speed of 12 MPH. The route is 3,400+ miles. With detours, Gregory has cycled 4,685.8 miles. He has arrived in San Francisco free of injuries, accidents and incidents.
IN THE NEWS
As Supreme Commander, Eisenhower oversaw the liberation of the Netherlands during WWII, something the Dutch will never forget. This ride is a tribute to the long-lasting Dutch-American friendship.
Did you know? The United States' longest unbroken, peaceful relationship with any foreign country is with the Netherlands!
"On the Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean, the first foreign salute to the American flag took place on November 16, 1776; John Paul Jones was received as a hero in Amsterdam in 1779 when he landed with two captured British ships; and the Dutch Government entered into secret negotiations with the Continental Congress, starting in 1778, on the draft of a Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
But, most important, on April 19, 1782, John Adams was admitted by the States General of the Dutch Republic as Minister of the United States of America, thus obtaining the second diplomatic recognition of the United States as an independent nation. Adams also succeeded, on October 8, 1782, in signing the first Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the two countries. This recognition of the United States as an independent nation can be regarded as a key step in our country's efforts to take its rightful place in the world community of nations as a sovereign state."
In recognition of this long and fruitful relationship between our two countries and peoples, President Reagan designated April 19, 1982, as Dutch-American Friendship Day.
Source: https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/proclamation-4928-dutch-american-friendship-day-1982
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War.
Image credit: A 1781 painting of Jones by Charles Willson Peale.
Gregory is raising funds for the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy for research and education. Peripheral neuropathy is a little-known or understood but debilitating disease that attacks the nervous system, affecting 30 million American people. Be part of the journey, sponsor one cent per mile, tax-deductible. All proceeds go directly to the foundation. Learn More!
Video Updates
The Challenge
Donate to the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy.
All proceeds go directly to the foundation and are tax deductible.
Over Sixty Stopovers
Schedule
Segment | Start | End | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
Segment 01 – Washington DC - Pittsburgh | Saturday, April 02, 2022 | Sunday, April 10, 2022 | DC. Harpers Ferry, Hagerstown, Little Orleans, Cumberland, Ohiopyle, |
Segment 02 – Pittsburgh - Fort Wayne | Monday, April 11, 2022 | Wednesday, April 20, 2022 | Pittsburgh, Salem, Wooster, Shelby, Bluffton, Van Wert, Fort Wayne |
Segment 03 – Fort Wayne – Clinton | Thursday, April 21, 2022 | Monday, May 02, 2022 | Fort Wayne, Elkhart, Michigan City, Chicago Heights, Joliet, Dekalb, Rock Falls, Clinton |
Segment 04 – Clinton – Avoca Near Denison | Tuesday, May 03, 2022 | Sunday, May 15, 2022 | Clinton, Solon, Waterloo, Marshall Town, Newton, Adel, Panora, Avoca |
Segment 05 – Avoca – Gothenburg | Monday, May 16, 2022 | Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | Avoca, Omaha, Fremont, Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, Lexington, |
Segment 06 – Gothenburg – Laramie | Thursday, May 26, 2022 | Monday, June 13, 2022 | Gothenburg, North Platte, Ogallala, Sidney, Kimbell, Cheyenne, Laramie (Rest break in Estes Park, Fort Collins and Boulder) |
Segment 07 – Laramie – Salt Lake City | Tuesday, June 14, 2022 | Tuesday, June 28, 2022 | Laramie, Walden, SB Springs, Craig, Dinosaur, Ballard, Duchesne, Heber City, Vineyard, Salt Lake City (Rest Break in Park City and Moab)) |
Segment 08 – Salt Lake City – Ely | Wednesday, July 06, 2022 | Wednesday, July 13, 2022 | Salt Lake City, Santaquin, Nephi, Delta, Baker, Ely |
Segment 09 – Ely – Carson City | Thursday, July 14, 2022 | Thursday, July 21, 2022 | Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, Carson City |
Segment 10 – Carson City – San Francisco | Friday, July 22, 2022 | Tuesday, August 2, 2022 | Markleeville, Kit Carson, Shingle Springs, Sacramento, Vallejo, Oakland, San Francisco |
Click on a stopover for details
Brunswick, MD
Hagerstown, MD
Little Orleans, MD
Cumberland, MD
Ohiopyle, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Monaca, PA
Salem, OH
Wooster, OH
Shelby/Bucyrus, OH
Bluffton, OH
Van Wert, OH
Fort Wayne, IN
Elkhart, IN
Michigan City, IN
Chicago Heights, IL
Joliet, IL
Naperville, IL
Dekalb, IL
Rock Falls, IA
Clinton, IA
Waterloo, IA
Marshall Town, IA
Newton, IA
Adel, IA
Panora, IA
Avoca, IA
Omaha, NE
Fremont, NE
Columbus, NE
Grand Island, NE
Kearney, NE
Lexington, NE
Gothenburg, NE
North Platte, NE
Ogallala, NE
Sidney, NE
Kimbell, NE
Cheyenne, WY
Laramie, WY
Walden, CO
Steamboat Springs, CO
Craig, CO
Dinosaur, CO
We will be in Boulder for a week to have a break.
Vernal, CO
Ballard, CO
Duchesne, CO
Heber City, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Vineyard, UT
Santaquin, UT
Nephi, UT
Moab, UT
Delta, UT
We will be in Salt Lake City for a week to have a break. The stop in Moab is not part of the original Lincoln Highway.
Baker, NV
Ely, NV
Eureka, NV
Austin, NV
Fallon, NV
Carson City, NV
Markleeville, CA
Kit Carson, CA
Shingle Springs, CA
Sacramento, CA
Vallejo, CA
Oakland, CA
San Francisco, CA
A BIG THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING HOSTS
David Lohnes - Wooster, Marieke Wagner - Berlin, James Reilly - Fort Wayne, Andy McCaskey - Elkhart, Van Salmans - Wheaton, Phil - Marshalltown, Howard Kutler - Omaha, Sherry and Steve Jones - Grand Island, Patricia, aka the Trail Boss - Baker, Jered Sneesby - Sacramento, John and Chris Davis - Vallejo.
Contact Gregory
Gregory Went Cross-Country!
E-bike Lovers' founder Gregory Maassen e-biked 4,500+ miles to raise funds supporting research on peripheral neuropathy. The route was never e-biked before by a Dutch-American E-Cyclist living in Washington DC who founded E-bike Lovers. That is not surprising as Gregory is the only cyclist ever to attempt to e-bike this route.
Arrival in San Francisco
The configuration of the Riese and Muller Supercharger for the cross-country E-bike Lovers transcontinental Eisenhower-Lincoln Highway cycling route
Images of the e-bike and the trailer. The wooden shoes are coming along!
E-bike Lovers Cross-Country Touring bike.
Route Video
This is the second segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the third segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the fourth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the fifth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the sixth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the seventh segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the eighth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the ninth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
This is the tenth segment of a cross-country e-bike ride inspired by an historic military convoy that followed the Lincoln Highway in
Be Part of the Largest Facebook Support Community for Peripheral Neuropathy
You Are Not Alone. Find Inspiration From Others! Visit the Facebook Page of Peripheral Neuropathy Success Stories!
The Journey
E-biking across the US requires serious planning!
Organization
The route is divided into 10 segments. Where possible, the route follows established cycling routes such as U.S. Bicycle Routes 44 and 50.
Many miles of the route are undocumented and require careful planning to charge the e-bike.
Training
A cross-country trip requires months of training to avoid injuries.
It also takes time to learn how to handle equipment on a trip that is fully self-supported.
Fitting the bike and learning camping survival skills are essential steps in preparing for the tour.
Equipment
It took over a year to prepare for the journey, especially since COVID-19 seriously has disrupted supply chains.
We waited ten months for the tour e-bike to arrive, not to mention all other equipment such as panniers and tents.
The Dutch E-Cyclist
Gregory Maassen is a multimedia, strategic digital marketing, videographer, documentary maker, author, and manager. He lived in the Netherlands, Armenia, South Africa, Botswana, Afghanistan, Russia, Iraq, Macedonia, and Jordan.
And now: He is an E-Cyclist who traveled across the United States filming for a documentary and raising funds for research and awareness of peripheral neuropathy.
Gregory founded E-bike Lovers to provide members with free, high-quality e-bike travel experiences. The social group is the largest and most inclusive group of e-cyclists in the United States. Read more about E-bike Lovers and e-bike technology in a BBC interview.
He has a Ph.D. in Business Administration and lives with his wife Janet in Washington DC. He is working on three documentaries following his epic tour across America. Linkedin.
Meet The Advisory Board
Although Gregory e-bikes solo, he is supported by an impressive team of advisors
Dr. Ahmet Hoke
Dr. Hoke is Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience and Director of the Daniel B. Drachman Division of Neuromuscular Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Heather Mason
Heather is the President National Bicycle Dealers Association, Principal Women's Cycling, Bicycle Retail Radio Podcast, Brand & Retail Strategist, Author, Columnist, and Motivational Speaker.
Ambassador Michael S. Owen
Michael S. Owen is a retired US Ambassador and author of "After Ike", a book on the historic convoy that inspired Gregory to design a new cycling route based on the Lincoln Highway, cycling in the footsteps of President Eisenhower.
Nancy Frohman
Nancy is a former banker and Director of Development and Marketing of the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. She was responsible for fundraising, volunteer management, marketing, and public relations at the Foundation.
Andrew McCaskey
Andy is a Lincoln Highway Association member, eLearning developer, and electric vehicle enthusiast. He is coordinating Rotary Club contacts for the E-bike Tour along the historic Lincoln Highway.
Stacey Udell
Stacey is a senior public relations specialist and media advisor to the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. She is the former co-chair of the Long Island Awareness Walk and fundraiser for the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association. She also provided PR counsel to Achieve3000.
Michael Wright
Michael is a former District Sales Manager at Meda Pharmaceuticals and founder of the world's largest peripheral neuropathy community support group with over 18,000 members.
Nathan Merris
Nathan is a former Mercedes Benz automotive master technician and is currently a software developer. He is an active member of the E-Bike Lovers' leadership team and the organization's chief e-bike technology officer.
Henry Posner
Henry is the founder of Kramerbooks and Afterwords Café, the first bookstore café in the country. E-biking has become a way of life for Henry, building international travel around e-biking, rentals, and as a means of exploring the world.
James Heilig
James is a physiotherapist with over 40 years of experience. He has trained with Gregory over 1,500 miles and is a big proponent of e-biking. James recommends that anyone talk to their doctor to see if e-cycling can be part of an healthy exercise regime.
Brian McCotter
Brian McCotter is E-bike Lovers' Strategic Communications Director and has extensive experience leading and managing integrated organizational communications, stakeholder relations, and corporate strategy projects.
About Peripheral Neuropathy
A debilitating disorder that deserves more funding
Peripheral neuropathy is not a single disease. It’s a general term for a series of disorders that result from damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system.
Some types of peripheral neuropathy develop suddenly, while others progress more slowly over many years.
Causes include diabetes, chemo treatment, COVID-19, other viral infections, hereditary diseases, and idiopathic causes.
Source: www.foundationforpn.org
Peripheral Neuropathy symptoms usually start with numbness, prickling or tingling in the toes or fingers. It may spread up to the feet or hands and cause burning, freezing, throbbing and/or shooting pain that is often worse at night.
The pain can be either constant or periodic, but usually the pain is felt equally on both sides of the body—in both hands or in both feet. Some types of peripheral neuropathy develop suddenly, while others progress more slowly over many years.
The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy often include:
Symptoms such as experiencing weakness or not being able to hold something, not knowing where your feet are, and experiencing pain that feels as if it is stabbing or burning in your limbs, can be common signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
"
Peripheral neuropathy affects millions of Americans, but research is underfunded. We need to find a cure for all those who silently suffer from this debilitating disease.
And I know how hard it can be. I was inflicted with a post-infectious small fiber neuropathy in South Africa. E-biking helped me restore my strength and sanity.
We need your support. Donate now!
Dr. Gregory F. Maassen
Founder E-bike Lovers
Interested in Learning More?
Timeline
May 2021
Cross-Country E-bike Ride Route Finalized
The 3,400+ route is designed. It follows the Lincoln Highway in the footsteps of a young President Eisenhower as he traveled the route in 1919 as part of a military convoy, inspiring his creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956. The Tour stops at over 60 locations.
November 2021
Touring E-bike Arrives
The training program was seriously impacted as the touring e-bike, ordered in Germany in March 2021, was declared "lost" by the dealer in November. A replacement e-bike was found in the United States on November 30, 2021.
December 2021
Fundraiser Program Design Starts
The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy is selected as the recipient of the fundraiser for research and education.
january 2022
Partnership with Peripheral Neuropathy Success Stories!
The Cross-Country E-bike Tour teams up with the largest Facebook Support Group for Peripheral Neuropathy. Visit the Facebook Page of Peripheral Neuropathy Success Stories!
February 2022
Fundraiser Goes Live and Advisory Board is Established
Donations are accepted in support of the fundraiser and the Advisory Board is established.
March 2022
Send-off Party with E-bike Lovers
Meet Gregory at the E-bike Lovers' party on March 19, 2022 at the Carderock Recreation Area Pavilion, Potomac, MD 20854, near Washington DC.
April 2022
The Cross-Country E-bike Tour Starts
E-bike Lovers' founder Gregory Maassen will e-bike over 3,400 miles to raise funds supporting research on peripheral neuropathy.
May 2022
The Cross-Country E-bike Tour Arrives in Colorado
The Tour is completed for approximately 50% of the journey.
august 2022
Completion of the Cross-Country E-bike Tour
Gregory completes the solo E-bike Tour across the United States from Washington, DC to the Bay Area of San Francisco, a 4,500+ mile journey.
Image credits: Gregory Maassen / Wikipedia.