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Ian Randman is undertaking a long journey in support of pediatric cancer research in his cousin鈥檚 memory.

Randman, from Long Island, New York, is biking from Key West, Florida, southernmost point of the continental U.S., to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the northernmost point in North America accessible by road, a distance of approximately 10,000 km.

The Star spoke with Randman in Whitehorse Sep.7.

Randman, 22, figured he鈥檇 biked 8,200 km to Whitehorse, so had about 1,800 km to go.

Randman explained what inspired him to undertake this epic journey.

鈥淚鈥檓 doing it for charity in memory of my cousin (Joshua Randman) who passed away a few years ago from cancer 鈥� he passed away in early 2018 from a rare type of cancer. He was a big face in an organization called Tackle Kids Cancer and they鈥檙e based in New Jersey, so this trip gives me an opportunity to raise some money for them and spread some awareness about my cousin and pediatric cancer.

鈥淥n top of that, I just graduated college, so I figure now鈥檚 a good time to do the trip before I slave away the rest of my life to work.

鈥淚 like biking, I like camping, I like suffering, so here I am,鈥� he joked.

Randman started his journey June 1. He鈥檚 taken three weeks off in Florida with his grandparents and another week in Denver with a friend.

He had been riding 66 days, and figured he had about 20 days left of riding to reach Prudhoe Bay.

鈥淭he conditions are going to get a lot more rough out of Fairbanks. The hope is to be done before Oct. 1, but if I had to guess, somewhere around Sep. 25, 27,鈥� said Randman.

He鈥檚 averaging between 110-130 km a day.

鈥淲eather gets cold up there, so I鈥檝e been doing more distance each day than I had planned 鈥� it does suck a little bit of fun out of it, always having a time constraint but I enjoy that I do a lot of distance each day ... I like to get to the next food place so I can have something that鈥檚 not peanut butter,鈥� related Randman.

鈥淪oon I will have to be carrying two weeks worth of food. Tough road conditions, tough weather.鈥�

Randman will be riding on the Dalton Highway north of Fairbanks, which is similar to the Dempster in northern Yukon.

鈥淭hey treat it with calcium chloride, so when it鈥檚 wet, it鈥檚 like cement,鈥� said Randman. 鈥淟ike, the mud, it鈥檚 like wet cement. It鈥檚 awful for bikes, I hear. There鈥檚 a lot of elevation gain ... if I鈥檓 above 100 km a day, I鈥檒l be happy.鈥�

Randman said he鈥檚 supporting Tackle Kids Cancer because 鈥淔or years I鈥檝e been wanting to do something for my cousin. This is a good opportunity to actually talk to people and spread the word about it 鈥� pediatric cancer doesn鈥檛 get nearly as much funding or attention from the government as other types of cancer.鈥�

Anyone wanting to support the cause can go to ianrandman.com/fundraiser

鈥淵ou can read about my cousin,鈥� said Randman. 鈥淪oon I鈥檒l be sharing a petition to get the government to give more funding to pediatric cancer.

鈥淒onations are very much appreciated. The goal right now is U.S. $5,000. I鈥檓 pretty close to $3000 right now. Donations are greatly appreciated by me and my family and obviously the organization, because it all goes to cancer research,鈥� he added.

Joshua Randman was only 20 when he died in 2018. He was diagnosed in 2015.

When asked how he鈥檚 financing his long journey, Randman quipped 鈥淢cDonald鈥檚!

鈥淚 did some internships and I got some money from that. I live pretty cheap otherwise. My only expense right now is food. I try to keep it under $10 a day. In the U.S., it was cheaper than that. Here it鈥檚 a bit more.

鈥淚鈥檝e had to pay a bit for bike repairs. And in the months and years leading up to this trip, getting the proper gear. I suffered in the past with cheap gear. It鈥檚 a good experience to have, not a good experience to be living through, so I have, for the most part, good gear.鈥�

Randman is riding a Giant bike.

鈥淒on鈥檛 buy a Giant bike,鈥� quipped Randman. 鈥淚t should have been a fine bike, but it鈥檚 like they used every defective part to build the bike. The bottom bracket 鈥� completely failed on Day 2.

鈥淚n Denver I got a new wheel and tire, new grips, another bottom bracket. In Florida, I got new brakes. I might be getting another new wheel today, maybe new pedals. Riding in the rain also doesn鈥檛 do any favours for the bearings on the bike.鈥�

Randman is good at maintaining his ride.

鈥淎s long as I have all the tools with me, I鈥檒l do all the maintenance myself.鈥�

Weather has played a big part during his epic excursion.

鈥淚n the south part of the U.S., I was dealing with 37-40潞 C and it was just miserable. Especially at night. I鈥檝e never slept so uncomfortably.

鈥淗ere right now, it鈥檚 starting to get pretty chilly at nights.

鈥淲hen I was in Wyoming and Montana, the headwinds were awful.

鈥業 managed to avoid rain for most of the trip. I had a tropical storm on Day 3. I had tornados in eastern Colorado but not much rain in-between but the last two weeks it鈥檚 been a lot. (Almost every morning it seems like it鈥檚 raining and sometimes rains throughout the whole day.) I just get wet and hopefully, it鈥檚 not raining when I stop. I鈥檓 dry by the time I get off the bike.

鈥淏eyond that, the main surprise for this trip has been the people that I鈥檝e met. I went into this trip thinking it was going to be mostly about the scenery and the bike ride but really, it鈥檚 all about the people. (It kind of makes me happy that I don鈥檛 have an e-bike, or I have some bike troubles and other issues, because that forces me to go and talk to people, stop more frequently.) Some of the best experiences of my life have been on this trip.鈥�

Randman has also had some memorable encounters along the way.

鈥淚 had one lady in Tennessee 鈥� she threw a full can of soda at my head. Fortunately she missed, so that was pretty funny,鈥� recalled Randman.

鈥淚n Denver I had a woman 鈥� she chased me away from a Sonic. 鈥楲eave this establishment and never come back鈥�, like, running after me.

Another incident occurred in Florida.

鈥淒own south 鈥� I slept at a church one night, outside. They called the police. It was not a safe town, so they thought I might be burglarizing it. That鈥檚 actually the reason I went to the church. I was originally at a park and I did not feel safe there and that鈥檚 the only time on this trip I鈥檝e set up camp and then moved because I don鈥檛 feel safe.鈥�

鈥淚 did sleep in a jail one night, but that was by choice. In the south, whenever I would see police at night, I would ask them 鈥榃here鈥檚 a good spot to sleep?鈥� ... I passed by a correctional facility and I asked 鈥� and they鈥檙e like, 鈥楻ight here.鈥� I slept on the good side of the door.鈥�

Randman has encountered bears as well.

鈥淚 have two cans of bear spray and a bear canister for my food, so I feel safe. I鈥檝e had some bear encounters, but they鈥檙e all so busy eating, they don鈥檛 care.鈥�

Randman has two power banks with him and his phone has a fast charger. He bought a new phone in Denver, so the battery is practically brand new.

He has no cookstove, but has three kilos of peanut butter with him, as well as granola bars and cookies.

As for how he was feeling, 鈥淟egs are a bit tired,鈥� said Randman.

鈥淵esterday, I came from Teslin, so that鈥檚 like 190 km. That was one of my longer days. I鈥檓 a little bit sleep-deprived but I鈥檓 much happier now with the colder weather. Back in the U.S., I was stopping frequently during the day because of heat exhaustion.

鈥淥verall, I feel fine as long as it鈥檚 not a headwind.鈥�

Randman had some delays before his journey started, including getting COVID before the trip.

鈥淧rudhoe Bay gets very cold very quickly, so when I get there, the average high will probably be around freezing. I鈥檝e spent much of this trip slightly stressed about that; doing big days 鈥� the plan was to average 100 kms a day, but now if I do 100 km, I鈥檓 like 鈥極h, that鈥檚 it.鈥� So I鈥檓 certainly happy now that I鈥檝e made up a lot of time and so my goal now is just to be done before October, which I鈥檓 on track to do.鈥�

Update: Randman has now made it to Fairbanks. He will now be traveling north on the Eliot Highway 100 km, before the toughest part of his expedition on the unpaved Dalton Highway for 600-700 km.

鈥淚t鈥檒l be rough, especially since it鈥檚 gravel. Gotta worry about trucks coming by, flicking up the gravel. It鈥檚 enough to break people鈥檚 windshields,鈥� he said.

Randman is planning on flying back to New York from Fairbanks after his epic bike journey.