Cycling and charity have always been big parts of Timm Fenton’s life.

In his youth, he developed a love for riding bikes along with his brother, Tony. They both competed in BMX races as kids and later got into mountain biking in the early days of the sport. Tony was so obsessed that, as a teenager, he began publishing his own cycling newsletter.

However, Tony’s cycling career was cut tragically short—he was born with cystic fibrosis, which eventually took his life at the age of just 16. Timm says that, after his brother’s death, his mother, Jan, discovered that, even at such a young age, Tony was inspired to use cycling to help make the world a better place.

“As my mother was going through his writings, she found something that said that, someday, he hoped to hold fundraising events for a cause through cycling,” Timm says. “That inspired our family to initiate an annual bike tour in his name for the Connecticut chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It ran for 18 years and raised well over $1 million. So, our family has been very much tied to cycling and tied to fundraising.”

In 2025, Timm is drawing on that legacy as he undertakes an incredible challenge inspired by another family tragedy. Decades after losing his brother to cystic fibrosis, Jan, Timm’s mother, passed away from ALS in 2017. After witnessing the devastating effects of the disease and learning about the desperate need for treatments, he knew he wanted to find a way to give back.

Finding Ales for ALS™ and ALS TDI

Timm considered many different ideas for how he could help raise awareness and funds for ALS research, but he finally found inspiration at an Ales for ALS™ event at Bale Breaker Brewing Company in Yakima, Washington. Ales for ALS™ is a program that supports ALS research at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). After learning about the organization and their mission to discover treatments for everyone with ALS, Timm knew he had found a worthy cause to support—and he had an ambitious idea for how he would do it.

“I decided to link my hook to ALS TDI,” he says, “and finally do something that had actually been in the back of my mind for many, many years—this notion of crossing the country by bike. I wanted to do it for a purpose. I didn't want to just do it for the sake of doing it.”

Pedals vs. ALS: A 4,000-Mile Ride for ALS Research

In early May 2025, Timm will embark on a 65-70-day journey that will take him through 10 states, from the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Oregon to the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia. He will ride solo, completely self-supported, for over 4,000 miles along the TransAmerica Trail. Along the way, he will document his journey, share his story, and work to raise funds and awareness for ALS TDI’s mission—with a goal of raising $50,000 for research to end ALS. For this ambitious effort, he has chosen the name Pedals vs. ALS.

“One aspect that's quite appealing to me is the actual duration of a cross-country ride,” he says. “It's not a single-day event. I'll have weeks and weeks of exposure to hit our target fundraising goal and to generate awareness.”

Preparing for an Epic Journey

The ride will be a difficult, at times grueling effort, with challenges including crossing mountain ranges, facing strong winds across the plains, dealing with exposure to all kinds of weather, and potentially going multiple days between opportunities to resupply his stores of food and water.

“It'll be a true test of my ability, not only from a physical standpoint but a mental standpoint,” says Timm. “I enjoy pushing my limits. I enjoy a certain level of physical hardship. My biggest concern is isolation, being alone. But I'm also drawn to that at the same time. How will I do in that situation when I'm in the middle of nowhere, with no one, having to make it work?”

In the decades since he and his brother competed in BMX races, Timm has remained a dedicated cyclist, even considering going professional as a mountain biker at one point. However, this will by far be the most challenging ride I have ever attempted on a bike. He has spent much of the past few months training, working to build his fitness and endurance to withstand thousands of miles of pedaling.

A Bike for the Trip and Another Connection to ALS

Additionally, Timm has acquired a new bicycle to accompany him on the journey—a lightweight, carbon-fiber touring bike
with racks and bags to carry his gear and a power-generating front hub to charge his devices. However, the significance of this particular bike goes beyond its practical uses.

As he was initially planning the ride, Timm began reaching out to local shops around Seattle to see if one would be willing to provide him with a bike. He was soon connected with the owner of Shots and Sprockets. It happened that the shop was in possession of a bike owned by one of their former mechanics, named Aaron, a beloved member of the Seattle bike scene for 25 years. Aaron was diagnosed with ALS in 2020 and passed away in 2022.

“They’ve been kind enough to lend me that bicycle for the journey,” says Timm, “It’s just one of those moments where you say, ‘Wow, if anything was meant to be, this is it.’ It felt so right.”

Connecting with the ALS Community

Timm will depart from Oregon on May 1st and aim to arrive at his destination in Virginia at some point in late July or early August. Along the way, he will document his journey and share his progress on social media. He is also hoping to connect with others in the ALS community along the route as the word about his mission spreads. He’s already scheduled one event—an Ales for ALS™ fundraiser at Bonner, MT’s Planetary Design on Thursday, May 15.

Timm’s ride is going to be an incredible challenge—both physically and mentally. But he says that he will be driven by the importance of the cause that he’s riding for—and the memory of his mother and her own battle with ALS.

“The memories of my mother and the struggles she faced with ALS are constantly with me,” says Timm, “What I'm embarking on requires a level of endurance and courage. But, when I think about my mother and what she endured over the course of her diagnosis until the end of her life—it was remarkable, the courage and bravery she faced it with.”

To support Timm’s journey and help him reach his $50,000 fundraising goal, visit https://fundraise.als.net/pedalsvsals.

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