Roanoke man is almost finished cycling across the US

By: Jarett Henshaw | WSLS
Published: July 13, 2009

Roanoker Charley Nottingham has peddled almost four-thousand miles from the west coast. He and fellow rider Larry Beckford have been cycling an average of ninety-five miles per-day.

"It's tough to ride for that many hours during the day. To be mentally focusing like that because after like two or three in the afternoon, you start kind wanting to sit down,” said Nottingham.

Nottingham says after six weeks of cycling, he's a little tired from riding every day but says he's been more motivated as he's gotten closer to home.

"It is pretty cool though when you've been riding across and you finally see that welcome to Virginia sign. It's wild to think that I've ridden here to my house from the Pacific Ocean. It's still throwing my mind for a loop,” said Nottingham.

They're riding for Jim Popp, a former VCU medical student and MCV doctor who died from a malignant tumor in 2007. The duo is trying to raise money to start a medical research scholarship in his honor.

"It's pretty cool to know that I can be doing something that I really enjoy to know that I can raise money for a good cause,” said Nottingham.

Cycling eight to ten hours per day, he's been consuming up to eight-thousand calories everyday.
While on the road he's got put down a couple-hundred calories each hour to keep his energy levels up.

He says his favorite part of the journey has been, "You get to eat as much as you want. I will say I've eaten more ice cream and pop tarts than I've ever eaten in my life."