Halfway through our fireside chat, I had to confess something to
Tom Snyders: I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in 10 years. While he
conceded that Los Angeles is a ridiculous place to ride a bike,
Snyders, on the other hand, has made a living off of his
Schwinn.
For the past 16 years Snyders has been performing his comedy
routine across the country, and getting to gigs on his two-wheeler.
He is the infamous and famous “Bicycling Comedian.”
Snyders’ job (comedian/bicyclist) requires a unique
combination of athleticism and wit ““ just like mine. He and I
are two peas in a pod! Snyders’ career was not planned; it
began because he knew the worst thing to do in comedy was to miss a
gig.
“I used to have an old beat-up car that I drove to all my
shows, and it blew up one day,” he said. “I
wasn’t hurt and the car wasn’t going any further, and I
had shows coming up and I had no money or other cars. I don’t
know why it didn’t seem strange to ride my bike from Vegas to
Des Moines, but I did it.”
This guy is great. Think of any hair-brained thing you have done
in college (for a while I sold endangered puppies on the black
market), and it for sure doesn’t compare to Snyders’
scheme. Think you are going to have it tough when it’s time
convince dad that your degree in philosophy will definitely get you
a job at a philosophy store? Imagine telling your dad you are going
to be a comedian who rides a tricycle to gigs.
Currently, the 42-year-old Snyders has logged 123,000 miles, and
just finished up some comedy work in the Pacific Ocean.
That’s right, he rode a stationary bike for eight hours a day
while on a Carnival Spirit cruise ship, becoming the first person
to “ride a bike across the Pacific Ocean.”
On the side, Snyders is a motivational speaker, dazzling
audiences with the story of his encounter with an old man and a
Rolls Royce. Here comes the UCLA connection: Snyders’ life
was saved at this fair university.
In 1995, Snyders reached the 78,000-mile mark while pedaling
down Wilshire Boulevard, and was ceremoniously hit by a Rolls Royce
driven by an old guy. Then, the driver realized he had hit Tom, and
backed up over him, leaving the car resting on top of Tom’s
chest. A Rolls Royce is a heavy car. Snyders was in a coma for
three days, and was saved by the fine doctors at the UCLA Medical
Center. Snyders is not even bitter, saying the accident has helped
him as a person. Man, I would be more than kind of bummed.
Maybe Snyders and I aren’t so similar. Yeah, our lives are
worlds apart. If we were Spice Girls, I am the Mel C. to his Mel
B.
Snyders and I did agree on one thing when it came to
today’s youth.
“They are definitely fatter,” he said.
Snyders said the youth of today should put down their video
games and Slim Jims and go ride a bike.
Hey Tom, ever heard of a little video game called Paperboy? You
ride a bike in it, melding the worlds of exercise and
obesity-inducing video games. I guess Snyders needs to go think
over his stance on video games.
Snyders does consider himself an athlete. He’s got
sponsorships from cycling companies to back that up.
“I did amazing mileage in early years,” he said.
“Once, I was in Albuquerque on a Sunday night, and I had to
be in Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday. It was 280 miles in two days. I
did 170 miles the first day, 110 the next. I was there 30 minutes
before show time.”
One of the key components of Snyders’ comedy routine is
his use of a slide projector. Snyders uses the archaic device to
display pictures of his bicycling journey.
He has seen some pretty unbelievable road signs. In four states
he has seen a sign that reads, “Hitchhikers May Be Escaping
Inmates.” He has also seen a wide assortment of convenience
stores. In Wyoming, he came across Ron’s Guns and Computers.
And in Nebraska, he bought beer, wine and ammo at Beer, Food, Wine
and Ammo. God Bless America.
Tom says his career may be winding down, and he is exploring
other employment paths. He has written a screenplay, and
coincidentally, it’s about a guy who travels around the
country on a bike.
Guess what Snyders’ first job was?
He was a paperboy. Coincidence? Maybe “¦
Miller apologizes to the girl who sought his autograph on
Tuesday. He thought it was a joke and apologizes for appearing
scared. E-mail him at dmiller@media.ucla.edu.