2023 Mental Health Tour: Lisbon to the Black Sea

Nov 25

The Mental Health Tour is in the books. A 3,375 mile bickpacking journey across Europe completed by Payton Dwight from Lisbon, Portugal to the shores of the Black Sea in Romania. This Point to Point line connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea and was completed in just 28 days from April 25 to May 22, 2023. Over the course of his journey Dwight averaged 121 miles bicycled per day and raised $13,500 for the cause. The donations raised from this tour directly funded Fitness Area #11 installed at San Diego Freedom Ranch located in Campo, CA.

Trip Report:

“Early spring 2023. It has been nearly two years since The Bandits conquered the US northern tier. The boys are getting restless. Society is getting restless. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc. Mental health is at an all time low. Awareness must be raised. Miles must be done. The internal clock is ticking. The bat signal goes out. Two answer the call. Find the pocket. Line it up. Knock it down.

April 24th, 2023 Drew Harvey and Payton Dwight touch down in Lisbon, Portugal. Bikes are boxed up. Oversized luggage. TSA inspected. Dawgpatch approved. The crew take the remainder of the day to get their gear in order. One last look at three Eurovelo lines that roughly connect to stretch across all of Europe, West to East. Garmins are taken out of their box. Instructions thrown away. The path will reveal itself. Bed down.

April 25th, 2023 The Bandits hit the road. Like they never left. Excessive rotations. A strong start from the fellas. 111 miles fly by. Drew’s left pedal flies out. One pedal jonnie. 10 more miles. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Lessons from trips past turn showstoppers into minor inconveniences. Remember your training. Beautiful tavern dinner. Local cuisine. Camp in a small portuguese town schoolyard. It’s good to be back.

Drew has two weeks of cycling before he must return stateside to put up another fitness station for the Patch. The boys make the most of it. They burn into Spain the second day. Bien camino. France the sixth day. Patisseries on lock. Baguette booming. On the twelve day The Bandits push to the border of Switzerland where Drew must make his departure. A proper start. It was a solo mission from the start. Let the games begin.

The Cuckoo Bird continues on, biking for a cause. For himself and for the people. He needs it and they need it. Don’t keep Tweety locked up. Switzerland. Germany. Austria. Dancing along the Danube. Conditions are getting worse and spirits are getting higher. The freedom of the road breaks the shackles of society. Mud and muck make the triumph even sweeter. He spreads the good word of mental health and fitness at each stop he makes. Cafes, gas stations, camp sites, and on the side of the road. Wherever there is pure conversation there is restoration.

Onward. Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia. The alphabet is changing. The tenacity is increasing. The writing is getting crazier. The hospitality is felt even deeper. Good people everywhere. The final push. Romania, into Bulgaria, back into Romania to blitz the Black Sea. Treacherous roads. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Howling mad. Free as a bird. Power through. Mission complete.”

- Payton Dwight

Trip Stats:

Total Days: 28 days

Total Miles: 3375 miles

Average: 121 miles per day

Rest Days: 0

Awareness Raised:

Day by Day Breakdown:

Day 1: Lisbon, Portugal to Evlas, Portugal. 121 miles

Day 2: Plasencia, Spain. 123 miles

Day 3: Siete Iglesias de Trabancos, Spain. 127 miles

Day 4: Burgos, Spain. 136 miles