16-year Rider and 16x High Roller, Tanny Crane, is taking on a personal odyssey to make a significant impact on Ending Cancer. With a goal to raise $100,000 for Pelotonia 2024, Tanny will embark on a 49-day coast-to-coast cycling trip to ride 3,400 miles through 15 states. Her journey begins on May 5 with a dip of her back tire into the Pacific Ocean just south of Los Angeles in Manhattan Beach, and then seven weeks later, she plans to reach Revere Beach in Boston, where she will dip her front tire into the Atlantic Ocean on June 21.  

Tanny has completed 2,800 miles of Pelotonia Ride Weekend routes since the first one in 2009, not to mention the many miles in training with her peloton team, Girls with Gears. As a High Roller for the past 15 years, Tanny starts off this journey as the 15th highest all-time fundraiser for Pelotonia, raising more than $434,000 from 2009 through 2023. Tanny’s impact will continue to skyrocket as she aims to raise even more for innovative cancer research at the OSUCCC-James this year. Note: as of today, the day before her cross-country ride begins, Tanny has already raised more than $59,000 (and counting)! 

We sat down with Tanny just a few days before her big ride. Here are highlights from an inspiring, authentic conversation as she reflected on her Pelotonia experiences, the motivation behind this “bucket list” ride, and her mixed emotions as she takes on this exciting challenge. 

When asked how she was feeling, as the countdown is now just days away, Tanny said, “I feel ready. I am fully packed. I’m so excited and horribly nervous.” 

Tanny is CEO of Columbus-based investment company, The Crane Group, and her out of office replies are set as she steps completely away from her inbox for seven weeks. She has been planning for this ride for two years, but had dreamed of it for even longer. "This has been on my bucket list for 13 years,” Tanny said. “A dear friend of mine completed a similar coast-to-coast trip, and I promised him I'd do it someday. Four years later, he died. It’s hard to find the time to embark on such a journey, but in recent years, it’s been weighing on me and I knew I just had to do it.” Tanny even convinced three friends to join her, who will be among the 28 riders on this epic experience. 

In January, Tanny started a 10-week intense endurance training schedule that included up to 6-7 days of cycling per week to physically prepare for the ride, which has been much different than her Pelotonia training. “I am more of a fair-weather trainer for Pelotonia; I am typically just getting my bike out this time of year, and then my training gets more intense through the summer,” Tanny admits. She is registered to ride the 190-mile route on August 3-4, but Tanny had to start training earlier, more frequently and more intensely this year as she prepares to ride an average of 80 to 100 miles daily for 49 days.  

She has also focused on her nutrition. “At Pelotonia, the peanut butter sandwiches are great; they make it easy for the two-day Ride Weekend endurance. This longer ride is more focused on the electrolytes and a consistent regimen for nutrition,” she added. 

For Tanny, this experience is about more than logging miles; it's a personal quest for self-discovery and connection. "I'm hoping to gain the attitude of being present," she says. "What I want to get out of this journey is a spiritual sense of really getting to know myself. This is something I’ve wanted to do for so long that it feels important to enjoy the moment." 

Tanny has also been mentally preparing for her 3,400-mile ride, researching each day’s route. She appreciates knowing what to expect, which will include everything from long stretches of flat to hills with up to 5,000 feet of elevation climb -- and from roads to highways. She will get just five days of rest along the ride, and she is excited that some family and friends have plans to come visit her in those locations. Plus, Tanny plans to get a massage on each rest day.   

Throughout her ride, Tanny looks forward to meeting new people and sharing more about Pelotonia. "Even though I ride with a peloton team, you often ride up next to somebody else you don't know," she explains. "You have the most amazing conversations as you listen to someone else's story -- especially with Survivors. I am always in awe of their stories. I'm really eager to share the story of Pelotonia with others during this journey." 

Similar to the incredible community of spectators and supporters along the routes for Ride Weekend, Tanny said that she has heard some of the towns along this ride will have people cheering and holding signs, as well as police officers lined up to support and thank the riders. “That reminds me a lot of Pelotonia,” she said.  

Tanny rides in Pelotonia every year in honor of her father, who died after a battle with lung cancer more than 30 years ago. She also adds new names to her list of people she rides for each year as more loved ones have cancer; this year is no different. 

"My Pelotonia mantra has always been about the Survivors. They have been through so much more pain than what I feel climbing up the hill on Reynolds Road, my nemesis. What they've been through mentally and physically far surpasses anything that I am doing,” she said. “That's why Pelotonia is so important to me; we need to keep up this fight. I have a friend going through breast cancer treatment right now. It is unbelievable what she’s going through, yet she has such a positive attitude. It really drives me." 

But the advancements in cancer research made possible through funding from the Pelotonia community excite Tanny, especially when it comes to immuno-oncology and immunotherapy. "I was at the Pelotonia Research Center a couple weeks ago listening to the researchers. The continued progress we're making is remarkable,” she said. “I love this shift to Ending Cancer. I truly feel that we’ll make huge progress in my lifetime. But if we're not relentless, it won't happen." 

As Tanny embarks on her coast-to-coast journey, she carries with her the hope of Survivors, researchers, and all who are affected by cancer. With every fabulous mile (“EFM” as Tanny calls it) that she pedals and every single dollar she raises, the Pelotonia community will rally behind her as we collectively work toward our shared goal of Ending Cancer.  

What’s next for Tanny after she completes this odyssey ride? She told us she has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Shasta, and the Grand Teton – which is undeniably impressive. But it sounds like Pelotonia Gravel Day could be next on her list. “I’m thinking about trading in my mountain bike for a gravel bike,” she said. “And pickleball; I can’t wait to play pickleball again.” 

You can follow Tanny’s cycling journey at her personal blog, TCsBigBikeRide.com.  

Go Tanny! The entire Pelotonia community is cheering you on.