Gregory Maassen, a man afflicted with a form of peripheral neuropathy, is currently e-biking across America to raise awareness for the condition.

Maassen rode from Berkeley to Sunnyvale on Friday.

During an interview at his stop in Berkeley, he described biking through this part of the country as one of the more pleasant experiences so far on his trip.

“Cycling has been very easy,” Maassen said about the comfortable Bay Area climate and terrain.

A person adjusts the rear wheel of a yellow electric bicycle parked on a sidewalk.
Gregory Maassen attaches his trailer to his e-bike before leaving Berkeley Calif., and heading to Sunnyvale on July 10, 2026. Maasen who is an advisory board member on the Johns Hopkins Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center is biking across the country to raise awareness for peripheral neuropathy. (Lloyd B. Davis/Bay City News)

On one of his active recovery days, he biked through parts of San Francisco and Oakland.

He started his journey in Florida at West Palm Beach. From there, he pedaled past alligators and through swamplands in the Southeast, making his way through Louisiana and eventually to Texas. From Texas, he headed north, passing through Oklahoma, Kansas and Denver, before turning westward. He then cycled through Utah and Nevada and recently entered California, the last leg of the trip.

Peripheral neuropathy affects millions of Americans, but research is underfunded. We need to find a cure for all those who silently suffer from this debilitating disease.

Gregory Maassen

This is Maassen’s second time biking across the country to raise awareness for peripheral neuropathy, a brain condition that affects the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, causing a host of symptoms that affect one’s quality of life. Symptoms can include numbness, tingling, burning sensations and pain across the body.

“Peripheral neuropathy affects millions of Americans, but research is underfunded. We need to find a cure for all those who silently suffer from this debilitating disease. And I know how hard it can be. I was inflicted with a post-infectious small fiber neuropathy in South Africa,” said Maassen in a statement on his site.

A person wearing an orange safety vest over a blue shirt with "Johns Hopkins School of Medicine" and "Merkin PNNR Center" embroidered on it, pulling open the vest to reveal the shirt.
A person secures a bright orange case to the back of a yellow bicycle parked outside a building.
Left: Gregory Maassen show his Johns Hopkins uniform before he e-bikes from Berkeley. Right: Gregory Maassen ties down his camera case to his e-bike before leaving Berkeley Calif., and heading to Sunnyvale on July 10, 2026. (Lloyd B. Davis/Bay City News)

While in South Africa, Maassen was bitten by a tick, which he believes caused him to develop the condition. He was misdiagnosed for years before Dr. Ahmet Hoke correctly diagnosed him in 2019.

Misdiagnosis is common with those affected with the condition, as the symptoms it presents apply to a wide variety of illnesses.

The awareness bike ride will conclude in Los Angeles.

For people interested in following the rest of Maassen’s journey through California, they can go to his website at ebiketour.org. There is also a live tracker where you can see where he is on his route.

A student at the Craig Newmark School of Journalism, Lloyd is passionate about arts, culture and stories from Black communities. He hopes to grow as both a reporter and photojournalist this summer.