Cyclist, 83, achieves quest to bicycle around the world — all within his own Carlsbad neighborhood

Al Merritt, 83, holds a trophy near his Carlsbad home after cycling the equivalent of the circumference of the Earth.

Nearly 200 neighbors held a surprise party for Al Merritt to mark conclusion of his nearly 25,000-mile, 11-year adventure

Oct. 25, 2021 3:44 PM PT

CARLSBAD —

Virtually every afternoon for the past 11 years, 83-year-old Al Merritt has been a reliable and cheery presence in his southeast Carlsbad neighborhood, whizzing by on his peach-colored bicycle wearing a yellow safety vest and a big smile.

Since 2010, Merritt has been on a personal quest to cycle the circumference of the Earth — 24,901 miles — without ever leaving his own neighborhood. As a result, over the years Merritt got to know many of his neighbors and frequently stopped to chat, cuddle their dogs and watch their children grow up. Up until Sunday, he never realized that his daily bicycle trips were as important to his neighbors as they were to him.

At 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, nearly 200 people gathered near his home at Unicornio and Corintia streets to surprise and congratulate Merritt on the completion of his “round-the-world” adventure. As he pedaled down the hill toward his house, a roar erupted from the crowd waving international flags, hand-painted signs and Earth-shaped balloons. Confetti cannons fired as he crossed a checkered flag finish line and a large trophy topped with a plastic gold hand making a peace sign — his signature greeting — was placed in his arms. The outpouring of love stunned and overwhelmed Merritt.

“It’s just unbelievable. I couldn’t have imagined anything like this ever happening,” he said, as a queue of neighbors waited for nearly an hour to hug him, thank him for the joy he has brought the community and pose for a selfie with him.

Hundreds cheer Al Merritt after he rides his bicycle back home in Carlsbad on Oct. 24.

Longtime neighbor Judy Keene was among the crowd. She has been waving to Merritt on his daily rides for the past five years.

“He’s so reliable, like clockwork. Every day I see him flying by on his bike. He’s totally upbeat and happy to take time with everybody,” Keene said. “He inspires so many people and shows everyone how you can be in your 80s and still have a good time.”

Merritt’s son, Kevin, who drove 15 hours from his home in Bend, Ore., to greet his dad at the finish line, said his father’s intensive bicycling quest came as a surprise to everyone in the family, which includes Penny, Merritt’s wife of 58 years, and their daughter, Amanda Kienast, also of Carlsbad.

Kevin Merritt said his dad had never been an athlete, but cycling filled a void that had been missing from his life since he retired from his 35-year job as a dialysis technician at a Veterans Administration hospital in Seattle. After Merritt retired, he and Penny moved to Carlsbad in 2002.

“My dad is a people person. When he retired from the V.A., he lost his social interaction. The bike helped him connect with people,” Kevin Merritt said. “But it’s not just that my dad is popular, it’s something about San Diego and this neighborhood. We come from Seattle and people there are a little more stand-offish. The people here are more friendly, they come outside and they enjoy talking to you.”

Al Merritt, 83 years old, holds a medal that is given to him after he rides his bicycle back home in Carlsbad

Penny Merritt said her husband’s cardiologist suggested he get more exercise after he had some heart trouble about 12 years ago. When Kevin found a bike in a trash can and brought it to his parents’ house for repairs, Merritt got the idea to start pedaling around the local cul-de-sacs and hills. At first, his rides were about five miles long. Then he worked his way up to 10 to 12 miles, and gradually the length of his outings grew — due to all the social stops — from an hour to two hours. Every ride began around 1:15 p.m. and ends with a celebratory beer or other “happy hour” refreshment in his garage.

In 2010, he cycled 1,200 miles. The next year he added another 1,400. In 2015, he pedaled 3,100 miles. By the end of 2020, he had covered 21,565 miles and knew that with a strong push he could complete his goal by the end of this year. There was no celebration of the goal planned until Natalie London and Taylor Plecity came along two months ago.

The longtime partners were visiting London’s mom in the same Carlsbad neighborhood when Merritt zipped by and flashed them a peace sign. Intrigued by his story, they walked over to introduce themselves. When they discovered Merritt was just weeks away from complete his nearly 25,000-mile goal they asked if they could film a short documentary about him. London and Plecity lead the L.A. indie rock band Hey, King! When all their gigs dried up during the pandemic, they started making their own music videos to post online, and the filmmaking bug bit.

“We wanted to tell the story of this guy who has this amazing message of love. What Al represents is how small acts of kindness can change an entire community,” said London, who said when the documentary “Around the World in my Neighborhood,” is finished, they’ll share it on their social media pages (instagram.com/heykingband/ and twitter.com/HeyKingBand).

Hundreds cheer Al Merritt after he rides his bicycle back home in Carlsbad on October 24.

Over the past few months, London and Plecity have been driving down regularly to film interviews with Merritt and his neighbors and follow him out on his bike rides. To celebrate the completion of his quest, they secretly printed up flyers and placed them on doorsteps for several blocks in each direction. They also posted a community invite on the Nextdoor app. But even they were surprised at the huge crowd that assembled on Sunday.

Families with small children in wagons, skateboarders, more than a dozen cyclists, senior couples, crowds of teenagers and several Carlsbad police officers came to await Merritt’s ride back to his garage Sunday. Neighbors Patrick Galligan and Devika Kishore showed up with a specially designed “round the world” T-shirt they had created for Merritt. Several people carried international flags. Some arrived with pictures of themselves inside their trucks or SUVs to help Merritt recognize them. Among the many hand-lettered signs was one that read: “Al, Al, Everybody’s Pal!”

Although Merritt has now completed his cycling goal, he has no plans to change the routine that has become the highlight of his daily life.

I will keep going,” he said. “I tell people I’d rather be pushing pedals on a bicycle than pushing up daisies.”