A solo cycling expedition · 2026 to 2027

Miles for Mental Health.

Twelve months on a bike across 21 countries, raising money to make clinical mental health care more accessible to those who can't afford it. 100% of donations go through the Child Mind Institute's Financial Aid Fund.

See the journey How to donate
21countries
10,000+ miby bike
12 monthson the road
The Journey

Twelve months. Twenty-one countries. One bike.

Self-supported. Departing summer 2026, finishing summer 2027. Twenty-six stages from Norway down through Western Europe into Morocco, then back across to the Balkans for the finish.

The route starts in Oslo, runs south through Scandinavia and the Netherlands, dips into Central Europe (Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia), comes back through Northern Italy and the Alps, transits the Mediterranean down through Spain into Morocco, and returns through Portugal, Southern France, Italy, and the Balkans, finishing in Montenegro.

Along the way I'll be meeting and interviewing pro cyclists, athletes, and mental health practitioners. I'll be producing a few short-form videos and one longer recap video once I finish up.

21
Countries
26
Stages
10,000+ mi
By bike
12 mo
On the road
Map of the 26-stage route across Europe and Morocco Tap to open interactive map
Open full map
Where the Money Goes

Direct funding for clinical care families can't afford.

100% of donations route through the Child Mind Institute's Financial Aid Fund. The fund offsets the cost of counseling and clinical care for eligible families at CMI's San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. All gifts are tax-deductible through CMI, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

1 in 5

Kids face mental health challenges

Roughly one in five children experience a mental health condition each year. Many never see a clinician because the family can't afford it.

100%

Goes to clinical care

Funds raised here go to CMI's Financial Aid Fund, which offsets the cost of therapy, counseling, and clinical sessions for eligible families.

★★★★

Vetted recipient

The Child Mind Institute has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, a 98% encompass score, and a perfect 100% score for accountability and finance. Read their Winter 2026 Impact Report.

How the Financial Aid Fund works

This is what your contribution actually does. The Child Mind Institute screens families for financial aid based on income, household size, and individual circumstances. Approved families pay a sharply reduced rate for clinical care that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars. CMI's clinics also use trained graduate interns in some cases to extend access at lower cost.

The Financial Aid Fund offsets the cost of care for eligible patients at CMI's San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. Every dollar raised through this fundraiser goes directly to the Financial Aid Fund, which is the specific bucket that pays for these clinical services.

  • Eligibility based on income and household size. Families are screened up front, no surprises.
  • Reduced-rate clinical care. Sliding scale depending on need.
  • San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. The Financial Aid Fund applies to eligible patients at these two CMI clinics.
  • 100% to the Financial Aid Fund. Donations from this fundraiser are tracked and earmarked for this specific fund.
  • Donor-advised funds and stock donations welcome. CMI's team can field DAF or stock-gift inquiries directly.

Email me to pledge.

The main way to support this is a pledge per mile. You commit a rate, mileage is tracked across the trip, and when the ride ends in summer 2027 each pledger receives a reminder with the final total and a donation link to CMI. No charge today.

01
Email me
Send a short note with your pledge rate. No charge today.
02
The ride
Twelve months on the bike. Mileage is tracked across the trip with updates posted along the way.
03
Final total at trip end
When the ride finishes in summer 2027, each pledger receives a reminder with the final mileage and a tax-deductible donation link to CMI.

The pledge email can be short. Something like:

Pledges come to me. For questions about CMI or making a gift, Deborah is the main contact.

Main CMI contact
Deborah Jasso
Also on the team
Meghan Finn
Also on the team
Katherine Susman-Yi
Email me to pledge Or donate to CMI now

All gifts go to CMI's Financial Aid Fund and are 100% tax-deductible. Pledges are tracked across the trip. At journey's end, each pledger receives a reminder with their final total and a donation link to CMI.

Read the work

CMI Winter 2026 Impact Report

Where the money actually went last year, in CMI's own words: clinical care, the financial aid fund, school programs, and the new global headquarters. Read it below, open it full-screen, or download it.

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PDF preview unavailable on this device. Tap to open the report.

About the Child Mind Institute

One of the largest and most respected children's mental health organizations in the country. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Harold Koplewicz. New global headquarters opened in NYC in 2024.

2009
Founded
56,000+
Patient appointments in 2025
75%+
Receive free or reduced-cost care
2.5M
Monthly visitors to childmind.org
2.2M+
Children reached through care
5
Continents with CMI clinicians
Facebook 959K+ Instagram 343K+ LinkedIn 65K+ YouTube 58K+ TikTok 56K+ Learn more at childmind.org →
The Cause

The people behind this work.

The Child Mind Institute has been incredible to work with. They took this seriously from the start, believed a kid on a bike could help fund care for other kids, and have shaped every part of how the fundraiser is built. Working with them has been one of the best parts of putting this together.

I've spent time with Deborah, Meghan, and Katherine and walked through every part of this project with all three of them. They are wonderful people who really care about what they do. If you reach out through the contacts on the right, you're in good hands.

Want to give through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or stock? Reach out to Deborah and she'll walk you through it. Same if you want to know more about CMI before deciding to give.

Miles for Mental Health is an independent fundraiser. The Child Mind Institute is the recipient of funds raised through this site. I am not employed by, affiliated with, or otherwise associated with the Child Mind Institute. The interviews I conduct on the road, the posts I share on social media, the content on this blog, and any opinions I express are my own and do not represent the views or positions of the Child Mind Institute.

The CMI team behind this

Deborah is the main CMI contact. Email her for anything related to CMI or making a gift.

Deborah Jasso
Annual Fund Manager · Child Mind Institute · San Mateo, CA
[email protected]
Meghan Finn
Chief Marketing Officer & Interim Chief Development Officer · Child Mind Institute
[email protected]
Katherine Susman-Yi
Child Mind Institute
[email protected]
Deborah is the right first email for any CMI question. Donating, the Financial Aid Fund, DAFs, stock gifts, anything related to CMI. She'll loop in Meghan or Katherine if needed. For pledges, email me directly.

Follow CMI · 1.9M+ across all platforms

childmind.org → Facebook 959K+ Instagram 343K+ LinkedIn 65K+ YouTube 58K+ TikTok 56K+
About Me

Asher Frankel.

Asher Frankel
Asher Frankel · Bay Area, CA

I'm eighteen, from the Bay Area. I just graduated from The Hotchkiss School, and I've been racing and riding for years. This is one year of my life on a bike, built around a cause I care about.

Mental health care that families can actually afford is something I've thought about for a long time. I've watched people close to me wrestle with it, and seen how often the gap between needing help and getting help is just money. The Child Mind Institute is doing the work I want to support, and this trip is how I'm trying to add to it.

The route, the interviews, the films, and the kit all funnel back to one thing: getting more kids in front of a clinician.

If you want to follow along, I'll be posting from the road on Instagram, with YouTube and TikTok coming online once filming ramps up. If you want to host me for a night, sit for an interview, meet up at any point along my route, or reach out about gear, sponsorships, or kit partnerships, the contact info is below.

@asher_frankel [email protected] +1 (415) 672-0620
Kit Sponsorship

Get your brand on the race kit.

Kit produced in 2027 · panels locked in advance

A custom cycling jersey and bib shorts, ridden across 21 countries for 12 months. The trip is already funded. The kit is how brands earn placement in exchange for gear partnerships, and how major donors get recognized for supporting the cause. The actual kit goes to production in 2027, so panels are locked in advance and ride with me from then through the finish.

Worn in every race, group ride, and stage. Tagged in every related social post. Featured throughout short-form video content and in the end-of-trip recap film, with a shout-out and thank you to all sponsors. Multiple kits produced through the year so visibility is sustained.

01

Logo on the race kit

Brand placement on the jersey or bib shorts across 21 countries, every race, for the full 12 months. Multiple kits produced through the trip so visibility is sustained.

02

Featured on social

Tagged and credited on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and the blog. Brand visible in stage photos, reels, and short-form videos throughout the trip.

03

In the final film

End-of-trip recap covering the year across Europe and Morocco. Sponsors get a shout-out at the start and brand visibility throughout.

04

Worn everywhere

The official race kit. Organized races, gran fondos, group rides, events, and general riding across Europe and Morocco.

05

Honest product coverage

Happy to feature gear in normal video and post coverage. Reviews are honest, so if the product is great, it shows.

MMM Chest title Premium Waist band Sleeve Sleeve L thigh Premium R thigh Premium Lower leg Lower leg
Back panel Premier title slot Name strip Pocket band Sleeve Sleeve L thigh back Premium R thigh back Premium Lower leg Lower leg

Spin the kit with your finger to see front and back. Click any panel to inquire about that placement.

Path 1: Gear partnership

If you make cycling gear, send it. I'll ride it across 21 countries, photograph it, film it, post it, and tag you. In return, your name, logo, brand image, or message goes on a panel of the kit. Real-world tested. Real-world filmed.

Standard cycling sponsorship terms. Gear-in-kind, visibility-out. Works the way it normally does in the sport.

Path 2: Major donor recognition

Donate to CMI and, if you want, put your name (or your company's name, image, logo, or a message) on a kit panel as a thank-you. Panels are sized case by case. Larger contributions get larger, more visible panels. Smaller contributions get smaller panels. We'll work out the right placement together.

Donation goes straight to CMI's Financial Aid Fund. 100% tax-deductible through CMI as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Funds clinical care for kids whose families can't pay.

Every panel placement is worked out case by case based on the size of the gift. Reach out and we'll figure out the right fit together.

Recognition on the kit is completely optional. All donations can stay fully private and anonymous. The kit is just an extra way to thank donors who want it. You don't have to do this, and it changes nothing about how your gift is used.
To be clear: I'm not raising money to fund this trip. The trip is already funded. The kit is how brands earn visibility in exchange for gear, and how major donors get recognized for supporting the cause. No part of any donation goes to me or to the trip itself.
Inquire about a panel