Dad, Son in Tandem on Bike Benefit : Ventura: Cyclists and best pals, they will cross the country to raise money to fight cancer and Alzheimer’s, which have hit close to home.

Ken Cozzens and his 17-year-old son, Shaun, plan on raising $15,000 for charity the hard way: pedaling 3,300 miles across the country.

They plan to take at least 30 days to cross the United States by bicycle.

“Neither one of us is a speed demon,” said Cozzens, 42.

The Ventura father and son will fly to Everett, Wash., this week and set out on Sunday. They hope to reach Manomet, Mass., by July 18. Cozzens is a Ventura County sheriff’s sergeant and plans to finance the trip with the money he earned working overtime responding to the La Conchita mudslide.

He also hopes to raise funds for the local chapters of the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer’s Assn. Both of Shaun’s grandfathers died of cancer and another family member was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “Dealing with Alzheimer’s is a stressful situation,” Cozzens said.

So is pedaling 3,300 miles. “That’s a long way,” Shaun said. “A real long way.”

The two bike riders say they will be able to put up with each other during the long days on the road because “we’re best friends,” the elder Cozzens said.

They hope to average a little more than 100 miles a day on their Diamond Back racing bicycles. The handlebars are modified into a triangle to allow the rider to rest his arms. The seats are padded and wider than the average seat.

Father and son will be traveling light. Each will pack two pairs of biking shorts, one pair of pants, three shirts and three pairs of socks.

To prepare physically for the trip, each day the elder Cozzens rides his bicycle along the coast and works out for two hours in the gym. The younger Cozzens swims, surfs and plays volleyball to stay in shape for the big ride.

Shaun Cozzens is a junior at Buena High School. His father has been with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for about 21 years and works out of the Camarillo station. The two will leave the day after Buena High dismisses classes for the summer.

They are confident they can finish their journey. Shaun and his father biked 2,800 miles from Canada to Mexico two summers ago and had few problems.

Shaun’s biggest obstacle on that trip? “My butt was sore. I didn’t think I had one left after that trip.”

But another Ventura County man who recently attempted to bike across the United States for charity warns Cozzens to avoid some of the pitfalls he encountered along the way.

Simi Valley residents Joe Lansden and Steve Lazarus left San Diego on their bicycles April 29, intending to pedal to Florida and raise $35,000 to fight cystic fibrosis.

Three weeks later, they quit in New Orleans. They were broke, tired and disgruntled, they said.

“We were spending more money than we were raising,” Lansden said.

But the Cozzens said they don’t expect to run into the same problems. They have secured the full backing of the Alzheimer’s Assn., and local chapter Executive Director Steve Wortman has contacted a number of chapters along the planned route.

He said the two will be welcomed warmly in several towns during the trip.

“I think what they’re doing is great,” Wortman said. “We survive on a little bit of money each year. We receive no government assistance.”

They are asking that donors contribute a penny a mile, which adds up to $33. They also ask that contributions be mailed directly to the local charities: Alzheimer’s Assn., 921 E. Main St., Ventura, Calif. 93001, and the American Cancer Society, 1363 Del Norte Road, Camarillo, Calif. 93010.