WATERLOO - Tom Snyders' traveling tales would impress even Gulliver.

Since June 20, 1987, Snyders has been biking his way across the country. He stops for only two things - to perform a little stand-up comedy and to gather evidence of his 17-year journey in the form of odd but true road signs.

"Dead cows on sale here!"

"Indoor skydiving!"

"Dogs will be towed."

Snyders, who can safely say he's the only biking comedian in the country, says signs like these can be found anywhere if you keep your eyes open.

"I have over 7,000 color slides. I'm always looking for them, and they're always out there," says Snyders. "People don't really proofread the signs they put up. Words will be misspelled or two signs will contradict each other."

Snyders says picking up on sign humor isn't a special talent of his - it's just easier to spot the uniqueness of things when he's not flying by at 60 mph. His photos have now been compiled in a book, titled "National Lampoon's Big Book of True Facts."

Calling from New York City on the eve of a "Good Morning America" appearance, Snyders is preparing to take off after the show for RAGBRAI. Wednesday, he'll do four stand-up routines for his fellow bikers in Marshalltown.

Snyders' chosen profession isn't an easy one. He carries 100 pounds of supplies, which include a tent, sleeping bag, cold- and warm-weather clothing and head shots, on the back of his bike. He says the load must be perfectly balanced or he could tip over, especially when biking over mountains. He's ridden to all 50 states, including Hawaii, which Snyders says wasn't easy to get to. He mounted his bike on a stand, put it on a cruise ship and rode eight hours a day until he reached his sunny destination.

"I like to combine my athletic side with my creative side, and it's the one thing I do better than anyone else on the planet," says Snyders of his life's calling. "On good days, when it's 75 degrees and I have the wind at my back, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. But the next day I'm stuck in a hail storm wondering what I'm doing with my life."

In the end, Snyders has kept going, because he can't think of anything better than making people laugh. He's even written a screenplay about his journeys and is just waiting for Hollywood to call.

Snyders' mother, Irene, says her son has always been a people person, winning friends across the country in the time it takes to pass through a town.

"He's a really good person. He'll listen to people, and he makes himself comfortable with a street person or a king. He sees the goodness in everybody," she says.

Though Snyders spent time recuperating at his parents' Illinois home after a bad accident, the couple stay optimistic - and proud - about their son's career choice.

"The energy he has is just amazing," marvels Snyders' father, Richard. "He does an amazing thing. He's gone 125,000 miles on a 10-speed bike."

Adds Irene, "He's found his niche, and that's all I want is for my kids - to find their niche and go with it no matter what other people think. He's pretty self-reliant. He's been through tornadoes and grizzly bears and all kinds of things. Maybe I'm in denial, but I always have this feeling that Tom's going to be OK."