12th July 2010

I've only just got round to editing the video I got from my trip. It's less than 4 min long (could have been much longer, but wouldn't want to bore you). Thanks to everyone who has made a donation, it is much appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjTIaQgNohw

24th May 2010

I made it to the Golden Gate Bridge on the Thursday evening. It was an awesome evening. Blue sky, pleasant temperature, not overly windy. But it was getting late when I arrived and so I took a couple of photos and decided to get some food as I was ravenous. Outside the market I got talking to a guy called John. He was just getting into the whole cycle touring thing and was interested in what I'd been up to. He also offered me his sofa to sleep on which was much appreciated as it saved me the hassle of trying to find a route through the mess that was the road works on the Marin Headlands (there were lots of diversions and at that time I just wanted to eat and sleep).

The next morning I headed into San Francisco and decided to take the next 2 days off to look around. Gromit and I did the usual things like ride the cable cars, go to Alcatraz, and check out Pier 39, but the highlight for Gromit was having his tummy tickled by some of the girls in Hooters. I didn't get my tummy tickled, though I did ask.

After a couple of days of being proper tourists we got back on the road. The weather was good, the wind was generally on our backs, and we were making pretty good time. That was until I reached Carmel. Going down a hill on Highway One, and hitting up to 40mph, I hit a pretty big bump. When my front wheel landed a couple of the welds on the front pannier broke causing the pannier to collapse onto my front wheel. My front wheel must have stopped almost immediately because the next thing I know I'm doing an impression of Superman over my handle bars. Unfortunately my impression of Superman leaves something to be desired and I used my chin, chest and arms as a break when I hit the tarmac. After I stopped cheese gratering myself I could feel lots of bits in my mouth and I had the horrible sinking feeling I had just smashed my teeth. Carefully spitting the bits out into my hand I was relieved to see it was just gravel.

I'm sure most of you are worried how Gromit is after the crash. The little fella wasn't far from where I landed, but I was worried when I saw blood on him. It's okay, it turns out he's made of tougher stuff than me, it was my blood. He doesn't have a scratch on him (which is more than can be said for me).

I got up and got my first aid kit out and started to patch myself up. The fire brigade were the first to turn up, and when the fireman started talking to me in an English accent I thought that I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Turns out Rich was from Brighton but lived here for a long time. Next to arrive were the police, closely followed by the ambulance. Because of what had happened they were all keen for me to be put into a collar and onto a spine board. I wasn't really interested in doing that. Done it once and it wasn't any fun. I was more worried about if my chin needed stitching. It didn't, but the beard I'd been growing for the whole trip was now missing in the patch I'd used like an airbag. I might fall 'like a lady' but it appears that all those years of playing rugby and falling round 5 ball finally paid off. I know I was pretty lucky to get away with just road rash though.

I wasn't particularly keen on going to hospital, but with the 3 emergency services saying I should go and get checked out I gave in to peer pressure. I was in and out of the hospital in the same day, and I'll be £500 lighter once I pay the excess on my insuance off.

The fire crew that turned up had taken my bike back to their station and the Captain had said that they would look after me until my bike got sorted. Colin (the Captain) was an absolute legend. He put me up at his house and drove me round to get my bike fixed, go see the Tour of California in Santa Cruz (I was hoping Lance Armstrong might sign my road rash but I couldn't get near him), and show me the sights of the area. Two days later my bike was fixed so that it was rideable, but I had to send my front pannier bags to Matt and Becky (my ultimate destination) as I couldn't get forks with the pannier fixings.

It then took me 3 days to get to Matt and Becky's. Made it the whole way across the country, done over 5,000 miles, and 3 days before I finish I manage to crash! I should never have taken my stabilisers off at San Francisco.

Still, I can now retire from cyclotouring and start mountain biking with Matt. So I guess this is it. I've made it to California, I can now enjoy the sun, sea and surf, and start to put some of that weight I lost back on, with interest.

Thank you to everyone who's followed this and donated money to Great Ormond Street. While it wasn't always that much fun at times, it has been awesome and I'm glad I did it. If I had to do it all over again I would, but I'd probably start in May next time.

See you when I get back in October xx

 

12th May 2010

I've had a couple of people ask if I was going to keep the blog going. So here goes.

Had a couple of days rest in and even got given a ticket to go and see a band. They're kind of a big deal apparently (bit like Gromit and I), and they (The Decemberists) were pretty good. It was just a shame about the warm up act, but it gave me some drinking time with the people next to me which was really useful as it got me a couch to stay on in (thank you Libby and Anna). And as a heads up to anyone who ever passes through , if you ever play Anna at Star Wars Trivial Pursuit be prepared to have your ass handed to you on a plate.

The , despite being wet, is spectacular (and not just because the Goonies was filmed there). I would recommend it to anyone. The only problem is that there are points where there is no shoulder on the road and logging trucks don't appear to care. Couple of scary moments, but Gromit told me to grow a pair and get on with it.

We stopped at and went on a whale spotting trip. I managed to get some brief clips on video, but I had to stop before I lost any dignity I might have left, from University and nights out in general, and try and hold my lunch down. The sea wasn't even that bad. Thankfully I managed to spare my blushes and was glad I went. Saw some mummy and baby grey whales (though the babies weren't exactly small).

I've also stopped by at the Sea Lion Cave, and while impressive to see so many sea lions in a big cave it smelt like a lot of sea lion sh!t.

I'm now into and have passed through the Redwoods. They are some big bloody trees, and I love the names of some of them like 'Big Tree' and 'Giant Tree'. Bit more imagination please people! I'd like to see a tree called 'Dave', but that might just be me. I'm glad I did the Redwoods, but I feel like I can say that I've done them and don't feel the need to go back and see them again. Gromit was glad to get to cock his leg on one of those bad boys.

Last night Gromit and I camped next to the beach. There was an awesome sunset that we got to watch on the beach before turning in for the night. Then this morning when I came back from the shower I found a raccoon rooting through my breakfast stuff! Some guard dog you are Gromit.

And that brings me up to date I think. If you want to see where I am in I've still got my satellite tracker on so that my Mum can continue to cyber stalk me. Oh, and someone should warn I'll be there Thursday/Friday.

1st May 2010

Oregon certainly has a variety of scenery. I started out in the high desert, went over some mountains and ended up on the coast. And the weather seems to be just as varied as the landscape.

At the start of the week it was sunny and unfortunately I ran out of sun cream. I was sat at the side of the road cutting open the bottle to scrape out every last bit I could. Managed to do my face and arms, but didn't quite manage the legs (because they are so massive now obviously) which meant they've gone a pit pink. I've got to visit the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, the John Day Fossil Bed, see some prehistoric Indian pictographs, and cycle up a part of the Pacific Coast Highway. Cycling up the Pacific Coast has definitely been one of my favourite parts so far, despite the rain.

When I sat down at the start of this trip and tried to work out when I would finish I though the weather would cause me some problems. But when I got to Baker City (Oregon) I realised that I could possibly finish the trip before May. If I could, that would mean that I would finish the whole trip completely out of season. I had one really testing day cycling from Sisters to Eugene. It started out raining, and as I was climbing up the Cascade mountains it began to snow. When I got to the summit and began to descend I was changing gears and my cable snapped. It was too cold for me to stop and fix, or at least too cold for me to want to stop and fix. But it did leave me with about 60 miles to Eugene with 3 gears. Thankfully most of it was downhill, so I just carried on. Since Eugene I've been rained on everyday to some degree. But that didn't stop me making it to Astoria (the end of the Trans American Bike Route) at around 2pm local time on the 30th April 2010. So I did manage to finish the whole route completely out of season... though why I wanted to do that eludes me now. I didn't even realise I would be in line for the record for the earliest crossing in a season when I set out.

Either way, I've made it! And I just found out that one of the greatest movies ever made was filmed here... The Goonies! So I'm off to find some of the locations, be a bit of a geek, and probably do the truffle shuffle. before I get back on my bike and head down to California. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this trip and for all the donations everyone has made. Oh, and if you ever want to cycle across America I suggest doing it in season.

 

 

22nd April 2010

I've been trying to brush up on some of my American history for the last week. My route has been following part of the Lewis & Clark trail. They were some chaps who were sent of by Thomas Jefferson to see what there was in the West. Bit more complicated than that obviously, but the spent 3 years exploring and if you're interested in looking it up I'm sure you can google it. Also stopped by several battlefields, but where as most of the battlefields back East are to do with the Civil War or War of Independence, these battlefields have been to do with Native American battles. One was particularly good - Big Hole Battlefield National Monument, but I did come out of there feeling pretty melancholy.

I was cheered up though when I met Rick and Rick. They were getting some food from the same place I was and we got talking. Rick (the elder) offered me a place to stay if I made it to Florence. This gave me something to aim for, and thankfully he hadn't changed his mind when I got there. The next morning Rick showed me around his workshop and the Model T Fords he was restoring. When he asked if I'd like to join him for a drive I don't think there was any hesitation. I wish I'd had a tweed jacket and a scarf, then I could have pretended to be Toad from Wind in the Willows. Or maybe I'd have been Badger as Rick was driving. Either way, I'm sure you get the picture.

The next day I went into Missoula to the Adventure Cycling Association Headquarters. When I arrived I got told I was their 2nd cyclist of the year. Turns out another guy was in 2 days ago, but he started in Portland (Oregon). When I found out the 1st cyclist into the HQ in a season gets a prize of a goodie bag my competitive side kicked in... not only had the other guy (Dave) not started on the coast, he was also going West to East and had missed the winter! They weren't buying it, but I reckon I still have the moral high ground and the guys at the HQ did confirm that I will be the earliest crossing of the Trans American Route in any season since it started in 1976 to their knowledge, so I should have a record (as long as I finish).

My original plan was to pop into the HQ and get going again. But after staying 3 hours I decided to stay in Missoula for the night and go see a show at the University that one of the guys recommended. It was a percussion thing that was pretty good, but the people I sat next to recommended I go to see the Pow Wow that was in Missoula. It was an annual event that lasted 2 days (the last day being tomorrow). So I ended up staying in Missoula for 2 nights when I hadn't even intended on staying 1, but it was really worth it. There were dancing, singing and drumming competitions, and the traditional outfits were pretty spectacular. If you ever get a chance to go to a Pow Wow I definitely recommend it.

Montana definitely made up for the crap Wyoming threw at me. And Idaho has been pleasant enough as well. I've worn shorts the whole way through, stayed at Powell and Cambridge, and while I stayed in Riggins 'the white water rafting capital of Idaho', as with most of my trip I was out of season so will have to put it on my 'to come back and do' list along with Yellowstone.

I'm now in Oregon and on Pacific Time, so no more changing clocks for me and just one more state to get myself across. And that pretty much brings you up to date with what I've been up to. As always, you can track me on http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V 

 

12th April 2010

The weather in Wyoming has been awful. I had 2 days off in Rawlins because of the snow and then I got bored and decided to go... big mistake. It snowed hard and I missed the fact that there was a 'high wind advisory'. I got asked if I wanted a lift by some very nice drivers who pulled over and flagged me down during the bad snow. Despite the temptation I declined. But if someone asked me if I wanted a lift when I turned into the headwind I don't think I would have been so honourable. It was so strong it was stopping me in my tracks and I had to get off and walk close to 20 miles. Needless to say I wasn't a particularly happy bunny at the end of that day.

I got an email from my Dad letting me know about some road closures in Yellowstone due to 'human safety and bear management concerns'. I called up the Yellowstone information line and found out that the roads that were being opened up had been closed again because of the amount of snow recently. This left me with no option but to find an alternate route. This turned out to be up and over Teton/Jackson Pass, and when you see 'warning steep mountain pass' for the first time on your trip your heart does sink a bit. But the view from the top was good and one of my memories of this trip will be the guy coming down the pass, seeing me cycling up the hill and giving my two thumbs up (no hands on the wheel) and shouting 'f**k yeah man!' There have been lots of other people giving me support during the big climbs, but that one sticks in the memory.

At the top of one pass the road was completely iced up, and as I descended it turned to slush. As a car overtook me they completely covered me and the bike in the slush. Face, clothes, everything. It wasn't deliberate (I think), but the problem was that 10 minutes later my gears were completely frozen and I was left with one gear. Thankfully it was a low-ish one so I could coast downhill and get out of the saddle going up hill, but it was a pain in the ass for an hour or two.

I also got my first puncture of the tour. As I was going down Teton/Jackson Pass I noticed the bike felt a little squirmy, so I pulled over and felt the rear tyre was a little softer than it should be, but it wasn't flat. I decided to pump it up and see how slow the puncture was. It was good enough to get me 20 miles to a bike shop. With it being so cold I didn't really fancy changing the tyre... I'd rather keep my gloves on. The guys at the shop (Peaked Sports, Driggs, ID) were awesome. They change it for me for free and I was off again. Unfortunately three days later I got another rear tyre flat. Looking closely at the tyre I could see that some of the studs had started falling out and on the inside you could see cracks in the rubber where there were still studs left. I guess they just weren't designed for the amount of weight I'm carrying (bags/equipment, not my ass). The third flat of the day happened just as I got to Ennis, Montana. I found a motel and then went looking for some locals to see about bike shops for getting a new rear tyre. I ended up in a bar (Longbranch), getting some food, and the barmaids (Amy and Beth) finding the nearest bike shop but also calling up locals who they knew might have spares. Turned out that the guy who runs the motel I was staying in had an old tyre which I took as a spare (I tried to repair the tyre I had as best I could as I only had 70 miles to get to the next bike shop). That evening there was a birthday party/karaoke night in the bar which the girls said I should come along to. Turned out to be a pretty funny night as I butchered a couple of Queen songs (with Kam) and had one or two drinks too many. But as I had been offered a go at horse riding the next day I decided I could afford to have a fuzzy head in the morning as I was going to take the day off cycling to ride in the afternoon... and sure enough I woke up with a fuzzy head and a mouth like Gandhi's flip-flop. Still, I need to say thank you to Beth, Amy, Terri, Norm, Gwen, Kam, Wally, Lori, Trisha and Dave for making it a great night. Sorry if I missed anyone there.

I was a little nervous getting on a horse for the first time. But it would be rude not to have a go at riding in cowboy country and I was assured that the horse I was on was virtually idiot proof, and after a couple of minutes I was just enjoying the scenery. Really wish I'd worn a cowboy hat though. And then that brings me to today, and the bodging I'd done to the tyre meant I only got one flat with less than four miles to go. So hopefully I can get a new tyre tomorrow and get on with the cycling without worrying about getting flats all the time.

As far as I'm aware the satellite tracker is still working so you can see just how slowly I'm going if you click on this link http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V 

 

2nd Apr 2010

Got my new studded tyres and set off to go climb some hills. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first going up some proper hills. My first day was cut a little short as the weather started to close in a bit earlier than I thought. I had some problems finding a place to stay as most of the little motels on route were closed or just ignoring me. A very nice lady in a shop got on the phone and found somewhere that could take me. My only problem was that no shops were open and the next stop where I could get food was a day's ride away. I carry a full day's worth of food and water on the bike, but I had to split it into 2 for the remainder of that day and the next.

The next day was awful. It was cold, it snowed, I was going up hill all day, and unfortunately I 'bonked'. Bonking is the term you use in cycling when you hit the wall, and because of some grubby minded people (Nick Rowe) I'll refer to it as hitting the wall from now on. Anyway, about 30 miles from where I wanted to be, I hit the wall. I had to get off the bike and walk a bit, then get back on and cycle for about 1/2 a mile, then walk again. When I reached Harstel (about 18-20 miles from where I was aiming) I just got into a diner and ordered 2 main meals and ate. I really didn't have the legs to continue up hill another 20 miles so I decided to stay in Harstel, the only problem being that the only motel/lodge in the town was closed. I'd resigned myself to sleeping under the pavilion and on the picnic tables when some guys in the local bar (I'd briefly chatted to) said they could sort me out with a place to stay. I ended up in a house being renovated by a nice warm fire for the night. Ron, Dianna, Russell, Harry, Bryan and the guys were life savers.

The next day I was supposed to go over the highest peak in the route, Hoosier Pass, at 11,539 ft. To put that in perspective Ben Nevis is only 4,404 ft. I had a massive breakfast, determined not to let what happened yesterday happen again, and set off early. Unfortunately in the first hour it was so cold that my water bottle was frozen almost completely solid, so when I reached the next town I stopped and had a second breakfast and defrosted my water bottle. After an hour stop I cracked on up and over Hoosier Pass. There were some impressive sights, but I think my favourite part was the descent. When I reached Brekenridge (a ski resort) I was tempted to stay and learn how to ski, but then with my luck I'd end up breaking a leg or tearing an ACL so quickly decided against it.

Another stop on route was Hot Sulpher Spring. When I got into the town I asked a local man out with his child where was the best place to stay. He gave me some suggestions but then said that I could stay at his house. I got a home cooked meal, and then they took me to the springs in the evening. I just sat back in the springs and looked up at the stars spotting all the constellations I could remember.

Colorado was amazing. The weather, after that initial climb when I hit the wall, was perfect. When I reached Wyoming it was as if someone hit a button that turned the wind on. And that was fine when I had it as a tailwind, but cycling into Rawlins, WY on the I80 was a nightmare. I was just getting bullied by gusting head winds and crosswinds, and knocked around by truck vortices. If the winds had been blowing me into the road I would have had to stop, but they were blowing me off the road, so I just cracked on. And that's where I am now. The next place I can get accommodation is Lander, WY 125 miles away, and with the wind and snow the way it is I'm having to wait until tomorrow before I go for it. But that did give me a chance to go and look around the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins. While the museum was interesting enough the tour was better... just ask Gromit.

You can still follow me on SPOT at this link (when I'm actually cycling).

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V

 

23rd Mar 2010

Kansas... not as flat as you might think. From what everyone had been saying I was expecting to hit a pool table and just zip across. I'm not saying that it's tough, just that it's not as flat as everyone makes out. Unfortunately no one told me about the winds that sweep across the plains, and for me most of them were head winds, cross winds or a mixture of the two. I did have 19 miles of tailwind at one point which was really enjoyable, but it was all over far too quickly.

After its service the bike is running like new. It wasn't just the crash that had taken its toll on the bike, the snow, rain and miles had given it some funny squeaks which I had just gotten used to. Now all I hear is the wind battering my ears.

For those of you on facebook you will have seen that I am now infamous in Kansas. When I was in the bike shop I got interviewed by the editor of the Kansas Cyclist. Here's the link if you want to check it out. http://www.kansascyclist.com/news/2010/03/cyclo-tourist-outlasts-winter/

While there might be a lot of farm land in Kansas, there is the odd oasis to stop and have a look at. Personally I stopped at Toronto Reservoir, Harvey County Park, salt marsh and Larned Fort, plus some interesting little 'cities' (more like lage villages/small towns). I saw that people do waterski on the lake at Harvey, but I didn't see a slalom course or a jump that I could embarrass myself on (plus no one would be skiing in these temperatures here), and I was a little disappointed that there was no one dressed up in period clothing at Larned Fort but that was because it is the quite season. Anyway, the point is that if anyone tells you that there is nothing in Kansas they're wrong.

The Kansas road builders did take inspiration from Ancient Rome though, and it was only remembering my Gran telling me that only boring minds get bored made me determined not to think I'm bored now. You would see grain silos on the horizon and it would take about an hour to reach them sometimes. I can see how some people might find it a bit soul destroying, especially if combined with a headwind and being on the same road for about 330 miles (Rush Center, KS to Pueblo, CO on the 96). In an attempt to prevent any boredom I spent a lot of time singing to myself. There was a moment where some tumbleweed blew across the road in front of me as I was singing (I think it was Use Somebody - King of Leon). Pretty damning of Mother Nature I think.

I haven't had any trouble with dogs chasing me. When I left for America I was only a pack of two. First me, then Gromit. But then in Kansas three dogs joined me. They ran with me and I thought... could it be, my pack has become 5? But they eventually got bored and went back home. It was a nice moment though, they didn't bark at me they just all joined me and ran along next to me for close to a mile. For those who haven't seen 'The Hangover' I apologise for the film reference, but it is an awesome film so watch it.

Today I arrived at Pueblo (Colorado). I saw some mountain shaped clouds this morning and Gromit made a bet with me that they were in fact mountains. I told him to shut up and not to be so stupid, there was no way we would see the mountains yet (50 miles from Pueblo). Turns out I was wrong. Tomorrow snow is forecast so I'm going to take a day off and have a look round Pueblo and then start my attack on the Rockies on Thursday.

As ever you can see where I am in the world on the following link, just to prove I'm on my bike... no one would drive this slowly.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V

 

12th Mar 2010

Since getting into Missouri I've been able to camp! The city parks are free to camp in, and while the facilities that would normally be on in the summer (toilets and showers) are all off, there are no signs saying closed until April 1st. Some of the parks you have to go and check in with the Sheriff, Police or City Hall, and I have had some funny looks from them. One night was particularly interesting with thunder and lightning, rain, hail and wind. I sheltered under a pavilion that night using it as a make shift Faraday Cage, but the wind still blew the hail and rain at me from the open sides. I just climbed into my bivy bag, closed it up and put my ear phones in and listened to my iPod.

I am out of the Ozarks now and currently in Pittsburg, Kansas. Two nights ago I stayed in a place called Golden City (Missouri). It has a place called Cooky's Cafe that is the best pie shop I have ever been in... apple, strawberry, pecan, cherry, coconut, and loads more. I thought this would be a good place to load on some calories (they do normal dinners as well). After eating I headed down to the park to bed down. I met some older kids who were interested in my bike and what I was doing, they didn't believe how heavy it was and one of them asked if they could try riding it. He promptly fell off, but it wasn't until the morning that I found the deraileur was bent and my gears weren't working properly. I tried to bend it back into position, and got it into a rideable state. Luckily there is a bike shop 50 miles on route (and pretty flat terrain) so I made it there. Unfortunately I needed to get a new deraileur, cog set and chain. I decided now would be a good time to get a motel and have a shower (my first in 5 days) as washing with baby wipes just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Unfortunately there was a big softball and wrestling tournament in the city this weekend so most of the motels were full. I finally found one though and thoroughly enjoyed my shower.

I'm now in the bike shop waiting for them to finish sorting out my bike. I would say I'm looking forward to getting back on the road, but the head winds are still up (I can see why most people do this trip Oregon to Virginia and not the way I'm doing it). Still, it is fairly flat and a bit like being back in Cambridge only with much straighter roads, and I've learned a valuable lesson... don't let anyone touch the bike.

 

7th Mar 2010

It's going well, I'm through Kentucky and Illinois, and I'm now in Missouri. And at some point in there I turned 30. Spent most of the day riding as I wanted to get to Mammoth Cave. I would recommend Mammoth Cave to anyone who comes through Kentucky... much better than Natural Bridge. And the weather has improved that in the last 2 days as well, so much so I actually removed my gloves and put on my shorts instead of leggings. Unfortunately rain is forecast though.

Apart form the Caves I have also stopped at Lincoln's birth place, been to a high school basketball tournament, been looked after a Mennonite family for the night, and slept on the Mississippi Levee in my bivy bag.

I stayed at a church in Sebree, and Bob (the Pastor) and his son were going to watch the high school basketball tournament and invited me along. It is nuts the parents screaming, the bands, dancers and cheerleaders, commentators, radio broadcasts... I can't imagine anything like that happening in the UK.

I stopped at an Amish shop to have a look around and see what it was like. The girls in the shop were a bit shy of me but I had a good chat with the shop keeper about all sorts. Then just down the road I had to cross the Ohio River to get from Kentucky to Illinois. It's only a 5-10 min trip, but I got talking to a Mennonite family (someone described them as Amish-lite to me) who invited me to stay with them for the evening. They invited some members of their church over for supper and I had an awesome meal with them and a good chat.

The next day I was about 2 hours into my day when I stopped to put suncream on when another Mennonite family stopped in their car and asked if I was Andrew... they had heard about me and seen me (with my Tigger ears and tail on my helmet) so stopped to talk. Felt like a right celeb even if it is only in the Mennonite community.

Stopped on the Mississippi levee last night, as it was so mild I just used my bivy bag and sleeping bag. Watched the sun set, watched the stars come out, then fell asleep to dogs howling and trains going by in the distance. In the morning a guy in his truck off hunting stopped to have a chat (he was into biking). He was saying about being careful of the coyotes in the area, so I guess they weren't dogs I heard. He also told me about a tornado that came through the area I was sleeping last year... not nervous about tornadoes at all.

Today I stopped at the Crown Valley Winery in Missouri. There was myself and Gromit and a couple on the tour. We ended up sitting in the bar for about 2 hours tasting and chatting. Luckily I still remembered which side of the road I was supposed to be on when I got back on the bike.

I've managed to put some photos up on my facebook page, unfortunately it won't let me upload any photos to this page at present.

As every you can follow me on the satellite tracking link further down this page.

 

27th Feb 2010

I am now over the Appalachians and a fair way into Kentucky. Decided to have a day off in Berea (which turned into 2) as I'm not exactly going for a record attempt, or at least I thought I wasn't. I've had a lot of people telling me that I am the earliest person that they have had stay doing the Trans American Route so I might be the earliest start (not sure about finish) to the route. And if that turns out to be untrue I'm sure I'll be the first person to do it with Tigger ears and tail taped to my helmet (will put pictures up when I get a chance).

As for what I've done since Christiansburg. There were some steep climbs in the Appalachians, some steep descents that made up for the climbs, and some awesome views. When I crossed into Kentucky it seemed that the views all went because of mining, but somewhere around Booneville the mining seemed to stop, the big trucks stopped flying past me and it was all good again.

Had my first night under canvas behind a church. Woke up to it snowing fairly hard, but sleeping in my sleepingbag, all my gear, plus a coat meant I was really warm despite the weather. My rest days I spent in Berea (Kentucky Capital of folk arts and crafts). It's a quiet college town but it gave me a chance to get my washing done and to watch some of the Olympics. On my way into Berea I stopped to get some food and a drink at a service stop and a Kentucky mountain man asked me what I was up to... he was dressed in combats with a gun. I explained and he told me I was a 'really tough guy' cycling in this weather. I didn't really agree, though stupid would better fit, but who am I to argue with a man with a gun? And besides he bought me my food and drink.

In about 2 days I should reach Mammoth Cave (the biggest underground cave system in the world) where I intend to stop and have a look round, it's supposed to be quite impressive (just hope it's not another Natural Bridge).

Enough of my waffle. I'm off to get my feed on. Oh, and it is still snowing.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V

 

18th Feb 2010

Right then, where to begin... I started to cycle on the 12th Feb, and from then on Mother Nature and I have had a falling out. When I was planning the trip I looked at the normals for the weather at this time of year, and the normals are nothing like this. It appears that this is the worst winter for 90-100 years in parts of Virginia.

Before starting the cycle I was shown around Yorktown (where the English got kicked out of America), Willamsburg and Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement). If you are a history geek then you would love it here. And even for those not quite as geeky, you'd still find it interesting. 

I'll admit that camping has not been on the agenda... camp sites are shut for one thing. But I have also been able to stay in Willis Church and Mineral Fire Station for free. Got put up for one night at a very nice families house when I got caught out in a snow storm on Afton Mountain (where the Cookie Lady Lives - look her up on google). Apart from that I've bunked in motels.

When I was cycling through Lexington I saw that there was a basketball game on that night so decided to stop there so that I could go to it. Also stopped for lunch in Buchanan, got talking to some old people who had seen me pull up on my bike. Think it's the Tigger ears and tail I have taped to my helmet that got them talking. Anyway, explained what I was doing and who for and they wished me luck while a guy who was sitting down the counter from me paid for my meal! I've also stopped by at Thomas Jefferson's house (Monticello), which for anyone who goes near Charlottesville I would recommend, and Natural Bridge which I was less impressed but I can now say that I've seen it.

Also got talking to some 'locals'. Was a bit scared there might be some Deliverance type antics a foot, but they turned out to be really nice, or at least the one who spoke did, wished me luck with the ride and shook hands. I have thought at times that the friend who bought me those Tigger ears and tail just wanted me dead, but luckily I have my mascot, Gromit who has been keeping me safe.

One thing I have had to miss out on was about 30 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway, because it was under snow and they don't clear it. Talking to a local cyclist, he said that it would be under up to 3 ft of snow and not likely to clear for about 4 weeks. So I had to go round it, but there is a higher point still to come (if it isn't under snow).

Think that's just about it. I'm currently in Christiansburg having started in Yorktown (both Virginia). Done slightly over 370 miles, most of it with a head wind of up to 25mph, through snow and temperatures down to -9 deg Celcius with a wind chill. I'm hoping that things get a little warmer and a lot less windy, but we will have to see. I'll try and get back on her in a week and let you know if anything else has been happening. Remember you can still track me using the link from the 7th Feb.

 

7th Feb 2010

I'll be heading off tomorrow but won't arrive in Virginia until the 9th. Unfortunately the East coast of America has had it's worst snow/winter for 90 years so not sure when I will be starting exactly. I'll have a Satellite Tracker on me, so if you go to this link you will be able to see where I am and where I've been.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0YcuUxM2WNRkEBdVCe8e1Trzb7RBYPs3V

 

 

 

On 8th February 2010 I'll be flying out to the USA to cycle from the east to west coast.

I start in Yorktown, Virginia and will pass through Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and finish in Oregon.

I will cycle through the Great Plains and Yellowstone Park, over the Appalachians and the Rockies and through the saddle sores, as I aim to complete the 4,262 miles without getting lost, shot by Dick Cheney, or eaten by bears...

I intend to camp for most of my trip but, like Bear Grylls, I suspect I might have a night or two in a motel. If you want more details of my route, have a look at http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/transamerica.cfm  I have also added a photo to my profile with the route on it.

 

So that's the suffering I intend to put myself through for your hard earned cash but the important part is where the cash goes:

I'm cycling to raise money for Great Ormond Street Charity. The charity raises money to enable Great Ormond Street Hospital to provide world-class care for its young patients and their families, and to pioneer new treatments and cures for childhood illness by:

            Contributing to the rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital

            Funding the most up-to-date equipment

            Supporting research into, and development of, breakthrough treatments

            and providing accommodation and other support services for children and their families

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now!