Home again!

A fitting end to an epic ride. Well done Dad, we're so proud of you. Nice to have you home.

G & H
xx

P.S.

The following morning at the hotel there were several of us left and Richard Walsh from Ireland was actually continuing the ride for two more days to get down to Providence, Rhode Island, so we wished him all the best. I said goodbye to Sarge and he gave me the flag of Trinidad and Tobago that had flown on the back of his bike all the way across. Then a farewell to Al who was flying to Germany after another week in the US, then riding home to Munich from Hamburg. LA John and Gary were the next to go as they were in a different van to Alan, myself, Piet and Hetty because we were heading for the International Terminal in Boston. Finally a goodbye to Steve Foley who was going to spend a bit more time in the US before returning to Tasmania.
Christine and Gerrard drove us to the airport and after saying goodbye and a big thank you to them we set about getting the pedals off Hetty and Piet's bikes so they could pack them. Fortunately I happened to have a pedal spanner on me, as you do, so the job was done fairly easily. It was now about 8.30am and the flight to the UK for Alan and I was due to take off at 7.45pm, so we had a bit of time to spare, but also two large pieces of luggage each. It turned out that there was nowhere to leave luggage in the airport, but Alan being a resourceful chap, found that if we lugged the lot of it over to a nearby Hilton hotel we could leave it there for the day for a modest sum, take the hotel shuttle to the T (underground train) and get the T into town for a look around. So we did.
It was cool, overcast and the clouds were at times obscuring the tops of the high rise office blocks, but we looked at most things, followed the 'Freedom Trail' with its line of red bricks and in doing so saw a lot of historical sites. Also saw the amphibious 'duck' craft that do tours of the city both on land and in the bay. I was tempted to go on a tour, but the weather was poor so the photographs would not have been great and also it wasn't very warm, so out on the sea in that thing we could easily have got hypothermia. Instead we intrepid Brits went for a hot chocolate and a pastry.
After a bit more wandering about, lunch and a shower or two of rain we decided to get back to the airport in plenty of time for the flight. We needn't have rushed as the news when we did get back was not good. Due to the thunderstorm now raging around the airport our plane had bunked off to Hartford, Connecticut and was going to be delayed by around 3 hours. We found Hetty and Piet and said goodbye to them just before they boarded, but their flight was delayed a little while the 747 sat on the apron waiting for a 'window' in the weather, but they did at least get away.
Meanwhile we kept a close eye on the 'departures' screen and waited for announcements regarding the antics of our plane coming up from Hartford. Time stretched on and finally we were delayed over 5 hours, getting off just after mid-night. I was looking forward to getting home and seeing Diane and all the family, so a delay was the last thing I wanted.
At 'arrivals' Diane and Alan's wife had met up and it was good to see them. Alan and I said 'au revoir' as I feel there is a good chance we will be meeting up for more rides. Diane drove home, as my mind was still on the other side of the road, and then it really was all over.

Day 52 Manchester to Portsmouth.

Well it has finally arrived, as inevitably it would, the last day. Soon it would all be over but we still had a ride to do and I was trying to banish all thoughts of bottom bracket failure, dicky knee or falling off, to the far reaches of my mind (which is actually very close to the near reaches). At breakfast everyone was in their America by Bicycle tops, even Alan, and we all looked splendid. This was a time of heightened chatter and the taking of photos that would not normally be taken. I collected a remaining American icon when I indulged in a waffle, Alan taking the photographic evidence.
After checking our huge room and loading I gave our group of Gary, LA John, Steve, Al and Bill a pin each with the Welsh flag crossed with the flag of their respective country. We then set off as a group for the last time and I led us out. Fittingly we were just about last to leave, though Danny caught us up after a few miles and then rode with us. We all had to be at Rye Junior High School for 11.30am, so we had plenty of time to amble along. It was cool, grey and the roads were initially damp, but it did not look as though it would rain. We climbed some minor hills, but thought little of them as the morning showed signs of brightening up. We passed other groups and noticed that there was an increased police presence to ensure we kept in single file, and Audrey was pulled over for using a tree to answer the call of nature.
The only SAG of the day, and the last one of all, was after 31 miles and we were still well ahead of the schedule. Loads of photos were taken at the stop and there was the usual banter. Alan and Fred joined our group after the resumption and later, with Gary, left us in Exeter to see some top prep school that feeds Harvard. As we dropped into Exeter town centre, looking out for a coffee shop for Bill, I spotted an opportunity to get a present for Diane, (I hate leaving these things to the last minute). The groups seamlessly joined up again by pure chance as we set off from various coffee shops and we arrived in Rye with 3 minutes to spare, perfect timing. Everyone gathered here for the final run to the ocean which was due to be under police escort. There was a group photo by Gerrard, and others took photos of everything that moved.
When the police were ready and we were formed up, with Sarge, Seattle John, Steve Foley and Jose at the front, noon on the clock had arrived and we set off on the last 3 miles. Our group were at the back with those that had not gone all the way across behind us. This was possibly the safest place to be in such a large group of over excited cyclists (I hadn't been so excited since I was about 6 and had found a really good stick). By now it was a glorious day, perfect for the photos, and the route was lined (in several places) with locals who knew what was going on and came out to wave and shout their congratulations. We waved back and could be forgiven for likening ourselves to the Tour de France, well almost.
As we progressed slowly it became possible to smell the sea and then those at the front started to cheer as they had rounded a bend that gave them the first view of the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite a moment and there was lump in my throat at the thought that I had made it all the way. We rode alongside the sea for a way and finally got to the car park at Wallis Sands, where there were loads of relatives and friends of riders, most with flags, balloons and banners, all cheering and clapping. A colourful finale. We then dismounted and there was a steady stream of non-medicated, euphoric cyclists carrying their machines down to the sea to dip the front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean. Some then left their bike with a loved one and threw themselves into the sea, still attired in helmet, shoes and gloves!! Normal people on the beach looked on in amazement and a glazed expression that said, 'Phone 911 and let's hope this lot are recaptured soon!'
After a good deal of posing for photos, handshakes and hugs all round most of us started to make ouy way off the sand as most oily bits on bikes don't like it. At this point Steve, his wife Della and their two lovely children were just walking down to the sea, so I managed to get a good photo of them. We then all went for lunch and a celebratory beer, followed by a slow meander to the Portsmouth sign for more photos and then to the hotel. Having got there most people were now making arrangements for their bike, either to get them shipped home or packing them up. Meanwhile I decided to set off and go to Maine which was only a few miles away. This done and with a photo of the sign to my 14th and last state (for now), I returned to the hotel to pack The Mule away and get ready for our group's celebration dinner in town.
It was a lovely meal and afterwards we went to a local bar having said goodbye to Steve's wife and children. Later in the evening we had to say goodbye to Steve as he was not staying at our hotel, but with his family. This was the start of the break-up of our riding group and a poignant moment after so many miles together.
When we finally came out of the bar we were unable to get a taxi (or a cab) immediately, so I suggested we walk as we could be back in the time that we would have to wait for a taxi. This was greeted with derision by a group of people 'slightly' the worse for drink and with absolutely no idea where they were or with any local knowledge. Fortunately I could remember the cue sheet instructions and in less than half an hour we were in our hotel, with Fred swearing that if he ever got lost anywhere he was going to ring me up for directions.
So that was it, done and dusted. My extra miles into Maine were not enough to ring up the 4K total, so I would just have to be content with 3,976.19 miles, (roughly). I'm now off to take my medication and try not to get recaptured.
Today's distance was 70.37 miles.

Day 51 Brattleboro to Manchester.

As we gather to load and I was sending Diane a quick e-mail it was looking less than promising outside. The morning was grey, damp and the clouds were very low. This was diappointing as this area is beautiful and I was hoping to get some nice photos to show it off. After breakfast we set off across the Connecticut River and straight into New Hampshire. As we gathered at the state sign Christine came along driving one of the vans and she stopped to take group photos with all 5 of our cameras, she is a patient lady. The roads were wet and it started to drizzle soon after so the views of The Berkshires were less than dreamlike on account of no frostin' (if you don't know the James Taylor song that last part will be lost on you, sorry).
We then went up some biggish climbs and tried to keep together as it rained then stopped then rained again. The eastern seaboard was getting poor weather, nothing like the heatwave it experienced while we were in the west. Out of the little towns we were in wooded areas and the climbs were at least 10% while one of them was at least 18% (some people had 20% on their Garmin GPS) and seemed to go on for far too long. The back roads were less than well paved and the woodland now was dense, thought I heard banjo music at one point, but it could have been my knees squeaking. For just under a mile on a downhill section the road became a dirt track and I though of a comment for one of Huw's American calenders, 'You know you're a red-neck when... your main street is a dirt road.' After the first SAG at 27 miles we then climbed up Pitchers Mountain, which wasn't as bad as I had expected, but the rain was back as we went through Antrim. Went through another Bennington, then Greenfield and reached the second SAG in Francetown after 62 miles. Lovely little place.
We pressed on towards Manchester and met and passed Hetty and Piet, then bumped into Gerry who had again taken wrong turnings and done far more miles than he should have. The conversation was similar to, 'Hi Gerry, where have you come from!?
'How the hell should I know.'
'How many miles have you done?'
'Eighty-three.' (The rest of us were on totals around the 68 mile mark).
'You'll end up with another century today Gerry.'
'I do a century most days!!'
We were all in stitches and when Hetty and Piet saw him they burst out laughing as they had clearly seen him in various places during the day, sometimes going in the opposite direction!
It was raining hard before we got to Manchester so we were pretty soggy when we landed at the hotel. By now various relatives and friends of riders had turned up so there was quite a party atmosphere. I met Rick's wife and also Jay's wife, daughter and son-in-law. Delightful people and clearly proud of their 'rider.' Our group then went across the road to an Applebee's for a beer and we had to ask the waitress to turn the air-con off as we were wet and it was too cold for us. Like most things you ask for over here it was done.
Sarge and I were in a double room that was so huge that I took photos of it and later gave guided tours. We were going to hold a 5-a-side soccer tournament in there, but there weren't enough Americans who knew what soccer was.
Dinner that night was a more formal 'final' affair as tomorrow not everyone will be at dinner, some locals will go straight home. There were awards to all those who completed the trip and each rider gave a little talk on their own thoughts and experiences, some were hilarious, others too deep for my comprehension. Sarge was awarded the map that appeared every day on the board with the ever increasing line marking our route. Gerrard showed a little of the DVD he is producing that will contain many of the photos he has taken along the way, it was very good and I look forward to receiving mine. Gary had shipped over some wine from his vineyard in California, over so our table was very well off with some excellent wine, and strangely popular with other riders. Later gave Sarge a T-shirt, with a Celtic cross design, as a present and a Welsh flag. He has been a great room-mate, such a laugh. The thought of tomorrow being the last day was bitter-sweet.
Today's distance was 87.4 miles.

Day 50 Latham to Brattleboro.

Having taken the luggage down to the trailer to load up we were all waiting there when it decided to rain quite nastily. I got a little damp around the edges, but saved my case from getting wet by sliding under a car until I could load. I then pumped my tyre up properly following last night's flat and we were off. It stopped raining almost straight away but the roads were wet. I led out and found this was the best place not to get showered with water from other wheels. After being delayed by a couple of sets of lights I glanced behind and found there were about 20 odd people (in some cases quite odd having failed to take their medication), on the 'train.'
We buzzed through Albany and crossed the Hudson River, I would normally have taken a photo, but The Hudson at this point looked no more attractive than the Tyne on a bad day, so I didn't. We then went under a tunnel and the big group split on the hill that led up from the tunnel. We passed lots of other groups and finally caught George before a long downhill into the SAG at 27 miles. All the bike computers were showing different mileage to the notes so it was a bit confusing, but the directions were fairly easy.
George stayed next to no time at the SAG and left, Al and Bill were again riding together so they gave hime 5 minutes start then set off and we left a couple of minutes after them. We knew that there was a big climb coming up. Again this area was very wooded.
At mile 31 we said goodbye to New York State and entered Vermont, not exactly Latin for 'flat, easy riding area.' There were the inevitable photos at the sign. From there the tarmac sloped up so Gary dropped off and rode with Larry, while Steve and I rode on together. Shortly after the state line we entered the town of Bennington and it seemed like a switch had just been thrown to 'turn on' New England. It was a beautiful place with white picket fences, neat properties and churches with tall slender spires, but most unusual were the statues around the town that were of workmen or pedestrians or children playing, one was a man reading a newspaper while another man looked over his shoulder. All very life-like and in amongst the shoppers they did not look out of palce.
Leaving the town the 8 mile climb started, not too steeply at first, but the road soon reared up. I got into a good gear and just pumped away feeling quite good. Steve dropped off a bit and I just felt stronger the further I went. The gradient varied a bit so some sections were easier, and near the top I saw that George was ahead, Al and Bill had obviously passed him and I was catching him quickly. I didn't quite catch him by the crest and on the long steep downhill he got away a bit despite the fact that I was freewheeeling at over 45 mph for some time, but as the road flattened out I caught and passed him and he jumped on my wheel. We were flying along and soon got into Wilmington, another delightful town, where the second SAG was. I waited there for first Steve to arrive, then John and some time later Gary.
From there we had another climb up to Hog-Back Summit in the Hoosac mountains that are part of The Green Mountain National Forest. There should have been some great views, but it was hazy and the views were spoiled. We all regathered and set off down another long descent, though that wasn't without some 'ups' that we didn't expect.
In Brattleboro (more bad spelling?) we wanted a place to eat and get a beer so we asked a local who was on a bike and he led us to a nice restaurant right on the Connecticut River overlooking New Hampshire. To get there he took us through some red lights, over pedestrian crossings complete with pedestrians, down the wrong side of the road past a traffic queue at another red light and finally around an Amtrak train that was loading in the station, but the engine was across the road so the barriers were down!! I'm afraid I lost count of the traffic offences we had just committed and hoped that no-one knew me. I think I was safe there. Just after we got into the hotel there was another storm and very heavy rain so we did well to miss that.
Today's distance was 75.6 miles.

Day 49 Little Falls to Latham.

The navigation at the start of the ride was pretty straightforward, 'out of the hotel, right, left and then straight for 50 miles.' I led out and after a while Steve took over. Unfortunately at around the 50 mile mark he was in conversation with another cyclist who had been riding all over America for months and was heading for Boston and we all sailed by the next turn without realising it. It was only a mile or two and we quickly got back on course.
The start from the hotel had been a long climb, but after that it was very gently rolling countrside with lots of forests and steeped in history from the French, Indian and Revolutionary wars. We visited Fort Klock (clearly at that time their spelling wasn't up to much) which was a fortified stone house built around 1750 by the British (they would say English). It had its own blacksmith, school house (an attempt to improve the spelling) and its own spring in the cellar. There were other 'forts' nearby and many Historical Markers.
Later went through Amsterdam and Rotterdam, so at least Team Holland (Hetty and Piet) would feel at home. We then got off the road onto a nice bike path that went alongside the Erie Canal for many miles, but confusing directions at the end meant that we ended up in a General Electrics factory car park instead of the SAG. We finally got to the SAG which was at an ice cream and shakes store and it would have been rude not to have sampled their wares, so we did. An ice-cold chocolate shake was virtually mandatory.
After that we got on another well paved bike path that took us to within 4 miles of the hotel. Having checked in we then went off for lunch in a bagel shop. Latham is on the outskirts of Albany, which is the capital of New York State.
Later that evening in the hotel room I discovered that my rear tyre had gone down, so I had to replace that and repair the tube. Only my third puncture and two of them revealed themselves in hotel rooms, I would settle for that. After dinner several of us went for a beer and contemplated the fact that this ride was rapidly coming to an end.
Today's distance was 81.8 miles.

Day 48 Liverpool to Little Falls.

Only 4 of us started out together today as Al was riding with Bill and I gather the intention was to catch up with George and Larry. Steve's hip was still giving him problems so he led out, to ensure we would go at his pace, and I rode behind giving directions. On the hills out of town we caught the 'Day Care' group and Sarge had the moose back on the bike and was serenading the good folk of Syracuse with The Beatles from his on-bike music system. We picked up Jose who then rode with us as the route flattened out and the roads were very smooth.
At 25 miles we stopped at the SAG which was next to the Erie Canal and I got into conversation with a local State Trooper called Jim who was interested to know who we were and what we were doing. When I revealed I was 'ex-job' he gave me a New York State 'Buckle up' pen from a seat belt campaign. He wanted to give me a police uniform patch, but didn't have one with him.
We were now next to the Erie Canal so took the opportunity to get some photos. The canal was completed in 1825 and links the Hudson River to The Great Lakes. The area we were now in is very wooded and there are often houses in clearings just off the road ranging from mansions to run-down shacks. There were large fields of corn, it seems every state has to have some, but not much in the way of other crops.
Photos for the Americana collection today included a USPS (postal service) van and a Mack truck grille. The last 20 miles to the hotel was easy, but on a busy road and not too pleasant. When we hit Little Falls it did not seem to be a very prosperous place. The hotel was OK and there was a great laundry opposite that most people took advantage of, including me. I later did some extra miles by visiting a large lock on the Erie Canal, which was practically next door, and generally having a look around the town.
After dinner I did some admin and decided to bring my flight home forward by a day. I don't think the extra day I had planned at the end would be of much use as I don't have transport and I also feel that I am ready to get home at the end. Neil rang from Michigan and I had a nice chat with him.
Today's distance was 82.3 miles.

Day 47 Canadaigua to Liverpool.

When I got up this morning and looked out of the window to see what the weather was like I had a shock. The weather wasn't the cause, but there in the car park bold as brass was a Model T Ford, in black of course. Next to it was a Model A Ford and both of them were on their way to a car show. I don't know where the car show was due to be held, but there was a big one in Syracuse the next weekend so it may have been there, and Liverpool is on the outskirts of Syracuse. I was straight out with the camera to collect an important piece of Americana. After breakfast our 5 went in the oposite direction to everyone else for a short distance to Starbucks so that Gary could get a decent coffee for breakfast. Steve and I took the opportunity to visit the lake as it was nearby.
We finally got going and the scenery was very pretty. We came to the head of the next Finger Lake, Seneca Lake, and soon after I got a photo of a yellow school bus, another piece to the collection. We then came upon Fred who had a flat. He had changed the tube but had no air, so Gary gave him a CO2 gas cannister to blow it up and he then rode with us to meet up with Alan in Waterloo where they were due to meet some friends from a previous ride. This meant I had riden from Geneva to Waterloo in just over half an hour!! The route was reasonably flat and the SAG at 30 miles was an easy ride.
We were still at the SAG when Fred and Alan turned up towing a great big black cloud with them, another thunder storm closing in. It was soon raining heavily so we stayed under cover and sat it out. When we did set out, around 50 minutes later, we missed a turn and at the same time Steve was having trouble with a hip muscle. the missed turn was beneficial though as I found an old Drive in Movie facility and there can't be many of them left in the country, so another couple of photos for the American Icon collection. We did not go back, but instead carried on and map read our way back onto the route later in the day. Nearing the end of the ride and after getting back on the route we found a Greek restaurant (Anna would be pleased), believe it or not called Zorba's, amazing but true. We had lunch there before ambling the last 5 miles into the hotel. We saw a lot of older American cars gathering in preparation for the show. At the hotel there were lots of old cars and hot-rods in the car park, though unfortunately no computer, so I went to the hotel next door and used the one in there, and while I was at it had one (or two) of their cookies that were being made for all the car drivers staying there who were heading for the show.
At this time Neil is in Michigan, not a million miles away, but too far for us to meet up, so as we are now in the same time zone he will ring me some time.
Today's distance was 74.2 miles.

Day 46 Hamburg to Canandaigua.

There was only a continental breakfast available this morning and we were quite late starting off after that due to the difficulty of getting a pump that actually worked to pump our tyres up!! There were several pumps but it was a constant scramble to get either the red pump or the 'girlie pink' one, as these were the best. One or two of the others were OK if you had someone else to hold the head of the pump onto the valve while you pumped up to typically 110psi, but the rest were no good at all. Our 5 eventually set off and as most people were heading for a local bicycle museum we did the same. We did take a wrong turn in some road works and so arrived there just after the guided tour had started, but we didn't miss much. The owner/curator/guide chap was clearly passionate about bikes and everything connected with them and gave a very interesting talk about all the exhibits. It was hard to believe that this was a private collection as there was so much. The talk was very American biased and there was only passing reference to anyone else who had possibly invented anything, Americans invented the bicycle, the pneumatic tyre (tire in American), won all the first races and were instrumental in all major developments, apparently. If The USA ever needs a propaganda expert to serve the coutry, then this bloke would be the man for it!!
After we left our pace wasn't high until we realised we were being pursued by a big black cloud complete with heavy rain, lightning and thunder. At this point we increased to a much brisker pace to try to reach the SAG which was only a couple of miles away. About a mile from the SAG as we entered a little town heavy spots of rain started falling and the lightning was very close by, followed instantly by ear splitting claps of thunder. I was on the front, shouting that the SAG was close by, when all of a sudden a lightning bolt hit so close by that the street lights, which were turned off, illuminated for a moment before fading off!! At this juncture I looked behind and people were peeling off to find shelter wherever they could, some rode into an open garage next to a house and the owner not only welcomed them in, but started finding chairs for them to sit on. Meanwhile I carried on as fast as I could (it's amazing how fast you can go when there's the prospect of a ligtning strike!) and got to the SAG which was next to a filling station where there was shelter under the canopy.
The storm passed quickly, but of couse left wet roads and where there was mud from road works it meant a dirty shower from tyres. There were some long hills and the vineyards had disappeared, being replaced by huge fields of wheat, some of which were being harvested. At around mile 55 we saw that Skip had a punture, normally not a noteworthy event, but in this case it was as Skip was one of only two people not to have had a puncture at all so far. We passed him and within about 50 yards my front tyre punctured, only my second and the first on the road. It was quickly changed and I had to dig about 4 or 5 pieces of glass out of the tyre.
The second SAG was at 69 miles in the delightful town of Avon, which was how I imagined 'small town America' to be. Not only did we eat SAG food, but also went for lunch in a nice cafe (remember the eat on sight policy) where the locals were all interested to hear the story so far.
Upon arrival at the hotel we relaxed a little before I went off to visit the town and Lake Canandaigua, both of which were worth the visit. Lake Canandaigua is the largest of The Finger Lakes that this area is named after. They are long narrow lakes in valleys carved out by the last ice sheet. Back at the hotel I cleaned The Mule down and went for dinner.
The distance today was 110.1 miles.

Day 45 Erie to Hamburg.

It couldn't have been a better day to welcome Gary back to the fold. It was not a heavy mileage day, the sun was shining, the skies were blue and the route was reasonably flat alongside the lake. Very pretty. We were just about last to leave, no surprise there, but we were destined to fall further behind. Unfortunately John suffered a string of 4 punctures inside the first 30 miles. Unlucky.
The part of Erie we saw on the way out seemed very nice and the place seemed prosperous. We were not destined to see much of Pennsylvania, it is a huge state and we sliced along the little hook at the top, but what we saw I liked. Lake Erie was quite visible for a long time and is vast. There were nice little marinas along the way with lighthouses. After 20 miles we got to the New York state line and Gerrard was on the roof of one of the vans takng photos. The Day Care Group, ranks swollen by Sarge's two fiends, Winstone and Cary, were there when we arrived, but soon moved off for us to take over. After our photos we moved off into more of John's punctures.
The last part of Pennsylvania and the first part of New York had huge vineyards and it seemed like France, but the rows of vines seem to be further apart. We saw a machine working on the vines trimming the leaves. The route was delightfl and because of the puncture delays we would overtake and re-overtake John and then Sarge's group with his music going, a combinaton of Bob Marley and The Beatles!! Also the moose was back on Sarge's bike.
The SAG was at 47 miles and I was ready for something to eat, in fact I'm always ready for something to eat at the moment, I have an eat on sight policy. After that we got on quite well, but stopped to take pictures of the places on our world tour, Barcelona, Dunkirk, Angola and Hamburg. On the outskirts of Hamburg we got directions to a restaurant called Jacobi's, which turned out to be very good. That was only about a mile and a half from the hotel, but Al and I did some extra miles trying to find a better sign for Hamburg to take his photo in front of. We eventually did. While we were finding the sign two ladies in a car recognised my Welsh top and shouted out of the window,'We're Welsh.' They stopped a short way down the road and we spoke with them, it turns out that the older lady's father was originally from Swansea.
The distance today was 89.45 miles.

Day 44 Rest Day in Erie.

This morning John and I were informed that we were moving out of Sarge's room as he was going to be in with two of his friends who were arriving in Erie for the last tour. I was going to be in with Jay and Rick when the hotels provided a triple room. It is hard to believe that we have arrived at the last tour and that there are only 8 more riding days left.
John and I moved our stuff out first then gathered together our washing and headed about five blocks south to the laundry. Hard to believe that on a rest day we were ina hotel with no laundry, no pool, breakfast wasn't included and the Wi-Fi wasn't working. There were a lot of people who were less than pleased. After lunch Gary loaned me his lap-top and I set to work doing some updates and downloading photos. I then walked down to the shores of Lake Erie (remember it well from geograph A level), for a look around. After that it was off to a restaurant for dinner and a couple of well earned beers. Well it's not every day I have to do my laundry.
Today was a good rest day and the bike did not turn a wheel, though it did get a bit of a clean and its chain lubed.

Day 43 Youngstown to Erie.

Walking up to breakfast my knee was still sore, but the swelling had gone down. The direction in which we were due to leave was black with a storm and did not look at all inviting. Our 4 was the last to leave and it was not raining then, but I took the precaution of wearing my waterproof and after about half an hour I was glad as the heavens were unzipped and all the water therin came cascading down. The roads were awash and there was a mist abot 18 inches above the road as the rain bounced up. It kept up this rate for a lot longer than I was used to, about an hour and then it eased off to torrential. I had spent most of this time at the front, but made the mistake of moving to the back where I was then treated to a dirty shower off the wheels ahead of me. I had to take my glasses of as I was unable to see much. Fortunately the roads were flat and of good quality. On Ridge Road, Ohio near route 87 east I reached the 50,000 miles mark of my cycling. Pales into insignificance compared to Dave in Abergavenny who has done loads more.
By the time we reached the first SAG at 33 miles the rain had stopped, but it was cool and we were wet so we didn't linger. Kept the pace up to the secod SAG at 69 miles and as we entered a root beer stand there was a speed bump and Steve went over it without realising it was there and fell off in front of an admiring crowd. The Russian judge only gave him 4.5 as he didn't point his toes. Fortunately he was not hurt and his bike was OK. Later in the day George did exactly the same thing.
Soon after the second SAG we left Ohio and moved into Pennsylvania, but we will not get to see much of it, just skim along the top. Usual photos.
Rode into Erie and got glimpses of Lake Erie, looks like the sea it is so big. Brought back memories of geography lessons. I did a couple of extra miles to get the century up and that meant I had done 4 back to back, I was glad that tomorrow is a rest day. On arrival I was pleased to see that Gary had arrived and was looking well and ready to go. He has fully recovered from his pneumonia.
We later found an Irish bar and celebrated reaching another rest day.
Today's distance was 100.16 miles.

Day 42 Wooster to Youngstown.

It is shown as Niles on the itinerery, but the hotel is sort of nearer Youngstown so that got the vote. It was another glorious day when we left Wooster as our usual 4. I was trying to conserve energy as I was going for another century today. We had another dog run out again, but it was not aggressive and ran more after Sue and Tom rather than us. It's such a shame that people allow their dog to run out as they could get killed on the road or cause an accident. There were loads of turns today and we had to keep a careful eye on the navigation, a job that usually gets delegated to me, though I'm not sure who does the delegating.
After the first SAG we got to some very rough roads that were patches on patches and not very well done. There was no shoulder so we were forced to ride close to edge of the road which often no longer existed. It was hard going and although we had encountered rough roads before, this went on for miles and miles. I wrenched my knee a little when I was going to stand on the pedals just when the bike hit a rough patch under trees so it was hard to see. My knee was a bit swollen later that evening, but will recover. The second SAG was in the shade of store's verandah, very pleasant.
It wasn't until mile 85 that we got off the rough road and onto a bike path. I did the bike path again to get the extra miles in to complete the century. At the hotel some friends of a rider called Forest were there to surprise him, he has previously been surprised by his wife and son, and they had a big banner proclaiming, 'Ride Forest Ride!' He's certainly doing that.
An original room-mate of Sarge and myself, Charlie Higgins, and his wife were at route rap and stayed to have dinner with us. Charlie is looking very well and has kept off the pounds he lost on the ride. He kept us entertained during dinner with stories from his military career, hilarious.
Today's distance was 100.91 miles,

Day 41 Marysville to Wooster.

I know I had set it properly, but the alarm did not go off at around 5.45am when it was supposed to have. Sarge woke me from a deep dream of peace at around 6.10am and breakfast had started 10 minutes earlier. I didn't take long to get dressed, but instead of rushing headlong into the breakfast scrum I packed first and took my luggage down, then went in when it was thinning out for a quick graze of the goodies. I was still able to make it to load in plenty of time.
When we started John joined us and our group now seems to be a constant 4. The pace was a little less hectic than yesterday, but that didn't stop us missing a couple of turns along the way, though nothing drastic. It was another lovely day with more huge fields of whispering corn and mica glistening in the road surface and for the millionth time fooling me into thinking it was glass. The first SAG spot at 33 miles was an overgrown area around a closed down store so not very picturesque, but we made the most of it. After that we encountered a few hills and a few people said at the same time, 'are we back in Missouri?'
It was a long hop to the second SAG at 74 miles but the location was better in a park area below a dam wall. At the re-start Gerrard and CJ joined us until we hit more hills, some of them a reasonable gradient, then CJ and John dropped off as the 4 of kept going. There were more hills but finally we were rewarded with a good downhill into Wooster. On the main street we found a place not unlike a DQ and popped in there for a qiuck milk shake and a bite to eat. Alan joined us and a little while later CJ joined us and then John, who had suffered a puncture. This info is pinched from a previous blog, but you may be interested to know that Wooster's claim to fame is that an early immigrant, August Imgard, introduced the Christmas tree to the USA in 1847.
After a shower and a beer in the lobby (only the beer in the lobby, not the shower), Bob Haugh joined us as he lives in Wooster. You may recall that Bob had fallen on the ride from Pueblo and suffered a fractured skull. He is progressing very well and hopes to be back on the bike sometime, but does not know when. Everyone was pleased to see him.
After a nice dinner it was a case of adjourning to the bar with the usual 3 plus Fred and Alan for a couple of 'Blue Moons.' Be rude not to. Back in the room later it seems that Sarge has an infected tooth that is causing him a bit of pain.
Today's distance was 102.8 miles.

Day 40 Richmond to Marysville.

Yesterday's ride was lkely to be the easiest of the 5 rides into Erie and now there was a chance to do 4 century rides back to back. The gang of 4, as we were now, did not have very much of Indiana left to do because we reached the Ohio state line after less than 3 miles and of course that meant a photo, but so near the start there were lots of people there at the same time and when we arrived, last as usual, Audrey and Sue were upside down under the sign doing headstands with someone holding them up. I don't know why they were doing it, but it was funny.
At this point Fred and Gerrard (the mechanic) joined us and from then on with good, flat roads on a gloriously sunny day we made good time.
After 41 miles and the SAG we ambled on amid very pretty scenery and nice well maintained properties. This part of Ohio seemed prosperous, though the farms were not the giant affairs of the praries, but smaller, more like in the UK. The route stayed reasonably flat, for a lot of the way, but after the second SAG at 76 miles ther were a number of hills that hurt the legs and our group started to split up. Steve and I spent the last 20 miles cruising in together with some of the group behind us and others ahead.
Marysville seemed a nice town and we went for lunch before arriving at the hotel. Later that evening Sarge showed me the ipod 'water bottle' he had bought. It is the size of a water bottle so fits in a bottle holder on the bike frame, but has an ipod in it that is attached to a speaker. There is a remote control on the handlebars so he can have music while he is on the go. Crazy. He usually rides with Steve Foley in the 'daycare group' and I'm not sure what Steve makes of Sarge's choice of music!
Today's distance was 105.4 miles. The total distance covered is now 3001.23 miles.

Day 39 Indianapolis to Richmond.

Diane and I were up at 5.00am to get the hotel shuttle to the station for Di to catch the 6.30 train. There was a little hiccup with the shuttle but we got there in plenty of time and had to say goodbye, after a lovely few days, as I was off to Richmond and Di was off to Chicago and then back to the UK.
After last night's storm everywhere was remarkably dry even though it was overcast and looked like it would rain again. We had a new rider in the group, John Crone from Los Angeles, and he was rooming with Sarge and me to Erie. He joined our usual 3, plus Bill, and we set off. Going out of the city was not too complicated and we made good time. Bill zoomed off by himself after a while and we picked up Fred and later Alan.
The route was pretty flat to start with and a slight tailwind meant we got to the SAG at 39 miles reasonably quickly, but not until after Alan had a front flat, pushing his grand total up to 12.
After that we got to Wayne County (it's amazing first a town, now a county in my honour, there was talk of a state, but I put my foot down), inevitable photo. On the outskirts of Richmond we spotted a DQ so we were all there, but it was more of a booth so we had to sit outside in the shade, rough.
The good news from the tour was that Mark Cavendish had won a stage so us Brits were walking tall.
Today's distance was 77.1 miles.

Day 38 Rest day in Indianapolis.

It was nice not to be rushing about in the morning and Diane and I went for a stroll up to the Amtrak station to make sure that she got her ticket for tomorrow's train to Chicago. It wasn't open then but we got the ticket later so everyone was happy. We then decided to take a public bus out to the speedway so that Di could see it. The bus was cheap, direct and it didn't take too long. (Their buses are called 'Indygo,' very colourful). We repeated yesterday's tour of the track on the bus, but this time the guide was far better and stopped more often to allow pictures to be taken and explained a great deal more about the track. The greatest attendance was in 1977 when someone I had never heard of was going for his fourth victory in the '500' and the crowd was estimated at 470,000 people. The actual capacity is not known.
We came back to town on the bus and looked about the city a little. It is the capital of Indiana and has some beautiful buildings.
We went to dinner with Al and Steve on a warm evening, but when we came out it was spotting with rain. The hotel was a good 25 minute walk away so we got a move on. The sky was black and another storm was moving in. We didn't get very far before the heavens opened and we had to shelter for several minutes, then it eased off so we made a dash for it. but then it rained very hard and we were still about a quarter of a mile from the hotel so we sheltered under a railway bridge.
There was terrific thunder and lightning overhead and at one point the lights in the city went out, only to return a few minutes later. The 3 lane road in front of us was filling up with water and fortunately most of the traffic was in the outer lane, but inevitably a big truck came along in the nearside lane sending up a wall of water and we had nowhere to go. We were all drenched through and there was now no point in sheltering so we ran out into the storm and made for the hotel through streams of water running from side streets that were muddy due to the construction going on locally.
We arrived in the hotel lobby like drowned rats and caused some amusement amongst other members of the group that were enjoying the lightning display. We squelched up to the room and had to change, then go and wash and dry the clothes ready for the depart tomorrow. Didn't ride the bike today.

Day 37 Crawfordsville to Indianapolis.

The good weather yesterday did nothing to prepare me for the shock in store today. The alarm was the first shock at 6.10am and then I heard the thunder outside and Diane confirmed that it was 'hammering down,' great. At load we were told that due to the weather loading would be delayed until after we had been shuttled to and from breakfast. In town for breakfast the roads were like rivers and the rain on the movies (more American), where it looks like the Fire Service are doing their best to drown everybody, is not a myth, it was just like that.
The forecast was poor so we were given the option of going on the van to Indianapolis and not riding, or waiting in the hotel for an hour or so in case it cleared. Greg, who is meterologist, stated that 'there were a number of active cells tracking our way' also that the forecast for our rest day in Indianapolis was not good. He was put in charge of morale. Unfortunately this morning Jeff decided that he was not well enough to continue and decide to go back home to New Zealand.
Not riding was not an option for me, but about half the group decided to SAG and not ride. Our group waited around in the hotel and around 9.30am we were given the OK to start riding. A number of us set out together and by then the rain had virtually stopped, but there was a lot of water coming up from wheels. We kept up a reasonable pace and by the 30 mile first SAG the roads were dry and it was a nice day. After that we visited the Roark bike factory where they gave us a tour of what is an aerospace factory that has a sideline making titanium bikes. Around 70 custom built machines a year that are as beautiful as they are expensive. I didn't order one!
On the outskirts of Indianapolis we then went to the Speedway, home of the 'Indy 500,'amazing place. Got a guided tour on a small bus that went around the track, though slightly slower than the racing cars would. Saw the brick yard and got a commentary on the history of the place. I was amazed at how big it was because the cars seem to lap so quickly, but the lap is 2 miles.
Moving on from there we went to The Major Taylor velodrome and managed to get on for a few laps while the real trackies were having a break. From there it was a complicated route and we had a little trouble locating the hotel, but it was worth it because the room was a suite, fantastic and we had two nights here.
After dinner we went to a micro-brewery where we had the some strong beer and adopted a moth called 'Monty' who was busy getting as drunk as we were.
Today's distance was 67.8 miles.

Day 36 Champaign to Crawfordsville.

This was destined to be another 'Sunday club run' as it was a beautiful morning and the distance was not enormous, so after the 'I had a bath in Champaign last night' jokes had died away the 3 of us were ready to leave. Sadly we had to shake hands with Rob and say goodbye as he was taking his broken collar bone back to Philadelphia. A quick photo by Diane and we were off. However we only got about 3 miles when we were confronted by a level crossing straddled by a huge train. Others that had started some time before us were stuck there and shouting at the driver appeared to be having little effect. We waited a while and then decided to go around which we did successfully, but when we got to the road the other side of where the train had been the crossing was clear - sod's law. We had added Amy and John to the ranks and later picked up Sue. I led up to the first SAG at 30 miles and it was strange, but very nice, to see Diane there taking photos. The SAG was adjacent to a cemetery and I wondered if a theme was developing.
I led out again from the SAG and we just rode at a steady pace on a lovely morning along back roads that were quiet and well paved. Steve spent a good deal of time trying to explain the rules of cricket to John, an American from Buffalo, so it was amusing to listen in. We crossed into Indiana and the uasual photo were taken at the sign, including Amy with The Hotshots!! The scenery was pretty and didn't change much, flat with lots of enormous corn fields whispering in the slight breeze (poetic beyond).
The second SAG at 59 miles was in the little town of Veedersburg and was near a nice restaurant that Diane had already found and she was giving a test run to a BLT and crisps!! It sold fruit pies and we were tempted, but still had a way to go.
The 6 of us stuck together and entering Waynetown was another photo op. Finally got into Crawfordsville and as Amy was our protected rider we led her out to within a couple of hundred yards of the hotel then set her off on the sprint for the line so she could win the stage - great. When we got there I realised that I had led for about 80 miles, most of the ride. After dinner we had a couple of 'Sam Adams' beverages with Alan, Steve and Al (Diane had tea). It had been a good day, John had improved his knowledge of cricket, which should come in handy, and Amy had ridden faster than before and enjoyed it.
Today's distance was 83.8 miles.

Day 35 Springfield to Champaign.

The order of the day today was a steady cruise. Steve was voicing that opinion as we met up and there wasn't anyone disagreeing with him. The two hard days in Missouri and yesterday's 'century' had taken its toll on legs in general. Our 3 set off together and Diane was a SAG assistant. It was a beautiful morning with no wind and again quiet as everyone was probably sleeping off the celebrations.
We slowly caught other riders and ended up with a group of ten going along in pairs and chatting. The first SAG at 31 miles was in a park near a cabin Lincoln frequented and it was strange to see Diane there.
The 10 of us rejoined after the break and the steady pace continued. The roads were flat with loads of cornfields and we had a couple of dogs run out at us but they were not a problem. The second SAG was at a cemetery, quiet. Steve was on the phone arranging to meet a film crew who were going to interview him, possibly on route.
A couple of miles up the road on East Ellis Road we saw Rob lying on the verge with his partner, who had joined him to ride with him to Portsmouth, on the phone. She was ringing for the van as Rob had fallen and his shoulder was a mess. He certainly broke his collar bone and I believe he also had a shoulder separation. So unlucky, as his ride was now over.
We all ambled into Champaign and Steve was greeted by the film crew ready for an interview. I kept going for a few extra miles and met an American lady at the traffic lights whose boss was Welsh and she had recently returned from Abergavenny!! She had recognised my Welsh top. Later in the evening we watched Steve being a star of stage and screen (well screen anyway) on the local news. He was later available to sign t-shirts, but only got to sign Al's and I'm not sure Al knew about it.
Today's distance was 100.12 miles.

Day 34 Quincy to Springfield.

America has waited 232 years for this moment, but it finally arrived, I was in the USA on my birthday, so finally all the fireworks had some meaning. The group were in party mood and several people had decorated their bikes, themselves or both in red white and blue to celebrate the occasion. We all wore our group tops in honour, except Alan who wore red, white and blue in a different configuration! Bill pointed out that it put the rest of us at risk as drivers could be aiming for him!! I said he should look out for grassy knolls on the route.
The fireworks were not only in honour of me as Al and Skip made it a hat trick of birthday boys. Photos were taken of the bike decorations outside the hotel and then we left at around 7.00am heading for Springfield, the capitol of Illinois, home of Abe Lincoln and possibly the Simpsons (we didn't see them). It was a lovely fresh morning and quiet because it was a holiday. Steve , Al and I were riding together and not going at a frantic pace as there was a long way to go. After 14 miles we went through the town of Liberty, which struck me as being rather apt. The roads were good and the dreaded roller-coasters had given way to a more flattish route with some minor drags.
At the first SAG in Chambersberg there were red, white and blue cakes and Tootsie Rolls (little rolls of toffee in 'Stars and Stripes' paper. Bill joined us when we set off and later Deb joined us to the next SAG.
Soon after that we crossed the Illinois River into the little town of Meredosia and the townsfolk were busy getting the place ready for the celebrations. Stalls were being set up along the side of the road to sell ice cream and cotton candy (candy floss) and the BBQs were being fired up. It all seemed very nice and we would like to have stayed. Got to the second SAG at 67 miles.
After that the route was basically flat and we stopped to take a photo of the 90 degree longitude sign. A little later the next photo op was for Al at a town called Berlin (remember Al is German). When we rolled into Springfield it was quiet and the roads were easily negotiated. We visited the centre and saw some of the old buildings, took photos of the capitol building and tried to find somewhere to eat, but failed (yes it happens). Places were either closed or very busy if they were open.
Having travelled through Springfield to the eastern outskirts we found that the hotel was near a large power station that looked vaguely familiar. The others went to the entrance while I did an extra lap of the car park to round off the mile. As I approached the doors Alan came out with a camera and as I stopped the door flew open and Diane came out shouting 'Happy Birthday!' To say I was stunned would be the understatement of the year. Alan's task was to take a photo of my jaw dropping, which he did admirably. I couldn't have had a better birthday present. The hotel staff were all in on the 'secret' and the moment Diane ran out to meet me was too much for one of the receptionists.
There were choruses of Happy Birthday for the 3 birthday boys at route rap and Diane had arranged a lovely couple of birthday cakes to share around, one like the stars and stripes. Later there were lots of firework displays around the place and a couple of bottles of beer helped the celebrations along.
It was quite a 4th of July, one I will never forget and Springfield Illinois will be a special memory.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who sent me birthday messages, it is was very much appreciated. Thank you.
Today's distance was 106 miles.

Day 33 Kirksville to Quincy.

Today's trip was always going to be awkward for various reasons and most of us had realised this for a while. Weeks ago, when we were still way out west, we saw on the weather channel and national news the floods that had occured as a result of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers flooding following weeks of torrential rain. The original plan was for us to reach the Mississippi at Canton and take the ferry across, something I had been particularly looking forward to, but the floods meant that the ferry was closed and would be for months. Also some bridges were out of commission so the pressure on the bridge into Quincy was greater and not safe to ride over. We had to ride to within a few miles of the river, get shuttled across in the van, then get dropped on the far side.
A new route was formalised and we only got it at route rap which was held at breakfast/load at 6.30am. To make matters worse it was torrential rain outside so we were due for our first soaking. So much for cleaning the bike last night and drying out the cycling shoes.
We were in no real hurry to leave to get soaked, so we lingered over breakfast as the forecast was favourable for later in the day. We finally assembled under the entrance canopy just before 7.30am and I actually took a photo of the heavy rainfall!!! Well it was the first we were to ride in. Al let out a yell and rode into the waterfall coming off the canopy with Alan, Bill, Steve and I right behind. We weren't the last to leave, but just about.
Going out of Kirksville in the rain and heavy traffic was not easy, but we soon got on the open road and started to catch up other groups. As we did the roller-coaster hills started again and some were as steep as 13%, but at least we did get some flatter sections for a couple of miles at a stretch. Not only was it raining hard, but there was also a stiff wind blowing mostly against us, so not the best day so far. The first SAG at Baring after 25 miles was welcome relief. The rain eased while we were there, but started again soon after we took off. By the time of the second SAG at Williamstown the rain had stopped, the temperature had risen considerably and the roads had dried out so the jacket came off.(I've tried 'whose coat is this jacket?' but it fell on stony ground).
The rollers returned with a vengence in the third section and I was looking forward to dropping into the Mississippi Valley. When we finally did that I saw evidence of the recent floods and got some photos of the levee defences as the road levelled off. When we reached the lorry park that was the 'Shuttle Depart' we had our bikes loaded on and 7 of us got into the van as the first group to cross. I got to sit in the front passenger seat of the van so was in pole position for the photos of the river etc, however it was at this point that the camera batteries decided to run out, I had spares on me and was frantically trying to reload them and reset the camera time and date (it won't take photos unless you do) as we crossed the Mississippi. I did manage to get some shots, particularly the Illinois sign.
When we were dropped off we went back to the river to take more photos and it really is a 'mighty' river and still well above its normal level. Riding the last few miles through town to the hotel we saw that lots of houses were decorated ready for tomorrow. There were also large tents set up in petrol stations and supermarket car parks that were selling fireworks ready for the celebrations. At the hotel it was a case of cleaning the bikes again and the air-con units were again usefully multi-tasking. Rang home, but couldn't get a reply (!) Sarge spent a good deal of the evening decorating his bike ready for tomorrow.
Today's distance was 87.6 miles.

Day 32 Chillicothe to Kirksville.

Today it was load then breakfast,so after a quick 'continental' breakfast (it didn't say which continent), we set off. The skies were overcast with a lot of cloud and it was cooler than normal, but felt fresh. The 3 of us were riding together and after only 2 miles the countryside started rolling uphill and down dale again. This area is called 'The Land of a Thousand Hills' and it is easy to see why, but do we have to go up all of them? It spotted with rain a little, then a little more and we could see rain in the distance. Officially I think we got damp. The first SAG at Linneus was welcome and I managed to stop Gerry from heading off in the wrong direction, easily done. We set off at a good pace to get some miles in but missed a turn again, luckily Kip and CJ saved our bacon.
There wasn't a second SAG set up so we carried on. We had caught up with Bill so Al rode ahead with him while Steve and I continued at an easier pace. The hills continued their sapping of our energy so by the end I was glad to stop. We met Alan at the hotel and together went into town, sought out a DQ and topped up the fuel. The girl servers behind the counter grouped together to listen to our accents as they thought them 'cute' and again we had to explain our mission. Back at the hotel it was a case of drying out the cycling shoes by balancing them on the air-con unit. Worked a treat. After two days of going up and down hills in Missouri it might be nice to get into Illinois.
Today's distance was 84.3 miles.

Day 31 St. Joseph to Chillicothe.

I was only a short ride yesterday, but it served to loosen my legs off ready for today. The four of us set of while Bill pumped up tyres back at the hotel and we drifted slowly out. He passed us soon after as we had stopped because Alan's new chainset was throwing the chain over the big chainring, limit screw adjustment needed. My third bottom bracket was settling in well and seems determined to make it to New Hampshire. A mile or so into the ride we started hitting the roller-coaster hills, up the hill, crest the top, immediately down the other side, work hard to get up the next one, repeat process. Like interval training, but it goes on for hour after hour on long straight roads so that you can see the pain that lies ahead.
At least these roads were country roads with little traffic, quiet and with nice scenery.
The first SAG at 31 miles was in the town of Maysville (should be in Arizona!!)and the local newspaperman came out to take a group photo of us and gather information for the next edition. Unfortunately we won't be around to see it. This area has plenty of water so there are no more 'nodding donkeys' and few windmills needed for irrigation. The properties are big and very well maintained, it seems a prosperous area.
After the SAG the next section was less of an interval training session and we made better time. We saw a huge buffalo under a tree, Amish families using horse-drawn ploughs to plough the fields and later in horse drawn buggies to get around as they do not use cars, power in the house or buttons, and all the men have beards. At the second SAG in Jamestown we saw a goodly number of them. Shortly after that we all went into a pie shop and sampled home-made fruit pies, my apple pie and ice cream was delicious. It was Sarges's birthday today and he got a rousing chorus of 'Happy Birthday' at route rap later in the day. Chillicothe seemed a nice place as we breezed through and I was not surprised to find it was the home of sliced bread as I had gleaned that piece of trivia from a Bill Bryson book.
I would like to take this opportunity to scotch rumours, put about by the lesser celebrity magazines, that sub-titles were used during my, by now, world famous TV interview as I am now fluent enough in American. Also the bit about me and Kylie Minouge was taken out of context.
Today's distance was 90.2 miles.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Hi Dad,

It's the 4th of July and most importantly it's you Birthday. It's a shame you are so far away and we can't be there to celebrate with you. We hope you ride went well today and your bike is OK.

Enjoy a Birthday drink with your riding crew (DQ and Beer most likely).

We'll have a drink and think of you this evening,

Love,

Neil and Anna

Day 30 Rest Day St. Joseph.

I was up just after 8.00am and that constituted quite a lie-in. After breakfast there was a spot of communal bike cleaning and maintainance to the strains of an MP3 player with a little speaker. The music was mainly 60's and we formed quite a good choir. Richard Walsh from Ireland was interviewed by the local TV station, a pre-arranged interview to do with his charity in India. Various of us were in the background cleaning. Richard's interview was then on the local news later in the day.
The gentleman mentioned yesterday, Jerry Mogg, came to the hotel with his wife in separate vehicles and they then proceeded to shuttle people into St. Joseph to go to the laundry, shopping, bike shop or the museums, what a great couple. Al, Steve, Alan and myself went with Jerry and got a run down on the history of St.Jo while we drove into town. We visited a bike shop first and Alan and I entered into urgent discussions with the mechanic re our technical problems. It was arranged that we would cycle back later so he could see the bikes, so Jerry then dropped us outside the Pony Express museum and we arranged a time to be picked up.
The Pony Express was an amazing venture that only lasted for around 18 months before being superceded by the telegraph, but it is firmly a part of American history. The museum was brilliant. My hero is a bloke called 'Bronco' Miller who was 11 years old when he started riding for the pony express, he lived to be 105 and at the age of 81 wanted something to do so he rode a horse from New York to San Francisco, as you do. Then strolled up to see the house where Jesse James was shot and killed, but it was closed. Having been picked up and taken back to the hotel Alan and I then venture out onto Frederick Boulevard to return to the bike shop. The shop does not normally open on a Monday, but had done so in order for Sean, the mechanic, to catch up on a backlog of work, instead he dedicated himself to helping us out.
Alan's chainring problem was instantly diagnosed as the incorrect middle chainring being fitted. Ther wasn't one available so he eneded up with a Shimano compact instead. My bottom bracket problem was found to be an incorrect size spindle, despite what I was told in Gunnison. The correct size was fitted and a quick spin around the block was confirmation that the problem has now been solved. There may be people well ahead of me in the puncture award section, but I'm in league of my own with regard to bottom brackets!!
Back to the hotel and a spot of dinner then I did my laundry, because by now the rush for the machine was over and I had a free run.
Today's distance was 7.83 miles.

Day 29 Topeka to St. Joseph.

As you, as avid followers of the blog, may have noticed there is often a keen interest taken in the strength and particularly direction of the wind, as it can make or break the ride. Today we were essentially travelling NE and the wind was NNW and strong so we ended up fighting it most of the day. Because it was Sunday morning it was quiet at just after 7.00am when our 5 set off and ended up with many others of the group as we cruised out of Topeka and got onto the highway. The road was typical of the area with rolling roller-coaster type hills that seem endless and relentless. You climb one, zip down the other side to get up as much speed as possible to climb the next one. Sometimes you can crest it, others are too high, then it all starts again. It's like 'interval' training and really saps energy.
I was having trouble shifting the front chainrings as the 'new' bottom bracket wasn't doing the job.
By the time of the first SAG at 30 miles the wind had got right up making progress difficult. After the first SAG my front shifter wouldn't shift so I was stuck in the big chainring for the final 58 miles with lots of hills. Alan was also having difficulty with his front triple chainrings when the chain wouldn't lift from the middle to big ring, just lie between the two so he was, to use his words (at least the ones I can use before the watershed), pedalling fresh air! So with technical difficulties and the wind our progress slowed, but we finally got to the Missouri River at about mile 57 and the town of Atchison. We went over a pretty rickety bridge and stopped on it to take the photos as we left Kansas. Over the bridge and stopped to take the Missouri sign photos.
The road flattened out for while so being in the big chainring was not a problem, but that's not the end of the story. The second SAG at 69 miles was in a nice little park in DeKalb (weird spelling) and we almost missed it.
After that the roller-coasters returned with a vengeance and I found myself out of the saddle a good deal trying to get over the hills. We finally reached the outskirts of St. Joseph and had to go right through to the far side for our hotel, so we got the chance to see what is a lovely neat city with good facilities and lovely parks. We went through a huge park and near the far end came across another ex-Abb rider (remember Colorado?) who provided not only a warm welcome, but lovely drinks and nibbles as well. Jerry Mogg is a great chap and there will be more of him later. I for one was happy to haul myself into the hotel and my quads were wondering what was going on. Will need the rest day tomorrow to recover. The hotel provided free sweets, popcorn, soda drinks of several varieties, a 'goodie bag' and switched the TV to the final of Euro '08, so we sat in the lounge area (with a beer courtesy of Bill) and watched Germany lose to Spain. Al (who is German) was disappointed, but the better team won. Nice dinner and need to sort the bike out again tomorrow, but only after a lie-in!!
Today's distance was 88.3 miles. Total mileage is now 2191.05 miles.

Day 28 Abilene to Topeka.

Going to breakfast this morning it really did look like our weather luck had finally run out. It was cool, very overcast and although it had stopped raining it looked like it could at any time and the forecast was for rain on our route. Again I started with a rain jacket on that got pretty splashed from water thrown up by wheels in front, but it did not actually rain and by the time the first SAG came along I was to take it off.
As our now familiar 5 started and overtook other groups Deb joined us and for a short while Jerry and Rob, then we caught a group with George in and he joined us as well. The 7 of us pushed on at a good pace, each taking a turn at the front, and the morning started to open out into a nice day. The terrain was rolling with many roller-coaster hills, some small and some quite a drag.
The first SAG was at a little town called White City after 35 miles and the SAG was set up in a little Gazebo in a little park. The town was pretty down at heel (trying not to be too unkind) and its claim to fame is that it has 'tandem' toilets, cosy. At 53 miles we crossed the county line into Morris County, but I could not take a photo as we were travelling just below the sound barrier. A little later we came across a herd of buffalo, not exactly 'free range,' but certainly with a large area in which to roam. This qualified as a photo opportunity.
The second SAG was at Eskridge at 76 miles and I still felt that I had a little bit in my legs, but the new bottom bracket was playing up. The chainrings were too far into the frame of the bike and it was making changing between the front chainrings anything but smooth.
The approach to Topeka over the last few miles was with a tailwind so we flew in and when we were within a couple of miles of our Holiday Inn we saw a Holiday Express Inn and mistakenly thought that was our hotel. We tried to head for it but got stopped by the police and turned around as we were heading onto the freeway. We retraced our steps and in a desperate measure actually read the cue sheet properly and so found our way easily.
On arrival we were greeted with iced water from the hotel and the board and map were set up in the lobby. I strolled out side to take some photos of the hotel and area and a girl with a hand held camcorder wanted to know why all the cyclists were arriving. I explained. A little later in the entrance hall Steve George and I were standing in front of the board when a lad with a full blown, shoulder mounted TV camera and microphone came up to us and asked us if we were prepared to be interviewed. Shyly we agreed (!) He took interviews from all three of us and said we could be on the news that evening. At 6.00pm Steve and I watched the news and by the time three or four item of mind blowing mediocrity had gone we were convinced that our moment of fame had passed us by. Then it came on, an opening shot of Al stretching by the side of a sofa and coming very close to getting arrested, Steve and George made an appearence studying the map, then Steve inspecting it even more closely, then cut to the interview with me, great. There is a rumour that there may be a possibility of an Oscar nomination, but I'm playing that one down, well for now anyway. I took a still shot of the TV which came out OK, but fortunately Steve was watching a later broadcast and it was repeated so he got a video of it.
That night we celebrated with a couple of beers in a bar and were just about to leave when offered a free round, it would have been rude to refuse so we didn't. Hope we don't regret it tomorrow, still its not every day I'm on the telly.
Today's distance was 108.94 miles.

Day 27 McPherson to Abilene.

You would have suspected that the 4th of July had come early as nature provided a lightening display that made the one a few nights ago look like a damp squib. It was accompanied by torrential rain and I for one was confident that we would need outriggers fitted to the bikes, I think Shimano do one. Greg our resident meterologist predicted that the front would have passed over by morning, but going to breakfast was a squelch and the lightening display was still going on. Talk was that our 'weather angel,' that had done such a great job since leaving San Francisco, had deserted us. Probably struck by lightening. However, by the time breakfast was over Greg prove himself as the rain stopped and the storm could be seen to be moving away. It was quite windy so the roads dried quickly as well.
We did not rush to start and when we did our 3 plus Bill moved off at a leisurely pace. I was resplendant in my bright yellow rain top, but soon regretted it as it was too warm. After about 11 miles of a severe southerly wind whistling in through my right ear and emerging at the same speed through mt left ear, while the bike was keeled over at a 45 degree angle, the most amazing left turn in the history of cycling occured. At this point, the town of Canton, the wind was now directly behind us as we travelled north towards Abilene. The difference was stunning and the world was suddenly a perfect place. The road was a 'country road' (another John Denver song) and not a highway so there were picturesque farms and houses, loads of nodding donkeys and we bowled along with virtually no effort, pushed by the wind. I felt like we were cheating and kept looking behind to see if anyone was looking.
As a group of gallant chaps we assisted Sue with a front flat (one more for the stats) and at about the 30 mile point we reached the mark on the road that was the official halfway point of our ride. There were the usual photos and Steve had his taken lying in the road by the mark. There was more chance of him being run over by members of the group than by other traffic as the road was so quiet. Other riders arrived and there was a real school outing atmosphere as everyone was in good spirits because of the wind direction and now we were halfway through. The Sag was in the town of Gypsum (twinned with Cement in Moldovia) and there Al showed us his prowess on a borrowed BMX. Told you it was like a school outing. I bought stamps at the local Post Office and the postmistress (are they called that in America?) wanted to know all about the ride. We were taking it so easily that the 'Day Care' group caught us and at one point Steve Foley on his semi-recumbent overtook me and said, 'I've never overtaken you before!' It didn't last long though as I stuck my pump in his spokes (not really).
Abilene is a name I remember from the days of matinee black and white cowboy films and the old part of the town was quaint, though it still had the 'Kansas Cathedrals,' huge grain silos, in attendance. We left that area for the retail/hotel strip which is like every other American town and had a bit to eat in a 'Subway.' Later had a nice dinner in a diner that was dedicated to baseball, but don't start me on that!
I have now added comments to many of the early sets of photos on Flickr. Click the link on the blog to go to Flickr, click on 'sets,' choose the set of photos then click 'details' and the photos will open with the comments. Haven't done them all yet, but I will.
Today's distance was 64.5 miles.

Day 26 Great Bend to McPherson.

It was a very relaxed start to the day and the usual 3 with Alan and Bill, which was rapidly becoming the usual 5, were not actually the last to leave. It was Highway 56 again and although the shoulder was OK to start with it quickly became rough again and the vibration drove you mad. Some riders were riding on the road which was very smooth, but when the vans came along they were moved onto the shoulder, nice try though.
Navigation consisted of, 'right out of the motel, 64.3 miles on '56' and left into the motel', I don't think anyone got lost. The SAG was early at just under 27 miles and was in a very pleasant open building in the shade. The main scenery was fields of wheat or corn with 'nodding donkey' pumps that have been used in the past in the oilfields, but now were employed to pump up water for irrigation.
We slowed our pace a little through Conway and were all together again as we hit the metropolis of McPherson (not sure if it's the home of the strut!!) Someone told me that the founder was someone called, something Birdseye McPherson, but I couldn't take that seriously. Not a bad little town and we did a tour trying to find a DQ. It was hidden about a mile north of our route, but we still found it. Caramel shake is rapidly becoming addictive.
Our hotel was in the retail area so I again went to Walmart for a few bits to replace the bits I left behind in Pueblo. Shopping twice in less than a month is too much, I needed a lie down.
Watched the second semi-final and Spain crushed Russia 3-0.
At Route Rap, Gary, who is an accountant and likes number crunching, gave a very entertaining stats rundown as far as the halfway point that is coming up tomorrow. Alan is in the lead on the puncture front with 11 so far and there are two people, whose names were not released to protect their safety, that have yet to have one. I'm still on one. (touching wood, or at least laminated chipboard). Total amount climbed is somewhere around 10 miles vertically, no wonder I had a nose bleed!
Today's distance was 68 miles.

Day 25 Dodge City to Great Bend.

Our hotel in Dodge City was on Wyatt Earp Boulavard, so it really was like being in the 'wild west.' The alarm didn't go off this morning and we woke only 5 minutes before breakfast was due to start, but we still made it OK. The loading was at 6.45am and it was only then that Steve and Al were going to breakfast, so there was no rush. We finally got started and were 'run out of town' heading east (at least there was no posse after us!). Out on the highway the pace got right up and we were flying along and as we passed Bill he jumped on the train. The shoulder was rough and the vibration through the bike was sapping. I was glad to get to the SAG for a rest. Soon after that we got to the official halfway point of the route between San Francisco and New York, the little town of Kinsley. It is not quite our halfway point. It was a quaint little place with a farm implement museum, a 'Sod House' and a museum of American memorabilia which included a cycle that was riden by a 17 year old from New York to Kinsley, don't recall when, but it may be on the photo I took. There was also a huge locomotive that had been used on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line but was long since retired. It was immense and the main wheels were taller than me. Can't imagine driving one of those. Various daft photos taken, some with the ladies lying on the track in front of the train like Mary Pickford in the old black & white films.
After that the southerly wind was helpful as we went onto Highway 56 which was quieter and we tended to cruise at less than the speed of sound. The scenery was still flat and the shoulder still rough. Reached the second SAG in just over an hour and by now it was hot. There were one or two 'options' again today, but didn't take them as they didn't seem too inspiring, one was a rock from which it is reputed you can see 400 million square miles of Kansas (not to mention the Brecon Beacons), well it was some figure with a 4 in it. We gave that a miss.
Got to Great Bend (so called because the Arkansas River takes a sweeping turn and shoots off towards the Mississippi), and having showered and changed went to an Applebee's to watch the Germany - Turkey semi-final. Al was pleased as Germany won, though they left it late. Set a new record today for the 'Room furthest from reception award,' just over 6 miles. Had a drink or two in the bar and tried out Heineken Dark while Steve tried to revive youthful memories on the juke-box.
Today's distance was 85.7 miles.

Day 24 Garden City to Dodge City.

After the electrical storm and torrential rain of last night it was a relief to open the door and find the world was more peaceful. It was a lovely morning again with high cloud. Today was a short ride so it should be a 'recovery' ride, but the wind is always a factor.
The usual 3 with Alan set off and after a mile or so found ourselves going south and we wondered if we were going the right way, but we were and soon turned left to go east on Highway 50. We kept the pace down so that we could really recover after the last two days and the scenery was pretty much the same as before, flat and featureless. As Gerrard the mechanic said, 'The only interesting thing on the horizon is the horizon.'
There were more huge cattle pens near processing plants and the smell was awful. Lucky it was dry or the stuff on the road would have gone everywhere. Huge farms now with crops of wheat and corn and long irrigation gantries, some about a quarter of a mile long. Huge grain silos also dominated the skyline.
We only stopped briefly at the SAG, which was after 28 miles, and on we went. After the town of Cimerron we stopped at an Historical Marker which gave information about the Santa Fe Trail as used by the early pioneers. There were still grooves visible where the wagon trains had passed and information boards that were very, well, informative.
The next highlight was just short of Dodge City when we found the 'Dodge City' marker with the cowboy sillouettes (is that spelt right or is there an h in there?). Usual photos and then a couple of miles later we were rolling into town and exploring Boot Hill, but only after we had hit a DQ. The road in town, especially near the hotel was terrible and we had to 'dodge' about to avoid potholes that had families living in them. I was leading and ended up pointing out the good bits.
Didn't go to the show that night down at Boot Hill in Miss Kitty's as I spent the time on the computer. Reports were mixed about the show.
Had news about Bob in that he had a fracture to the base of his skull and spent a good deal of time in ITU, but he is making a recovery and has posted an e-mail to us on his web site. He recalls that he hit something that made him fall, so at least it was not a medical reason. He should be out of hospital before too long and hopes to meet us when we go through Ohio, but not to ride.
Today's distance was 55.5 miles.

Day 23 Lamar to Garden City.

After yesterday's long day the prospect of another century did not seem entirely appealing, but the profile was for flat terrain, so if the wind was in the right direction we should be OK. There was no more news of Bob today so we all kept on hoping for the best. Our usual 3 plus Bill and Alan left town and as soon as we got on Highway 50 the pace started to crank up as the wind was helping, though not exactly a tailwind. We were travelling at a steady 24 to 25 mph and each taking a turn at the front and changing over so that each got a rest in turn. We were so intent that we missed the entrance to the first SAG and had to do a swift U turn to go back.
Soon after restarting we were at the Kansas state line and of course the usual photos were taken. The scenery was not exactly inspiring, but it was changing. There were now large farms, far more cultivation with large amounts of irrigation. The road was rolling rather than flat and we often came across huge cattle pens next to the road, the smell from these was not pleasant. Also each little town seemed to have its own skyscrapers, large grain silos that dominated the town right next to the railway. The town name was usually written large on these monsters.
Kept the speed up through Coolidge and Syracuse to the second SAG at Lakin which was after 78 miles and right next to a DQ, had to make a stop in there, be rude not to!
After that my legs were suffering and there was no way I was going to keep that speed up for over 100 miles so the pace mercifully slowed. I wasn't glad Alan got a front flat, but I was glad of the rest. The last 20 miles were a bit of a grovel and I for one was glad to get in. Our average speed was 19.3mph - crazy.
That evening we had a tremendous electrical storm with torrential rain, the first I had seen since San Francisco. Sarge and I watched the lightening for a bit and hoped it would be over before morning.
Today's distance was 104.8 miles.

Day 22 Pueblo to Lamar.

The loading was at 5.00am so the alarm going off at 4.30am was a bit of a shock. Breakfast was slow so we didn't actually get the brisk start to the longest ride of the tour that we may have wanted. Bill joined the other 3 of us and we were the very last to leave, in fact we were holding up the support staff. It was a lovely morning, warm even at this time and clear skies. Being Sunday the roads were quiet as we headed out of town and back onto Highway 50. We soon started catching others of the group and Rob joined us until the first SAG. The scenery was flat and so different to what we were used to. We made good time as we travelled alongside the railway and one engine driver that overtook us gave us a good blast on the horn to say 'good morning,' probably woke up most of the good people of Pueblo. Later had a dog run out of a roadside farm and run alongside barking for a while, but it didn't do anything and finally got bored.
We were just short of the first SAG when ahead of us we saw a police car with lights flashing, an ambulance in attendance and bikes on the ground. We feared the worst and stopped at the scene. The ambulance was about to leave so I spoke to the state trooper who informed me that one of our group had gone down and had a serious head injury. He was being taken to a hospital in Pueblo. It turned out to be Bob from Ohio who had been riding behind Larry and the reason why he went down was not known. We carried on to the SAG and the mood was a little subdued.
On the undulating road we made good time and were going so well that I nearly missed the second SAG.
At the SAG Bill discovered he had a flat so repaired it and then we carried on, but only for another half a mile before he got another one. As he blew up the replacement tube the tube exploded, so had to put another one in. Before the ride was over he was to get two more punctures and was not a happy bunny. The miles ticked by and we treated ourselves to a visit to a DQ in Las Animas after about 85 miles. The wind was quite strong by now and off the right shoulder and swirling so didn't help us at all. We finally reached Lamar, but it was not the sort of place that you would buy a postcard of and our hotel was called The Cow Palace. It was vast and actually quite nice. Best part was it had two computers so I was able to do a bit of admin. and download some photographs. Even though the route was flat the distance was heavy in the heat and I was ready for a rest.
Today's distance was 123.9 miles.

Day 21 Rest Day in Pueblo.

When we told people that we were to get a day off in Pueblo we were treated to a certain amount of sympathy as perhaps it was not the place most people would wish to spend the day if they had a choice. However, our needs were different and the morning was spent doing my laundry and going shopping (at this point several members of my immediate family are in deep shock). I only needed a couple of bits and having got them, left them in my room when we left Pueblo, so that was a waste of time. The afternoon was dedicated to watching the Holland v Russia quarter final of Euro 2008. We got reception to ring the Applebee's bar, as we had spotted large tellys in there the day before that absolutely nobody looks at, and they agreed to put the game on when we arrived. We watched the game with Piet and Hetty who being from Holland gave us the excuse to support the Dutch, but as we all now know, Huw in particular as he had Holland in his office sweep, Russia were the better team and won 3-1. Didn't stop us enjoying the odd beer or two though.
After that it was back to the hotel to check the 'mule' over and then get horizontal as I was taking this rest day seriously. Today was the longest period of daylight hours (not the longest day, they are all the same length) and tomorrow will be the longest ride of the tour so an early night was called for.
Today's distance was 0, if you don't count the fact that the room was about a mile from reception.

Day 20 Salida to Pueblo.

Today was definately a game of two halves, but firstly the team news. David, a lad who had been riding with his dad, was badly dehydrated from yesterday's ride so both of them left this morning for home rather than ride on to Pueblo which was to be the end of their trip. Piet didn't ride again but his wife Hetty did. Bill was back in the saddle as well. We all loaded at 5.30am and then went to Patio Pancakes (they also do sliding doors), where we had probably the best breakfast of the trip. We left town and soon entered Bighorn Sheep Canyon, riding gently downhill alongside the Arkansas River which was pretty lively and at its peak annual flow. The first SAG was after 38 miles and the ride had been easy up to then.
About 8 miles later we took the optional detour, don't we always? to see The Royal Gorge, which we were told meant a short climb and some extra miles. A couple of miles in Alan, who was riding with the usual 4, got a puncture and then discovered his rear tyre was shredding, so he turned to go back to the main road and get help from the van. We carried on and then discovered that the short climb was about a 1000' and in parts was very steep. We had also been told that the entrance fee would be about $8, so we were not amused when sweating and cursing we arrived at the entrance booth to find it was $23. Al and Steve immediately entered into negotiations with the bloke in the booth and got it down to $17, I chipped in that we were going across the country and raising money for charity and he got on the phone, after more persuasion from Steve and Al, to someone and eventually we got in (and all those following)for $9, result. While we were waiting at the booth there were bird feeders hanging from its roof and brilliantly coloured hummingbirds were coming to feed, hovering and putting their long beaks in to drink, only feet away, amazing. It was a this point that the batteries in my camera ran out!! However, being a former boyscout, I had new ones in my back pocket, but after I had changed them the hummingbirds decided to go on strike and as the others were waiting for me I had to go.
In a small zoo we saw Mountain Elk, Bison with young and white Bison. The gorge itself was spectacular and the suspension bridge is the highest in the world. I don't know why it's called the 'Royal' gorge, which royal? America has only had one 'king' and there was no mention of Elvis anywhere. Crossed over that and managed to force an ice cream between my lips on the other side. Saw Sarge and what is affectionately known as his 'Day-Care Group' arrive as we were about to leave. More of them later.
We dropped back down to Highway 50 and looking back west saw the last views of the rockies, the character of the landscape was about to change dramatically. The road was undulating, the temperature was climbing rapidly and the wind was getting up. We missed the second SAG at Canon City so had to call the van for more water. The second half of this ride was not as easy as the first half. The last 20 odd miles into Pueblo saw the wind get very strong and was coming off the right initially, but then a huge storm away to our left meant the wind was over our righ shoulders and progress was slowed. Also the roller-coaster character of the road was sapping. We were all glad to get into the hotel. In just a couple of hours we had left the mountains and were now on the Colorado plains, a practise run for Kansas.
At route rap we said goodbye to several riders who were only going as far as Pueblo and 'au revoir' to Gary who we hoped would join us later in the trip.
The wind by now had shifted again and Sarge's group, who had stayed at Royal Gorge for a good while, didn't get into the hotel until after 6.00pm. At one point they were down to 5 or 6 mph against the headwind. Lucky its a rest day next.
Dinner that night was at a chain of eateries known as The Golden Corral, where having paid to go in you eat as much as you want. It was Friday night and most of Pueblo was in there for what can only be described as a feeding frenzy, it made pirhanas look genteel. However the food was very nice and I only had 7 steaks. (Made that bit up). Then had a farewell drink for Gary in Applebee's.
Today's distance was 103.4 miles. (Total to the end of this tour 1491.45 miles)

Day 19 Gunnison to Salida.

This was it the day that a lot of people had been waiting for, or dreading depending on your point of view, the day we go over The Rockies via Monarch Pass and in doing so crossing the Continental Divide (every raindrop on one side goes west, on the other side goes east. Not that we've seen any rain at all so they could be making it up). Despite the fact that breakfast didn't start until 6.00am I was there at 5.45ish and was not the first. When it filled up I felt there was a tangible sense of anticipation. The stomach bug that was starting to find victims amongst our number claimed Piet and later Bill had to retire after battling through ten miles. Piet's wife did not ride either as she had been up all night looking after Piet.
Our 4 was back together, but we had to wait for Steve to complete a 'live to air' interview with a Sydney radio station. Any excuse for a late start.
The Mule's new bottom bracket seemed to be working OK, but I was keeping my fingers crossed as there weren't many bike shops where we were going. The road out was very pretty and we continually climbed gently towards a wall of rock and snow that frankly didn't look like it was going to allow us over. The first SAG at about 29 miles was reached without putting in too much effort as everyone was saving themselves. Not long after that we were travelling along the valley floor when the road decided to turn right and the tarmac turned up, this was it, 9 miles of climbing that would take us up to 11,312 feet.

Day 18 Montrose to Gunnison.

It was a very early start today and 'Sarge' and I were up at 4.50am and straight into breakfast. There was a lot of climbing involved today, yet at Route Rap last night I found myself volunteering with Bill and Al to go on an optional ride to Black Canyon, which meant a 7 mile climb of 2000' extra, clearly failed another sanity test. As we loaded and set off the sun was turning the snow on the Rockies pink, took a photo, but don't think it will do it justice. Al, Bill and I launched ourselves into the endless stream of 'Ride the Rockies' riders and judging by the speed some of them were going up the first drag they were in for a long day.
Just short of the 7 mile mark we turned off left towards The Black Canyon and the climbing started immediately. Parts of it were about 10% with the general gradient being 6-7%, but it was a nice morning and we saw deer prancing about in the meadows.
It seemed a long climb and when we got to the top we had to pay $7 to get in, luck I had money on me! On the campgrounds notice board there was a 'Bear Warning', nobody mentioned that!!!
The Canyon lived up to its billing and was spectacular. From the lookout point we took the obligatory pictures and saw an eagle soaring from one side to the other below us, stunning.
After staying long enough to justify all the climbing we had to go and then disturbed another deer right by the road. Went back the way we came in and then rejoined the stream of cyclists that would go all the way to Gunnison with us. We were wearing our 'America' shirts to help us stand out for our support staff. There was a lot of climbing and it was made more difficult by the sheer number of 'Rockies' riders. Got to the SAG at the top of The Blue Mesa climb and I was glad of a break. A nice descent brought us to a very nice lake/reservoir which was looking pretty low. Later Al & Bill went straight past the last water SAG as they were OK, but I stopped for water and so spent the last bit wheeling gently into Gunnison. I saw the hotel in the distance and as I drew level with it there was a grinding noise from the bottom bracket area of 'The Mule' and it sounded terminal.
As soon as I got in I got out my tools and took the cranks off and at once could see that the bottom bracket was virtually seized. I wheeled the bike to a local tyre fitters and borrowed their half inch drive to take the bracket out, then borrowed Alan's shoes and bike (he has 'Look' cleats, for those who don't know what that means you'll have to ask a biker), then rode into Gunnison, found a decent bike shop and the bloke described the bracket as 'toast'. Bought a new one and rode back to replace it. By dinner The Mule was back in business and hasn't put a hoof wrong since.
Today's distance was 76.5 miles (including the 14 mile option to Black Canyon).

Day 17 Grand Junction to Montrose.

Today was supposed to be a 'recovery' ride over reasonable terrain, but it didn't quite work out that way. Breakfast was at 6.00am and we were there early. I'm amazed at the amount I can now pack away whereas normally it's a cup of tea and a cereal. Pumped my front tyre up properly and hoped that I was not going to get unlucky with punctures. When everyone was loaded we all set off together, which was unusual, and we were led out by Sue, the lady who welcomed us into Colorado with an ice lolly, who is local and led us along a bike path beside the Colorado River. The river was swollen and last week it flooded part of the path, but it was dried out for us to go through. Highway 50 is to be our road for a long time and I hoped it would be more pleasant than the Interstate, but it isn't really.
The temperature was rising and it was quite warm by the time we got to the SAG at 33 miles we had climbed a number of decent hills. The scenery was parched and rugged and the snowcapped Rckies were looming in the distance. Just after the SAG I saw a sign for Rattlesnake Gulch, but it as not appropriate to get a photo. Eventually dropped into the little town of DElta and saw a Dairy Queen (known as a DQ and never knowingly passed), so we were straight in there for a delicious, cold chocolate milk shake. By the time we got to Montrose it was in the high 90s F and later got to 103F. Around the town there were loads of cyclists as the 'Ride the Rockies' event was crossing our path and tomorrow we would ride the same route as them to Gunnison. They do a 7 day ride which basically goes up and down the Colorado Rockies, mad, and there are 2,300 approx of them.
Got a nice lunch in a real eatery with no processed food and then I tried to get money from a Wells Fargo office, but they didn't have any!! Perhaps the stagecoach had been held up. I then went to a drive-thu bank, or in my case a cycle-thru bank and got my card to work. Went for dinner at 7.30pm and it was still over 90F. There was a little anxiety around the group tonight as the next two days see us going over the Rockies with plenty of climbing.
Today's mileage was 74.2 miles.