Nearly there!

Getting close to the end! The hill is finally clean - all the nets are rolled and put away and we are just finishing off spooling all the ropes. Then we will be done for another year! Friends are all leaving - going home to their real jobs!! When all the work is done I will have to pack away all my belongings from the appartment and put it in the locker ready for next season.

I am getting very excited about going home and trying out my new bike! It's a Specalized tri cross. I have been ordering stuff like mad - trying to get ready for the trip! Many thanks to many companies for helping me out - Specalized, Crank Brothers, Schwalbe, Carousel Designs, Gore and Uvex. And special thanks to Roswell Bikes for patiently putting my new bike together as I want it as all the different parts have arrived!!

It is going to be good to see everything and see if I can actually manage to fit it all in my bags and stay below my trip weight limit of 46KG! Thats for all of my stuff for 4 months excluding the bike!!

Well I had better go to work its snowing again it allways does when we take down a race course just to make it that little bit harder!!

Great Work Out on the mountain!

Legs are sore but not from riding as I have not been on the bike as much as I had hoped! But I am still getting a good work out every day. We are running around the mountain on snow mobiles collecting equipment from all over the plac We have 4 main areas where the people on skis drag equipment to - we then load it into a snow cat or on to a snow mobile and transport it to our warehouse on the mountain! This is where the heavy nets and equipment gets put away and stored.
Its hard work with lots of lifting, so a great work out so I should be in good shape for Africa!!

Merry Christmas

We just wanted to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year!
Paul is going to be at home with the family in Roswell, GA for Christmas and New Year and is looking forward to riding with the team from Roswell Bikes on Boxing Day (December 26th).

If you still have some holiday shopping to do and are stuck for gift ideas perhaps you might like to consider making a donation to either of Paul's charities in the recipient's name! Don't forget to leave a message in the guestbook as well! Just select the DONATE NOW buttons and you will be taken to the appropriate pages!

Thanks for your continued support!

Donate to the TDA Foundation

Just trying out this link!
http://yeshesmad.chipin.com/the-tour-dafrique

World Cup

Excited -Downhill day - got the early bus at 5.40 am to start work at 6.00 am. Weather was looking really good, the track was in great shape and most of the powder had gone. I had a full dye crew for once, we did two good laps of the course putting down the dye - everything was looking great!! I had all 8 of my dye packs in use for the first time ever. It was too good to be true! Next thing we heard the race was postponed due to heavy winds - and then it was cancelled!! Really disappointed!

Take Two - Super G Day - another early start. Everything in great shape again - the set looked good with some interesting turns and this time everything went to schedule. Early morning there was a threat of snow but by race time it had all cleared up and the World Cup was underway!! One of those interesting turns however took out the US stars, Bode Miller and Ted Ligerty among others!! Another turn tested our A net with a crash right in front of me - but it was a great race. - well done Georg Streitberger from Austria for today's win.

GS tomorrow!!

Birds of Prey World Cup Men's Downhill

Have been working for 2 weeks now and everything is finally ready - the hill has been watered;all the A and B nets have been put up and a couple of hundred volunteers are here to help!
Yesterday we managed a training run and all went very well but it was so cold . My job is to run the dye crew - we draw the blue lines on the snow which help the racers see the terrain.
Today was Day 2 of downhill training - what a lot of work! It kept snowing so we kept having to put more dye down!
The course is looking in good shape. They have changed it a little this year. Haven't managed to ride (cycle) for a couple of days but my legs are still getting a good work out with 3 X 10+ hour days in a row!!
Looking forward to getting the order sent in for my new bike - Specalized Tricross - for Africa. Just getting things sorted with the help of Roswell Bikes.
Its only 730 but I am so tired - think I will have to go to bed. Training again tomorrow and start work at 6 am.

For more information about the Birds of Prey go to http://www.beavercreek.com/events-and-activities/world-cup.aspx

Paul's TDA Profile

Check out the Brits who will be participating in the Tour D'Afrique 2011 - they are profiled on the TDA facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/tourdafrique

Help Paul raise money for the TDA Foundation

Donate to Paul's Charities

Matthew has now updated the website to allow for donations to the two charities Paul has chosen to support as he faces the challenge of the Tour D'Afrique. Once again he is going to raise money for the Lupus Foundation of America in honour of little sister, Marie, and is also going to support the Tour D'Afrique Foundation which supports various causes in the African countries they pass through, notably in their donation of bicycles to help the local communities.  Please consider these charities as part of your charitable giving plans at this time of year and beyond and show Paul your support in the best way possible.
Click the DONATE button to find out more and make a contribution online.   Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving

To all our American friends out there - hope you are having a great day and get to eat lots of turkey.  I am looking forward to a huge meal with all the gang here in Beaver Creek (get the day off!). Anybody thinking of joining us for the men's Downhill World Championship next week will be pleased to know we have had a quite a bit of snow already as well as the snowmaking machines at full throttle!
Looking forward to seeing mum and Julie out here next Thursday!

Paperwork Preparation!

This is the part I hate! I need to get my visas sorted for Sudan and Ethiopia - but timing is everything. Just heard I have approval (via TDA) from the Sudan Government to apply for a Sudanese visa - but it takes a few weeks for the approval to get passed through to the actual embassy!  Need to get that one in my passport before I can apply for the Ethiopian one!  Apparently they've never had any problems in the past ......................

Website Changes!!

The website is currently still being updated and I am pleased to add a new feature - The Guestbook

I would really appreciate it if anyone who visits the site would give it a sign. I would love to hear from everyone!!

Sunday Morning with Roswell Bicycles

Enjoyed this morning's ride - but decided to do an extra 35 or so miles afterwards. However got a little lost and ended up doing a bit more - 99 miles in all! Weather is great for it though here in Roswell, GA - might as well make the most of it while I can!
Exciting news that Uvex is going to give me a brand new helmet for the Tour D'Afrique - thanks there!
Still got a lot more to sort out though - can't wait to start!

Where in the world is Paul?

Currently in Roswell, Georgia, US - preparing for Colorado and making sure everything is in order for my trip to Africa!  Get my last vaccination today - then just have to sort out visas and insurance!!

Have had a couple of days on Lake Lanier - the first time managed to get some wakeboarding in - its been a while so I was a bit rusty - good fun though! Second time went out with friends Chris & Rachel and their two little girls.

Have been cycling regularly of course. Joined up with the group from Roswell Bikes for Sunday morning weekly 50 mile ride - its great to be riding in a group for a change - met some really great guys and picked up some very useful info!  Also cycled to Alabama (and back) the other day on the Silver Comet Trail - about 120 miles along what used to be a railway track!

Now the new website is a bit more organised I will start blogging again!

A Brand New Look Website

After the success of my Guinness World Record I have had a complete re-vamp of the website. I hope you guys like it - hopefully its a bit easier to navigate and well, just looks a bit more professional.

Thanks very much to my little brother for all his help on this.

DAY 45 New York, New York

The last day! It was nice not to be in a hurry as I only had a short distance to go for a change!
Started in upper Manhattan and made my way over to the bike path on the Hudson River. I slowly rode along the river enjoying the views. It was no good going too fast as I didn't want to arrive at City Hall before 12 noon. Every now and then some one would come past me and I would nearly take off after them!!
It was a really nice day with the sun out - the path was busy with runners and bikers.
About half way along there was a little concert going on so I stopped to watch for a while.
When I got closer to where I had to turn in to the city hall I could see the Statue of Liberty - very impressive!
When I made the turn I only had a mile to go but had to fight with the traffic a bit. Didn't want to be late now! As I got close i could see a crowd of people and the van - it was a great feeling to see the end. I nearly let go of the bars to cheer but then decided not to - didn't want to crash as I hadn't so far!! Had to go up on to the pavement to the finish ribbon which the girls had put up.
There were a lot of people all taking photos - felt very strange! It was great to see every one Marie Matthew Anna Helen and Dean's mum and dad.
I can't believe we had made it - and without me and Dean killing each other!!
After checking the data Morgan presented me with the record and then we took plenty of pictures it was a great feeling!
After the crowd dispersed we all left to get ready for a celebration dinner party later that evening!

Thanks everyone for your fantastic support - hope you can join me on the next adventure!!

Day 44 (Morning) - A terrible sleep!

I got a terrible sleep – thanks to the orchestra of snoring (or heavy breathing) from Dean, Matt, Marie and Helen (they each swear it wasn’t them!). Dean also kept kicking me during the night – thanks (will be so relieved when we no longer need to share a bed!) and it was boiling!

We all woke up late and missed breakfast – they are always pretty useless anyway. What is a continental breakfast anyway??

Day 43 - Two Surprises!

We started in New Beaver, PA. From the offset it was very hilly (again). I didn’t manage to get a good breakfast in so had to stop after around 20 miles in New Midia to refuel – we had a very good lunch with a really nice waitress.

It was hilly after lunch which really sucked as I thought we were done with all the hills – the roads were pretty crap to which didn’t help matters. There was a massive downhill section where I managed to pick up a LOT of speed which was pretty scary as the road was scattered with holes.

Day 42 - Reliving the Past

Leaving Lewisburg - was immediately faced with a big hill - same pattern as yesterday - big climbs and descents! Finally a really steep climb of 700 m followed by a decent downhill where I managed to catch up with some slow trucks. Afternoon got easier- where the morning had been really slow - I was only averaging about 10 miles per hour but the afternoon was faster as the terrain changed and I was cycling alongside rivers and through valleys.

Day 41 - Strange Roads...

Straight away this morning it was super hilly - 50 metres up, 50 down - so hilly that I was even having to break on the downs so wasn't actually getting the advantage of rolling on the way down!! We stopped for an early lunch as we couldn't get on to the road we had planned which meant changing maps. Eventually the roads mellowed out and became easier with a tail wind to help somewhat. Though didn't t make too much of a difference as I was amongst the trees most of the time. There were some strange roads to cope without the end of the day when we had to go off road - gravelly new top surfaces - kind of scary at times! Again it got really hilly - in fact we managed about 2800 m worth of climbing over the course of the day! We had been warned about the Appalachians by Sheriff John last week!!

Day 40 - Starting to ease up!

Left Mansfield this morning after a pretty good breakfast in the hotel. It was a decent sized town and as I passed through I was rewarded with a good tail wind once again - again very rural. There were lots of twists and turns to the roads, with the route zig zagging back and forth between country lanes and highways. We stopped for lunch near Dalton and the afternoon continued a lot cooler - temperatures now only around the 70 - 80's - what a difference - helping the ride considerably! The ride was smooth out there in the country as we headed for New Beaver. Bit of a miscommunication with Dean as we were working from different maps at one stage - I only had 1 day in my Garmin and Dean had moved on to the next day! Anyway we covered about 130 miles - our last long day for the trip having now completed over 4200 miles! Our daily rides should now be considerably shorter getting easier every day. Oh yes about 10 miles before the finish today we crossed from Ohio to Pennsylvania - I have to say the road in Ohio towards the state line was terrible - once I hit PA it improved considerably!!

Day 39 - Relearning how to smile

Stayed the night in a hotel in Celina after our day off. Set off riding going directly east and finally the wind was helping! It was really a nice relaxed morning -a flattish road with just a few ups and downs! Covered about 54 miles before lunch. Again the afternoon continued in the same way with a tail wind to help - in fact about half way through the afternoon I remembered about enjoying myself and to smile again - it's hard to enjoy when you have your head down trying to battle through the wind - but that was all behind me and the afternoon went really well!! We started to leave the farms and fields behind and move into a more rural, uncultivated area traveling towards Mansfield. Managed to get a bit lost - in fact all my electrical gadgets died on me and so I never received Dean's message saying to go ahead and meet up - so I ended up finding a hotel room, going on the Internet to get his number from our website to call him so he could join me at the Holiday Inn!!

Day 38 - Day Off at the fair!

We had a lazy start to the day - a long lie in which made us too late for breakfast so we had to go looking - amazingly we found a restaurant offering brunch which was great. After lazing around at the hotel for a while we went exploring the town having been told there might be a Demolition Derby at the fair we had seen. First though we found a swimming pool so cooled off in there for an hour or so. No DD at the fair but they did have a truck pulling competition - basically two trucks at a time strapped together in a tog-of-war contest!! We then went on a few roller coaster rides so all in all it was a fun day off!! By the way just as well we didn't try the poisonous lake - we found out a dog had died in it earlier after going for a swim!!

Day 37 - ID'ed for water?

Set off from Lafayette on a fairly empty road and managed to ride 64 miles before stopping for lunch! Into a headwind as usual but a fairly flat road so no real problems. Had lunch in a strange little bar where we were ID'd even though we had no intention of drinking any alcohol! Half a day left! Met a road closure but was only about a mile detour so not too bad and the wind was lessening. It was a pretty smooth afternoon and in fact the wind did die down to a slight breeze. Hit another detour but eventually found ourselves in Celina excited at the prospect of spending our rest day by the lake. Unfortunately we discovered it was closed due to a poisonous algae!! Typical!

Day 36 - Who invented time-zones?

After the interview with the journalist from the Bloomington Pantagraph said good bye to mum and set off. Had a few problems with my gears previously which we thought was the battery but now seems more likely to be a loose connection! The roads were fairly decent again - need I even mention there was a headwind? We were on a nice quiet road just north of Hwy 26 - would see a car maybe every 10 minutes or so!  I felt OK. However the route didn't enter into my GPS correctly I managed to lose Dean - in the end I was able to text him (phone out of credit) "Come find me!" which amazingly he did! Had a decent pizza at last (Dean's reward) at Pizza Hut.

Carried on in the afternoon and the wind thankfully died down - however the humidity increased and it felt really, really hot. Stopped for a quick snack in the van after about 75 miles - I really felt exhausted and just didn't want to get out of the van and set off again.  But I snacked up and continued - felt as though I really struggled for the next 10 miles but then got a little burst of energy ( must have been the banana) and managed to finish the rest of the day fairly easily. Reached Lafayette - the biggest university I have ever seen - set near the river.There was a great choice of restaurants on the other side of town for the first time for ages - seemed like anything we wanted to choose. However we desperately needed a shower so we found a fitness club where they very kindly let us in for free to take a shower. Thanks guys.

However we were then really miffed that we couldn't find anywhere still open to eat at only 20 to 10 in the evening. Then we realized we had gone through another time zone which really messed us up again! Finally found somewhere to eat but got to bed really late. It's going to be a late start tomorrow!!

Day 35 - Sheriff John

Free continental breakfast - but where's my bacon and eggs?? Drove back across the Mississippi once again to see if the van was still there! We were greeted enthusiastically by Sheriff John - as a fellow cyclist he was very interested and supportive. We wish him luck in Carthage's local bike race "ride the Sheriff out of Town" and thanks for the t shirt and badges. Mum and Dean went to visit the town's old jailhouse famous as the place where Joseph Smith was murdered along with several supporters.

I set off riding - finally a break from the weather -a tailwind!! Made good time till lunch at 55 miles. We continued to make good time travelling through beautiful countryside reminding us of England - very green with lots of fields full of crops ( corn and soy beans) We stopped at a local elementary school to find a witness - the kids go back next week!! Got hotter as the afternoon went on -93 degrees at 5 pm. Right at 100 miles the battery died on my electronic gears leaving me two working gears to finish the day - didn't really matter as the roads were still fairly flat. I entertained myself today by looking out for the caution signs for the Amish horse and carts and although I didnt see any real ones today I did notice tracks at the side of the road. We ended up in Bloomington - another hotel - going to miss mum when she returns to Atlanta in the morning!!

Day 34 - Iowa: Our Surprise State!

Had breakfast with mum in Milan (not quite such a ghost town as I had thought yesterday) in an old store which sold all sort of oddities as well as providing breakfast for the locals. Don't think they had had too many UK visitors! By the way it is pronounced Mylan.

Dean dragged someone out from City Hall to act as a witness and off I set back to Kirksville again with a crosswind in my face-of course! Not so bad though - it was an easy 30 mile ride and then time for lunch! The wind finally died down in the afternoon and I made pretty good time for next 50 miles - then the storm came rolling in. Amazing lightening and claps of thunder with a very strong head wind. The rain was so heavy it was hurting my arms and I couldn't see properly - it was like having my face in a shower. Just in time Dean turned up with a pizza which gave me the energy to carry on and get wet three more times.

We crossed the Missisipi from Iowa into Illinois and I was surprised at the low altitude of the river at this point - I would have expected to be much higher above sea level this far from the coast. Struggled to the end of the day through the headwind in the dark - ended up at Dairy Queen in Carthage. There was nowhere to stay there so we left the van and trailer outside the County Jail but Dean left the sheriff a note. We drove back to Keokuk in Iowa - considering we hadn't realized we were even cycling through the state we ended up spending quite a lot of time there!!

Day 33 - The Things You Learn On the Road (plus a Special Treat!)

Struggled with breakfast again this morning -wasnt feeling great! Headed off on my bike on to a dirt road almost immediately for no good reason (gps going nuts again) Before I knew it we had two flat tyres - Dean had to return for me with mum in tow. We tried to use an old one we thought we had fixed - but it only lasted about 100 metres - which explains the second one - lesson learned never: never buy patches from Walmart again. Haven't seen a bike shop since California! Finally on main road again - the going was a lot better! Stopped for food as soon as got to next town -historic looking Maysville-set out in a square around the large brick town hall building -a style which we saw repeated again and again! The friendly county clerk saw us off! After that the crosswinds started to die and conditions improved -still 1 mile slight hill up then down: up and down. It was steeper in the morning. It went pretty good all afternoon - very hot at about 100 degrees and humid now as well - no breeze helped the riding but made me feel even hotter.
I explained to mum and Dean that it was interesting reading all the billboards posted by the farmers listing info about their crops and the chemicals and fertilizers used on them -one section seemed to be a test area as each row was listed as something different. They laughed at me -but hey you have to think of something as you ride along!! It was also dairy farming country -we all smiled at the one cow standing in the middle of a pond to cool down! Anyway it was good riding so rather than stop again Dean bought me a burger from Jamesport -an amazing Amish town where you felt you were back in the 19th century. I ate it in Trenton which was a busier area. I saw Amish farmers driving their crops round in large flatbed drawn by two horses. All in all a good days riding! We stopped in Milan -another ghost town from the past, where we struggled to find anywhere to stay -mum insists on a hotel room rather than the van!!


A Special Treat!

We had a special treat this evening. Dean had been chatting with Ellen and her daughter Liz on Facebook -initially via the lupus page and the contact with Lincoln City with JB and Rebecca at the Pacific Grind Cafe (seems that Ellen comes from that area). Anyway they live about 30 miles north from Milan so very generously invited us to dinner along with dad and Liz's friend April. What an amazing and fun family- we all had a great evening and didn't feel like strangers at all. Cannot thank them enough for their support and wish Liz all the best for her wedding next year! Again Ellen reminds us of the reality of why we are trying to raise money for charities like the Lupus Foundation!

Day 32 - Rest Day: Motherly Love!

Work up in the hotel for a rest day finally – this time I really feel I need it!
Went for a late breakfast then back to hotel -had a few things to sort out with mum so chatted to her on the phone - imagine my surprise when there was a knock on the door a few minutes later and in she walked! I was very confused !

Dean of course knew all about it - it was really nice to see her! We chatted and lazed around for a few hours and then went off to explore St Joe - mum drove the rental car - a real treat for us! We tried to find a beach park on the river - but failed! Finally found somewhere decent to eat though and had a drive round St Joseph - must have been an amazing place in its hey day but rather neglected now - Dean saw a run down house on the market for $12000 -if only he could transport it to Castle Donnington! After a swim back at the hotel, more food and then bowling it was time for bed! By the way, Deano won!

Day 31 - It seems I am not the only Mad one!

Set off from Walsenburg to meet the guy from the local paper -Dan for a photo shoot, He said he also wanted to catch me with another rider out on the road -Don Delmonte who is riding his horse across America in the opposite direction in order to raise awareness around teenage suicides, Nice idea I thought but that's never going to happen - but sure enough about two miles down the road I see a guy on a horse coming towards me!, Check out the photos!,

Rode all morning with mainly a crosswind, now and then turning to a headwind -getting used to this by now! Legs felts really dead - very tired -but just kept going, Stopped for a late breakfast and then back to the headwind/ crosswind traveling east along the same road for some time, it was very hot -the ride was going well today but I just wanted to get to the end!

Just before reaching St Joe's the countryside began to change -more trees for a start which did provide some shelter from the sun now and then, Felt good to leave Kansas behind as we entered Missouri, looking forward to a lazy day off and hoping for some kinder weather ahead!!

Day 30 - Well they say things come in threes!

We woke up next to a lovely lake area - it was a shame that we not managed to arrive earlier the night before. It would have been really nice to relax a little there. I headed off with the same crosswind from the day before which annotingly turned (again) into a headwind after a couple of hours.

I struggled all day again today. Thankfully after 120 miles the wind broke and I was able to make up the extra 40 miles that I was needing. It feels good to be back on schedule. Kansas has not been an easy state - in reality its probably been the worst three days of downhill ever. Lets hope for better tomorrow!!

Day 29 - Another bad day!

Stayed in sharon springs and had a decent start at 11. Good flat roads, wind was off to the side for the first hour or two then changed to a headwind which made riding really hard then to make things worse I turned into a dirtroad for twenty miles too. At the end of tthe road we took a turn to east to north and there was sttill a headwind somehow. 20 miles later we turned east for another headwind. gradually got stronger almost blowing me off, totally fed up and wanted tto give up almost. managed to make up 20 miles from the preevious day but still 10 miles short, nut found a great spot to camp where i went skiny dipping. Not liking kansas.

Day 28 - Bad Day (the less said the better)

Cooked breakfast and then discovered I actually had water inside the frame of my bike so spent some time sorting that out! Then headed off on what turned out to be the worst day ever! It was very flat but with a very strong headwind - I struggled against it all day long. With it being so flat I missed the downhills where at least I can have a rest from pedaling for a while! Really struggled and eventually gave up about 40 miles short of Oakley to stay in a hotel for a night and get a shower! Hopefully tomorrow will be a lot better and we can catch up with the missing miles. Still chasing that 3000 mile marker!!

Day 27 - Storm Surfing

After getting the tyres fixed in Pueblo we had breakfast and drove back to Walsenburg to continue from where we had finished yesterday! Cycled straight into a headwind - still a little bit hilly -although we were now in the Colorado Plains so more rolling hills than anything else. It gradually got flatter! We had lunch in Rocky Ford - a little off route - and then set off again heading north. As I cycled I could see a big thunderstorm brewing to the west of me - looked rather dark and threatening - a bit scary. So I pedaled as fast as I could as I knew I would need to turn to the east pretty soon and that seemed to be also where the storm was headed. I made the turn and the storm kicked up right behind me - it was brilliant -so much fun - storm surfing! I was going about 25 -35 mph along the road with the storm right behind me pushing me along! Absolutely flying alongside the deserted Pacific Coast railway tracks - empty train cars lining the side! Whenever the road turned of course I would get the side wind which blew me and the bike all over the place! There was nobody else on the road and Dean stayed close by the whole time - he would catch up have a chat, then go ahead till we swapped again!

We eventually made it to Haswell which turned out to be a ghost town - couldn't even find a witness! We stayed in the van in the centre of town!

Day 26 - Seriously? More Climbing?

Left town and started climbing again – a massive 8 miles and 3,000 foot climb to the top - ~ 3400 metres altitude to Wolf Creek Pass (a ski resort). Over the top to a pretty cool downhill – very steep at first so very quick! Then down in to the valley – smooth roads and the wind behind me – so able to put away some miles!
We had lunch in South Fork (where we should have finished yesterday) – then continued to the other side of the valley and started to climb again! Into the headwind – another killer – about 2900m.

Once again it started to rain as it got dark – got the waterproofs out and sailed down the other side finishing just west of Walsenburg – back on schedule (well about 5 miles off actually). It was a really hard day today – 155 miles - but done with the Rockies in only two days so feeling good about that – a couple of rainstorms and two massive passes – legs are feeling pretty tired! Am looking forward to flat land ahead!!

In the van on the way to Pueblo to get 4 new tires!! Good night!

Day 25 - Climbing, Climbing, Climbing!

Rode about 7 miles away from Cortez – then stopped to go and look at the ancient archaelogical preserve – Mesa Verde National Park – amazing cliff dwellings where the ancient Puebloans lived for over 700 years (http://www.visitmesaverde.com/). We had a good look round the area – well worth the 25 mile detour! However this did put us behind on the day’s schedule.

Returning to the route we then started our first big climb - ~2500 m – changing from desert to green trees as we made the climb. Stopped in Durango for lunch – still no phone signal and still finding it difficult to eat properly.

The afternoon was flat and boring – but very green! The heavens opened at nightfall - I got soaked and lost Dean for a while – we managed to keep passing each other without the other person realizing – in the end I just chased after him as he passed! We ended up in the small town of Pagosa Springs to spend the night!

Day 24 - Four Corners: Closed?!

Really struggled to eat breakfast, Deano is the same for some reason. Felt good on the bike though - flat road, downhill, good speeds meant for swift progress. Lunch was awful and tasteless, left most of it but it was all we saw for miles. Visited Four Corners (where you can stand in 4 states at one time with a little contortion) but it was closed so we carried on into Colorado where we went uphill for the remainder of the day. Headwind also did not help - desperately wanted the day to end as felt hungry and worn out. Made a great moral boost for the final 20 mile though as this went rather quickly.

Day 23 - REST DAY in Monument Valley

Day off. We travelled to Monument Valley for a massive breakfast and to view the large famous rocks. Pretty spectacular! After travelling around for a few hours we headed back to the hotel we booked for that afternoon but received a blow out en route. Got to the hotel and went for a swim. Received a surprise phone call from mum, who had managed to track us down despite lack of signal so no communications for a few days. Had a meal later that night but started to struggle to sleep and eating after this day. Can never seem to sleep on a day off.

Day 22 - On A Roll

Woke up and tried to get a helicopter ride but all were sold out, so we drove to the Grand Canyon ourselves and did the tourist thing. After that we drove back to Cameron to start the day's ride - rather late start. Slightly downhill to begin with, really smooth and no wind. Got up to speed early then the road remained smooth but went slightly uphill. Did not stop for lunch as we were on a roll. After a brief section where the road was awful it then turned amazing and had a slight tail wind for quicker speeds. Spurred on by the thought of a day off I finally completed 100 miles in 5 3/4 hours. No hotel though so we had to sleep in the van.

Day 21 - The Wild West

Woke up at the side of the road, cooked bacon and eggs and headed off to find old Route 66. The road was terrible and I was struggling on the road bike, so finally got out the mountain bike. The GPS sent me back towards the highway, expecting to go 1 mile of rough terrain but ended up not being able to get over the train tracks, so ended up doing an 8 mile off road detour, before making it back to the highway (I40) and continuing on it from there on as bikes were allowed as long as it was on the hard shoulder. Decent road for a while until Williams where we had lunch in a real Wild West town. The rain started pouring after dinner and the hard shoulder on the motorway was as bad as route 66 earlier. After the rain finished I then had a flat tyre, then five mins later another and then more rain fell whilst changing it. I was not very happy by this stage and the road was awful. When the road did get better it was all uphill and the landscape changed from desert to forest. When i finally made it to the top, the rest of the way was downhill, the rain stopped and the road was in great condition. Covered about 35 miles in less than two hours. Day was the worst yet but then turned into the best yet. Spent the night parked up at the Grand Canyon after driving there at the end of the day's cycling!!

Day 20 - Hoover Dam

July 27th

We stayed at a casino hotel last night in the Hoover Dam - $25!! We looked around and Dean said I was a miserable sightseeing companion – it was ridiculously hot!! We then set off and took an exit down to the Colorado River – went swimming and had a BBQ on the beach! Then we drove back to our starting point in Golden Valley ready to set off about 2pm. It had cooled down a little by this time! We joined historic Route 66 – very flat with a good wind behind me! Was still hungry though so continually looking for somewhere to stop - all the petrol stations/ restaurants were deserted – it was like a ghost town. Dean stopped off at a small Route 66 museum which he said was good! Finally found a little café that was open – in the middle of nowhere! After that it got dark – and was nice and cool to cycle – probably for about 3 hours. It was rather eerie at times – just me on the roads – no lights or noise!! The cool breeze was lovely!!

Day 19 - Still Desert(ed)

July 26th:Day 19

When we left the restaurant last night after dinner it was still over 110 degrees outside – just insane! Realizing we would boil alive in the van overnight we found ourselves a hotel for the night! This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and organized the van – I replaced the gears on my bike and gave it a good clean!

We had finished yesterday in the middle of the dessert so drove back there ready to pick up where I had left off! Surprisingly enough we found a guy messing around with his truck in the same spot so he was our starting witness for the day! There we all were in the middle of nowhere!!

We weren’t sure if we could go on the Highway or not at first but according to the signs we were OK. Thank goodness – otherwise I would have had to get my mountain bike out again! There was a killer climb in the morning – followed by a really long downhill to Needles which was where we had stayed last night. It was unbearably hot there – the slight breeze had turned into that hot hairdryer in your face again. We had a late lunch in Needles and then set off. Dean had to stop every 5 miles as I was going through so much water – the worse thing was that the last few mouthfuls of the bottle are hotter than I have my morning coffee!!

We then travelled north from Needles along the Colorado River through Boar Head where there are lots of casinos. The river looked so welcoming – I just wanted to dive in! After that we started on our first proper hill – into the mountains – went up about 1000 m – it was getting dark as I went down the other side. We finished for the day in Golden Valley and are now in the van driving towards the Hoover Dam!

Day 18 - Welcome to the Desert!

OMG – Wow!!

That was a hard day and I am seriously tired!!

Set off from Desert Springs – no Desert HOT Springs – with HOT being the main word – this morning. There were wind turbines everywhere. Left in the scorching sun with a lovely cross wind – not helping much on a bike. As Dean said its like a hot hairdryer aimed at your face! Turned and was then riding in a headwind – there was a town after about 10 miles and another after about 25 and then got in to the desert big time! Went round the side of a small mountain – with the van only just making it. There was a great downhill into a massive flat plain – surrounded by mountains with a salt farm in the middle. Quite fascinating to see the piles of salt and all the fields which had been drained!

I was desperate for food so Dean stopped and cooked mac and cheese at the side of the road – then just around the corner there was a café – though turned out it just sold crisps and cakes and coke – anyway we snacked out on all they had!! We were hoping it would cool down a bit as it got later but no chance!! Dean stopped again and cooked rice and tuna – and eventually the sun set and it did get a bit cooler. I cycled two hours in the dark and probably did more than in the previous 4 hours!

I am seriously tired today – Dean is seriously tired!! We reckon I drank about 20 litres of water plus milk, Gatorade, juice etc. 2 water bottles about every 5 miles!!

Day 17 - West-to-East: The Beginning

Just finished a long, long day! - started at about 10.30 this morning from LA City Hall (as required by Guinness) but at first couldn’t find anyone to act as starting witness – we eventually got hold off a couple of police officers so that was OK. There was the usual madness trying to get out of LA – loads of traffic lights.

It was slightly uphill all day out towards the mountains – I had the wind behind me for the middle part of the day which was good – however it got hotter and hotter as the day progressed.

Towards the end of the day we arrived at a private Indian Reservation and at first the lady at the gate would not let us through – however when we explained what we were doing and showed ID she eventually gave us a visitor’s pass for the day. It all seemed very strange though – some very grand houses – not at all what I expected! On the other side we were able to ride along the Highway for a while – but then had to leave it and got to a point where we just ran out of road. We decided to get the mountain bike out for a ride but still just kept getting stuck with closed roads etc. It was all very frustrating! We finally found a route through and after several hours arrived here in Dessert Springs where we have just found ourselves a room for the night!! It’s going to be a hot day tomorrow!!

Day 16 - Dean's Day: LA Style

Many thanks to Matthew’s friend Sophie De’Sellier for letting us crash at hers for two nights! It meant a late night after we found each other and then had a chat! Sophie is very busy training to ride her HORSE across Mongolia (wouldn’t catch me doing that one!!). We had a lie in and then after breakfast went star searching (as you do) – went to Hollywood Boulevard, Beverley Hills, saw lots of fancy houses – all the things Dean had on his list (I am not much fun to sightsee with) – the traffic was a nightmare! We then went down to the beach – unfortunately a little late to paddle board as planned – but we did watch some excellent surfers as there was some sort of exhibition going on. We were really surprised at how cold it was – we had originally thought it would get hotter as we travelled south but that hadn’t happened. California had been very chilly – I suspect we might miss that feeling when we get to the desert!

Day 15 - North-South Leg: Done

Day 15

So I am now at the border of the USA and Mexico - which means one thing: I have completed the first leg of my journey, on schedule and so far (fingers crossed) without incident.

I started in Laguna Beach right on the coast - it was a pretty miserable morning (I was cold) but that did not prevent a ton of surfers out enjoying the waves. The journey was fine but I got into a bit of chaos while in Sand Diego - stoplights everywhere, stop signs on the bike lane, bike lane taking me onto an interstate - all part of the days ride!

I cycled past a Comic Book Convention - which brought me quite a lot of amusement, although I would not be surprised if some of them thought I may also be in costume.

I finished around 3.30pm right at the border and we managed to get a border patrol man to sign our witness form (I think thats basically as proof as you get that I got there!). It was quite amusing - you could see the massive fence at the border and then on the other side was the biggest Mexican flag!!

Me and Dean went and chilled out on the beach before packing the van up for the short drive to Los Angeles (if the traffic is bad I may have to get my bike out and meet Dean there!).

Day 14 - What a (flat) tyre'ing day!

July 21st: Day 14 – What a (flat) tyre’ing Day!

Left Cliffhouse Inn, Ventura this morning for an overcast but very flat ride along the coast road – the ocean was calm and crystal clear. The morning went well, although I had a flat tyre which I had to change without Dean. We stopped in Malibu for lunch – what a great place with a beautiful beach! Then we reached Los Angeles which was a nightmare to travel through – so many red lights! I must have spent an hour standing still looking at lights! I also had my second flat tyre not far from LA airport and earlier in the day I had stopped to help a fellow biker who also had a flat! So quite fed up with them by this time!!

Got through Long Beach, where I was worried I might get my bike stolen, and the surroundings started to improve again! Huntington, Newport and Laguna beaches all seem inviting. We stopped as it got dark – not far from Laguna and are now off to dinner! Looking forward to tomorrow and the last day of our first leg!!

Day 44 - A New World Record!!

The final day and just a short distance that had to be travelled from upper Manhatten to City Hall. It felt funny to not have to push myself at all seeing as I had to arrive after 12:00pm in order to set the new World Record at 44 days.

I cycled on a bike path along side the Hudsen river nice and slowly – for the first time this trip people were over-taking me and I had to restrain myself to not go pedaling after them,

It was a really nice day with the sun shining brightly and the path was busy with runners, walkers and cyclers. I noticed the statue of liberty and for the first time it hit me that I had just cycled from one side of America to the other (its actually quite a long way I realized).

With a mile to go I really was on the home stretch now, then I saw a large group of around 50 plus people standing next to my van. It was a strange but good feeling – I wanted to let go of my handlebars and pump the air in triumph but I had a horrible vision of me falling off my bike – would not be a good way to finish!

I rode through the finish line tape and then this large group of people started taking photo’s of me – this was weird but I enjoyed it and everyone wanted to say congratualtions personally.

I had made it! Some how me and Dean had not killed each other and we warmly congratulated each other.

Once Morgan (our Guinness Adjudicator) can gone over the last set of data I was presented with a World Record plaque – I was officially a World Record holder!!

Day 13 - Lions and Zebras and Flaggs - Oh My.

Day 13

Set off in the cold after breakfast with me wearing my rain jacket, along the flat coast road. Sent Dean back to check out the sea lions I had seen yesterday and look out for the zebras from Hearst Castle (Dean said he preferred Castle Donington!) I didn’t see any zebra – but Dean did through the fog – not clear enough for photos! Road was smooth for a good many miles – after about 50 we stopped for lunch in a really nice Italian restaurant. There was a good tail wind and lots of activity in the fields which was interesting – lots of pickers in some and others being ploughed. However the GPS went crazy again and took me off the planned route and so Dean and I were separated and I was on my own for about 55 miles – thankfully Dean eventually found me with some food – which was brilliant as I was about ready to pass out at that stage. After Dean left there was a big climb – at the top was ~ 130 miles. On the way down was a group of people waving and cheering – “Very nice” I thought – but strange Dean wasn’t with them. I went whizzing by! At the bottom was another group of people – I was a bit confused as to who and why but hey it was great - however I went storming by again – not really quite with it after 130 plus miles and the steep climb which really exhausted me – I guess I was a little punch drunk. Anyway I slowly realized it was the same group and when I stopped at the traffic lights they caught up with me to say hello. Mike and Kathy Flagg and family from KC in Roswell!! A huge thank you to Mike and my apologies for seeming rather dazed! The support meant so much and really cheered me up and spurred me on for the next 25 miles or so! Thanks Guys!!

Went through Santa Barbara – really, really nice – first place we have passed through that I would like to return to! (Did you know Michael Jackson’s Neverland is up in the hills just here?) The last part of the day’s journey was pretty awful – ended up on the Highway as it was getting dark. However Dean found a nice hotel overlooking the ocean in Ventura where we are going to stay tonight! It’s been a long day with the GPS probably adding 15 unnecessary miles to my journey!! Never mind – good night!

Day 12 - Pebble Beach Golf Course

Day 12

Rode the 26 miles to Pebble Beach where we paid $10 for the privilege of seeing not very much really! Checked out the first and 18th tees (thought about all my fellow Polar Bears!) – and the houses there are pretty amazing – but it was time to set off. Rode through Carmel and then finally back on the coast road for a while. It was an up and down road – up about 100m then down the same – this went on for ages! Had a late lunch at a river Inn where there were lots of people tubing. Then back on the coast road – same sort of terrain with lots of rolling hills – also a little bit of a tailwind which was very welcome! However it would get very cold going down and then hot going up!! The views were great and we saw sea lions (or maybe elephant seals apparently) along the way! Supposedly we might see some zebras in the morning in San Simeon??!!!

Day 11 - What goes up, must come down.

Day 11

Set off from the southern end of the Golden gate Bridge – not really a road here – so followed the bike route.. My GPs was going crazy – kept trying to send me along Lombard Street – so I ignored that and drove along by the pier next to the ocean. Finally I turned inland – Dean had very cleverly managed to track me and so we eventually met up and arranged the day’s route from there! It was really hilly, went past a lake and then the road went straight uphill (never mind Lombard Street!) – went for about 10 miles! At about 750m altitude we thought it was the top – but no it kept going! We rewarded ourselves with some hot dogs when we did eventually reach the top. Of course the 10 mile downhill was great!! A quick Burger King stop in San Jose and then off around Santa Cruz. There was lots of farmland in this area – very flat with a wicked bad headwind!! We realized Pebble Beach was too far for today so stopped at the next town for the night where we found a great Texas BBQ – really cool – ate lots of meat!!

Day 10 - San Francisco Restin'

Day 10 – Rest Day in San Francisco

We planned to have a long lie in this morning but were actually both wide awake by 8.30 so went off for breakfast! Our first job was to organize the van and trailer which took much longer than we thought but really needed to be done! Then we went to the bike shop to get my bike adjusted – the cables had been rubbing – so that was good (although I thought I had 480 loyalty points and was going to buy some much needed shorts and shirts and they said I only had 48 – bummer!). We then tried to send Dean to Alcatraz but unfortunately there was no availability for a week!! Popular place? Off to Best Buy for a failed mission. Decided to ride a little way up the steep part of Lombard Street – just for the fun of it – but it was very crowded so didn’t stay long! Anyway – that was our day off!!

Day 9 - Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Day 8 - Avenue of the Giants

Day 7 - Trees of Mystery

Day 6 - Welcome to California

Day 5 - Oregon Dunes

Day 4 - Pacific Grind Cafe, OR

Video Diary - Day 1-3

Day 2 - 3

DAY 1: Start Blaine, WA

This is a video blog - does it work hey??

Kite Surfing & Sorca

New Bike!

Day Off

Ouch!

WORCA June 17th

Toe side

Sorca Race

A black eye!

WORCA Race #4

Nimby 50

WORCA Race #3

Surfing In Canada

Crud To Mud

WORCA Race #2

ORE CRUSHER RACE

WORCA Aftermath

WORCA Race