Saturday, July 31, 2010
Day 24 - Four Corners: Closed?!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Day 23 - REST DAY in Monument Valley
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 22 - On A Roll
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 21 - The Wild West
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 20 - Hoover Dam
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!!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Day 19 - Still Desert(ed)
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!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day 18 - Welcome to the Desert!
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!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Day 17 - West-to-East: The Beginning
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!!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 16 - Dean's Day: LA Style
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 15 - North-South Leg: Done
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!).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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!!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 13 - Lions and Zebras and Flaggs - Oh My.
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!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 12 - Pebble Beach Golf Course
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??!!!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day 11 - What goes up, must come down.
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!!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 10 - San Francisco Restin'
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!!