Sunday 29th May 2011 – in transit from San Francisco CA – Auckland NZ - Home

Prior to landing in Auckland, a full breakfast was served including cereal, fruit, yoghurt and waffles.

On the ground in Auckland, our bikes were slow to come off the plane but arrived with no evident damage. We had to take these to the domestic terminal as there was less than an hour to our flight to Napier. This was done and Patrick bought some final Dunkin Donuts for our efforts.

The flight to Napier was uneventful and we arrived just before 8:30am. The bike boxes were last off the plane but were soon collected and we were on our way home.

Once home, I unpacked my box and re-assembled the bike. Changing the speedos back to km/h from mph took a few button pushes. A quick ride up and down the road showed it all still worked and the bike was put in the shed.

The journey was complete.

Saturday 28th May 2011 – in transit from San Francisco CA – Auckland NZ

Due to crossing the International Date Line, we missed out on this day.

Friday 27th May 2011 – Amesbury MA – San Francisco CA – Auckland NZ

With our bodies and minds well tuned to the daily routine of the last five week, we were awake early and up at 6am for breakfast. The hotel breakfast was basic but with around 80,000ft of climbing today, we made the sacrifice and had our usual breakfast including cereal, yoghurt, waffles, bacon & egg muffins, quiche, orange juice and coffee with toast etc available.

Remembering to check out of the hotel for the first time in five weeks was not a challenge as the hotel slipped the bill under the door.

The team bus left for Boston Airport just after 7am and we arrived around 8am. As our flight was due to leave at 2:45pm, we could not check in until 10:45am so acquired an airport trolley to carry the bikes and luggage and then sat in a food court to pass the time. Patrick had another Dunkin Donuts iced coffee and I had a Mountain Dew slushy. While waiting, we drafted a report for the HB Today newspaper.

We went to check in just after 10:45am and the lady wanted to charge us US$200 per bike. After some considerable time and discussion, she said she had been told it was up to her discretion as to whether she charged us or not. She entered the two suitcases as Patrick’s and the two bikes as mine as I have a Star Alliance Gold Card. We asked nicely and she waived the charges. The bike boxes then had to be opened and inspected by the TSA (Transport Safety Authority) prior to being put through as luggage which made our box sealing efforts redundant. With the inspection done and the boxes resealed, we made our way to the gate where Patrick was scanned, swabbed and patted down while I just walked straight through. You can’t take him anywhere!

Once in the gate area, we slipped into the United Red Carpet Club for our 2^nd sag of the day and lunch prior to our now 2:55pm scheduled departure.

For some reason, Patrick and I were allocated random seats on the flight which were not together, despite us checking in many hours prior and being on the same booking. With the flight from San Francisco full, the only “help” the airline clerk would give was for us to try and trade seats once on the plane. As the mostly American passengers also struggled to count to one, being the amount allowed carry on luggage per passenger, the overhead lockers were overfull as people slowly boarded the plane. Eventually we managed to change seats as the back end of the plane filled up.

Once in the air, we soon flew over the rough weather we had managed to avoid while cycling and encountered some mild turbulence. The United Airlines Boeing 757 did not have in seat entertainment and they played the same episode of The Simpsons three times on the flight. Approaching San Francisco, the plane flew a very circuitous route before eventually landing about 30 minutes late.

The flight to Auckland left from the international terminal which we were told was a “long walk”. However, it did not take long and we were directed to the Eva Air lounge as they are contracted by AirNZ. Entering this, we handed over our boarding passes and were told, “Oh, you have been upgraded. Here are your new boarding passes.” These were for business class. The lounge was small and crowded with AirNZ passengers.

We boarded the AirNZ 747-400 flight to Auckland and turned left on boarding rather than the usual right. This part of the plane was full. We were served champagne prior to take off which we used to celebrate the completion of our cycle ride across the USA. Once airborne, we were served drinks and a three course dinner prior to being able to sleep in a fully flat bed.

Day 33 – Thursday 26th May 2011 – Keene NH – Amesbury MA

To use the immortal words of Sir Edmund Hillary, we knocked the bastard off. Neither rain nor snow nor wind nor hills nor potholes nor mis-read route instructions could prevent us from reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

The day started with breakfast at 6am at the hotel. This was again a basic affair including cereal, yoghurt, eggs, sausages, muffins, pastries orange juice and coffee. Some riders left early to get a head start.

The weather was cloudy but dry with a temperature of 16°C as we headed out of the motel just before 7am. Within the first two route instructions, the mileage was off by around half a mile which was a concern. However, we were on route and soon wound our way out of town.

There was plenty of climbing though none were as long as yesterday but some were as steep. We rode with a couple of other riders at a genteel pace as there was no hurry as all riders were re-grouping at 101.7 miles for a mass storming of the beach.

The first sag stop was at 34.4 miles and we waited there a while for other riders to arrive. From there, the rolling country continued with many tree lined roads. My eyes started to sting and I finally decided it was the tree pollen irritating them. This made visibility poor which meant I managed to collect another pothole or two, especially in the early morning shadows. Some of the roads were again of poor quality due to the winter weather conditions which meant low speed was desirable.

At 49.5 miles we turned onto Joe English Road which many riders have now renamed “Joe Bastard Road”. It was at least a 13% gradient and just under a mile long. Lasse, the always lost Norwegian rider and provider of memorable quotes, who was riding with us at the time, taught us some more Norwegian when he exclaimed to the effect, “Who the $&^#%^ put this $^%&&% hill in my way to ruin my $&$$^*@ day.” The translation I believe is, “I didn’t really enjoy that hill.” Other Lasse classic quotes include: on navigation “Keep the sun here” (about your right shoulder – only works when travelling east), on his dietary requirements, “I don’t need carbohydrates, I need fat”,  answer to the question, “Lasse, you are riding slow today” – “I ride slow today”, “Urgh” – the answer to all other questions.

Up the steep hill, Patrick also decided to stretch his legs and wound up the pace, especially when he heard the chasing rider puffing his lungs out. I just plodded along in my 39:25 at a casual pace.

Rolling on at a leisurely pace, we reached lunch at 62.8 miles which was held in a hotel carpark. Again, we took our time and waited until almost all the riders arrived before we set off. Patrick proved the licorice (twisters in American) to be a very popular sag snack but was more circumspect than usual in his final days consumption.

After lunch, the temperature rose to a peak of 31°C. The rolling country gradually became a little flatter as we approached the coast. We followed the navigation cues but ended up briefly one turn off route and saw other riders in the same place. They had asked some locals how to get back on route so we initially followed them. But, they then turned right up Route 107A for some bonus miles instead of staying on Route 107 so we left them to it.

We reached the rendezvous point in town around 2pm and were treated to a bonus can of soft drink left over from lunch. As the last rider was an hour or so away, we walked across the road to Dunkin Donuts for a drink, muffin and air conditioning. One of the ABB staff joined us. We were called back about 3pm and eventually the entire group left for the beach after the final rider arrived. It transpired that the slowest rider had managed to accrue 8 bonus miles today to get more value for his riding! Somewhere we crossed the state line into Massachusetts but there was no welcome sign.

The bunch reached the sparsely populated Salisbury Beach around 3:30pm and people and bikes stormed the sea. Photos were taken and congratulations given. The water taken from the Pacific Ocean was poured into the Atlantic Ocean and the official photo taken, including a gap for the “missing man” being the rider taken out by a car a few days ago on Monday. The beach temperature was a much noticeable and cooler 21°C.  Lasse was met by his wife at the beach – the consensus reason for this was so he can find his way home.   

From the beach, the route sheet was disposed with as one of the bridges was out. Instead, we had a police escort, complete with siren and flashing lights, who lead us directly to the hotel. We were told the pace would be held at 15mph which translated meant around 20mph (32km/h). This pace left the slower riders struggling as we rode straight through red lights and started traffic to our final hotel. We arrived there around 4:25pm after 183.7km of riding which we covered in 6hrs 50m at an average speed of 26.9km/h. With the light and variable wind, hill climbing, leisurely pace and some suburban riding, this made for an enjoyable day on the bike.

At the hotel, we gave the bikes and shoes a quick clean to remove all USA dirt and plant material. The promised cardboard bike boxes were not there so one of the staff was sent to get them. We quickly packed our boxes and everything came part easily. A man in the carpark asked what we were doing. When told we had just ridden coast to coast, he asked why? Did we need a reason? Because it was there?

The hotel had a supply of cookies which again vanished quickly once located by the cyclists.

The final “banquet” was held at a busy restaurant about a mile from the hotel. We were vanned there and back. The meal included bread and a single dish – Patrick and I had shrimp pasta. It tasted good but many of the riders stopped off for ice cream on the way back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, a final group gathering was held and a cake cut and eaten. Each rider had the opportunity to say a few words but the meaning of this varied wildly with some people going on for a while. All were entertaining though.

Numbers for the day:
Departure time: 6:50am
Distance: 114.2 miles (183.7km)
Riding time: 6hrs 50m
Average speed: 16.7 mph (26.9km/h)
Maximum speed: 38.1 mph (61.3km/h)
Vertical climbing: 6,181ft (1,884m)
Temperature range: 16-31-21 (beach)-29°C
Arrival time: 3:30pm beach, 4:25pm hotel
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 478 miles (770km)
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,282km
Total kilometres ridden across the country: 5,584km

Day 32 – Wednesday 25th May 2011 – Amsterdam NY – Keene NH

It was another stately day as we started in New York rode through Vermont and ended up in New Hampshire.

The morning started with breakfast at 6:30am at the hotel. The staff member was keen and ready at 6am with French toast, pancakes, eggs, sausages, muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, oatmeal but no cereal.

Route maps were given out at 7:15am which showed some good climbs on the way to Keene. Two riders left early as they are not keen hill climbers.

Patrick and I left the hotel at 7:35am under a cloudy but clearing sky with a temperature of 16°C. Straight out of the hotel carpark, the road rose sharply for around 1.5 miles at a gradient of 10% plus. Welcome to a day of climbing.

We joined up with a group of other riders and sat in the back at a good easy pace. This group was broken up when we came across one of the early leaving riders who had suffered an incident with potholes and a truck. He was grazed but o.k. and rode on.

The first sag was at 39.5 miles after crossing the Hudson River and riding through the town of Schaghticoke.

After the sag, the road began to rise as we passed through the towns of Pittstown, Boytonville and Hoosic before reaching the Vermont State border at 62.6 miles.

We then had a climb of about 5 miles at 8-9% gradient to take us to lunch at around 74 miles. Patrick saw some riders up the road and chased them down while I continued to spin up in my 39:25 gear.

Scenery for the day was plenty of trees and the odd waterway.

From lunch, there were some good straight, clean downhill runs and my speedo recorded a maximum of 61.0 mph (98.1km/h) which sounds a little excessive. A further climb of about 3 miles took us to the summit of Hogback Mountain.

We reached the New Hampshire State line at 109.1 miles and the final sag of the day. We were told the road “rolled” from there to town. This was a grave misnomer – there were in fact three easily defined hills of 1-2 miles in length and at least 8% plus gradient. The final few miles into town sloped down.

The hotel was reached at 3:59pm after 7hrs 26m on the bike over 200.8km on the road at an average speed of 27.0km/h. The temperature peaked at 29°C but had fallen to 26°C by the time we reached the hotel. The wind for the day was again light and variable but mostly aided us. Some riders reported around 9,000ft of vertical climbing for the day – about nine Te Mata Peak climbs interspersed in the 200km day.

The luggage van did not arrive until just after 5pm and this was quickly unloaded. Rap for tomorrow was still held at 6pm and the final rider arrived during this at about 6:10pm. Breakfast is at 6am at the hotel, luggage load is at 6:45am and the plan is to be at the beach around 3pm. From the beach, it is about an 8 mile ride to the hotel where we need to clean and box our bikes prior to the final banquet and wind up which is scheduled to start at 7pm. As the route is hilly tomorrow, the timeline will be tight.

After rap, Patrick and I walked across the road to Applebees for dinner followed by Dunkin Donuts for dessert.

Only one more sleep and one more day of riding to the Atlantic.

Given the tight timeframes tomorrow, further blog entries may be delayed. Watch this space!

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 7:35am
Distance: 124.8 miles (200.8km)
Riding time: 7hrs 26m
Average speed: 16.8 mph (27.0km/h)
Maximum speed: 61.0 mph (98.1km/h)
Vertical climbing: 7,815ft (2,383m)
Temperature range: 16-29-26°C
Arrival time: 3:59pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 365 miles (587km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 5,400km / 188km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,265km

Day 31 – Tuesday 24th May 2011 – Liverpool NY – Amsterdam NY

Our North American tour of “new” Europe continued today. Leaving Liverpool just after 7am, we headed off for Amsterdam. The sky was again overcast with a wet road after overnight rain. It was a mild 21°C as we left.

Breakfast at 6am at the hotel was another very basic affair with an unprepared hotel staff member. The cyclists arrived first and a minimal amount of food was eventually set out. This included waffles, biscuits & gravy, cereal (which was soon all gone and not refilled), yoghurt, orange juice, coffee, pastries, muffins and toast/bagels.

News on the rider injured by a car yesterday is that he has some soft tissue spine damage which meant the doctors recommended he does not ride again for about four weeks. Accordingly, he is arranging to go home.

Barely on route, we encountered the ubiquitous traffic lights which also marked a short and steep early hill. These combined to join most of the riders into one large bunch. After a few miles, the riders soon separated into small groups riding their own pace.

The road was much flatter than yesterday and much of the day we were aided by a light but variable wind. We rode through Madison County and a number of small towns before reaching the first sag at 45 miles.

From there, it was more of the same except the sky darkened and a heavy, but brief, rain shower moved over us. New York State has fine grit on the road which accumulates on your arms and legs and gets into your hair and eyes. The rain just added to the amount that stuck to you.

We passed various locks on the Erie lake system but these were not visible from the road.

Lunch was in the town of Little Falls at the Knights Inn hotel carpark which is where the Cross Country tour spends the night. There was a good descent into this which promised a climb out the other side.

After lunch, we crossed the river and climbed a gentle but modest climb which then earnt us a good long but gentle descent. A few more small climbs and false flat climbs took us all the way to town.

Patrick and I arrived at the hotel at 2:10pm. The hotel clerk was again very basic with their service – i.e. here is your key. Nothing else! We had missed most of the rain in covering 191.0km in 6hrs 19m of riding at an average speed of 30.2km/h. The temperature reached 29°C which meant we went through a number of bottles of water.

The town itself is quite old and was reportedly supported by the textile industry in its heyday but is now rundown and largely vacant. We walked around town, including Main Street, and the rundown and vacant report was confirmed. Only two pizza places and one Chinese takeaway were seen within walking distance of the hotel and very few shops. Being the USA, we did pass a number of legal firms though!

There is no rap scheduled for today with breakfast scheduled at 6:30am with rap and luggage load after that. Some good climbing is promised with some long climbs in the mix. From there, it is one more day to the Atlantic!

I took my bike to the mechanic to fine tune the gears and then gave it a clean with a high pressure hose to remove the accumulated dirt and grime.

For dinner, we went to the hotel restaurant where I had salad along with chicken with eggplant and pasta while Patrick had meatballs and spaghetti along with a pitcher of beer. The servings were large enough to ensure no cake was required or possible. The restaurant trade name was quite bizarrely Monsoon Fine Indian Cuisine as it is advertised as an American / Italian restaurant with no Indian food in sight.

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 7:05am
Distance: 118.7 miles (191.0km)
Riding time: 6hrs 19m
Average speed: 18.8 mph (30.2km/h)
Maximum speed: 38.4 mph (61.8km/h)
Vertical climbing: 3,202ft (976m)
Temperature range: 21-29°C
Arrival time: 2:10pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 240 miles (386km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 5,200km / 386km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,233km

Day 30 – Monday 23rd May 2011 – Batavia NY – Liverpool NY

Loud claps of thunder and the sound of torrential rain were not promising noises to wake up to this morning. However, the clock read about 3:30am so they were ignored and I went back to sleep.

Getting out of bed just before 6am, the sky was still overcast, the ground wet and a strong wind was blowing from the south. It was not raining though and no thunder storms were visible.

Our expectation of breakfast at the hotel was very low and the hotel managed to easily meet this expectation. At check in yesterday, we were told breakfast was not included but were given one ticket for a breakfast at the hotel restaurant which the first hotel clerk said was closed for dinner but another one said would be open. Arriving at the restaurant at 6am this morning, no food or staff were visible. We were then told our breakfast was in a separate room which was locked. Hotel security were called and unlocked the room which only contained pastries, muffins and plain bagels, along with coffee and orange juice and a small bowl of fresh fruit. We attacked these and a single hotel staff member then brought in scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. That was all. No cereal, no oatmeal, no sausages, no donuts, no waffles, no yoghurt. Not a good start!

We loaded our luggage around 7am and were soon on the road. It was a pleasant 22°C and the sky slowly began to clear. The first mile or two were across and into wind before we turned left and had a 13 mile stretch of reasonable tail wind. Patrick, myself and another rider engaged in some excessive tootling in this section, cruising at well over 20mph up and down the rolling countryside before calming down again as we turned right and across the wind.

The first sag was at 36.2 miles at a Mobil Gas Station which they spell in New York as “Farmers Market.” Close I guess! We rode through the towns of LeRoy, Caledonia, Avon and Lima to get there. While there, Karen, one of the ABB staff members told us one of our group had been hit by a car and taken to hospital. It appears the car did not yield and despite the rider’s best efforts, he was still collected by the car. He has nothing broken but his bike is reportedly written off. He hopes to ride tomorrow on a new bike after being cleared by the hospital to ride.

Carrying on a little subdued and riding more carefully, we continued on Route 5 through the towns of Geneva and Waterloo. We passed a tin man who was opposite a party hire centre.

Lunch was at 75.6 miles in the town of Seneca Falls at a petrol station which was closed last time the ride went through but is currently open again. A rider who did the ride last year turned up at lunch after riding 25 miles to meet us and she said it was the longest ride she had done since then.  

Climbing up numerous gentle rolling hills broke up the riding as did a few short downhills and tailwind assisted sections as the road curled around. The day was also notable by us easily riding through more sets of traffic lights than there are in the whole of Hawkes Bay! We also spent a couple of miles on a bike path, directly into the wind.

We arrived at the hotel at 2:51pm after covering 194.7km at an average speed of 28.1km/h. The temperature hard reached 25°C and the sky had started to darken but no rain or thunder storms touched us. The official climbing for the day was 3,780ft but actual climbing of over 5,000ft was recorded by some riders.

Rap was at 5pm, just as the last people arrived at the hotel. Tomorrow is scheduled to be more of the same in most regards – distance, route and weather. Climbing is supposed to be a little less but the profile shows some interesting climbs.

For dinner, we walked across the road to a Chinese buffet which had a wide range of American-Chinese dishes and seafood. As we returned to the hotel, the forecast rain had just begun to fall.

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 7:02am
Distance: 121.0 miles (194.7km)
Riding time: 6hrs 55m
Average speed: 17.5 mph (28.1km/h)
Maximum speed: 33.3 mph (53.6km/h)
Vertical climbing: 5,007ft (1,527m)
Temperature range: 22-25°C
Arrival time: 2:51pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 121 miles (194km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 5,009km / 576km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,223km

Day 29 – Sunday 22nd May 2011 – Dunkirk NY – Batavia NY

With the day scheduled to be a short day of just 83 miles, we had the luxury of staying in bed until around 7am. Opening the curtains revealed an overcast sky with dry ground and little wind. Breakfast was a basic affair at the hotel restaurant including cereal, yoghurt, muffins, small cinnamon rolls, waffles, processed egg, sausage patties, coffee and orange juice.

Route maps were given out at 8am and only one sag, including lunch, was scheduled. The location of this was different from that shown on the sheet due to the planned Pedaling Museum location being closed. The weather forecast indicated possible showers and thunder storms so luggage was loaded straight after rap and we were on the road by 8:20am in a mild temperature of 21°C.

As there was no rush, we just cruised along with little wind. The road rolled occasionally but with no steep climbs. Some of the route cues were wrong as the roads had changed with extra roundabouts and roads being named Road vs Street or similar. Despite these issues, we stayed on route.

Lunch was at around 38 miles in a carpark. We reached this about 10:30am after covering some rough roads. A few bystanders asked for brochures on America by Bike when they saw the van and the riders. A lady then drove up and said she was a keen cyclist but had spent two hours at spin classes this morning as she did not want to ride alone. We invited her along and even though she was tempted, she declined. One of the riders in our group is actually a spin class instructor who takes 8-10 classes per week.

Riding with just the odd drop of rain, we reached Batavia without any bonus miles. However, the hotel was listed as a Holiday Inn but unfortunately in New York they spell this as Clarion. We soon worked this out and arrived at the hotel at 1:30pm to be told our room was not ready. The luggage truck had also not arrived. Signs in the hotel say the hotel name change occurred in December last year.

 Riding for the day was 4hrs 43m with 133.7km covered at an average speed of 28.3km/h. With longer days and more climbing in the next four days to the Atlantic, today was an “active recovery day” and staying basically dry with little wind was a bonus.

The luggage truck arrived from the opposite direction of the riders and was soon unloaded. I then asked the hotel clerk nicely for a room and was told, yes, our room was now available. The wi-fi connection in the room would not work but they have cable access.

The hotel was apparently unhappy at the congregation of bikes and cyclists in the lobby caused by their lack of available clean rooms.

Rap was held at 5pm with route sheets to Liverpool given out. Navigation is relatively simple but some more climbing will be encountered. The weather forecast is similar to that of today. Breakfast is at 6am at the hotel with luggage load at 7am.

After rap, Patrick took his bike to the mechanic to get his chain replaced.

For dinner, walked to the suggested restaurant but this had at least a 30 minute wait to even get a table. As such, we wandered further afield to a Bob Evans restaurant for smoothies, banana & blueberry bread, chicken and pie. All good stuff!

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 8:20am
Distance: 83.1 miles (133.7km)
Riding time: 4hrs 43m
Average speed: 17.6 mph (56.0km/h)
Maximum speed: 34.8 mph (56.0km/h)
Vertical climbing: 2,684ft (821m)
Temperature range: 21-23°C
Arrival time: 1:30pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 760 miles (1,224km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 4,814km / 771km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,224km

Day 28 – Saturday 21st May 2011 – Warren OH – Dunkirk NY

Today was a stately day for what was predicted by some to be the last day of the world. We started in Ohio, rode through Pennsylvania and ended up in New York under mostly clear skies.

This morning the sky was mostly clear at 6am as we arose for breakfast. The hotel had a standard basic breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, fruit (fresh and processed), waffles, corn dogs, oatmeal, muffins, bagels, bread, coffee and hot chocolate. Cyclists appeared to be the only people indulging in this.

Patrick found his back tyre flat after having changed it last night so he had to change the tube again. With a cooler temperature of just 14°C, this proved more difficult than in yesterday’s warmth but was soon completed. After loading our luggage, we left the hotel just after 7am.

On route, we were cruising along enjoying the mild and sunny conditions. The sun was low in the sky which made visibility difficult in places. We again hit some rough patches of road and I ended up ploughing through a large pothole which shook the bike enough to throw a bottle out of one of my bottle cages. I retrieved this and carried on. The bike developed a click after this beating but the wheels appear to still run true.

We had heard the locals were not too friendly in places and this was confirmed by a sign Patrick saw that said to the effect, “Lots of dogs, Plenty of Guns.” Not a good place to ask for water I guess!

After a few miles, the Lasse train (the big Norwegian rider who has made a habit of getting lost and unique takes on life) went steaming past. Patrick wanted to jump on but I decided not to join so Patrick eased up. It turns out they were doing 27-28 mph (43-45km/h) so it was a good decision to let them go. 

We reached the first sag at 47 miles which was at an old covered bridge. The bridge was moved off the road to its current site and the land owner came out to talk to us. He said his family had donated the land the bridge now sits on.

Mike Munk, aka the wiry little man, is compiling a CD of photos of the ride for a small fee. He has spent more time taking photos than riding on this trip and we managed to capture a photo of him in his current natural habitat.

As it was a long day, we were told to relax at sag until further riders arrived otherwise we would get too far ahead and miss out on lunch. We did this and ended up on the back of the Lasse train which was then just cruising. Eventually Lasse missed a turn with another rider so we carried on.

We reached the Pennsylvania state line at 64.3 miles.

From there, it was about another 9 miles to lunch. It had warmed up to a pleasant 21°C and the sag was held outside an ice cream parlour. However, I stuck to my normal healthy diet of carrot and celery sticks (and pasta, Fanta, coke, cheese, nuts etc.)

With lunch over, we still had around 66 miles (105km) to ride to Dunkirk. Just out of lunch, a couple of local riders raced passed us. Patrick and I just rotated casually around and caught up to them. It turns out they were competing in a local 50 mile fun ride. We sat on their tails for a while and also passed other riders in the event. After one turn, we joined into a funeral procession as a policeman held back traffic as cars poured out of the church car park. We eventually rode past this and the local riders turned right into a park to complete their ride.

Riding through Erie had many turns with two town squares to be negotiated which required Right – Left – Left – Right and Left – Right turns but only at the end of the straights. We took a shortcut through one square which saved some extra turns.

A third sag was scheduled at around 100 miles and we reached this at about 105 miles just after passing another two local riders. We carried on and then reached the New York state line at 110.8 miles. The two local riders had stopped there and were turning around to go home as they were training for an ironman.

We left the sag just behind two other ABB riders that we did not want to catch up with as they tend to race. Despite our best efforts, we did catch them and the pace was then on. One of the riders wanted to reach town by 3pm while the other one bailed out to buy beer about 15 miles out from town. We did some work and some sitting in and reached the hotel at 2:55pm.

The day had seen us cover 137.4 miles (221.1km, which includes bonus miles climbing in and out of potholes), in 6hrs 58m at an average speed of 31.7km/h. The light wind aided us along the lake front (Lake Erie) but the lake itself was only seen briefly once prior to reaching the hotel.  

A large lake breeze front, with impressive tops in places, which stretched for many miles, was visible inland from the lake front for miles.

The current leader of the 52 day Cross Country Challenge (the ride I did in 1999) appeared at the hotel with drinks and snacks of fresh fruit, chicken wings, little round things with pasta and vegetables in which we had to force ourselves to eat at her insistence as she did want to take any home or throw it away.

With tomorrow being a scheduled short day, rap was delayed until 8am tomorrow with luggage load at 8:30am. Breakfast is available from 6am at the hotel.

For dinner, we wandered down the road to a Greek-American restaurant for a tasty Greek meal. I had Greek bread and moussasa – a mixture of egg plant, mince and potato along with Greek style potatoes while Patrick had a mixed dish. With the size of the servings, there was no room or need for cake.

Numbers for the day:
Departure time: 7:01am
Distance: 137.4 miles (221.1km)
Riding time: 6hrs 58m
Average speed: 19.7 mph (31.7km/h)
Maximum speed: 33.1 mph (53.3km/h)
Vertical climbing: 2,732ft (833m)
Temperature range: 14-23-21°C
Arrival time: 2:55pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 678 miles (1,090km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 4,680km / 906km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,215km

Day 27 – Friday 20th May 2011 – Wooster OH – Warren OH

We are rapidly nearing the end of this journey. According to Mike Munk, aka the wiry little man, we can now count the number of days left on one hand. Given there are seven days left including today, I guess that is a special calculation from his home state of Alabama or due to his military training.

This morning the curtains were opened with caution and revealed another overcast morning but it was calm and, more importantly, dry.

Breakfast was at 6am at the hotel. There were hardly any other guests at breakfast which included eggs, meat patties, waffles, cereals, breads, biscuits & gravy, orange juice, coffee and hot chocolate. The eggs were unique and may have included some egg product – it was hard to tell as they were so processed. The meat patties are best described as large enough to feed a family of four – and that was just one of them! Every one of them would have easily been the volume of a standard McDonald’s burger bun.

As it was only a scheduled 98 mile day, the ABB staff wanted a sleep in so luggage load was delayed until 7:30am. Patrick and I left just after 7:30am in dry and mild conditions with a 16°C temperature.

The high navigation requirements in Ohio continued – the first 12 miles took one half of an A4 sheet of turns and it took virtually a whole A4 sheet to reach the first sag at 38 miles. The countryside was similar to yesterday with the first decent climb just a few miles from the hotel.

The wetness of the land was confirmed by the newspaper this morning – it reported that only 7% of USA crops have been planted to date whereas normally by this time of year, 70% have been planted.

We also passed a number of Mennonite churches with three large church buildings being located within a few miles of each other. In fact, church buildings have been the most noticeable new buildings we have seen. For some reason, our routes also seem to have taken us past every cemetery in the state.

After the sag, the navigation challenges continued and a number of riders managed to accrue bonus miles. We avoided these but could not avoid some stretches of road which most riders struggled to call roads – there was no need to enter the Ramblers cyclocross event – the road was potholed beyond imagination in places, particularly in the shadows, presumably where snow and ice accumulate in winter. Some of the pot holes were 44 gallon drum size in diameter and at least 10cm deep. The worst bits of road were on steep pinches where speed was eroded as each pothole was either swerved around or ridden through. We reached lunch at 75.6 miles and I checked my tyres and wheels to find the back wheel was no longer running true.

From lunch, it was just a further 23 miles to Warren with some more rough roads to ride over. We also spent 3.4 miles on a bike path which was smooth asphalt – a welcome change for the day from the jarring of the potholes. A GT frame would have cracked and fallen apart long ago on these roads!  

With thunder clouds brewing in an unstable and highly active sky, we completed a pleasant days riding and reached the hotel at 2:05pm after 156.6km of riding in 5hrs 43m at an average speed of 27.4km/h. The new luggage van driver again failed navigation 101 which meant this did not arrive until after 3pm.

Rap for tomorrow was at 5pm. It is the longest day of the trip – 139 miles are scheduled. Surprisingly, the route sheet for the full day is just one A4 sheet. The sag stops are being made up as we go along but should be at around 47 miles, 70 miles for lunch with the final one at around 100 miles. The course is supposedly relatively flat and the forecast is reasonable. Breakfast is at 6am at the hotel with luggage load at 7am. It will be a long day for sure.

After rap, I took my bike to the mechanic to re-true the back wheel and also change the back tyre at the same time. After 4,400km odd, it had a few holes in it but has not punctured. The chain was also checked for wear and deemed well worn out so was changed as well. Patrick’s chain is not quite as worn but he also took the opportunity to change his back tyre.

Once the bike was ready for tomorrow, we walked past the Home Depot store next to the hotel, which is probably about half the size of Hastings – let’s say the Mitre 10 Mega would be lost in one corner of it, and down to a Hometown Buffet Restaurant which had a wide selection of food and beverages. We made the sacrifice and tried most of the varieties of desserts – carrot cake, chocolate cake, cherry pie, bread & butter pudding, New York style cheesecake and fudge in preparation for tomorrow.  

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 7:37am
Distance: 97.3 miles (156.6km)
Riding time: 5hrs 43m
Average speed: 17.0 mph (27.4km/h)
Maximum speed: 35.2 mph (56.6km/h)
Vertical climbing: 4,429ft (1,350m)
Temperature range: 16-23°C
Arrival time: 2:05pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 540 miles (869km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 4,459km / 1,130km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 994km

Day 26 – Thursday 19th May 2011 – Marysville OH – Wooster OH

It must have been declared Ohio State Lawn Mowing day as every man, women, child and dog were out mowing their lawns. Perhaps the fact that it was the first day it had not rained for a while may also have had something to do with it?

Opening the curtains this morning, it was still dark and the ground was wet. The sky appeared heavily overcast. A basic breakfast was taken at the hotel at 6am. This had cereal, eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy, large muffins, hot cinnamon buns, orange juice, coffee, hot chocolate, toast, French toast and waffles etc.

We left the hotel just after 7am under a heavy gray sky with rain looking possible. It was a mild 13°C with little wind. Setting out on course, the conditions gradually improved and the road was even dry in places. The bike decided to squeak in a few places in protest at having being ridden in the wet for the last few days.

After a few miles, we caught up to a group of other riders who joined us through various twists and turns. One rider shot off down a hill the wrong way but turned up again by the first sag. In the remaining bunch, Patrick decided to engage in some excessive tootling and raced past one turn while I casually turned the correct way at the back of the bunch. After that effort, the bunch relaxed and we rolled on.

The first sag was at around 31 miles outside a church from the town of Peru. A police car that had been following us all day also pulled in. The officer was actually joining the ride at that point so a few riders took the opportunity to be photographed in the car.

A few miles after sag, Patrick saw a church sign that said, “Want to hear from God? He still answers knee mail!”

Further on, we were supposed to cross some railroad tracks but did not. Accordingly, we stopped to study the route and the map. While doing this, a householder came out so we asked her which road we were on and we were on the correct road so continued riding.

We had been told that prior to lunch there were some good climbs on route 603. At 68 miles we turned onto this road and yes, it climbed steeply with 15% gradients reported in places. Most of the climbing was short but there were several in a row before a good, straight descent. The big chain ring was used for the first time in several days. From there, it was only a few more miles to lunch at 75 miles at the Charles River Park which has a dam.

The route for the day was tree lined in places with the whole area green and wet. The road surfaces varied from good to some that were extremely rough. The sun even appeared in places and the temperature peaked at 24°C.

Leaving lunch around midday, we had less than 30 miles to ride to Wooster. There were again plenty of turns but we stayed  on course until Patrick commented that we were lucky to get through due to all the water lying around, some of which had clearly been well over the roads we were on very recently. We then went to turn into road CR1950 to see big “Road Closed” signs across the road and water at least knee deep over the road for several hundred metres. As such, we stopped and were about to call the ABB staff when one turned up in the van. He used his GPS and plotted an alternative route and painted arrows on the road so we rode on.

After a few more turns, we were on Heyl Road which we were told we would call Hell Road. Initially, it was downhill but then the inevitable short, steep pinches appeared. Once was very steep and crossed another road at a stop sign which was interesting. The 25 tooth chain ring was again used.

Arriving at the hotel at 1:47pm, we had covered 167.0km in 5hrs 56m on the road at an average speed of 28.1km/h. The stated vertical climbing was 3,657ft (1,115m – about four Te Mata Peaks) with some steep gradients.

Checking in, the hotel was organised and must have been aware of our previous key problems as they gave us not one, not two, not three but four room keys – a little excessive and abnormal. The WiFi connection was very poor which caused frustration.

Rap for tomorrow was at 4:45pm. The weather is expected to be similar today except with a head wind. Breakfast is from 6am with luggage load at 7:30am as it is only a scheduled 98 mile day. A wife of one of the riders brought a basket of cookies which the cyclists devoured.

For dinner, we walked up town to a restaurant called Henry’s Station for chicken cordon bleu. After eating multiple lots of free bread and refills of drinks, we had no room for cake.

Numbers for the day:

Departure time: 7:01am
Distance:  103.8 miles (167.0km)
Riding time: 5hrs 56m
Average speed: 17.5 mph (28.1km/h)
Maximum speed: 41.6 mph (66.9km/h)
Vertical climbing: 3,657ft (1,115m)
Temperature range: 13-24°C
Arrival time: 1:47pm
Weekly (Monday – Sunday mileage) to date: 442 miles (713km)
Total kilometres ridden to date / approximate kilometres to go: 4,303km / 1,287km
Rolling last seven days total kilometres ridden including today: 1,008km