86 miles ridden - 1795 feet climbed. There are good days and bad days on these trips and as bad as the 100 miles to Twin Falls was, today's ride was brilliant. The Snake River looked stunning as the sun rose: Not only was it cooler - around 30C rather than 37C! - but...
42 miles ridden - 1289 feet climbed After yesterday's exertions everyone looked genuinely pleased to be eating breakfast at 6:30 rather than 5:30 and we didn't leave until nearly 9am. It was much cooler for most of the day - well around 30C rather than 37C but it all...
100 miles ridden - 2713 feet climbed. Today was the hardest bike ride I have ever done. I experienced despondency and (mild) elation in equal proportions and surprised myself which was nice. However bliss it was NOT. It all started so well. Luggage load at 5:20,...
54 miles ridden - 1414 feet climbed - and it was hot! I think we all went into breakfast this morning with a certain amount of trepidation about how today would feel after a day off but it was a beautiful day and we started in a moderate temperature of about 20C. The...
Finally I slept decently - about 6 hours. More importantly it was good, calm sleep. Breakfast was a bit disconcerting however as firstly it was at 8am and secondly no one was wearing Lycra but the food was really good. After that many of us congregated in the lobby...
64 miles ridden - 1604 feet climbed. Yesterday a time zone change, today a state line - welcome to Idaho. Not sure if it's relevant but for a state line that was a really cheap sign - it was made of plywood nailed to an old fence post. Before today there were only two...
I couldn't upload pictures on my earlier post but my blogging compatriots identified a part of the hotel where the wireless is better. Below is the time zone change location and other photos of the stunning scenery: Below is part of Interstate 84 that we didn't ride...
83 miles ridden - 1841 feet climbed - temperature 32C. Today was a day of firsts. My first long ride in 30+C temperatures, my first non-flying time zone change, and my first Dairy Queen milkshake. As you can see it happened rather innocuously on a quiet road at the...
82 miles ridden - 4805 feet climbed. Most people found today harder than yesterday even though it was less distance and marginally less climbing and everyone was suffering. The scenery was fabulous and the roads about as quiet as we had seen so the views kind of...
116 miles ridden - 5259 feet climbed. I was with the early starters today after pulling a muscle on yesterday's climb so I was on the road just before 6am this morning. The weather held great promise - clear sky and around 13C even at that time - and the forecast for...
60 miles ridden - 3248 feet climbed. Lovely weather today. Sunny, warm in the sunshine but not too hot overall. After a fabulous downhill into, and then this morning out of, Kah-nee-ta we had a decent 3 mile climb up onto high plains. The 'A40' wasn't quite so busy...
65 miles ridden - 4,892 feet climbed. We had a slightly earlier start today as over the first 12 miles we needed to climb to Government Camp in the foothills of Mount Hood at an elevation of 3995 feet. It wasn't particularly steep - just long. As with yesterday...
74 miles ridden - 2835 feet climbed. I'll start with the highlight - the view of Mt. Hood: It was a really mixed day - the first 20 miles and last 20 miles were a bit like cycling down the A40 (UK readers) or Route 17 (US/NJ aware readers). This gets tiresome after a...
69 miles - 2,917 feet climbed - 4000 calories to be replaced! So finally we got underway. Breakfast was at 6am this morning to allow us all to pack up our stuff and get the van loaded before a group photo. The route today was quite straight forward - turn left out of...
Now we are all here. Today we have had all the orientation sessions about US road rules, thunderstorms, lightning etc. Most of the riders went in groups to dip our back wheels in the Pacific Ocean at Fort Stevens State Park beach. Not a long ride - 27 miles - but a...
Great ride today - dodged the morning rain and late afternoon gloom for a lovely ride to Seaside, Oregon. 39 miles, 1600 feet of climbing and the Pacific Ocean - quite a view! My fellow riders are starting to arrive - some really nice and interesting people...
Well, I'm here - it's a lovely little town which has starred in feature films such as The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, and two Free Willy films. Everyone is friendly although they tend to tilt their head in a compassionate and concerned way when I explain what I am...
Had a decent week's training - 215 miles covered, 11,316 feet climbed at an average speed of 14.4mph - whatever.....no more cycling until I am in Astoria Oregon. I have a couple of routes loaded into my Garmin with a map set for North America so assuming British...
Finally some great summer weather! Had a fabulous ride from home out via Ashridge, up and over Ivinghoe Beacon, and home via Wendover. 48miles, 2900feet of climbing and 14.4mph average speed. Great view.....
Two weeks today - Sunday 19th June - is the first day of cycling on my trip and today I went out for my final club ride prior to the trip. Fabulous ride with ARCC (Amersham Road Cycling Club - www.amershamrcc.com ) from Great Missenden out to Sonning Common. Doubts...
Spoke to the organisers last night and there are 37 of us making the entire coast to coast trip. Very exciting as it becomes less theoretical and more real. There folks from Israel, Germany, Holland and three Australians on the trip. Weather still not good in Suffolk...
Well on Bank Holiday Monday it's more windy here in Suffolk!! Spending a few days near Southwold and enjoying cycling in a very different environment to home in the Chiltern Hills. Still working out new routes but aside from the A12 the roads are pretty quiet and the...
On our last full day at Club La Santa we were up in good time for morning gymnastics and then managed to keep up with the run leader on the daily 3Km run. Our reward was fresh bread and croissant for breakfast - do we know how to live or what!? I went out cycling and...
The wind is still the main topic of conversation here at the moment - not its because of how it continues to affect cyclists and tennis players but because the Lanzarote Ironman is this Saturday and almost 1800 competitors will have to cope with this unusual wind as...
No cycling today - it was time to branch out and do something new. Of course I did morning gymnastics and the morning 3Km run and then a little later a short gym session but after that came the Aquathlon. A large group of people aged between about 6 and 70 ranging...
In addition to eating for energy (to be covered later) I have had to consider how much fluid I need to drink to replace the amount I sweat while cycling. There are a few variables such as speed, terrain, and temperature etc but in planning for this ride I need to...
Yesterday I mentioned morning gymnastics and the daily run. See pictures below: There were people up on the balcony behind me as well! I went out on an organised bike ride this morning. The biggest difference from going on your own is that you can't alter pace to suit...
As many of you know Sue and I come to Club La Santa (CLS) in Lanzarote each May for 'relaxation'. It is a playground for those who like their exercise and want to try new stuff or just do lots of old stuff. Although I do a reasonable amount of cycling here I...
42 days until I fly - am I nervous? Of course. Below you can see a map of our route and daily destinations with an ongoing tally of mileage and daily climbs. Now that's something to think about.....
With exactly two calendar months before I leave for the US and having thoroughly enjoyed a completely exercise-free 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Cuba it’s now time to ratchet up the training. Over the last couple of months in addition to cycling regularly (ice and...
Only 2 months before my adventure begins, more training to do and modifications to my bike also required..... But first Sue and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in Cuba