Day of the hundreds

Day 15
From Rocky Mount NC
To Warsaw NC
Mileage estimated 100
Mileage actual 100
Top speed 26 mph
Riding time 6 hrs 35 mins

Today dawned early - notice I don't say bright and early because it wasn't daylight when we shuffled across the hotel car park to Denny's for breakfast. That started at 5.45am and when I got there, nearly everyone was already seated. The Grand Slam breakfast was our allowance and porridge, two eggs on toasted 'English Muffin' and two pancakes with syrup (it's getting to me, but at least I had them on separate plates!) with large orange juice and Denny's famous never ending coffee cup meant that the tank was full for what was going to be out longest day mileage-wise. We did start the tour with a day in the 90's but today was going to be out only day where the mileage officially hit three figures.

Despite thunderstorms in the night, another thing to hit three figures was the humidity, so much so that when I got outside Denny's the condensation was streaming down the OUTSIDE of the windows. At 7am when we left it was 71 degrees and 100% humidity. Calling it 'sticky' today was like calling Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup 'watery'. The Weather Channel, which seems to have become every riders' favourite TV station said that the humidity would decrease as the temperature increased and that did prove to be the case. Once again though, the best way to beat the heat was to ride a bike because the wind generated did cool you down. We were also blessed today with North Easterly winds and as our route was generally in a Southerly direction it was more 'for' than 'agin'.

It is noticeable that everyone has become stronger as the days have gone by - if we hadn't done then there would be something wrong with all of us - and we are also riding well as a group. Today, in fact, for about 20 miles, we rode as a group of 8 as three other riders were travelling at roughly the same speed and we all tagged along together, to every one's mutual benefit.

The first SAG stop was not until 39 miles and we had been warned not to let our water bottles empty, to look out for the vans as they were 'patrolling' back and forth and fill up whenever we could. At the end of today, I had drunk 12 bottles of liquid @ 500ml per bottle so that was 6 litres of fluid. When I got to the hotel, I tried to get more cold drinks but couldn't but we have just come back from diner and I have drunk another 2 litres there. At the moment, I don't feel thirsty, but I do need to keep topping up through the evening and will drink heavily again at breakfast. I am not alone in the need to drink as much as this.

The route out of town was now through the fields of cotton, tobacco, soy and peanuts and we spent a little time trying to work out which were the peanuts and which the soy. Cotton and tobacco were easy enough to separate but, interestingly, the locals could not tell me which was which of the other. Out of our extended group today, only one could tell me how peanuts grow (they are attached to the roots and have to be dug up to be harvested, he told me). It really is strange. This is a country where people can tell you what their own personal Vol O2 (volume of oxygen or lung capacity) is, how many calories there are in certain foods, that orange juice heightens cholesterol (and by how much) what their average heart beat should be etc., etc., but no one knows how a peanut grows or what happens with cotton plants. Have they got it right and do we have it wrong?

The cotton fields were, as promised, a little more mature here and the cotton was starting to sprout out of the bols. The picture shows one just a shade more open than another with others waiting their turn. The plants were still not much higher than 12 - 18" and again we thought about the backbreaking work that used to be done to harvest this. You can still buy a T shirt in Wal-Mart in 100% cotton for $5. The tobaccos fields' crops were slightly smaller in height that their counterparts in Lancaster County, and we spoke to another farmer who was harvesting his crop. He was going about it in a different way to the Amish farmers as his machine just came along and took off the leaves; he told us he was on his third crop from the same plant this year and may get another. That's mechanisation for you (and crop/profit maximisation!)

As we have done throughout the whole of this trip we rode along some roads with familiar names; Halifax Road was one in particular that caught the eye today, but we also passed along the likes of :- Reedy Branch Road, Jeff Outlaw Road, Cow Branch Road, Hood Swamp Road and Bennetts Bridge Road. Names like that make your imagination run to think of how they were named in the first place. The best of the lot was an instruction on the cue sheet at 85.5 miles (so just when tether end was being approached) and the translation of this was :- "At 85.5 miles, turn Left onto Summerlins Crossroads Road. Turn is situated at a STOP sign at a T junction and the road may be unmarked." Is it any wonder we get lost occasionally?

There was little other activity from wildlife, probably due to the heat, though one or two dogs did give us a bit of a run for our money. The way I was taught to deal with them was to shout at them and make more noise than them whilst pointing at them. The best thing to shout is 'Go Home!' or something similar. It was suggested last night that the first thing that should be shouted is 'Get in the Truck!' and if that doesn't work, try 'Get in the damned truck!' (That was one for the locals) One of the riders, Bill, told us that when he was a youngster, he used to deliver papers and one dog always used to give him problems. Bill used to shout 'Go Home!' and that was normally effective until the day when he arrived at aforementioned dog's home and it was waiting for him with a 'What are you going to say now, then?' look in its eye. Standoff took place with dog barking at Bill until the owner came out of the house, grabbed the dog and was very, very apologetic to the poor young paper boy. Bill handed over the paper and the owner then proceeded to leather the dog with the rolled up paper berating it not to do naughty things again. Any surprise that the dog didn't really like Bill the paper boy? He said he gave up delivering soon after that.

There were a couple of longhorn cattle which were very well corralled away from the road as I didn't really fancy trying a quick getaway from these horns, especially the ones on the left.

The Weather Channel had proved very accurate in its forecast and the humidity had gone down as the day went on; the temperature did go up, too and one of the riders had a reading of 96 degrees, so we almost got three centuries today!

The last ten miles before we hit Warsaw city limits were on a road surface that I met last year, but haven't so far this year. I named it the 'Da-Dum' road. It has wide (1") cracks running across it at fairly regular intervals that go 'Da-Dum' as the bike goes over it (almost like the old railway tracks but more frequently) and they are of such depth that your body gets grief from when both wheels go over the crack; the front wheel gives pain through the hands and up to the elbows, the rear wheel gives pain through the saddle and into the, how shall we say, pelvic region. The problem is, there is no avoiding the bumps. You can't stand up and pedal and you can't let go of the bike or you lose control. You have to try and tolerate it, but after 80-odd miles in blistering heat, my patience was tried and, I have to admit, the road got a couple of rounds of abuse.

We were particularly pleased to ride today and complete the day in one piece; it seems like we rode it as quickly as we could to get it over with, but that wasn't the case, it was merely that our fitness allows us to ride a good deal faster and smarter than two weeks ago. We kept good pace lines and rode sensibly, so much so that we were into the hotel just before 3 o'clock having completed 100 miles in just over six and a half hours' riding at an average speed of just over 15 mph. Others probably did it quicker, but we were more than pleased with that.

Dinner tonight was at Smithfield Chicken Barbecue restaurant. It was interesting. The sign said Smithfield; there was chicken; there was no sign, sight, smell or taste of barbecue and the word restaurant had had its definition stretched to the absolute maximum. Never mind, there was plenty of food and lots of lemonade started the liquid reserve restocking process. Tomorrow's only 73 miles!

Dogs and Cotton

Day 14
From Emporia VA
To Rocky Mount North Carolina
Mileage estimated 58
Mileage actual 59 miles
Top speed 27.5 mph
Riding time 4hrs 43 mins

At Route Rap last night, Shane told us that today would be about dogs and cotton. Dogs because we are getting into the backwoods where people do not keep their dogs on leashes, nor in a kennel, nor behind any fence. Oh, and the dogs don't like cyclists other than as a plaything that they LOVE to chase. We had discussion and shared ides of how to deal with aggressive canines. The other thing we were to expect today was cotton fields and that was just how it turned out.

58 miles was a short day after what we have been turning our wheels round for over the past few days, so luggage load was at 8.30am today but, of course, we were mostly all up before then as the body alarm clock kicked in at the usual early time. I would have been ready to go at 8 and I am not the best at getting motivated in the morning, so there was a little bit of heel dragging going on. The day dawned cloudy but warm and we set off from the hotel retracing our route in from last evening.

As we did so, I had to stop and take a photo as I suddenly saw that after a lot of effort, the work of trying to get the Americans to use proper English may finally be paying off. Is it too much to expect that in the sleepy town of Emporia, Virginia, a cultural revolution is starting?

There were a lot of twists and turns to get out of town but we were soon on our way into pleasant countryside on flat, smooth roads that moved us further South. The early morning mist didn't last long and soon the sun was adding its bit to the humidity in the air and pushing the temperatures higher and higher. Soon our clothing was wet through and cycling was the only way to get a breezy escape from the humidity; stand still and perspiration just ran down your arms and other parts of your body! (Ooh, too much information!)

As Shane had said, the landscape changed from the usual corn and soy crops to pastures new. Today we rode through cotton fields, tobacco fields and finally peanut fields. The cotton fields were what we first came across and I was assured by those of the locals who know best that as we move further South we will see the the cotton plants in more mature states. What I saw this morning were plants about 18" high with either white or pink flowers on them and the cotton bols growing independent of the flower. You can see the bols on the picture. They are the large green circular gooseberry-like parts and as the plant matures, the cotton is formed in there until the cover bursts when the cotton is ready to be harvested. I will be interested to see what height the plant finally gets to because if they don't get any higher, collecting the cotton by hand will not have been much fun. Nowadays, the whole thing is done by machine but years ago the slaves would have to work the fields. I do not envy them.

We got to the first SAG stop in good time and stayed a little longer than usual. Firstly it was sited at a River park with pleasant views and a bit cooler air and secondly, the staff had got fresh watermelon for us and that was so refreshing! It was very watery and also very sweet and a huge one was demolished by grateful riders.

Arlene managed to get another flat tyre which was caused by the tyre being 'pinched' and the tube getting punctures. That was soon repaired but when it was inflated to pressure it blew up again as the tyre had a hole in it, too. The tyre then had to have a temporary repair or 'boot' as the locals say, another new tube inserted and then we were on our way again. We lunched at the town of Enfield which has many claims to fame, most of them untrue; a) it was named after Enfield England, b) that there was an Inn there and it was called Innfield then changed or c) that it was where the Enfield rifle was manufactured during the civil war but what the actual origin of the name is remains a mystery. Nowadays, it's a one street town that has seen better days. It was once the centre of the North Carolina peanut industry, but it seems to have lost that title, too. It was hot enough for us to seek the shelter of (yet another!) Subway shop, the only food place in the town and a few minutes in the air conditioning was very, very welcome.

Today, Al, my room mate, rode with us. He is a very strong rider and has done some racing in the past. His bike is one that was custom built for him by Stephen Roache, Irish Tour de France rider and winner in the past and he is eminently suited to it. There is very little to him and therefore he doesn't have much excess to lug around so he can get along very nicely. There were a couple of times today when the wind was not too favourable and Al went to the front of the line and started to lead. This suited me and no doubt the others until Al decided to lead as he knows. Soon the speed was going up, and up, and up, and up until I am in a pace line going at 20mph. Thank goodness there was not too much of the ride left or else I would never have made it.

We got to the hotel just before 3pm and our room was ready. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this sign in the lobby addressed to me. Who left it? I don't know at the time of writing. I am sure it will be one of Leon's friends from North Carolina - or maybe even Leon himself. Hopefully, all will be revealed later and I can update you tomorrow. (Now see below)

I published today's post early and got back from dinner to find an answer to my mystery supporters. Please look at 'Comments' below to find the answer. Thank you very much, John and Sherry Dixon.

Half way there

Day 13
From Mechanicsville VA
To Emporia VA
Mileage estimated 91
Mileage actual 91
Top speed 32.2 mph
Riding time 6 hrs 24 mins

Yesterday was a wet day and when we got into the hotel last night, all was explained as the Weather Channel informed us that we had received the back end of Hurricane Fay before it finally went away. Fay didn't want to go away too soon and she continued into the small hours and even when we got up this morning the pavements were wet. As we sat down for breakfast it is fair to say that the heavens well and truly opened and rain was bouncing off the floor.

In such conditions, the staff will not let us ride so we were held back for 30 minutes until the shower had passed by. So, about 730am I ventured out and decided to risk not riding with my coat on; to be on the safe side I put it into the van, but, as it turned out, I didn't need it at all.

We were warned at Route Rap that, because of the rains, some roads may be flooded. If this was the case, we should NOT try to cross the water but report it to the staff who would come and look and take a decision on our behalf. I thought this was a little strong, but understood the safety reasons behind it and I understood even more when Shane explained that you don't know what could be at the bottom of the water; leeches, snakes and other nasty biddies and I then agreed entirely with what was said. Luckily, we did not come across any flooded roads today.

Now, at home, when there has been a storm the air tends to clear leaving a fresh day to enjoy. Here, the opposite happens and we had the joys of what my riding friend Johnnie, who is from Alabama and knows all about these things, calls 'up there'. What he means is that the relative humidity is getting 'up there' towards 100% but he estimated that we had an 'even' day i.e. the temperature and the relative humidity were about the same. Today's temperature was about 86 degrees and the humidity was about 86%. Unofficially it was described as HOT. Funnily enough the only time that I felt comfortable today was either when I was standing in the shade or riding the bike. Even better was riding the bike in the shade, but there wasn't much of that. I was literally as wet through as yesterday without any rain falling on me and the whole day was like riding in a plastic bag in a greenhouse with the windows shut, the sun shining and a fan heater blowing. I am reliably informed that it could get worse. That will be interesting.

We rode well together today and covered almost 100 miles at an average speed of just over 14 mph. Admittedly, there weren't too many hills and those that there were didn't cause any concern. (Well one did because half way up it Arlene got a flat tyre that we had to repair for her and we really thanked her when we had to restart and climb the hill without the momentum we had built up previously) That being the case, of course, there were fewer and fewer downhills to run on and this of course means that there is more pedalling to do and that is something the bottom of our feet will have to get used to for the remainder of the trip as the daily altitude climbed reduces.

We soon got moving along and at 11 miles we reached the half way point of the tour; at least, it's the halfway point as the staff think it is from their mileage charts, but so of us will already have done over half that total with our bonus miles. Mike and Debbie did a good job of setting up the half way point on the road and taking pictures for anyone that wanted them taking. The picture shows Johnnie, Connie, Anne and me ready to start on the downhill part of the journey.

Although we had reached the half way point of the whole tour, we had another 80 miles to go today so we didn't hang about too long. The whole route this morning was along the Richmond Battlefields Tour route and although that was made for cars, there were a lot of signs showing what had happened during the Civil war at many locations. Time was against us to keep stopping and starting, but I was left thinking that I should read and learn more about the conflict when I have time.

We went through fields of corn (sweet - what else), soy, tobacco and another small plant that (I was informed later at Route Rap) could have been cotton. Route Rap promised cotton tomorrow and I will be interested to see it as it is a plant I have never seen before.

We crossed the mighty James River near to Hopewell and had the pleasure of going across the drawbridge which, we were warned, was about 100 feet of metal grate. this is normally difficult to ride on as the grate is like a grill with rectangular holes measuring about 4" x 2". This means that you get almost locked into a line of holes on the grill and just carefully follow them. Today, as the road was still wet before the bridge, the cars had wet the metal grate so this made it a lot more hazardous and extreme care had to be taken. We all got across, but it was bad enough for us to advise the staff of the dangers.

Quite disgracefully we had got into the first SAG of the day first of all the whole group. This was a 'never before' occurrence (and had better be a 'never again') but helped by Arlene's flat tyre, we retained our usual position at the rear by the second SAG. In fact, the van was parked at a store which did food so sandwiches were purchased and we dined in the shade of the store awning. Everyone else left before us, but we did end up going past one or two of the other riders before we got to the hotel about 3.45pm.

We were still wet through. The hotel had a pool which seemed to be very inviting until I had got into my shorts and stood on the side; two people were already in the pool and I couldn't see the bottom through the murk, so I decided to give it a miss and spend a longer time in the shower. No duties to do today.

It was a long day but it is testament to our growing fitness levels that we rode as well as we did and got into the hotel at a decent time.

Tomorrow is a bonus day - 58 miles! - and we don't have to start until 8.30am. As Patty would say, 'Yee Haw!'

You can only get **** wet through once

Day 12
From Fredericksburg
To Mechanicsville VA
Mileage estimated 73
Mileage actual 74
Top speed 36.8 mph
Riding time 5 hrs 50 mins

Today, we were told last night, may be a bit damp as rain was expected, so we were advised to get out our waterproofs ready for what the weather gods may throw at us. Rising bright and early I got into the 'Aunt Sarah's' restaurant next to the hotel to be greeted by the sister of the receptionist from the hotel at Phillipsburg. At least, that's what she acted like. 'No food till the man who comes in to pay is here', 'I hope you all realise that there's only one server and one cook on this morning' and 'No. You can have either water or coffee or orange but not more than one' were some of the points put across to us that were definitely NOT for discussion.

After leaving the breakfast spot, it didn't seem that the rain was going to come, so it was a toss up whether to put the raincoat on or put it into the van for 'just in case' sake. When it came to leaving time, we were all in wet weather gear with rear warning lamps flashing away. The sky was such a colour that we were in danger of breaking the 'no riding in the dark' AbB rule. Local traffic lights work on a metal / magnetic system and there has to be a substantial amount of heavy metal pass over the sensors for the lights to register your presence then change. Bikes don't fit into that category and the road we were on had few cars that were going to do the deed for us. We sat at the lights for 10 minutes getting wetter and wetter until finally the SAG van came out and put us out of our misery, the lights changed in our favour and we were able to get on our way.

The rain by this time was getting heavier and I couldn't see a thing out of my glasses so we made quite a motley crew riding along trying to get out of town. Sadly, again due to the location of the hotel and the time it took to get to Fredericksburg, I didn't get the chance to look around a famous old town. The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the American Civil War. The Union Army suffered terrible casualties in futile frontal assaults on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city, bringing to an early end their campaign against the Confederate capital of Richmond. (Borrowed from Wikipedia) If you want to read a bit more about it you can have a look at http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm We rode through the old part of town and then through the battlefield park, past signs that showed the positions of the various battalions during the conflict. Sadly, that was all we did do as the weather was such that it was not a place to stay and linger for any longer than necessary.


We rode through the Park for about 3 miles before getting onto quieter country rodes which took us further South.


Now here's some advice and it's good.


Don't ever believe what the adverts say about Gore-Tex being waterproof. It is not true. I have a good quality Gore-Tex coat that is supposed to be waterproof and windproof and wick away all internal moisture so that you don't get done by the rain from the outside or the condensation from the inside. It's complete and absolute shoemakers. After about 20 minutes of riding I was as wet as an otter's coat pocket both inside and out, the only difference being that inside was slightly warmer than outside. I'll tell you how wet it was; THIS was on the side of the road as we rode along!






That's the white line at the side of the road and the poor thing was wriggling until just before we got to it!





First SAG today was at 33 miles into the ride and described on the cue sheet as being 'on L in Pull Off' which in English means on the left on a patch of gravel big enough for the van to park on. There was no room even for the bikes and certainly no shelter. Bikes were propped against the omnipresent crop of the country, corn, which, to its credit, did prove that its stalks are pretty strong and supportive. SAG stops were not for long today and we were soon on our way again. The road surface was wet, we were wet and to add to our pleasure, wagons or large cars travelling in the opposite direction developed a habit of giving us a further shower for good measure from the road surface water. The road authorities in Virginia had also hit on a good wheeze whereby they had laid sandy gravel on the surface of the road; now that it was raining this was no longer in between the little stones that there were and was lying on the surface. Well, lying, that is, until you rode a bike over it when it went everywhere imaginable. Clothes, hands, feet, legs, bike parts, saddles - just everywhere. YES, everywhere, and that didn't help the comfort angle today.



Mike the Bike (Mechanic) when he introduced himself to us on the first day told us that the sun always shines when he rides. Today he was to ride after the first SAG and we all thought that the weather would improve thereafter. Mike drove the van to the first SAG when he got changed into his riding kit.


He tells lies.





He came out of the van with his riding kit on and he had a coat on. Now, if what he said on Day 1 was true, he wouldn't even own a rain coat. See, they all tell me lies. How can I believe him anymore? He then rode off just after telling us that within half an hour it would be sunny. BUT HE DIDN'T SAY WHERE! It's a locals' conspiracy against the Educators.



It did finally stop coming out of the sky just as we reached the second SAG at 56 miles which was only 18 miles from the end of the day. I didn't even take my coat off but some of the group got into 'normal' gear for the ride into the Holiday Inn Express at Mechanicsville. No, I've never heard of it either. It's a suburb of Richmond which is the capital of Virginia and the capital of the Confederate States of America before the civil war.



Debbie had rung ahead and asked for a hose pipe to be available for us to wash our bikes down; I hosed mine off then hosed down my coat, hands, legs and shoes. After I had finished there was enough sand to supply a house builder for a few days. The next stop was check-in and as I walked in and gave my usual banter introduction, the receptionist said, 'The accent! If he just keeps on talking like that I am going to get a divorce!' to which I replied, with a wink to her colleagues alongside her, 'Well I suppose we could give it a try, but I will have to see what my boyfriend says about that first'. Her face dropped about four feet and the two colleagues' laughter was quite unrestrained. I did tell her the truth and apologised for the joke but I don't think she laughed much. What I couldn't understand is why she wanted to get married to an accent?



Today was a 'Get There' day and we made such good time that I was able to get into the laundry room and do my duties before anyone else had gathered their thoughts about them and got to the washer before me. So now I have a clean body, clean bike and clean clothes and I'm ready for the next leg of the adventure.

Back to Reality

First of all apologies for there being no entry for yesterday. If you look below this entry you will see that I have given you 'double do's' but when you read yesterday's you will guess that it was a long day and as I didn't get back until late, I had many other things to do. Hope you will still enjoy it.

Day 11
From Washington DC
To Fredericksburg Virginia
Mileage estimated 90
Mileage actual 92
Top speed 44.2 mph
Riding time 7hrs 3 mins

While we as a group had either been doing our own thing or doing things in smaller groups yesterday, the ride staff had not stopped working. As well as seeing the five people away from the tour who left us in Washington, they had to welcome and brief three new members, Walter, Arlene and Carol. None of them are connected but Arlene is a friend of Anne and Connie with whom I ride, so she has dropped in with our group today. Walter and Arlene are with us until our next Rest Day in North Myrtle Beach but Carol stays with us until the end in Jacksonville.

Today was a long day but there were two saving graces; firstly the tough climbing days are virtually all behind us - we don't have any more short, sharp, steep or long steady climbs ahead of us like the ones we have already had - and the overall altitude climbed reduce the further south we go and secondly, it was an English summer's day! Well, nearly. It was overcast all day and there were just one or to spits and spots of rain to keep you interested but never enough to make the coat come out.

I left Washington with a bit of sadness; I was leaving good friends behind in Bob and Cathy and Dave had also made his way home, and the city had made such a good impression on me that I wanted to stay longer and see more. One day, maybe.

We left Washington through, but against, the rush hour traffic and crossed the Arlington bridge, immediately entering the state of Virginia and getting onto the Mount Vernon bike trail that took us out through the suburbs, past Dulles International airport and 15 miles on our way before we went onto any roads. Unlike the trail going into the city, this was well paved and maintained and a joy to ride. Passing the airport was interesting as the planes were taking off above us and I felt like I could reach up and tuck the undercarriage away as they went over our heads. Occasionally the bike track crossed swamp and that meant there were wooden bridges; some went on for quite a way and I felt like I was waiting in a queue for a Disney ride.

Traffic was a bit busier than we were used to so we had to be aware and keep concentrating. We picked up a number of Bike Paths that ran alongside the road but were almost more dangerous than being on the road itself and for the first time over here, we actually travelled on roads with bike lanes painted for use, and not in the gutter like they normally have us.

We passed through an old town called Occoquan which had a lovely port / marina and then we turned off the main road and rode through the tiny streets. Leaving there and we had our only serious climb of the day but we are all stronger riders now and that gave us few problems.

We moved along at what we thought was quite a pace, even though we were hampered by Arlene getting a puncture just before the second SAG, but we eventually got in just before 4pm after over 7 hours in the saddle. There are a few shorter days coming up but we have still to do our only 100 mile day yet and the weather is forecast to get warmer.

Hmmm..... Could be a test!

As you can gather today was a bit of a 'get there' day with not a lot to see on the road. Dinner tonight however reunited me with that American delight, the all-you-can-eat buffet or (Pigs' Trough as it is also known) and there on the vegetable counter was the Victor 'I don't believe it!' Meldrew award winning dish, SWEET POTATOES AND MARSMALLOW!!! I though I would never see that again, but one should never say never! One look was enough to turn me away in horror.

Don't have nightmares thinking about it.

Day off in a beautiful city

A day off should be used to enable one's body to recover from the excesses of the previous days. The best way to that is to stay in bed or a chair and rest one's legs but when you are in the capital city of the country being visited, it is difficult to resist temptation.

That being the case, I was up early (before 7) and tried to get some phoning home and abroad out of the way. I breakfasted then met up again with Dave and Bob from last year's and yesterday's rides. Bob had booked tickets on the green and orange 'trolley' tour and we spent a good four hours going round the city of Washington, viewing the sites from an open bus driven by a knowledgeable guide to the sights.

We went past everything - and that was, unfortunately, one of the problems that because of the lack of time that we had and the myriad amount of things we wanted to see, it was impossible to see them all. We passed the White House, the Supreme Court, the Reagan Museum, The Holocaust Museum, Union Station, the FBI HQ, and memorial after memorial. We eventually got off the bus and looked at the Lincoln memorial close up then stood on the steps and looked away from there down, what is known as the Reflective Pool, to the Washington memorial and the Capitol Building. For those of you who have seen the film Forrest Gump, if you remember the bit where Gump stood in his uniform and addressed the crowd before walking into the pond to meet up with his girlfriend, then that is where we stood and this is a bit of what we saw.

The next things we looked at were the memorials to the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Both were extremely moving and thought provoking. The Korean one had bronze soldier statues showing a 'patrol' and the faces displayed the emotions that they were probably experiencing; hunger, exhaustion, fear, alertness and all different types of things.

This is a small selection of the photographs that I took that hopefully shows what I mean:-

If that was moving, the Vietnam memorial was much more powerful. I have seen memorials in England and been to the World War I memorials in Northern France but I have not been moved as much as I was by this. It is a very, very simple; the floor sloped downwards and as it did a black polished stone wall stayed at ground height and displayed 58,260 names of those lost or missing in action during the Vietnam conflict. The wall went into a corner then turned 90 degrees and continued as the floor sloped upwards to the ground above. This is a picture of the Wall going back up with the Washington Memorial at the end.

The most moving part was when I saw a family at the wall on their hands and knees with a piece of paper and a wax crayon. They were doing a 'brass rubbing' of the name of their relative and they were deep in thought. Everyone that walked past them looked and of they didn't have tears in their eyes, then they weren't from Earth. As I walked along a man was walking alongside me and he let go a very deep sigh and said, 'Oh, dear!' I spoke over my shoulder and said that i couldn't have put it better myself and he said, 'I wouldn't mind but I'm a Brit!' 'So am I' was all I could say and neither of us could continue the conversation.

I was acutely conscious that Bob had been badly affected by his experiences in the war in Vietnam and it thus became a place that I felt humbled to be, but needing to get away from so as not to take him back there.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though. We continued our tour and went up to the Cathedral then down Massachusetts Avenue and passed all the Embassies of various countries, some in pristine condition and other not so (e.g. Iraq) then we left the bus and got back to the hotel.

We the loaded Bob's car and went to his house in Silver Springs, about an hour from the city and had a very pleasant afternoon and evening and a wonderful dinner, with him and Cathy, his lovely wife. He is a wonderful friend and I am delighted to know him. One day they will come across to England and I will show them the real country (even though all he wants to do is go on a train through the 'Chunnel'. He's a heathen and obviously cannot be educated if that is all he wants to do when he comes over!

Washington is a beautiful city that I merely scratched the surface of and would love to come back to. I hope one day to do so. If you get the chance to visit, take it with both hands and enjoy it. I'll finish with some more of my holiday snaps of the city as further 'tasters'.

Rest day Ahead!

Day 9
From Hunt Valley
To Washington DC
Mileage estimated 81
Mileage actual 81
Top speed 39.6 mph
Riding time 6 hrs 48 mins

Today started dark and early with a lot of cloud about and threats of thunderstorms later in the day. Fortunately, they never turned up and the most rain we felt all day was about four spots. Breakfast brought another surprise when I was greeted by Pete Skarlow, another rider from last yar's ride, who had driven about 2 hours from New Jersey to ride with Dave, Bob and me for the day. Cue many photos of people from the Cross Country Challenge 2007 reunion! This picture shows Me with Pete, Bob and Dave ready for the off, not looking a day older or a pound heavier than when we were last together in New Hampshire.

Dave, of course has lost none of his downhill competitiveness and Bob has now improved his technique and it was interesting at one stage following them down a slope. I wonder if you can guess which one was which? Anyone want to park their bike somewhere?





Enough of the rubbish. Let's get on with the story!

Another early start as we had been promised a long day and potential thunderstorms (see above) and we set off with overcast skies but warm air. It was just like a summer's day at home. The route took us over roads much the same as the other days but whilst we had been promised a similar amount of elevation, the hills today were not too steep, more of the long, gentle variety. I soon got back into the habit of riding alongside Bob, deep in conversation, and even Dave remarked that it was so usual to see the sight of Bob and I talking with me riding on the outside in the middle of the lane! Unfortunately, as the morning wore on, the roads got busier and our conversations had to cease for safety's sake. We went through the usual trees and fields and on one occasion we actually saw some jockeys giving horses a run out as we rode alongside them.



This is Bob's home 'patch' and he was able to point out many interesting things as we rode along. he showed me a wood cabin that had been preserved (as a reminder ?) as it was where slaves were housed on one of the estates that we went through. We also went through Brookeville and Bob told me about this before we got there. Had he not done so, I would never have known about what had happened there, nor seen this sign:-




If you can't see what is on here it says that Brookeville was the United States capital for one day on August 26th, 1814. Apparently, the British had come across and given the Americans a damn good thrashing in some battle or other and taken over Washington, the capital. The American government had debunked to Brookeville but the next day, the Brits and the locals decided that they really didn't have anything to fall out about and the real common enemy was the French, so we let them back into their offices and combined to beat up them from across 'La Manche'. We were always good at compromise.

First and second SAG came and went, the second one being at the start of the Beechwood Drive entrance to the Rock Creek National park. Last night Phillipe won the daftest question so far award at Route Rap when he asked Shane, 'What is the name of the creek that runs through the Rock Creek park?' He was being serious, too.

From the SAG we followed the Rock Creek cycle path into Washington DC and I can honestly say it was one of the worst bike routes I have ever been on. It was supposed to be a relief from riding on busy roads but it was bumpy due to tree roots pushing through the surface, had sharp bends and was extremely narrow; so much so that we ended up back on the road as it was safer and better to ride on. We had to go back to the track the nearer we got to the city and it ended up coming out on Pennsylvania Avenue on which, at no. 1600, sits Dubya's town house. We negotiated the Washington Circle, a large roundabout a bit like Hyde Park corner but nowhere near as busy and found our hotel by about 3.30pm. We are staying in the Best Western in Georgetown which I am led to believe is one of the better areas of the city. One more spoke went on the back wheel when negotiating the bike path, so Mike the Bike (mechanic) was busy again then I went for dinner with Dave, Pete and Carol, Dave's wife, who had been following us all day.

After dinner, and after dark, I walked out from the hotel along Pennsylvania Avenue and found a quiet city with not much traffic and less nightlife (in the area). There were no cafes open and the only bar that I saw had few people in. I walked along as far as the White House and did a touristy bit and, do you know, even though it was dark night time.............


....................the White House was still white!

These Americans can do anything!

Tomorrow is a much looked forward to Rest Day. I plan to only see one 5.30 tomorrow and that will be pm, not am. Bob is coming back in and we are going to go round the city before going out to his house for dinner. Washington is a city I have never been to and I am not familiar with it. What better way to see it then to be shown round by a real 'local'?

For those of you that are interested, we have now been into 9 different states and have covered about 685 miles since leaving New Hampshire last week. It's been good and it will only get better.

Tomorrow's entry will probably be all about holiday snaps!

Liar, Liar, pants on fire

Day 8
From Lancaster
To Hunt Valley Maryland
Mileage estimated 67
Mileage actual 67
Top speed 50.5 mph
Riding time 5 hrs 56 mins





People tell lies. Why do they do it? The hotel staff told us that we couldn't have breakfast until 6.30am because that was when the restaurant opened. It didn't. It wasn't open until 6.45am and then it was only part open because half the food wasn't there and a lot of the serving utensils weren't out either.


So we had planned an early start as today was reckoned to be the toughest day of the trip by Shane the Leader and we didn't get it.


Then we had to ride. One of the roads was called Long Level Road. Ever heard of the Meatloaf song called 'Two out of Three ain't bad'? Well, it was absolutely appropriate. There was a Road and it was Long; but Level? They lied to me again. It was as level as a road surface in New England. Why tell lies? Why not call it 'Long you're not going to like this Road' or 'Long ho, ho, ho Road'? People tell lies and I bet they were laughing at us all the way through it.


The weather gods were kind to us again today though it did get up into the low 90s this afternoon. Fortunately that was after the majority of the climbing had been completed.


We left Lancaster to a warm morning on Route 30 which is part of the Lincoln Highway.





This was Abraham Lincoln's scheme to link New York and San Francisco by making a single road that would go across the country. We left on a bridge over the Susquehanna River that widened into Lake Clarke and we rode alongside these for most of the morning. We left Lancaster County and crossed the border into York County and from what I was told last night there is a 'friendly' rivalry between the two Roses over here as well as at home. The road was up and down with some quite steep climbs but the limbs are in tune a lot better now and we all got up them (eventually!)



The first SAG was after 25 miles and it had taken us about 2 1/2 hours to get to that. Straight after it there was another punishing hill that some joker had thought would be nice for cyclists to go up. You can see from the picture that the road runs on a hill that falls away on one side so you could perhaps guess the gradient we were going up. Fortunately, the road didn't go on for too long but we did have a few more bumps to negotiate. One of them was on Pleasant Hill Road (another lie!) then Chrome Hill Road, Old Federal Hill Road etc., etc. You're getting the message here, aren't you?

We crossed another state line today from Pennsylvania into Maryland and we travelled through some beautiful landscape again. The routes that have been chosen for us are on quieter roads and go through some picturesque countryside and passed some spectacular houses. One in particular had a front lawn that was probably about 400 yards long. Couldn't cut that on an evening after work!

We meandered seemingly here, there and everywhere into another feature of today - Dowling Tailwinds! We managed to fight our way through them and arrived at the hotel in Hunt Valley just after 3pm. A shower and a telephone call home filled a lot of time then it was Route Rap. As I got into the lobby where it was being held, I saw Carol Moore, Dave Moore's wife. Dave was another member of 'Group Stopsalot' on the Cross country ride last year and he is riding with me tomorrow. Dave appeared from behind a pillar and he hadn't changed at all. I was pleased to see them but a bit surprised as I wasn't expecting them until tomorrow morning.

We had Route Rap then went out for dinner and I had an even bigger surprise when we got back because there at the hotel was my wonderful friend from last year's ride, Bob Rodweller, and he had told me that he would be coming in early tomorrow morning and meeting me for breakfast before riding with me for the day.

So even Bob, the rascal, had lied to me! But that didn't really count as one and was the most easily forgiven of them all. It was great to see him and we will have a great day tomorrow and a day around Washington on Tuesday.

At the end of Route Rap the five riders who will be leaving the group in Washington were presented with their Certificates of Completion and asked to say a few words. John Clarke, who has been riding with us for each day said some very kind words. In particular he said that he has been riding with AbB for 10 years now and had never ridden with a better (small) group within the (whole) group. That was good to hear but I think we all ride well together because we are all considering each other as the day goes along and when you are cycling that is very important. You never know when you will need help to get you through a bad day so it is always a good thing to have some credit in the bank for when it happens.

John Sr., John Jr., (Dad and Lad), John C, Garry (Doughnut) and Phillipe we will miss you all. And that is NOT a lie!

May the wind be always on your back.

Tiredness, hills and whoopee cakes

Day 7
From Pottstown PA
To Lancaster PA
Mileage estimated 63
Mileage actual 65
Top speed 44.7mph
Riding time 5 hrs 50 mins

Disappointingly, although the day ended in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, we are now located about 12 miles outside the town centre; 12 miles in and 12 miles back on top of the 65 done to get here did not appeal, so I have had to miss out on the chance to have a look around the city that was actually named after Lancaster, England by a former resident when he emigrated. I also know it's a long way to come and not go and see the town but, as you can see from the title of today's post, seven days' riding is starting to have an effect.

Both Al, my room mate, and I are getting to bed reasonably early, say 10pm-ish, but we are always awake just after 5am to get ready for the day ahead as we leave the hotels approximately 6am to 6.45am. The cycling is not as difficult as last year as I am not doing the same daily mileage, but the weather is hot and that takes it out of you. There are a lot of hills so far as well and whilst they are not ten miles long, they have to be climbed and they are either short (1/2 mile) and steep or longer (up to 2 miles) but of a slightly lesser gradient. A difference with this ride is that there are a lot more turns and directions on the sheet and these come about with more frequency. The longest distance between 'cues' on today's ride, for instance, was 3.9 miles and there was a total of 56 different cues to follow. We do take it in turns to lead but wherever you are in the group you have to keep concentrating to ensure that everyone makes the right turns at the right time. I think we were the only riders today who did not have bonus miles, but there were a number of times when we were close!

We left the decaying town of Pottstown at 6.45am and dropped back into the Centre before turning onto a bridge with an early photo opportunity of the mist rising from the Montgomery River. We then carried on along the riverside and were rudely awakened after about 4 miles when we got to the first climb of the day which was a short, vicious lung stretcher. That negotiated, we rolled through some pleasant countryside, mostly woods and trees, rolling up hill and down again on reasonably surfaced roads with exotic names such as Harmonyville Road, Pine Swamp Road, Haycreek Road and Cold Run Road. Others were Yellow Hill, Chestnut Hill, Kramer Hill, Peiffer Hill, Cinder Hill and Owl Hill Roads and I'll leave it to your imagination to work out what was on them.

First SAG (at the top of a hill!) came and went and the countryside changed from woods and forests to more farming lands. There was a lot of sweetcorn that was at least 10 feet high, but strangely had no more than 2 ears of corn on the stalk, potatoes, peppers, carrots, soy and for the first time ever, tobacco. I'll come back to the tobacco later.

We rode along and at one field a couple of the locals stopped to take pictures of a herd of cows; obviously to them it was quite an event to see cows so I didn't make much comment, but when I was asked, 'Have you ever ridden a cow? Do they ride cows in England?' I had difficulty keeping the astonishment out of my voice as I told the asker that, as far as I was concerned, cows were really for eating or producing milk etc. and certainly not for riding. He replied that it was great fun riding cows. I just had to inform him of the 'proper English' slang usage of the term 'cow' and 'riding' but it seemed to go over his head. One or two of the others got it though and there was much suppressed giggling going on.



At the second SAG stop, for the second time, we were met by another ex-rider from an AbB tour and he and his wife had supplied some goodies for the SAG. There were some cool fresh peaches that when you bit into them had the juice running up your arms (you know, like a good quality,warm pork pie!) and also these which are called 'Whoopee Cakes'. No idea why they are so named, I suppose people went 'Whoopee' when they were produced, but they are two pieces of chocolate sponge filled with (on the right) whipped cream or (on the left) whipped peanut butter. Unknowingly, I went for the latter and wished I'd gone for the former. Peanut Butter and chocolate cake? I never cease to be amazed at the delights of American cuisine.

We had lunch at a cafe near the SAG stop then moved on towards Lancaster. We were maintaining a good pace today and were going to be into the hotel early. There were a couple more steep hills, one just after 60 miles, but another couple of photos opportunities. One was by a disused quarry and the other was a tobacco field that was being harvested by two Amish men and their daughter who would be about 6 or 7. One man was lifting the prepared leaves onto the cart and the other was loading the cart; the girl, or course, was driving the three mules that were pulling the cart.


The picture shows the growing plants in the background and the plants in the foreground had been cut about 4 days ago to begin the drying process. They were held onto pieces of wood and they were being collected by the farmers who were then going to hang them in the barns to dry until about December when they would be sold and used to provide the outside leaf that cigars are rolled in. John and I spent about ten minutes with the farmer and he said that prices weren't too bad! He was a fascinating man and we were each interested in what each other was doing; hopefully we enriched each other's day.

Even with these diversions I was the last to arrive at the hotel just after 2.30pm which for me is a bit of a record. So much so that my room hadn't been prepared and I had to wait in the lobby for a while, but I do feel more rested after an early finish.

Another warning of a tough day for tomorrow, another early start and another 60-odd miles to do.

Medium to hard

Day 6
From Phillipsburg NJ
To Pottstown PA
Mileage estimated 67
Mileage actual 69
Top speed 43.9 mph
Riding time 5hrs 51 mins.

Each evening at Route Rap we discuss the day's ride and then move onto the following day's plans. Shane, the Ride Leader, also 'grades' the day as either Easy, Medium, Hard or Very Hard (he daren't go higher) and scores them from 1-10 with 1 easy and 10 Very Hard. He graded today as a 5/6 Medium to hard day, but at the end of it, between the group, we had managed to make it a hard day.

We left the Inn of the Seventh Happiness after completing our feedback sheets (then running just in case the fire breather was working) as the sun was just climbing over the eastern hills and before the 'Exceptional Load' escort had their engines warm and air conditioning working at full capacity. It was apparent that today would be a hot day and we weren't let down there. I again rode with my usual group, Ann, Connie, Johnnie and John and we went back down the hill into Phillipsburg, retracing our last few miles from yesterday before turning South and West, back along the Delaware River towards places with such exotic names as Riegelsville, Milton and Holland township. I was quite busy with the camera during this part of the day which resulted in me being left slightly behind the others and gaining a few 'Bonus Feet' as I missed the turn that the cue sheet had highlighted as 'Don't Miss'. I did actually stop at the right junction but then took the road North instead of South but soon realised my mistake and turned round to catch up with my colleagues.

Just to make us work up an appetite before the first SAG there was a one mile hill that was a bit of a killer and here was where we put in our first efforts to make a medium day hard. Johnnie was riding at the front of the group, standing up on his pedals to help with the climb, when his chain broke and he did a header over the handlebars and onto the floor. It wasn't all that good a display because the Russian judge only award 5.4 for artistic merit. Johnnie was soon back up on his feet and walking up the rest of the hill. When we got to the top we could see there was a flat part then a downhill, so he got back on the bike and I pushed him as I rode alongside him for about 500 yards then he coasted down the hill to the SAG. When we got there he had a few cuts and bruises which were treated by the Team whilst Mike the Mechanic fixed and mended his chain for him so that he was ready to go when he had finished his treatment. Ever the sympathetic team, we gave him a bit of a ribbing and presented him with a makeshift crutch. He didn't appear too grateful.

We left the SAG stop and within 1/2 a mile there was a big bang and John's back tyre had exploded. He stripped the tube out and soon found the hole but couldn't find the cause or problem with the tyre. He can't have been looking too hard because I found it easy enough when I looked and I didn't have my glasses on! we put a patch on his tyre and a new tube in and away we went again.

We were soon into a new state as we crossed the line into Pennsylvania, our sixth state in as many days. At least here we were given some sort of a welcome by a sign and we were soon being reminded that PA should be kept clean and tidy. Sadly one or two of the motorists didn't follow that maxim and were busy throwing stuff out of their cars as they passed us by. I wouldn't mind but we weren't able to use any of it or quick enough to throw it back.

The miles went by then one of the staff decided that we should have some bonus miles as they had driven over the route but found that one road was so rough that they thought it would be dangerous for us to use, so they diverted us round that to help our accumulated total.

Towards the end of the day, we went through Lower Salford. I took a picture of the sign as it was another one from home, but when I downloaded the camera, it was obvious there was a drugs problem here, too as all the 'Es' were missing. Ecstasy anyone?

The temperature seemed to be rising by the minute today and a couple of the group had thermometers that read 95 degrees this afternoon. We stopped at the second SAG and had plenty of cold fluid then we had to call at a cycle shop on the route (yes, there was one today) so that Johnnie's bike could be checked over after his fall and we finally got into the hotel about 3.45pm. As we were riding into the drive and I was looking forward to a soak in the swimming pool, Ann, who was following me, told me that she could see I had a broken spoke; when we stopped outside the hotel, I saw that I had in fact TWO broken spokes (and before you ask, they were in the back wheel - where else?) which tested Mike's mechanical prowess as he had never worked on a wheel like mine before.

The cause(s) will be many and varied - big bum, fast downhills, daily strain and REALLY RUBBISH ROADS will all be there but Mike did manage to repair the wheel. Interestingly enough, normally when you break a spoke, the wheel usually loses its 'true' and gets buckled; when you break two, the wheel gets really buckled and is exceeding difficult, if not impossible to ride. That had not happened on this occasion and I have absolutely no idea when the damage had been done, but the wheel, remarkably, did not need much work to get it back together again.

It needs to be in good form as tomorrow is rated as very hard by Shane and I will be riding into Lancaster. I wonder if there will be 'Ye Olde John O'Gaunt' on Market Street to have a flyer in if I get enough time?

I'll let you know tomorrow.

A great day to be alive and I met a dragon!

Day 5
From Port Jervis NY
To Phllipsburg NJ
Mileage estimated 77
Mileage actual 77
Top speed 45.3mph
Riding time 6 hrs 54 mins





Today was a great day. The ride was challenging without being too tough, the scenery was (and all riders agreed) absolutely magnificent and the day finished with a visit to 'family'.


The day started with more lessons. I explained that 'aluminIum' was not called 'aloominum', that the fruit was a tom-ar-to and not a tom-ay-to and because of the weather when we stepped outside, I gave lessons in dialect by telling the locals that it was a 'bit nesh'. It was nesh, too, as there was a heavy mist around for the first hour and a half, waiting for the sun to burn it away. I had to speak severely to the Belgian, Phillipe, for letting the Europeans down as he borrowed a gilet from one of the locals who was padded up to the eyeballs but had that spare and Phillipe had said he was a little cold. Wimpishness is spreading and must be stopped before it takes over the whole group.


Having said that, it was pretty cold as we left the hotel and made our way through the usual verdant landscape towards the first SAG stop. When we got there, the first mists had begun to clear, the temperature started to rise and carried on rising all day. The roads up until then had been quiet as we were riding through the Delaware Water Gap National Park where the speed restrictions were at 15mph so there was not much point in driving through in a car unless you were going to somewhere within the park and not many people were. There were one or two steep climbs; one in particular lasted for about a mile and a half and there weren't too many rewards today. In general the road surfaces were excellent (at last!) which enabled steady but sociable progress to be made and we were able to continue conversation safely as we rolled along.


The route through the Park took us about 35 miles and it was beautiful. We were tracking the Delaware river, sometimes running alongside then climbing to about 100' above and looking down on anglers, kayakers and white water rafters.


We finally came out of the Park and had to walk up a slope then on a pavement alongside the very busy Interstate 80. From the sublime to the ridiculous. Fortunately, this didn't last more than 1/2 a mile then we were back onto minor roads which paralleled the river again before we climbed again to the second SAG and lunch at a cafe nearby.



I must admit I have never even heard of this soup of the day and I didn't risk it, but I was told the ingredients were meatloaf, Parmesan cheese and herbs, or erbs as the locals call them. I managed a sandwich then treated myself to my first Root Beer for a year and it was enough to see me through the rest of the day.



One thing that did recur throughout the day was these 'cobwebs' that were on trees of many varieties. Apparently these are caused by Tent Caterpillars and they are cocoons built by the caterpillars to protect their young. Unfortunately, they also feed off the leaves that are trapped inside and then kill of that part of the tree.



We also touched and crossed part of the Appalachian Trail, a long distance footpath that runs from Georgia to Maine and throughout the whole day we flirted in and out of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania as we crossed and re-crossed the Delaware river. Frustratingly, there were too many occasions where bike riders had to 'walk bikes on the sidewalk' and were not allowed to be ridden on the bridges that crossed the river. Bikes are never going to get accepted unless the country starts to acknowledge that they exist and have as much right to be ON THE ROAD as any other vehicle.


We finally got to the hotel about 3.45pm to be met by the finest dragon I have met for a long time. Unhelpful didn't really begin to describe her approach. She sat behind the desk telling a young trainee what to do without lifting a finger herself. Then, when she had sent the poor girl off on some spurious errand away from the desk, she turned to the people in front of me and said, 'She'll deal with you when she comes back. I'm checking off and finishing now. It's time I wasn't here'. She just sat in her chair, started to cash up and ignored all the people waiting to check in. I asked her of she treated all guests in this way and got the frosty look (hard for a dragon to do, I know) so I tried a different approach and asked her if this was a hotel as there was a sign outside saying that there was a hotel here. This was met with a miniscule raising of one eyebrow then a return to counting money. Oh, she was a dream! I can't wait to fill in a customer comment card!


Had to nip out for a bit of shopping. Sunglasses have not lasted long and I needed some camera memory so I did that before Route Rap. When I came back, there was a message for me and it was to contact Winnie. I contacted her and arranged to meet her with her daughter and son-in law, Sue and Rick, after dinner tonight.


Winnie is Bev Ross's mum. Bev was a great friend who lived in Florida who sadly passed away last year after fighting cancer for a number of years. Winnie is a lot older than me (and you!) but she is as sharp as a five blade razor and a box full of tacks. I went with them all to Winnie's house where we sat for a couple of hours talking about all sorts of things and drinking iced tea. I told them about the ride and she told me about quilting and how cotton grows. we talked about the Amish community that I am going to be getting near to in a couple of days time when we get towards Lancaster and she told me about the house where she had lived since the 1930s and how part of the land it was on had been given to the local township and they had turned it into a marvellous recreation and sporting area for the children of the area. It was a wonderful couple of hours spent with a lady I had long wished to meet and I came away feeling better for the experience of meeting her. She was indeed a lady and a wonderful person. Rick and Sue kindly brought me back to the hotel where I had to start doing the things needed to help another early start in the morning.


Because of that time of self-indulgence, I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to get this done, so apologies there and I will try harder tomorrow.


A great day apart from the dragon, but then again, you can't have everything!

Wimps and quality abuse

Day 4
From Poughkeepsie, NY
To Port Jervis, NY
Mileage estimated 68
Mileage actual 68
Top speed 41 mph
Riding time 5hrs 23 mins

Last night at Route Rap a member of the group turned up, as he has done for all the meetings after riding, in what, to my untutored eye, looked like a pair of tights / leggings / wet suit trousers. I finally got the courage to ask him what they were as I thought he was either a) wearing them for a bet or b) wearing them because his mother-in-law had bought them for him and his wife would kill him if he went home having not worn them. I was advised that they were called 'compression pants' and these helped muscle recovery after exercise by supporting the muscles in the legs, I suppose a little like support hose. The hotel last night had a bar where we held Route Rap and it looked like this person had spent a little too much time in there. So much so that he could probably have done with a full body compression suit. So much for drinking on an empty stomach after a day's riding.

Breakfast today was in the hotel and the Grand Hotel again lived up to its name, providing us with a great start to the day. We were all there by just after 630am with the exception of one rider, Scott. Shane, the Ride Leader rang his room and was assured that he was on his way down, and my, what an entrance he made. In fact, I don't think he had slept in one of the hotel rooms; he looked like he had slept in a paint factory that had exploded as he put his clothes on. Talk about bright! I know I wear some pretty gaudy stuff but this! I finally got a picture of Scott outside when he was competing with the early morning sunshine and winning hands down. He got some stick for this outfit, I can assure you.




For the weather at the start of the day, please refer to previous entries because it was the same sunny, crisp day. The only difference today was that some of the wimps thought it was a bit on the cold side. Mr. Wellard, representing England was dressed in sleeveless shirt, shorts and sandals with no socks. Imagine his incredulity when he went outside into a beautiful sunny morning to see others with coats, arm and leg warmers and full finger gloves on. What happened to the all American boy who can take on the whole world? Where are they? Are there any out there?

We rode out of the hotel at 7.30am and crossed the Hudson River on an impressive suspension bridge that then took us onto a bike track out of town. The day took us through the Shawangunk valley and along that valley's wine route. We did pass a number of wineries. Yes, I know I put pass and we really did for a couple of reasons. Firstly, alcohol consumption is banned during the riding day and secondly, we were at them so early that they hadn't opened. We intended looking for one round lunchtime to try and eat there, but, of course, there weren't any about when we were ready for lunch so we had to make do with Subway again.

I seem to have settled with the same riders and we are enjoying each other's company. Connie and Ann are friends from a cycling club in Michigan and they are to be joined by another friend later in the ride; Johnny works real estate in some way or another in Alabama and John is a retired school teacher who is riding for Alzheimer's charities. He has ridden over 16,000 mile in the USA raising money for them. If you want to you can read about his rides by following the link that I have put alongside the posts.

The first SAG stop today was a change from the normal. It was held in the 'yard' of a man who had been on the 2008 Across America North ride that AbB run and finished two weeks ago. As his home is on the route of our ride, he offered to host the SAG for us and it was good to meet with him and his wife. Their hospitality was great and it was nice to have a change from the normal SAG food. Certainly freshly cut and cubed pineapple and peaches from his garden were a joy, and his 'yard' wasn't bad either!





We also rode through some pleasant fields of sunflowers. Some of the riders lost their sense of direction a little and took the phrase 'rode through' a little too literally. Never mind, soon got back on the road.



There were a couple of Big Boys' Rewards today that gave a chance to dry the clothes but overall today was not too testing a day. Just as well as Shane informs us on the way in, and again at Route Rap tonight that today was a recovery day in preparation for tomorrow. That will take us into another state, New Jersey, or Noo Joyzee as the locals pronounce it and that is within a couple of miles of the start of the ride.


The only things that gave us slight problems today were what the locals call 'Road Construction'. If that was what they call it I would hate to see what they call Road Destruction. The first one we went through was about 1/2 mile and like riding on soft earth and stones - really difficult and enough to turn my front wheel unexpectedly once or twice and almost cause me to fall. The second was a contraflow for about 500 yards then another 3/4 mile on a surface that had been 'scraped' ready for resurfacing. That was extremely uncomfortable to ride a bike on and I guess it wouldn't have been much fun in a car either, but we had to ride the whole length standing up as it was impossible to ride it sitting down. Don't moan about England and the condition of the roads. We really are second division!


We have also maintained a record of abuse, both verbal and in manner of driving, that is quite unenviable. "***holes" is one of the commonest, "freaks" is another preceded by an expletive beginning with 'f' and one of us has almost been run off the road every day. I really don't know what it is with some of the people here. One woman actually shouted, 'Get off my road you freakin' idiots' today. Judging by the car she drove, she wasn't particularly rich, so how she owned the road I don't know. Such are the joys of cycle touring in a foreign country.

Got to the hotel at 3.30pm today which is early for me, but that meant I was able to do my 'smalls' (or in my case, my 'bigs')


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Thanks for reading.