I made it to Iowa, despite the attractions of Chicago

Milwaukee to Chicago & more Chicago...

After the the excitement of the cycle race not the party obviously), it took me a little while to get going: 11:30 is a new record for a relaxed start to the day. I spent most of the day trying to find trails, as Chicago Roads are scary, as I found out when I headed inland form the lakeshore - 3 lane highways with shopping malls, dodgy neighbourhoods and not another cyclist to be seen. Still, probably not any worse than London.

Wrigly Field = Awesome, The Cubs...

I love Chicago, it seems I just keep on going back and it was great to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too - if only the Cubs could get their act together, a 13-3 loss meant another visit to Wrigley field was more about beers than baseball. A day or 2 of Rest & Recuperation, turned into 3 days running around the city seeing friends and plenty of late nights - let's just say I might have to look to rest up back on the bike. By Monday though it seemed everybody had to go back to work, so i did too, despite the "Heat Wave" hitting the area, I decided 100 degrees means nothing to me (never understood fahrenheit) and gotr back on the bike to head to Iowa.

Chicago to FISH HQ, Ceder Falls Iowa

Hot, Humid, Sweaty & Open, that'd be the basic description of cycling from Chicago into Iowa through Illinois & Wisconsin. 270 miles - 3 days @ 90 miles a day - easy right, I've done more than that before... Maybe not in "ReelFeel" 115 heat... At one point cycling through Wisconsin's rolling hills I was downing at least a litre of water every 10 miles, just to keep going. Fortunately I was able to find some water from a farm I passed (lots of fields & farms), but couldn't find any lunch till 3pm, by which point I was pretty scorched and had had enough of energy bars / gels. The only way to get some respite from the heat was to hit the raiload trails, that normally provide some tree cover, however, not so much when they're called the "Long Prarie Trail"...

Insights from Wisconsin & Iowa:
- They make a LOT of Cheese in Wisconsin, so much that all the roads are paved for the milk trucks
- They grow a LOT of corn in Iowa, but sadly corn can be transported on gravel roads
- Minhas Beer tastes good, especially served for free in an air conditioned beer museum of a hot day
- Sports shops in Iowa have rather large and scary "Hunting" sections, though I'm not sure even their strongest "scent away" products would deals with the product of my sweaty riding
- Beware of Pastors in Iowa, they might be packing up to 4 guns and have a wife backing them up\
- 115 degree heat translates as Bloody Hot!
- Back roads don't have restaurants
- Bars don't open so early when RAGBRAI's not passing through town
- Draft Beer is cheap in Iowa ($1.75)
- Gas stations sometimes display the funniest proverbs

Trails normally provide cover - not in the Prarie

10:30 am (clock on NYC time) and it's HOT

Excellent Beers and air conditioning in Monroe, WI

Having just crossed the mighty Mississippi

Riding into the storm, Iowa

 It'll be a bit quiet on the blog front for the next week as it's time for RAGBRAI

1,000 miles & counting...

Wow, it's been a crazy week - headwinds, storms, sun, swimming, 2 countries, 4 states, lots of awesome people, Miss Milwaukee and even a tailwind when I most needed it.

Leaving Canada behind - for a few weeks...

After 2 days in Toronto, spent with old friends, and their growing families, it took only 2 long days to ride the 200 miles across Southern Ontario to the US border. Along the way, there were a lot of reminders of home - London, Thames River, Paris... none really lived up to the originals though, Paris was missing 99% of it's population and the Thames most of its water. Throughout the trip, people have been really generous and put my up (or up with me) in their house. Here Bonnie & Cheryl both hosted me and cooked up delightful food, mixing several culinary styles to create food a long distance cyclist dreams of. The long miles and hospitality mean that I'm feeling stronger, and even battled 100+ miles into a headwinds that had earlier flattened trees and knocked out power for 850,000 north of Chicago - a reminder that the big country here creates big weather and big storms. Getting used to straight, straight roads and lots of open fields - there'll be plenty more of this as I head west.

riding across the "River Thames"

Back in London

Sadly no beaver to be seen, just more headwinds

Ferry across the St Claire River to USA

Cheryl, my kind host back on US soil in East China

 Michigan & Milwaukee: Cars, Cheese & Miss Milwaukee

What was supposed to be 3 days of easy riding through Michigan to Muskegon turned into a good workout with roads sometimes resembling 4x4 assault courses, aggressive drivers a few wrong turns and some loose planning of overnight stops. I decided to take my unloaded bike along 8 miles of  mountain bike trails in 7-Lakes State Park, providing a feast for the local mozzies but also finding some great views of the lakes and cool forest trails. This appeared even more foolish the next day when loose calculation of distance and a couple of wrong turns gave me a 112 miles to reach Bill and Kathi near Greenville, thankfully a slight tailwind pushed me along all day to a record average speed. It was all worth it though, their gorgeous house sat on a lake, and whist watching the sun set, discussing the merits of the NHS, we saw a muscrat swim back and forth across the lake. Reaching Lake Michigan the next day felt like reaching an ocean, clear blue water as far as you could see, wide sandy beaches and a lovely beach front bar to kill time in before the ferry across.

Big Red Drinks Cider in Michigan

Lakeville, Michigan, a state full of lakes

Google's cycle routing - USELESS

Sand Hill Cranes, once endangered

Farm country

Bird on the loose at Bill & Kathi's

Arriving in Milwaukee in the evening, my only intention was to find somewhere to stay, that soon changed though when I happened upon a criterium cycle race in Cunahy, just along the lakeshore path. Denied entry as unfortunately my bike was not suitable, I grabbed a beer and watch 70+ professional battle it out over 60 laps. I was soon chatting to people, having my photo taken with Miss Milwaukee, meeting the local sponsors and being invited back to the after party at the local cycle shop. Beers and stories flowed as Wisconsin Cheese was provided for substenance, finishing in the early hours - at least the bike was in good shape in he bike shop, the next day the same might not have been said for me.

Drinks at South Shore Cyclery

The guys set me back on my way

Having studied in London, the accent didn't work on Miss Milwaukee

Made it to Canada!

So I finally got away and started riding - in the end it was quite a relief to take off, I certainly can't do any more painting, cleaning and organising from here, just got to get on and do it instead. At Heathrow, the scales reveled that in addition to my own 110kg (242 lbs), I'd also be lugging my 15kg (33lbs) and about 20kg (44lb) of luggage making 145kg (319lbs) to carry over any hills & mountains!

I want all that on there!

The trip started by bringing a little of London across to the Big Apple and enjoying some R&R before starting out:

Kevin Discovers Pimms and likes it

Me & Nicole investigating "Area" not "Destination" bars on 1st Street in Manhatten

So as for riding, so far so good, I even gt to Toronto (or at least its suburbs) a day early. The legs are sore but coping, even with back to back hilly century rides for my first 2 days fully loaded on the bike - I'm definitely feeling it though and am looking forward to resting up in Toronto to plan my next ride into Chicago that I'll start on Sunday. Also glad to have the Appalation Mountains behind me, this weight is hardwork uphill at 2% let alone 18% that I regularly hit in Pensylvania. Stats for the first 6 days are follows:

- Distance covered: 516 miles

- Total Climbing: 22,000 feet (including 8,100 in a day!)

- Average speed: 12mph - 14mph (so slow loaded up!)

- Max speed: 44.9mph

- Total punctures: 1 (damn glass on the shoulder)

The country has been beautiful and the roads largely quiet. I particularly recommend the Finger Lakes, Pennsylvania (when there aren't thunderstorms), Niagara Falls (though not for the tourist circus), local bars in New York State, long straight flat & wide roads...

Lake Seneca

Bridge at Owego

Ever feel you're on the
road to nowhere?

Niagara Falls

Honeoyne Falls

The first week has all been about learning for me, so here's a few things I've learnt:

Do Not Enter - we just came from there,
our little riverbed detour

- Don't trust Google Maps or Kevin's navigation: a shortcut turned from tarmac to rocky river bed back to tarmac

- If a region has "mountains" in its name, go round it - A short cut across the North Eastern Pennsylvanian Mountain region meant climb after climb (I lost count) over 10%, I was averaging under 10mph for over 40 miles before it got a little more rolling.

- My tent works in thunderstorms, lucky that it was tested the 1st time i ever pitched it

Me & Regina, my Warmshowers host, in Binghampton -
Regina is ready to head out on her own 4th July ride

- Warmshowers hosts are awesome for a friendly face and recharging after a long day on the bike (thanks Regina & Robert)

- Things not tied down will fall off (i hope sombody in Pennsylvania is making good use of my flip flops

- New York State has the best roads - New Jersey some of the worst (see above river bed)

- You use up a LOT of water cyling through the heat (something like 6-8 litres a day, not including beer)

Trangia stove fuel is not that easy to find

- Friends can't always hack the pace...

Kevin at New Jersey's High Point