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