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

A Special Kind Of Playground

It's been something like 15 years since I last passed through the gates of the North Staffs Special Adventure Playground with my sister Cathy all exited about the fun and games that lay inside. Back then it would have been in a car rather than on a bike, at least this time there was no chance of me not being recognised.

Hannah, who remembered both me and Cathy from all those years ago, was on hand to give me a quick tour and it was immediately clear that the playground has been busy - they was a new extention to the building, more climbing frames and colourful additions outside as well as a soft indoor play area with a ball pool I couldn't help but jump into:

I can see exactly why kids must love spending time here, it was just a shame I had to ride home for lunch else I'd have easily lost hours running round like a kid in a toy shop.

It's not just the premises that have grown, the services offered have as well - now open 7 days a week, 51 weeks a year with local special needs groups and schools visiting in term time, respite and family sessions at the weekend, playschemes in the holidays and even a monthly disco (if only I'd known, maybe I'd have timed my visit better). The staff and volutary play workers certainly keep themselves busy but you can see the great job they do by the smiles on the everybody's faces.
As the servcies have grown it takes more funds, largely from donations, to keep the playground running; and of course there are always plans to expand and upgrade the premises, facilities and services so they can offer the best possible experience to those that visit.

It was great to see the good work that continues at the special adventure playground and I hope my long miles cycling across North America might persuade some people to support them.

You can find more details on the playground here:
http://www.specialadventureplayground.co.uk/home_fs.html

Hectic Preparations

1 week to go and in the midst of leaving parties, drinks with good friends that I won't see for too long and finishing off work, I'm trying to decorate & pack up my house - it seems you can amass quite a few things living in London for 7 years!

Interesting things I've found include:
- 4 bikes
- A snooker table I'd forgot I owned
- 18 bottles of spririts I won't have chance to start, let alone finish (help would be appreciated)
- 20 spare energy saving lightbulbs (consumerism with good intentions)
- A box of clothes, a tent and a rucksac that aren't mine

In preparation for the hands on approach I'll have to take on the bike I've had to teach myself a bit of plumbing, painting, joinery and even cleaning, the house now looks better than at any point when I actually lived in it!
I've also managed to sort out some of my web presence - Twitter is up and running (see right) and my Just Giving page (see left) is up in support of the North Staffs Adventure Playground who help special needs children, young adults and their families - including my own.  I hope to make a visit on my flying visit home over the weekend and will post something if I do.
I'm also hoping to have some time to do some training, not only on the bike, but also putting up the new lightweight tent and cooking on my trangia stove - I fear I may end up experimenting with these for the first time somewhere on the road to Niagara.
Well at least I have an outline plan:

Getting Ready

So, I have the tickets, the bike, the panniers , I've always had the lycra and now I've even got a plan, well at least for the first few days and of course plans are made to be changed...

Hitting the road with my good mate Kevin, who's partly to blame for this, on 2nd July from New York - 1st destination Niagara, on the other side of the Appalachians - apparently they might be a bit higher and steeper than the north downs...