Hitting the Pacific

I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before, so I recorded this little video to record the moment I first saw it.  The peninsular in Neah Bay was unrideable, so it wasn't till a few days later I had my glimpse!

On Your Marks

So today I reached the start line of the ‘Corner to Corner’ journey, Neah Bay.  I have had a great time in the states since I arrived on Friday. 

I was met from the ferry by Jim, a rotary club member who lived in Sequim, just down the road from Port Angeles where my ferry docked.  Jim was a great help, offering to drive me to the nearest supermarket so I could get a US SIM card for my phone……..simple.  Well, it seems that SIM cards are not quite as common in the USA as they are in the UK, it took us a couple of hours to find a SIM and I still don’t have it working!  Sorry Jim.  He did inform me that I had saved him from some yard work, which helped appease my guilt.

In the evening I camped a mere 18 miles west of Port Angeles, (due to having spent most my day catching up with home and trying to activate SIM cards).  When I arrived at the campsite, it was deserted, but I was soon joined by an American family (of eight!) who invited me over to join their camp fire.  I had a cracking time learning about the differences between the UK and the USA, although I am still a bit puzzled on the Super Bowl!

Next stop was Sekiu.  A small little fishing village whose population will be decimated when all the monster RVs move out!  My camping spot is a treat, up the hill overlooking the bay (see pic), the only problem was there were no other campers so I took time to catch up with correspondence and plan a few days of cycling.

My first few nights in the USA have been great, last night two ladies asked about my trip while I was pitching my tent; they returned 20 minutes later with food and drink supplies to keep me going, even throwing in a can of beer!

Having ticked off Neah Bay I will head south, back to civilisation; it’s all a bit quiet around the Northwest corner!!

Ride on the right, ride on the right, ride on the right

I’m now in the USA having completed my transit through Canada.  It seemed such a shame to pass through Vancouver in under 24hrs, but it is not a pleasant experience exploring a city with all your possessions packed up on your bike and the very nature of this trip will mean that I won’t be able to stop and explore every place I have seen.

In the few hours I was in Vancouver, I met my cousin and some old friends for a catch up, it was great to see some friendly faces to ease me in gently.

Next stop was Victoria, over on Vancouver Island.  I had a day off in Victoria so a little time to explore, do some essentials (i.e. laundry) and catch up with some more old friends (all this socialising is pretty tiring, so looking forward to a bit of rest on the bike!)

I am here to cycle the USA, but it has been great seeing a glimpse of Canada.  It seems a great laid back place, and definitely now on my “to-do list”.

Train (bigger than I'm used too!)

View from the Ferry

Victoria Harbour

So here I am (Friday) in the USA, Port Angeles WA to be exact.  I plan to hit the start line (Neah Bay) on Sunday, so have a very leisurely schedule over the weekend as it’s only 80 miles from here.  I hope to take time to sort some essentials (i.e. a US SIM card) and catch up with people at home, the time difference and lack of an affordable phone have made it very difficult until now.

Canada was great, but I can’t wait to get started now.  Yes, there’s a long way to go, but I am finding just concentrating on the next few days is the best way of thinking about things, the scale of this journey is still a bit beyond my comprehension!

Prologue (UK Leg)

I decided to start the journey at ShelterBox HQ in Helston, Cornwall.  The visit to ShelterBox offered a chance for me to see first-hand what work ShelterBox do.  The plan was then to cycle from Helston to Reading, picking up a few friends upon the way, before then catching my flight to Vancouver.

I cycled from Lizard to Bristol with my mate Paul, my cycling buddy.  The plan was then to pick up a few more people for the weekend ride from Bristol to Reading.

Day 1 – Lizard to Liskeard

The day started wet.  Having camped the night before in Lizard we were faced with a 10mile cycle to Helston in the pouring rain.  We arrived at ShelterBox HQ dripping wet, handing over some damp soggy cheques for over £1,000 from recent fundraising events.

Boxhall in front of the Boxwall!

Fundraising Officer Laura showed us round ShelterBox HQ, where all the boxes are packed before being distributed globally. 

We were shown around ShelterBox HQ and given details of the work they do and the equipment they send out.  Rather than try and do it justice with typing, I think this video about ShelterBox says everything better than I could; if you have three minutes, please watch it.  It puts into context where your generous donations have gone and why I am doing this.

When planning the trip, it was suggested to me that I could take a ShelterBox tent for the journey.  I now understand what a ridiculous suggestions this was; a single ShelterBox tent weighs the same as my bike and kit combined (32kg)!

The day was tough cycling.  I used to live on the border of Devon and Cornwall, but I admit I had forgotten just how hilly Cornwall is!  We climbed many hills with jackets and over shoes coming off and on due to changeable weather and over heating up hills.

After a long day in the saddle, we arrived at our planned campsite to find it was up for sale (and thus closed)!  As it was late and there were no alternative campsites for another 10 miles we decided to cut our losses and stay in a B&B in Liskeard.  Not the best start for my adventure, I’ll admit.  There will always be times when I will stay in Hostels/B&Bs/Motels, but I would always prefer them to be planned than a get out of jail card.

Day 2  - Liskeard to Uffculme

We rose early to start the second day.  We had our full English breakfast at the B&B and set about conquering some hills.  We knew it would be a tough day; finishing off Cornwall, before climbing up over Dartmoor to Exeter.  I knew what to expect though, as I had previously completed this ride in 2009 with comedian Dave Gorman.

All I remember from the day was climbing hills and rain.  We managed to camp and find a small weather window to assemble the tents in.  However, we were to discover both our tents were wet from camping in Lizard!

A pint of Skinners later in the neighbouring pub and the world seemed a nice place once again.

Day 3 - Uffculme to Bristol

I had arranged to stop by the Taunton Leisure shop in Taunton on my way through.  Taunton Leisure have sponsored my trip, supplying me with a lightweight Easton Kilo 2p tent and it seemed appropriate to stop by and meet the team.

Day 3 saw Paul and I start the day separately.  I had arranged to meet Jon and Simon from Taunton Leisure in Wellington and, as per usual, we were running late!  As I was ready first I sped on to meet Jon and Simon with Paul planning to meet me at Taunton Leisure.

The ride into Taunton was fantastic, sticking to quiet country roads and I had a good chat to Jon and Simon who were both keen cyclists.  The visit to Taunton Leisure was cracking, I felt like a celebrity!  I chatted with the staff about the trip and posed with Holly for loads of pictures and was treated to coffee and croissants.  Unfortunately for Paul he arrived, having got lost, just as the coffee and croissants were finished!

We had quite a frustrating day on the bike, losing time navigating through both Taunton and Bridgwater……all the frustrations disappeared with lunch at Rich’s Cider Farm.  A pint of medium and a three cheese ploughmans in the sun was a fantastic lunch.  That evening was my last at home before leaving for the states.

Day 4 – Bristol to Pewsey

The cycle started at Bristol Temple Meads.  A group of 7 of us had arranged to ride together, this was originally 15 until people started looking at the weather forecast!!  It turns out the weather forecast was wrong, we had a glorious day!  Paul had planned a route for us, but the day started with a mutiny as everyone realised it took in some of the huge hills of Bath…..a democratic vote ensued and it was agreed to take the canal path to Bradford on Avon to avoid the hills.

The canal path was a bit muddy and bumpy and made a right mess of all the bikes.  The joke was on me as I had lent two friends bikes and Kelly my girlfriend was there too; therefore I am sure I will end up cleaning four of the seven bike used on that canal path!

At the end of the day, everyone was knackered and I was forced to keep a low profile.  I had originaslly told everyone the ride would be an easy 40 miles.  The final mileage was 54 miles with a lot of cyclists disgruntled about the rate of tax they paid!

The shame! All of my team get off to push up a hill.

Day 5 – Pewsey to Reading

A shaky start saw us riding in a torrential downpour.  Having been raining heavily since 3am, we were prepared for the worst!  However about 45mins into the day the rain stopped and we ended up cycling in glorious sunshine again.

le Peleton

The highlight of the day was Rob crashing his bike and landing face first in the mud.  I say his bike, it was my bike that I had lent him, but I am pleased to report she was not harmed in the incident!

On to the USA

Next stop Gatwick Airport for my flight.  I am sad to be leaving my friends and family behind, especially after such an enjoyable 5 days, but the states are awaiting!

Taxation

There is an unwritten rule of cycle touring, always add tax.

Let me explain, cycling tax is the extra bit you add to your predicted distance before setting out, for example if you think a journey will be a distance of 50 miles, you should add tax and prepare for a journey of 55 miles.

There are two reasons you add tax.

1. Cycling tax prepares you mentally for a longer journey than the one you are facing.  With this mental preparation, a finish 5 miles before you were prepared for is an uplifting experience.  Every mile over your expected distance is a depressing too!
2. You get lost.

The reason I mention this?  I got taxed on my prologue ride!

The plan was to cycle to Lizard to meet Gents, my companion for the ride to Reading.  Some somewhat half arsed map reading ensued and I followed the road marked, thinking it would join up.

So imagine my shock when I hit this sign!

ARGH!

It was already 7pm and I had just added about 8-9 miles to my 25mile journey!

A bit if investigation ensued and I discovered there was a coastal foot path, so to avoid the addition 8-9 miles I was forced to break two of my personal rules:

• NEVER push a bike up a hill (it’s OK to stop and rest, but NEVER push the bike!)

• Do not get your bike near sand.

So an eventful prologue, I hope the rest of the tour doesn’t see any more wrong turns on my part!

The Final Countdown

I have previously blogged about my feelings on the journey in front of me, and I predicted I would be 100% terrified and 0% excited about now.  I am sat typing this blog post with a glass of cider in front of me and the Olympics on the TV and, as it stands, I am probably 75% excited 25% terrified (the cider may be taking the edge off, but those figures are near enough!).

Holly has her baggage!

There are two reasons I think I am so calm about the journey ahead; one is the preparation I have done.  Those who know me personally will be aware that I am quite a laid back person and can come across quite "half arsed" about a lot of things, but with this trip I have had the bit between my teeth.  I am packed and ready for my train to Cornwall in the morning and I have a pile of bits to pick up before heading the the states (i.e. my passport!).


The second reason is I have been planning this trip for so long, I just can not wait to get out on the road and start cycling!  I know there are good days and bad days ahead, and very good day and very bad days too, but after 2 years of dreaming followed by 12 months of planning, I am now ready to put the rubber to the tarmac, so to speak.


So tomorrow I get the train to Penzance and on Wednesday morning I will set off from ShelterBox HQ in Helston on my way to the USA, where the adventure will truly begin.  I hope you'll e-join me (by reading my blog!).

Fundraising

I may have been a little bit quiet on the blogging of late, but I have been busy.  In the past couple of weeks I have arranged two fundraising static cycles, a quiz night and a raffle.  Add to that all the planning required for living on a bike for three months and also trying to find a new job when I return from the states, I've had a busy couple of weeks!


Static Cycle 
The first fundraising event was a static cycle in Nailsea (my home town).  A static cycle consists of me sitting on a bike and pedaling for hours at a time with a few mates roped in for company.  Not the most exciting cycling I have done!  However, the time seemed to fly by as the donations steadily rolled in and lots of interested passers by asked about my journey.  


The best bit of the whole day? The feeling of finally being on my bike and cycling for ShelterBox.  One step at a time, I'll move somewhere soon!

Quiz Night and Raffle

The quiz night was held in my local pub, the Richmond.  Team names were to have a reference to cycling or the USA and round included "Cycling" and "The USA", although the names of the rounds may have been a little misleading..


I have never arranged a Quiz Night or a raffle before, and hope to have a bit of a break before doing it all again, but thought I would share a few of the things I have learnt:

• Make your pub quiz easy so people feel clever;
• Start selling your raffle tickets more than 10 days before the draw;
• Selling raffle tickets is slow progress as everyone wants to know the plans for the USA;
• Allow time if you intend selling raffle tickets at work!

I'd like to extend a big thank you to those who donated raffle prizes (in no particular order):

• My Mum
• Kelly
• Bristol Zoo
• Taunton Leisure
• Tesco
• Dave Gorman
• Airbus
• Skinners Brewery
• Pizza Provencale (Clifton) 

I'd also like to extend a massive thank you to all my friends and family that have taken part in the raffle and quiz night, ultimately I wouldn't have raised anything without you guys!


So what did we raise!?
Raffle: £867.00
Quiz: £124.00
Collections: £340.35


Get in!

Despite all the fantastic fund raising, that is still only 22% of my fundraising target!  If you'd like to donate, you can do it via http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/richardonabike