Not So Awful August #20

(If you haven't read my previous blog, go do that now, everything from here will make a lot more sense!) So it might sound all doom and gloom out here on the bike but it isn't that bad really. Firstly all the bike shops I went into were so nice to me, after laughing at me a bit, they were very happy to help and offer advice about where I was going and what to expect. Over Lassen Pass (pictured above) I met a really nice guy from Argentina who just rides around for 3/4 of the year then works winters in Spain! He was so nice and funny though so he rode with me and cheered me up a lot. I didn't climb the 8,500 feet of Lassen as they were redoing the road so I did 1,500 feet in the back of a pick up! Then during the 7/8 attacks the neighbours were so nice and caring, they totally looked after me like they were my parents which was so nice. They even offered to drive me to catch up! 

After I left I had a long day and ended up at the bottom of a HUGE hill just staring at it not having the energy to cycle up to the campsite at the top. Then out of nowhere, a jeep appeared with the two nicest people ever! They had cycled across country on a tandem before and were planing to go from Mexico to Canada soon. They (Andy and Kim) let me sleep on their back porch on a mattress staring at the stars, it was so nice! They even got me breakfast in the morning from a great little bakery! 

Next, at Lake Tahoe, there was no where to stay so I was just going from campsite to campsite until a guy grabbed me and said I could share his spot with his family! It was a total life saving moment and I was getting a little worried! A camp fire, food and conversation, so nice! Then a few days after I met a woman just starting here ride across country, ended up having an amazing meal together in this restaurant that did a 14oz burger! (Ate the whole thing plus all the extras...)

 

 

So people really have been the saviours for me and gave me just enough to keep going. It has been a really hard time out here but messages from home and amazing people out here have really made the difference! Not going to lie, defiantly better looking back on it instead of being in it! 

I have a video about all of this so go check it out on my YouTube channel!

Awful August #19

August (well at least parts of it) sucked! Started off on the 1st with my rear tyre literally exploding in the middle of no where! The tyre had a bike hole in it and I had no real way to get it fixed. I ended up using the now broken inner tube as a tyre liner and then the magical duct tape which ended up allowing me to ride for 30 miles with no punctures! It did give in in the end just before getting in to a campground at about 10:30pm, not an enjoyable day! 

The next day I got a new tyre and went on my way and got a nice campsite in the woods. Decided to have a rest day the next day to stock up and relax. Went into town to get some food and the ATM didn't let me get anymore cash out so I only got the essentials. Took it back the 5 miles to my campsite, when I got back I noticed I had an email saying I had my bank account locked as they thought it was fraud! After some frantic emails home to try to get my parents to put money on my phone so I could call the bank to unlock my account. As it was about to be sorted, battery died... Back again into town to get some power, an hour later I finally got it sorted and able to buy more food then cycled back to my campsite (20 miles cycled on a "rest" day). When I got back to camp, in the rush to get some phone power I left my newly purchased food out, the squirrels and birds had helped themselves... Fantastic.

I moved on from the camp and about 2 days later I came into a camp and got talking to the neighbours who felt sorry for me that I didn't have much food so they invited me over for chicken tacos, which tasted amazing. At 1:30am, they decided to fight back... I have never been as ill as I was that night! It is now known as the 7/8 attacks! The next day I had to stay at the camp as I could not eat anything or even stay awake for more than an hour. I had to push myself to get going the day after so I wouldn't be behind. That day I was okay, but they say after I really slumped again and was really worried. After a 12 hour sleep and another easy day of riding I was okay and in need of some food! Blueberry pancakes and bacon, is anything better! 

Then passing through Sacramento, my front bag struck a speed bump and bent the front rack an insane amount! A bike shop with a very creative mechanic with a lot of tape and zip ties straighten it out so I was able to keep going. I kept going but managed to hit almost every thorn in Northern California so ran out of tubes about 3 miles from San Fran... Another bike shop allowed me to make it the rest of the way! 

San Fran was really good apart from trying to cut my own thumb in half with my knife that I spent too much time sharpening! (Not clever Ross!)

Then as I left San Fran I noticed that my rear rack had snapped totally off the bolt and was now basically useless! Another bike shop and a new rear rack... 

That all leads me to now and I don't want to jinx it so I think I will just leave it there and not say anything at all! 

 

2 States, 1000 Miles and 1 Month Completed in America #18

So first off, apologise for the big gap in updates, videos and all the rest but a combination of no power and no phone reception had meant that I have been in a bit of a bubble from the outside world! Feels like a life time ago I wrote an update on my blog even though it is only 12 days, however a lot has happened so here is a bit of a run down:

- Saw my first bear

- Cycling like a pro (Tour de America)

- Serviced my bike

-Climbing almost every mountain in sight

- Got free pizza from a Nike photo-shoot 

- Congratulated for the birth of a prince I didn't even know was born

- Met some awesome people at Crescent Lake

- Saw Creator Lake

- Meet a guy hiking from Mexico to Canada

- Eaten everything in sight and then some!

So that is what I have done in the last few days... Oh and I guess there was some cycling in there too!

So to expand a bit on some of it; the bear (plus other wildlife)!

It is in my next video but I was cycling along a few days ago, no traffic, middle of no where, and something ran across the road about 100 feet ahead, a young BLACK BEAR!!! I was terrified and sprinted past where I saw it!!! It was so big and scary and could have easily killed me! I was totally fine and wish I got a better look at it but at the time, the shock just made me want to get away from it! 

I also found a snake while I took a walk along a lake picking raspberries (It's a good life out here!) I saw a path ways full of baby frogs looking for a river, also I eagles and hawks all the time! Insects and bugs seem to like the taste of English meat but also like to fly in my slipstream which is fun to see. Squirrels and deer seem to really like bikes and come very close to have a look then panic when they notice me. I scared off a vulture from eating a dead raccoon which smelt vile!  A lizard was running on the outside of my tent a few nights ago at 1:30am, spooked me SO badly!!! So yeah, I am on a bit of a nature watch currently, hopefully see more things later, I want to see a mountain lion (even though they would kill me almost instantly)

I saw this at a campsite which was a nice surprise after a large climb (and receiving a hat from an old man... Strange, I know).  So I was just about to head off to sleep and 3 guys turned up (2 cycling) and I said they could share my camp site to save some money and there wasn't any room left I don't think. They were nice and then just as I was about to go to sleep some one shouted "Free pizza!" Basically there was a Nike photoshop for trail running going on all day and they had over ordered on pizza so I was happy to help out! They were HUGE! One. Slice was almost a meal in itself!

At Crescent Lake I took a rest day and I the evening of my first night I was invited over by the neighbours who were just amazing people! Just 3 sisters with some friends of theirs hanging out for a few days and they made my stay so much more fun. Most of it was "Say [insert word here] in your accent and then say it in an American accent" which I have to admit was very funny. I did get my own back by talking in some Cockney rhyming slang and some typical British sayings. By the end of the weekend, we were all having a proper bubble by the waaater (personal joke). Sad I had to leave but did mean I met the hiker!

Stopped off after seeing Crater Lake and sat outside a store. Got chatting to this insanely funny hiker (wish now I went to lunch with him as my campsite was only an hour away and it was 1:30!) I can't explain how nice it is to meet another solo traveler! So many little things which sound so odd but if you spend time alone for a long time you will understand. So here is a list of things we talked about:

- Cravings

- Time is everything

- Weekend warrior campers

- Hunger like nothing else

- Never trust a North bounder 

- Being awkward in social situations

- Little things which are like heaven

- Laughing at what is "important" in the real world

- Games you play alone

- Traveler vs Hobo

- The low times

I think I will do a video to explain all that.

So I have now finished Oregon and Section 2 of my maps, hit the 1000 mile mark and the 1 month mark. I now believe I am a legit traveler! 

So that is the main points of my last few days. I have finally got wifi to put up this blog and videos so go check out the YouTube channel for a few different videos! 

By the way, I found a smashed up iPhone 5 on the side of the road with no screen. Just thought it was kind of cool and impressive. 

Haven't Had a Normal Day Yet! #17

So I have been cycling then camping then cycling then camping then cycling (you get the idea) for a while now and I would say I am in a routine. Only problem is that it is so unpredictable day to day a routine is impossible! I have had some days in an old western style town and others in a German style town. Some days where I see no one and others where I meet the world. I am in no way complaining, it is amazing, the things I have done and seen but more importantly the people I have met. 

It is inevitable to meet people when traveling. Especially when you are flying the Union Jack off the back of a bike loaded with 25kg of gear, everyone wants to talk to you and find out what you are doing. Most are just the same three questions; Where are you from? Where did you start? Where are you going? Then they give you some information about what is to come (which usually is correct and helps surprisingly a lot)  and then they wish me luck on my travels. It is nice just to talk with people and every bit of local knowledge is important. But every now and then, some people go beyond and they give me far more than I could ever ask for!

I mentioned before the family who stopped on the side of the road and offered me a place to stay. Well they did hold their word and I had a great time! Pulled up only an hour after they had returned home after their holiday and they were more than welcoming. Got a shower, a bed and laundry done which are always great (the simple things become so important). They also cooked a great dinner which filled me right up, BBQ pork chop and corn, awesome! A load of their friends came over all of whom were as kind and welcoming as each other and I had an all round great evening, topped off with my first homemade American pie! I now love pie! I need more pie!

My other major encounter with people being exceedingly generous was two days beforehand. Came into a normal campsite as I do everyday and by chance the owner and 2 residence were sitting out front. They already asked "the three questions" before I even got through the door and they kept on talking to me while I picked out a spot and paid up! I got food and money off from the owner and even met his mother-in-law from Leeds (always love meeting British people, nice to laugh over a real sense of humour!) The two other residence, Lisa and Pat were opposite my camp spot and invited me over for a drink the moment I got set up. How could I refuse?! Spent the rest of the night eating secret recipe meatballs (want to eat that and pie all day everyday) and also celebrating the neighbours birthday. He showed me what Fireball whiskey is and we spent ages talking about baseball and cars, what a great male evening!

Lisa and Pat convinced me to stay an extra night on their spot (so it was free!) and take a rest day. I did so happily, we went around the local town which was like stepping into Germany just thousands of miles from where it should be and then went back to the campsite to play "who can survive in the freezing cold creek under water for the longest" game. Which I got a respectable 2nd place! The whole of these 2 days and the next morning I was looked after so well and treated like a member of the family so much so they are now my American mom and dad. If I get to San Diego in time I might be able to see Lisa again, but that is a long way off at the moment.

So being out here is exhausting but amazing fun as well, met people who I would never have even known existed and had a great laugh while doing it. Food and a bed is all I need in a day as a routine to make me happy, the rest I have no control over and just have to take it all as it comes!

I should have just put up a new video that talks about the rest of the other days just I didn't record much of this 3 days of being with people so I thought I should write about it instead.

I am doing another video about just generally what I get up to apart from cycling so if you have any questions to ask just send them to me and I will include them in the video.

So It Begins! #16

So finally after all this time I am actually riding my bike in America! On the 5th I got a train up to Bellingham which was great, super comfortable and so easy with all my luggage and bike. Got off, put all my stuff on the bike and headed off to Sumas, a small little boarder town which was to be my starting point. I camped there easily and in the morning, got right up to the boarder and started my journey to San Diego! 

It was this first day that I had a rather stupid moment... I took a wrong turning out of a gas station and shot off down a long road, it was so similar to the one I was meant to be traveling on (crossing some of the same rivers and creeks). It was not until I asked a cyclist what town I just left that he told me that instead of south, I had gone 15 miles East! I had to turn around and go all the way back to the gas station!!! I did finally manage to get to where I was planning to go but only at 10:00pm!! The host were amazingly lovely and in the morning I got invited over to their RV for coffee and it was great to just relax and talk to some real Americans about what is different over in the states and stuff!

So the rest of the time I have just been sorting on the bike just pumping out the miles, met some lovely people who have offered me a place to say a bit down the line and yesterday I had one hell of a bike ride! A huge 30 mile climb going up to just below 6000 feet and then a 15 mile down hill drop which was amazing. The scenery was awesome and it made the climb seem all the more worth it!! 

To get a more detailed look at what I have been doing day to day, it is probably better to watch my videos and I record them thought the day every day and they give a clearer picture of what I am up to. You can watch the latest at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9CKyz33EDg

I have also been put on Mark Beaumont's website (a famous bike tourer) and also on the Leighton Buzzard local newspaper. Links to these are on my twitter page. So a big thanks to everyone at home and all the support I have been getting, it really does help me so much!!!

Seattle and Relaxing Before The Madness #15

So I am now in Seattle! It is so hot but so nice at the same time. I have done all the touristy stuff like going up the Space Needle, going to the farmers market where they throw the fish and just generally exploring this huge city. If you want to see more pictures of everything I do, follow my twitter or my Facebook page as it is where I am putting most of them up.

Also in bike news, everything is ready for me to start in a few days riding. It will be good to start actually doing something rather than just wondering around but it is nice to really just relax and get settled in in America. For the first two days the lack of sleep on the way over really sucked as I was awake nearly 20 hours! Now all is good, got into a routine and more accepting of America time.

So wanted to buy one as a cycling helmet but didn't think they were aero enough... 

So some of the best moments so far have been with meeting some great people, on my flight over I sat next to a guy going home from being in London and he was also a cyclist. We spoke for ages about random stuff which really set off my trip well. Then at the train station, looking really lost another guy helped me carry my bike to the hostel I am staying at. (By he helped I mean he carried the huge box on his back while I just walked behind embarrassed by my lack of strength...) Also, I have had two great guys who were in my hostel room, one from San Diego who gave me his details and another who was from Ipswich (my birth place!) and had been on an epic 10 month traveling adventure with his partner all over the Americas! It is great to meet people who have the same out look on life as you as well as just genuinely nice people willing to help.

Starting, Flying and Other Bits #14

So I am at an airport waiting for my gate to be released to start my 2500 mile journey. How casual! It has been a busy week in build up to this, lots of planning, packing, repacking and checking over and over again. But finally, I am all alone taking on the big wide world with a bike and some camping gear!!

As you might be able to tell, I have shaved my head so I don't have to worry about looking after it and overheating while I am travelling. I have a video of this on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/smallguylongride so feel free to go over there and watch it.

Also if you have been following me on twitter or Facebook you will see I have hit the £1000 mark which is amazing. I have never raised anywhere near this amount of money for anything before so a big thanks to everyone who has helped me to do this but I still need people to donate and see if we can really stretch it out even more. Please do follow on Facebook or twitter, I will be updating them as regularly as possible and they are the best way to keep up to date with what I am doing!!! 

So now it is time to ditch the English money, the English time and the English soil and jump over to America and get what has been in the planning for over a year started!!! Feel free to get in contact with me when ever through twitter, Facebook, email, Skype... How ever you want to do it! Just to make me happier and feel less lonely.

Donate at www.justgiving.com/smallguylongride