Congratulations Well done Roger - great achievement and i am really impressed. i am even more impressed that you do not simply want to put your feet up and rest for a while rather than being disappointed not to be carrying on to Mexico. Still Africa is not too far away.
I must admit the USA side of the cycle seemed to me more interesting than the Canadian although I am again surprised at the poor facilities. The scenery does look great and overall it does seem to have been a very memorable experience.
At my end life is much more sedate. You mentioned in one of your emails about my "retirement" albeit I am still doing some work as a part time Judge and also the odd bit of consultancy work. I still do not feel comfortable leaving my mother for too long which is why no major trips ( over 3 weeks ) but you will be relieved to hear I am still able to take plenty of holidays. So have been walking in the Peak District in northern England this month and are going down to visit our son in Bristol this coming weekend and then off to Spain for 3 weeks the following weekend ( where we are planning to do some cycling). Then not away again until a week in the Lake District over Christmas.
Anyway well done again and please count me in for the African blog as I do enjoy reading about your trips . I must admit to having a mixture of emotions when reading the blogs ranging from admiration , to envy that I am not on the trip and to be honest relief that I am not on the trip!
Relief Thanks Peter, yes it felt good to finish, but you would know the feeling, others are riding on and i am not. On the visa issue I had, as it turned out about 6 others from all over have the same issue, so over last few days, they headed off out of North America for a few days with the intention of reentering. Don't know how they got on as I had left. They thought I was crazy when I first mentioned it, being a lawyer and over dramatising. When will they learn that lawyers like you and me don't dramatise! Just got off a 22 hour flight with layovers so am bushed. You certainly have a busy final quarter coming up. Are you trying to squeeze it all in before you age another year shortly!! Cheers Roger
Ride Thanks George, now at LAX waiting for thai check in to open for my flight 5.5 hrs from now. All over so fast! Hope you ate having a good day. Speak to u when in bkk. Love d xxx
RELAXED HI ROGER, YOU LOOK VERY RELAXED IN YOUR HAMMOCK. A LILLE BIT OF LUXERY FOR YOU ?
NOT LONG TO GO NOW FOR IT ALL TO END UNTIL THE NEXT RIDE. TAKE CARE GRAHAM & SANDRA
Hi Roger, Just caught up with your blogs after returning from a weeks walking holiday in Slovenia which was great. We went with New Experience Holidays who we have been with before and all up to its normal standard. The owner of this small company says he will not book clients into places he would not stay himself. It seems to me form the way you write that TDA do not exactly follow this philosophy . Your trip sounds great in terms of what you are seeing but the facilities and poor planning are not impressive. This after all should be what you have paid for. You have certainly put me off going with them. We came home from Slovenia via Venice and in our hotel we met a group of cyclists who had cycled over the Alps and Dolomites from Geneva with Magic Places - a Canadian company who specialise in other less arduous tours. They have one from Vancouver to LA which we are thinking of doing some time although probably not until 2017 as we are planning on a big trip to Japan next year ( not cycling ). Have you come across them or has anyone else in your group? They seemed pretty good to me.
Anyway once again I can only repeat how impressed I am at how well you are doing both in terms of the cycling and with putting up with the conditions both in terms of camping and the weather extremes..
Look forward to further updates.
Cheers. Peter
Magic Places and beyond Hi Peter, you both get around, clearly retirement agrees with you. Always gave wanted to go to Slovenia. Glad you had a good trip. I will check out the company you went with for future reference. Only two weeks remain on tour before I jet out from LA on 22.9. Still about 1200 kms remain for me i think. Have lost a lot of upper body mass and weight. The scenery has been interesting, but very little culture to add interest. If i were contemplating it again, i would ride from Jasper to Kalispell, perhaps the best scenery, then spend a few days around Moab as the red rick canyons here are interesting. Japan is a very interesting place. Will you be there for the Spring Blossoms.? Spring warmth varies throughout the length of the islands. Cheers for now Roger
Exhausted Hi Roger, Enjoying your Blog, feel exhausted just reading it though, don't know how you do it. Between the weather and camp conditions must be hard.Keep safe & enjoy the rest of the ride, conditions may improve!! Jim & Barb
Exhausted Hi S&G, nice to hear from you. Hope you are both well. The trip is more arduous than contemplated, i believe so because of all the rain and very average camping conditions. Rest day now in Helena, capital of Montana, the cowboy state. Pretty basic. American food average at best!! Cheers for now Roger
Hi Roger, it seems like the trip is becoming quite enjoyable and you seem to be having some great experiences.Well done for getting so far. I have to say I am surprised about the camping facilities in Canada or lack of them. Some friends of mine went on a road trip through BC up to Alaska and they said the facilities were very good. Still it doesn't seem to be a problem and I am sure it makes those nights in a decent hotel all the more enjoyable. Talking of hotels together with Debbie , Chris and Fran , this coming weekend we are cycling the English coast to coast from Morecombe in the West to Bridlington in the East. Its not far as we are only cycling about 160 miles over 2 full days and two half days. I am for the first time ever carrying my own luggage but before you get too impressed we are staying in very nice B & B's with laundry facilities! I will let you know how it goes . You mentioned that you might be interested in the round London 100 mile cycle next year. it is normally the first weekend in August but it is heavily oversubscribed, this year there were 75000 applications for 25000 places . I was lucky to win a place in the ballot. However if you ride for a charity you will get in BUT you will have to raise probably around £1000 for the charity.
I am not sure if you are keeping up with the news while you are away? There has been a bomb attack in Bangkok , 20 people killed and over 100 injured. What makes people do such evil? They are not yet sure who is responsible. Anyway you are a long way from there and I do hope that you continue to enjoy what I have to admit does sound like an amazing experience . Cheers. Peter
Coast to coast Hi Peter, sounds like the c2c should be fun. Best wishes to all for a safe ride. Yes the trip in the past few weeks has been more enjoyable, better scenery. Maybe your friends were in a van. They Get much better facilities. Campers in tents are ' trash'!!! Now climbed 37,000 metres over 100,000 feet in ascent, 3 times+ Mt Everest!!
Heard about bombing, about 300 metres from my apartment. Will now need to give careful consideration to future there. Back in BKK on 24.9.15, then to Oz on 30.9 in time for birthday!!! Always good to hear from you, wondered if many posts were to downbeat. Cheers Roger
All roads lead South Firstly well done Roger for the cycle to date. I think the conditions , namely the weather and the camping/ facilities are significantly adding to the challenge. I am potentially interested in doing one of the stages but I don't think I will do the Alaska / Northern Canada one having read your experience. Still reading about the weather has made me stop whinging about the weather in the UK. Actually I have just completed a brilliant ride myself. It was a 100 mile round London cycle , leaving the Olympic Stadium and arriving at the Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace. 25,000 riders took part , the roads were closed to traffic and there were lots of spectators cheering us around. I grew up in London so it was great seeing familiar sights and unbelievably the weather was great sunny, light winds and 24 degrees.I completed it in just under 7 hours including food stops and breaks and was pleased with that. I think you would enjoy this as it's an annual event , although I know you don't get out of bed unless you are cycling for at least 2 months! Anyway I am enjoying reading the blogs and as I say well done so far . Cheers Peter
London cycle Hi Peter, i have read about that ride, it sounds like it would be interesting. Is it in July each year.? I might be interested if i can plan to be in London at that time. On the North american, wait until i finish and i will give you my impression of the best sections to contemplate. So far it has been mostly hills and spruce, with disappointing few wildlife. These northern towns are red neck country, all oil workers it seems. Frontier country!! The camping is more arduous than the riding, simply because you wake at 5.30 out the gate by 7.30 arrive at say 1.30 then sit around until dinner at 7 pm then bed by 9pm knackered!! Cant believe i have already paid for two months in Eastern Africa come January 1. My last long trip. After that 2-3 weeks tops and staying in hotels.
Cheers for now. Roger
Intrigued! Enjoyed the read! Hope the knees hold up, get some good quality krill oil 2x2bd will help greatly. Have read mum first parts if blog, so will catch her up by end if week I hope with the latest. Sounds like I'd rather drive then ride the route, hope u get some more photos, still, enjoying the adventure with you! Safe journey & take care... Cheers bub xx
Great to read the blog Hi Roger. Great to read what you've been doing. Really descriptive and it takes us on the journey with you (well, not quite!). Safe travels and look forward to hearing more. Annette and co xx
On a journey Hi Annette& family. Thanksfornote. Hard work. Maybe my second to last loooong ride.
All thebest for the big scan. Will be thinking of you on the day, if i cant message closer. Wifi and phone service is SPARCE at best! Cheers Roger
Hot Cycling Blog Hi Roger, good to here your cycling commentary again - very good blog.
How often do you stop or take a break during the cycling day? I see your saddle time, but what's your daily travel time?
Cheers, Peter
Time spent Hi Peter Good to hear from you, how are you and what have you been up to?
Rest at lunch for about 30 mins. But can stop wherever, but to date have made few stops as there are vast spaces of emptiness. Usually depart at about 7am and arrive at days end about 1 pm. Might be pushing it to hard on the hills, accounting for my sore knees. I hope i can maintain your interest, cheers Roger
He's Off !! I enjoyed reading your blog and was shocked to learn that Alaska is cold! I was reading your stats and began to believe that my Lands End trip was comparable only of much shorter length that is until I say the picture of the tent! We stayed in 3 star B&B with en suite . We also had a brew van every 15 or 20 miles for tea and as much fruit and biscuits etc you could eat and every 30 miles for a pub meal so perhaps not that comparable after all. Actually your trip sounds great and I do hope you have an amazing time. I might be interested in doing part of it some time particularly the sections with limited camping !( really not up to doing all of it ) so looking forward to reading how you are getting on.
Peter Carson
non-member comment
Congratulations
Well done Roger - great achievement and i am really impressed. i am even more impressed that you do not simply want to put your feet up and rest for a while rather than being disappointed not to be carrying on to Mexico. Still Africa is not too far away. I must admit the USA side of the cycle seemed to me more interesting than the Canadian although I am again surprised at the poor facilities. The scenery does look great and overall it does seem to have been a very memorable experience. At my end life is much more sedate. You mentioned in one of your emails about my "retirement" albeit I am still doing some work as a part time Judge and also the odd bit of consultancy work. I still do not feel comfortable leaving my mother for too long which is why no major trips ( over 3 weeks ) but you will be relieved to hear I am still able to take plenty of holidays. So have been walking in the Peak District in northern England this month and are going down to visit our son in Bristol this coming weekend and then off to Spain for 3 weeks the following weekend ( where we are planning to do some cycling). Then not away again until a week in the Lake District over Christmas. Anyway well done again and please count me in for the African blog as I do enjoy reading about your trips . I must admit to having a mixture of emotions when reading the blogs ranging from admiration , to envy that I am not on the trip and to be honest relief that I am not on the trip!