Still hanging in....

30 April. Hope, Arizona to Joshua Tree NP, California!!!!

Another very windy night in my tent, dawning on the third day when the wind hasn't dropped at all, day or night. Today's big decision was whether to run 50 miles to California border, or to try for the ton to an RV park in the Mojave desert. Nothing in between, and once I had set off I was committed. Forecast said strong wind NNE (cross wind or even just better) and so it proved....until the last 40 miles when it backed NW very strong. With temperatures just below 30, it was a very hard day and I completely ran out of gas. But: wheel held, LA now under 200 miles, and just another 50 mile unsupported stretch finally to cross desert. Forecast N/NW strong and very hot, so probably another 5.00 start. But a little time in hand.

Will try to keep ahead of schedule as I swing NW towards Palm Springs and on to LA. Contact made with Chuck so cold beer could be looking good for Sunday lunchtime!

Now sitting in completely deserted RV park, having had mah beans n' rice (for third consecutive evening). Early to bed.

Thanks for tips on preserving wheel. It is no worse, but really there aren't many options but to 'press on'.

Hanging in there

Tuesday 29 April

Wheel holding. Trying to put minimum pressure on pedals, moved weight forward and am dropped on bars. Cannot deny a little anxiety. California tomorrow....... Camped in middle of nowhere. Wind up (nearly brought tent down last night) and forecast to continue, with temperatures climbing. Might cross Mojave tomorrow if get away early. Hooah!

Short Update from W Arizona

Monday 28 April

Sitting in rocking chair in fabulous RV park that loves cyclists, on lovely evening in Wickenburg AZ. The last few days have been great: across the Apache Reservation (although got caught in foul storm when temperature dropped to 50 F in heavy rain and strong winds - but it snowed at Flagstaff, so mustn't grumble, and didn't a tornado kill someone in Little Rock,Mark P?). Then great route through mountains and back down to desert floor at Phoenix. Phoenix interesting (epic university campus, for anyone considering Master's for themselves or children......), and on towards California.  Even passed 'Los Angeles 348' sign.....

However, just to throw spanner in, spoke has ripped clean out of rear rim, distorting wheel. Have balanced it as best I can, but if rim begins to collapse then I fear game over, as 27 x 1 1/4 replacement definitely unavailable! Watch this space, as I will be watching wheel every minute. Curses!

No PC for photos, but (wheel permitting) California Wednesday a.m.

Arrival in Arizona

 

 Deming NM to Safford AZ 23-24 April.  Two great days of light wind, hot sun, super roads.  Now 2082 miles down, with about 600 to go.  Yee-hah!

 

 Maria and Ned (keen cyclist), from Austin TX, whom I met in the motel and who then screeched to a halt when they overtook me to take this photo.  Hope you found the blog!

 Just the tracks...

I wasn't quite sure this child presents the right image for Dairy Queen - he just may have had too many already....

More endless vista

Of great significance - in fact, a party of about 10 people arrived last night to walk this latest trans-con trail, from Mexico to Canada - about 4-5 months!  The two other massive trails are the Pacific and Appalachian, but this one has by far the biggest logistical challenge - not least water.

 For train spotters  - rail survey the Union Pacific way!

 Sometimes a bit of 'commercial' is a sight for sore whatnots....

 More endless sky and open road - this is just short of the Arizona border

 And here we are - spot the time zone shift.  No, it isn't there, which confused me for most of the rest of the day.

 A spot of shade, midday.

And, finally, lunch under the sole tree.  Brilliant country for cycling, and the roads remain fantastic.  This is the business!

Wiped Smile off face - Las Cruces to Deming, 23 April

 

Yesterday's morning climb - lovely area

                                                          Start of epic descent to desert

                                                           Didn't come out very well, but you can just see White Sands      (gypsum) on horizon

                                           Rear wheel puncture in middle of desert crossing.......

                                              Some tired bloke on final ascent, after 100 miles

                                         

                                           Looking back at final ascent that nearly did me in

                                            And down to Las Cruces

 

                                                  Today - brutal headwind (25 knots, then stronger as day went on, unrelenting for 61 miles, which took me nearly 8 hours in total.  No escape, no cover, no hiding on I-10, and this dust storm happened later......

                                                 Typical view - not that I was remotely interested

             

                                         The line from New Orleans to California

                                            A very welcome sign - the wind was by now even stronger (30 kts), and I was down in 2nd/3rd gear on the flat.  Last 19 miles took 2 1/2 hours.....

                                             Dust storm just beginning....... yum! NB quality of hard shoulder, which didn't help.

Probably the hardest day I have ever done on the flat.  But another inch on the map.

Ludicrous Day

Ruidoso to Las Cruces 22 April

After working out that I was about a day short to get to LA on time, climbed to 7000 feet this morning, but had forgotten payback of descent. 31 miles in 80 minutes through fabulous wooded country dropped me to White Sands desert (first A-bomb exploded here May 45) and on to Alamogordo.  Decision to make: after 50 miles did I have oomph for further 65 mile desert crossing (which needs to be done as oner - no water in between) with strong headwind. Just another Dunwich Dynamo.... Filled up my 8 pints and went for it. Not bad (rear wheel puncture, first in 3 weeks, very unhelpful in mid-90s), until totally unanticipated brutal ascent of 2500 feet as I passed my day's  93 mile mark - regret to report legs totally failed and walked (!) most of 6 mile stretch.

113 miles. Completely Jacob'ed and won't do that again, but it has put me back on track. Only eating place by motel a steakhouse. Beer was great but baked potato, salad and dipping vegetables, negative steak, marked me down as un-American, commie, bleeding heart liberal who obviously believes in big government and Islam. Nobody talked to me.....

Mark P: Wally Walmart  remains brilliant. Mike G: no Hersheys yet but plenty of other industrial stuff. John B: yes please to LA contact; aiming for Santa Monica, for swim and proximity to LAX. ETA Sun 4 May, sometime, for flight pm Mon 5 May. Rod; thanks for your solicitude about climbing hills. Fran: bum marginally better, and meatless not too bad (pace above). And thanks all for tips on route, but in fact New Mexico tops so far - great scenery, quite laid back, fab road surface. A fre miles on I-10 will probably sort that out....

Update Eden TX to Roswell New Mexico

A bit of time since the last post, due to a combination of lack of wi-fi (camping) and sloth.

  Back on the road, 100 miles west of Austin.

Centre of Texas and, by chance, round about my half way point, at 1350 miles

Nodding donkey in cotton field (not due to be planted until end May)

 Cotton Gin, west Texas

Nodding donkey, this time augmenting wheat

Camping, this time at free municipal site in far west Texas. Pretty good, including loos but no showers.

Trouble on the way - this is just inside New Mexico, and it struck about 20 minutes later in a deluge. "We need the rain", but timing is everything.  I was going to camp again, but motel owner insisted I have the spare room at no charge.  Typically decent.

This was the beginning of today's (Easter Day)75 mile run with nothing in-between, including water.  Camelbak filled for first time, giving me 8 pints in total, and I ran in with 2 remaining.

Mid-way to Roswell - the strong headwind dropped a little as I passed this watershed in the valley floor.  But this felt like the type of America I had come to visit, and it was a good day.

 

Now with 1699 miles done, and with around 900 to do.  Big route decision tomorrow, to go northwest via Grand Canyon (nice route, weather could be iffy at 8000 feet, slightly longer), or southwest to Phoenix (less nice route, better weather, shorter).  Hmmm. And exactly two weeks to go to make LA on time.  Bike holding up well, although may need to replace chain. As for me, bruised bum which makes things just that bit more difficult; beginning to tire of beans, rice, salad and (occasionally) pizza, and eking out Yorkshire Tea with daily ration (keep away, evil Lipton).

San Angelo TX 16 April 2014

Very sad to see Kate go from Austin, but now back on the (new, Brooks, stony hard with 500 miles break-in distance) saddle and 150 miles run in 2 days - a perfect day yesterday, but wind back up today. Country has shifted from gentle hills and ranches, to intense agriculture (mostly cotton, some wheat) and I saw first nodding donkey this afternoon as  I get towards oil country.

And....... passed through unremarkable town of Eden, not just the self-claimed centre of Texas but also my halfway point. Now 40miled astern so downhill from here!

Austin Update

Austin, Texas 11-14 April 2014

After a very hard series of rides, with the wind continuing to blow from west of north or south (ie. basically against me) I got to Austin a day ahead of schedule, and used the day to go on a further 80 miles to Fredericksburg (just to get more mileage money in the bank..)  About 1200 miles done, 1400 to go.  Hmmm.

Kate flew out to Austin on Friday and we had a great time:

 The nightmare bridge into Texas - note width and height of shoulder....

                                                                                   Yah!

                                                                       Typical grassland

                                                                 Only here

                                                                        Cheery!
                                                                           

                                                       'Austin, Texas or Boston, Massachusetts?' (only remotely funny for puerile people like me who think 'Road trip' is a great movie.......... this is is the main tower of UT, Austin, Texas!

At the Alamo (great - the Shrine of Texas).  Really very moving and one begins to see why Texas is as it is.

So, tomorrow, back into gear and on to West Texas.  Freezing tonight!

8 April 2014 - Brenham. about 90 miles NW of Houston

Cracked nearly 1100 miles, but the 430 I have done in 5 days have taken their toll, with v.sore shins...... Fierce headwind today (over 20 knots and gusting 30, with dinghy sailing definitely cancelled!) made it just that bit harder.  A couple of easier days as I cruise towards Austin will be good news, and it should get much warmer (fleece definitely on until about 1100).

Not much to add, except to thank Fred and Leanne for taking me out to dinner last night; I was talking to Fred at that social entrepot, the gas station, and five minutes later he screeched to a halt and we arrange dinner for that evening.  Good fun!

Texas is great so far: lovely country, flowers out, the first hills, and with a palpable sense of identity.  Very interesting for a Brit how there are almost no black people anymore, but now many more Mexicans; it is always tempting to ask how exactly this change of mix 'works' but I rather think the question would be viewed as  bad form ('liberal').

Still no photos to show, as the Super 8 Motel lobby computer is 'non-equipped' for memory cards.  Will need to transfer them to flash drive ('will this work?' Ed.)  And thanks for your latest comments!

Sunday 6 April 2014 - Beaumont, Texas - TEXAS!!!!!

Crossed the state line this afternoon, which feels really exciting, not because I don't like Louisiana but because Texas seems mid-western and big and connected to New Mexico and much further, well, west......  I would have photos to support this post, but 'the machine' in the Day's Inn lobby does not support memory cards.  Prose only.....

I have had two long, good days, with a gentle tailwind (hurrah!) which has let me do 175 miles.  The roads have been long, agricultural (including rice, which surprised me until I remembered Uncle Ben's), and a bit forlorn.  But the state law that you have to leave at least 4 feet clearance of a bicycle has been reassuring, although I reckon I am the first white/non-destitute person most will ever have seen on one ('did you see that guy, Elma, on a bike - I don't think he's from around here'). The best thing was removing the mudguard, cutting out the front third, and refitting it.  Result: no rubbing, which means no listening out for rubbing, and end of frequent stops to try to sort out rubbing.  Now, just gentle whirring of wheels. Knees ache a bit, bum sore but not impossibly so, and two days of cloud (and cool - maybe 60F) keeping the suncream in the bag.

A chance encounter with the Sheriff of Iberville Parish (really!) also procured the key info that in Louisiana bicycles are allowed on Interstates.  This was useful, because it meant I could use I-10 to cross a. Atchafalaya Basin (35 miles of bayou and swamp) saving about 30 miles of detour; b. I could cross the Sabine River into Texas (on a hard shoulder of only 2 feet - tad dodgy) and c. cross the river into Beaumont (two lanes, very busy, and no shoulder at all - v. dodgy, and lots of horn blowing, probably less in support than derision and outrage ('did you see that idiot (don't know the US slang for tosser) on a bike - what the hell does he think he's doing?').  Still alive, don't know whether Interstate use is legal in Texas, but don't need to use them again anyway, at least until New Mexico.  Generally, they give a brilliant ride with a hard shoulder wider than Piccadilly.

So I have become a great fan of Walmart (my US equivalent of my low-level love affair with Morrisons) ('use the phone?  Go right ahead, sir!'), and all gas stations, which invariably seem to have decent restrooms, perked coffee, and decent water, and even the occasional doughnut.  Cheese is the big dud: I had forgotten it comes in all shapes and colours, but still ends up tasting like flavoured lard.  Grits remain..... horrible.

Next few days across Texas on the B roads, heading for Austin on Friday, when Kate joins me for the weekend.  Now that sounds pretty decent!  And tomorrow I might just break the first 1000 miles, with 2/3 still to come.  And thanks for all the comments - shows someone occasionally reads this!

Friday 4 April

New Orleans to Plaquemine, around 85 miles. Thought I would fawdle up the Mississippi and see some antebellum houses. Despite the recommended green route it turned out to be 60 miles of levee on one side and huge (huge) industrial plants on the other. Put head down and pedalled....

Front mudguard driving me bonkers with very slight rubbing on tyre due to restricted clearance under forks. I would just take it off, but another torrential downpour this morning stayed its execution. Po' little cyclist in the Deep South. Tomorrow just thwack on west down 190 towards Eunice (where?).

Thursday 3 April 2014 - New Orleans

A few days now since I have posted anything, more due to lack of wi-fi than idleness.

Florida is over, with a touch of 'at last', not so much because I don't like it (it got steadily better, and west of Pensacola and the Gulf Shore Coast was great) but because it was over 6 days riding to cross the stateline, and it may be that it is the state I spend longest in!

Some photos to pave the way:

But having a problem now uploading these, so will put in new post as soon as I can.  The top picture is Marvyn, who had a construction job in New Orleans but couldn't afford the 30 dollar bus fare from Biloxi, so hopped on his bike for the 80 mile ride.  N Tebbit, eat out your heart.  The bottom is me at the latest state border, on some bayou.