Total: 5,447.10
Ok, perhaps I was a little down in the dumps yesterday. With the benefit of hindsight I can see why it was all so anti-climactic. From the very beginning the aim had been to get to San Francisco, and moving the goalposts at such a late stage had meant that I’d forced myself into purgatory pre-completion. I had not finished yesterday. Today, we have.
I was out of the door by 10 o’clock. This gave me three hours to get to San Francisco based on my estimate of a 33 mile trip. The very first issue of the day, though, was the steepest climb of the tour. It was only half-a-mile or thereabouts, but at a grade of 17%. I knew it would be hard as I struggled to control Betty on the descent last night. After being out of my seat in the lowest gear and grinding to the top it hit me that we still had some work to do, but I was grateful for this chore, as to finish the ride with an easy glide to San Francisco would’ve felt too easy. After 20 miles through some hilly woodland we came to an opening. The opening was the Pacific, and California State Highway 1 hugged the coast at sea level for the first 10 miles. A cool breeze hit me, and for the first time in a long time, conditions were absolutely perfect. We meandered around beaches and then up some extremely steep climbs, but the views they offered made all the effort seem worthwhile, not just of this morning, but of the last three months. The only problem was that I had chatted to another cyclist at the top of cliff and he told me I was still 90 minutes from San Francisco. That made me two hours late to meet my mother. Whoops.
Well, we continued along the coast and then into Sausalito, the Mediterranean styled marina town opposite San Francisco. From here I had my first glance of the city. Now the feelings were there. This was what I had been waiting for. Happiness, serenity, the sense of a job done. The ride over the Golden Gate Bridge was the most fitting way to finish. To ride across one of the worlds most iconic man-made structures after months riding through towns and lands barely touched by man hit me hard. 3 months, 5,000+ miles through hard rain, frosty altitudes, mountain climbs, sweltering desert and obscenely beautiful natural parks was nearing the end. It was without doubt the most satisfied I had ever felt from finishing a task. The America’s Cup is currently on in this great city, and as a result it is as busy as I have ever seen the place. Deck-shoed yacht enthusiasts jostled for position to overlook the racing machines around the bay, and the traffic on the roads was just as obstructive. This made the last 4 miles from the bridge to my mother’s hotel a one hour journey and the most intense hour of the entire trip, I had to have full concentration to snake my way through the crowds. The last thing I wanted to do was to crush some rich-ladys pug with thirty minutes to go, that would've put a right downer on the day. I crawled along the Embarcadero to get onto Market Street and after 20 blocks or so I saw the familiar face of Chris and one pale hand raised to the sky. The pale hand of a mother. Smiling and waving with all the joy and relief that only a mother could have at seeing her only son in one, malnourished, ginger-bearded piece. The three of us embraced and that was that. A fitting finale.
Three years ago when the idea first appeared I made a snap decision to go-ahead with it. There was never a question of bravery because I didn’t weigh up the options. It was an epiphanal challenge and, being an impulsive man, I just said "yes" (to myself). There were some delays in getting the ball rolling, but two years ago I set the date and it has remained in place since then. I now realise that all the planning and dreaming has also been a part of the ride. It was more than just cycling.
Some of my friends make a siren noise when I announce a new interest. They call it “phase alert”. These phases have included:
Painting
Ice Skating
Stand-up comedy
Healthy living (smoothies, etc)
Learning French
Gym Membership
All of which and countless more (they really are countless, my housemate kept a journal and he keeps adding to them) held my interest for a short while before I got bored and moved on. Basically, I never complete anything, but at least I've kept true to this ambition. I didn’t ask much from this tour, but I’ve received more than I could’ve imagined. Mostly, though, a passion for cycling that I know is here to stay. Apart from being with friends, riding until exhaustion is my greatest pleasure. The freedom of mind when setting out every day holds such power over me now that I will never stop getting on the bike. I have, at last, a great active passion in life.
If I could just leave you with this: it's advisable never to be too earnest in endeavour. The real thrill is soaking up the lows, mundane and exceptionally beautiful with one ironic eye and the other focused on reality. It took me a few days to learn that what is most important is to step away from the story book and into the documentary. Truth is greater, and far more powerful than fiction.
Stats
Countries: 2
States: 16
Riding Days: 69
Daily Average: 78.8 Miles
Longest day: 200 Miles
Shortest day: 21.2 Miles
Total Miles: 5,347.00
Punctures: 9
Tires: 6 (2 front, 4 rear)
Racks: 2
Handlebars: 2
Wheels 3: (1 front, 2 rear)
Crashes: 1
Beards: 1
Meals paid for by public: 4
On the road donations: 3 (Steve in Kentucky, Diane in Utah and a sexy, cool couple in a jeep in California)
Nutshell
Favourite State: Utah for the scenery and parks, Maine for the people.
Least Favourite State: Illinois, but the storms and humidity didn't help, neither did the ridiculous over-emphasis on Popeye in Chester.
Best Day: The final day for the coastal road and feeling of achievement, but Day 51, Torrey to Escalante was incredible for the climbs, views and sheer diversity in nature from start to finish.
Worst day: You'd think crash day would clinch this, but before the tumble it was up there with the best. The dehydration day was scary, but for total horror, day 6 to Bethel in Vermont was absolutely shit. Never seen rain like it.
Finally...
This has all been in aid of charity. If any of you who have enjoyed this blog - or are just glad it's over - can spare some hard earned cash, you can still donate to mind here.
Thanks for reading,
LC.
Nothing like a quick warm-up before the ride starts. I'm surprised my camera wasn't sweating.
Can we put our feet and wheels up now?
Thanks for the reminder.