I have changed jobs....from bike bum to beach bum !

During this trip I was interviewed pm radio in Missoula montanna, interviewed for padducas ilist in kentucky, had a song called Shinto riding man written.and recorded about the trip by Myke Steele and another called back in the saddle written and recorded by Andy McClelland.
Both those songs are very special to me and I feel happy to think that my trip inspired such wonderful creativity...and honoured because the guys who did wrote and recorded them are such great musicians and people.
Links to both songs are on this blog and on my facebook page :)

Arggghh! Lol!

Well I've done some basic math and I rode 4261.7 miles in 82 days which is an average of  52 miles a day I think. There was a day when due to rain my computer wasn't working so there is roughly another 50 miles to add but that's not important.

Right now I'm just realizing that I don't really properly comprehend yet just what o just did lol!  I'm staring at the Atlantic ocean wishing I didn't have to cross it .

The kindness here continues as I am able to stay here at the grace church until my fligjt leaves on saturday. The church house overlooks the beach and river..hence its name Riverview. I'm doing some  gardening work in exchange for this which I think is extremely fair as they didn't ask for it I just offered.

This is the best place to stay on the entire transam in my opinion and I am so pleased it is here at the end of my ride rather than the start.

If I can get a bicycle over the bridge to Gloucester point I will go.exprore over there tomorrow.

I'm incredibly tired for some reason. Perhaps the thought of the UK winter...hmmm....I'm told this place is similar in many ways to New England further north.....hmmm....

Maybe!

Think ill sell this ride as a diet plan....don't forget I'm 6'4" and weighed at least 230lbs when I started this adventure lol!

Honeybees at work!

I think its time to rest now mate
...sitting on the dock of the bay ..

There are many people I.want to mention and thank. I met a lot of people on this ride.

Each added their own special something to the trip, each has a place in my memories, and I thank you all so much.

Tim, Chris and Brooke, Don, Pat,George, Tim and Bill, Scott and Lisa and Scotts Mom, Ron , Mark, Dave....it was so good to meet you all and I can't thankyou enough for your hospitality and friendship!

Anders,David, Gerry, Larry,Scott,Anna...riding with you for a few days was fun...I wish you all happy trails! Jody for the motel room.
The guy in the pick up in.Wyoming who.gave me water when I was almost at the end...the guy who pulled over to Gove me water in Kansas, the two guys who gave me $3 for the soda machine when I had no cash in 115f on a 90 mile ride, the guy in subway who bought my.lunch just because London hosted the Olympics, to all.those who provide free places to sleep along the way, to the guy who invented Gatorade, to those who offered to open up their homes so o.could sleep and the makers of jelly beans and ice cream everywhere!



Carlos for the welcome at Yorktown and all here at the episcopal church in Yorktown.

The pastors and firefighters of America for opening their doors to me.

Id like to say hi to the
99% of drivers on this route who passed wide and waved me good luck! Also to those cyclists I met riding west to my east.
And all the hells angels and biker groups who saluted me as they passed.
Most of all though I thank my Dad for believing in me...and my good friend Shinto!

Today is a beautiful day here on Yorktown...sunny...not humid...and I couldn't have wished for a.better place to.end my trip and wait for the plane. I'm staying atbtje grace episcopal church on their Riverview house. The people are so friendly and I feel very much at home.here. this morning I joined the ladies here for their yoga class...a great group of people!
Then its down to the beach to soak up the sun and meet more nice people.
I still need to figure out how to get Shinto to the airport for the flight on Saturday.
I organized a box at.bike beat so ill go there to pack.him up on Friday.

Right now I am on holiday...the UK can wait!

Scenes from the Yorktown battlefield...that last shot is the field where cornwallis surrendered.

Pictures from Yorktown today

The ride into Yorktown this morning was short, just 14 miles but it was a big ride in my head...I counted off each mile to Shinto on the final approach...we rode along the colonial parkway, a.beautiful ride in itself, past the James and York rivers from Williamsburg to.Yorktown, the official end of the trans american ride.
Along the parkway I met Carlos. Carlos is a great guy and said he had been following.my blog since Colorado...we rode together and Carlos kindly introduced me to Yorktown and took pictures at the memorial and the beach ...I'm so grateful for that as now I have good photos of what is a huge event on my life...cheers Carlos mate!

Riding up to the memorial o couldn't resist letting out a loud woooo hoooh! Wow...I had just ridden a bicycle across the united states of America! Then down to the beach to dip the front wheel, like I had dipped the rear wheel back on June 20th in the pacific..that for me was the actual end of this amazing ride.

Yorktown is a beautiful town, I fell in love with it immediatly. It has wonderful old houses and lovely little beaches, the sun wad shining and the sky blue. People were all talking to me and congratulating me on the trip...I.hadn't expected that and I can honestly say that I feel very very happy here.

I went to the grace church and was invited to stay in the lovely house they.have here..its perfect, clean, well decorated and modern..with everything a rider who has just ridden 4261.7 miles needs :)

I met two other road cyclists on town and a nice couple at the sandwich bar who had been to England and he was a Brighton and give Albion fan!

I went back later to the monument just to sit quietly with Shinto and take it in..here I met a nice lady who eS interested in the trip and England etc

I treated myself to a cheeseburger ...oh yes I forgot to mention Yorktown has a Ben and ferries ice cream.parlour I.may have visited earlier...ooops...lol...then.after dinner I.did something in didn't think I would. I accepted the offer to go to the church service here at 7 pm. I wAnt sure why but something just felt good about it and on this trip I learnt to go with ky gut instinct. I'm glad I.went instead of heading into the Yorktown pub again.

I have once again experienced amazing hospitality and friendship in America...the end of my trans America ride could not gave been.better. once again I am.on my.own here but not alone, I.feel welcome and amoungst good people.

I am still on a high after today...there are so many.things still to say and people to.thank. ill do that when I'm back down.to earth and less tired to.do.it.justice.
Tonight though I am in a lovely house, on a lovely town, with lovely people having bicycles across America...

...it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

:) :) :)

Yorktown beach's ....and a warm welcome at the hostel for cyclists in the grace church.

Yorktown ...perfect!

The view from my.bedroom window tonight

Dawn over Yorktown this morning.

So...I just rode a bicycle across the united states of America!!!!

Sitting outside the motel watching a big storm coming in. It's humid and quiet...with a breeze...here in Williamsburg tonight. I've just eaten too much pizza...they have two sizes in America...too much and seriously eat too much!

I almost cried when I saw this just now :)

After 53 miles and because I'm almost done and bloody deserve it I got a room with a pool !

The historical town of Williamsburg as I rode through it today. It's been kept up to scratch for the tourists but its really interesting to get a little taste of what life was like for the early settlors who.came here.

Finally a house in America flying the correct flag lol! ;)

Williamsburg is a quite clean and historic town. The focus here is on its settler past etc. Lots of older buildings and people wearing traditional/ period costumes etc..here the horse and cart ride has found new life.

Williamsburg street market.today. its very touristy and expensive but it is nice..lots of crafty stuff and weird types of honey etc lol!

This is the first sign I saw with the magic word on it.....Yorktown!

For a couple of hours today I was riding amoungst rider doing the Virginia triathlon race...there were loads of them...maybe a hundred or more all on flash carbon triathlon bikes....I couldn't resist it...so for a mile or so I pushed myself to the limit and kept pace with four of them...probably.the four slowest riders but hey...I'm fully loaded...they were all friendly and saying hi etc....then one guy says....hey buddy you're making us look bad ..been trying to catch you a while...man that's a lot of shot to carry...lol!
Inevitably I lost the race but it got me into Williamsburg a bit quicker than o.had thought!

Views from this mornings ride along the James river and the chicahominy river approaching Williamsburg.