Wheelsucker Blog - Week Three

A big thank you to everyone who has visited my Just Giving site and donated money. http://www.justgiving.com/Graham-Young-cycles-USA Monday 26th May 2014 Ironwood, Michigan. Lots of long, long hills in pine forests and lakes. 86F today and that nagging headwind. Entered new time zone today. Now six behind UK time. 106 miles. Average speed 12.8mph.




Lake Superior and the white line you see is actually the ice flow

 

Tueday 27th May 2014 Superior, Wisconson. Good day. Left 6am. Hills not so big. Wind not in my face. Internet in room not that good. 116 miles. Average speed 14.4mph.

Wednesday 28th May 2014

Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Started 6am. Very cold. Had to wear full winter clothes. Then hot at mid day. Entered Minnesota today. Roads are terrible. Big cracks and bumps every 25 yards. Picture shows Highway 20 sign. This should take me through all the way to the Rockies in Montana. 96 miles. Average speed 13.1mph.

Highway 20

Thursday 29th May 2014

Had a lay-in today. Left at 7am. Thermal jacket and shorts. Then in the 80's again. Bitten by loads of bugs when you stop for a drain-out. Roads much better today, but still broken up in places. Stopped at a nice place called Cass Lake for a late breakfast (pictured). Restful day. 76 miles. Average speed 13.5mph.



Cass Lake

Friday 30th May 2014

Left Bemidji about 7am and arrived in Grand Forks about 4.30pm. Quite warm when I left, just short sleeved top and shorts. Made good progress. Road surface good. Then last 35 miles slightly uphill into a strong headwind, only maintaining 8-10mph. Then to finish the day off thunder and lightening. Then crossing the bridge into Grand Forks and North Dakota (see picture). 114 miles. Average speed 13.5mph.

Bridge into Grand Forks and North Dakota

Saturday 31st May 2014

Devils Lake, North Dakota. Left Grand Forks at 7am. Thermal top and shorts. It was spitting with rain, but thankfully held off. Some of the roads were terrible, but I had the wind in my favour. Super 8 hotel was full so found another across the street. The Mosquitos are everywhere. Just going out to find food I got bitten quite a few times! 88miles. Average speed 13.9mph.

Sunday 1st June 2014

Minot, North Dakota. Left Devils Lake at 5.30am. Very misty for first 40 miles. Then stopped for breakfast at a place called Rugby. This happens to be the geographical centre of North America. Road surface and terrain good. Winds favourable. Then torrential at end trying to find my hotel. Going to celebrate tonight because I am now at the halfway point. Going to have a rest day tomorrow. 131 miles. Average speed 15.4mph.

 

Wheelsucker Blog - Week Two

Week Two

Monday 19th May 2014

Able to ride much faster today. Reached Tobermory late afternoon. Beautiful little place. Sunny afternoon and had fish and chips by the harbour. 90 miles. Average speed 13.8mph. Only downside was that the previous night yahoo cut my email link. Thanks to my brother-in-law Stan, I was reconnected 23rd May.




Ferry leaving Tobermory



Tuesday 20th May 2014

Rest day. Took the ferry across Lake Huron from Tobermory to South Baymouth. Met a lovely couple called Dennis and Robyn who were driving cross country to Vancouver. It was cold and wet when I arrived. Found a motel and had a good feed up in the evening.

Ferry terminal at South Baymouth

Wednesday 21st May 2014

Was going to stay in a town called Espanola. All the motels were full. Decided to carry on riding and went onto Highway 17, the most dangerous road I have ever ridden on. Every motel was fully booked so I kept riding until I found one, thank goodness, in a small place called Spanish. 104 miles. Average speed 12.7mph.



Pennisula riding out of South Baymouth



Thursday 22nd May 2014

This Highway 17 is so dangerous I decided to make a big push to Sault Ste Marie and get back into USA. The big lorries pushed me off the road three times. Usually I ride inside the white line at the side of the road but this was broken up and very narrow. The road had massive long climbs and the wind was very strong and cold. Went past a sign that said 9C. Had to cross a massive bridge which takes you over Lake Huron and Superior into the USA. I was running on empty, so decided to find a posh hotel and give myself some TLC. I am two days ahead of schedule so decided to have a rest day tomorrow. 128 miles. Average speed 11.8mph.  Bridge linking the two countries 

Friday 23rd May 2014

Rest day in Sault Ste Marie. The day I got my email back. Picture shows the Soo Lock Gates behind my posh hotel.



Soo Lock Gates



Saturday 24th May 2014

Left at 6am. Quite chilly. Thermal top, gloves and shorts. Roads were a lot smoother and the hills where easier. Was able to ride at a steady pace. 88 miles. Average speed 14.2mph. Decided to stay at Seney. A nice looking motel. Picture shows that I am in Native American country.

 

Native American Country



Sunday 25th May 2014

Three Lakes, Michigan. Left at 5.30am. Long, long steady climbs. Temperatures in the 80's. Found nice little motel by a lake. 119 miles. Average speed 13mph. Not able to send picture for some reason.

Wheelsucker Blog - Week One

Week One

Friday 9th May 2014

The start of the great adventure.







Me leaving home

 
Saturday 10th May 2014

Rocky Atlantic Coast

Sunday 11th May 2014

CC Basingstoke - Sunday Club Run

 
 

Dave Selsky in the middle with the beard

  

Monday 12th May 2014

Setting off from hotel in Danvers. Really hot day, in the 80's. Lots of big long hills. Drank six bottles of water. 117 miles. Got lost three times. Took 11.5 hours. 12.3mph average speed.



Me leaving hotel in Danvers



Tuesday 13th May 2014

Not so hot today. Passed out of Mass into New York State. 

Still some serious climbing though. 85 miles.




New York State Sign

Wednesday 14th May 2014
Cold at first. Had to wear thermal jacket. Then 24 mile climb which took nearly three hours (Average speed 9.7mph). Then in the 80's again. Burnt my arms. Another hard day. Stopped in Diner in Prattsville. 81 miles. 11.9 mph average speed for the day. Rode through the Catskills Mountains today.

Catskills Mountains

Thursday 15th May 2014

Another hard days riding. Quite hot but still the hills kept coming at me. One roller coaster after another. The one in the picture took 10 minutes to climb and went down to 3mph. 88 miles today at an average speed of 11.7mph.



10 minutes to climb this hill

Friday 16th May 2014
Did not arrive until 6pm. Then had to find food. Thunder and
torrential rain until midday, then cold head wind. Temperature has dropped to mid 50's. 113 miles. Average speed 11.7mph. Only took one photo at my last banana stop. Where's a burger bar when you want one..

 

Saturday 17th May 2014

Didn't arrive until 6.30pm, then had to wash and find food. Changed location to Mount Hope. Went to have a meal in a place called Bobbies, run by a lovely lady 
called Glenda. Got talking to a young couple and their son who was 12 years old. Unknowingly they paid for my meal. What lovely people they were to do this. It 
just goes to show what descent, kind, friendly people there are in Canada. And if you read my blog, thank you. Today was an easier ride. It was a very cold wind in my face all day. Visited Niagra Falls 
and then it very difficult to find my way out on the correct road. 109 miles. average speed 11.8mph.



Niagra Falls

Sunday 18th May 2014

Again didn't arrive until 6pm. Very cold at start. Was wearing full winter clothes. Warmed up mid day and was wearing thermal top and shorts. Have arrived in a place called Hanover. Decided to alter route and take the ferry across Lake Huron from Tobermory to South Baymouth. Will ride to Tobermory tomorrow. Today was very windy, which made riding quite hard at time. Especially on the exposed long, long climbs. 110 miles. Average speed 12.4mph. Couldn't find anything interesting to take a picture of, so here's my motel, my room with the door open.