3rd July 2018 Tuesday – Quite a tough day what with the headwind and all

-
Hello Everybody!
Route: Sacramento to Vallejo

For the non-mathematicians out there:
Distance: 73 miles (Total 3,474)
Average speed: 12.7 mph
Calories: 1,478
Cycling time: 5h 40min
Average cadence: 74 rpm
Climb: 1,867ft, Descent: 1,775ft
Heart (yes I have one): Max 128 Aver 107
Aver Temp: 25C, Max temp 34C
Temperament: Lovely 1st half, hot & lumpy 2nd half = tough day

This was the route’s last chance to say “Hello Swinhoe, how’s it going?”. And to be fair it did just that. Getting out of Sacramento – no probs, stopping at the lovely Univesity town of Davis – simps, even the Sandy at Winters (with root beer and milk of course) – a walk in the park. The last 25 miles to Vallejo – absolute flipping nastiness.

During the last 25-miles I kept changing direction but then so did the wind. It seemed to always follow the “Get in Swinhoe’s face and stay there”. Even Arnold started to rile against the unfairness of it all. He took to shouting out loud all of the surnames of the UK prime ministers since 1235 – the date not the time. The first few hundred years were fairly easy given we did not have a prime minister, so Arnold just kept repeating “ Yes you Sir”, which seemed to keep him happy. Dot – I did check who was the first PM and it was a bloke called Bert Middlethrope.

I was quite sage about it all, not onion but definitely sage, or parsley or rosemary or thyme to quote the very pleasant Simon and Garfunkel song of the same herbs. Anyway I also risked my life today. I was going downhill and I spotted some smoke in the distance – yes it was a series of fires in the hills. Luckily I was turned in the opposite direction otherwise I would have used my 3 bottles ot try to douse the fires. A good waste of energy tablets but anything to help small, brownish rodents from expiring.

So as to the last 25 miles – it was also uphill for quite a spell but by then I was actually smiling and gently laughing each time the wind tried to blow my head off my shoulders. I eventually reached the highest point of today and then it was fairly easy downhill into Vallejo. A few more little hillocks and I was standing outside my latest Airbnb, hosted by the very nice Kay.

Kay is out just now but promised to bring me back some beer, of the free kind, which is the best kind. I did pop out for dinner and had a very tasteless pasta/tomato/chicken affair – hard to get this wrong but they did try their hardest and succeeded. The free beer arrived - life is good.

Oh lest we forget I now only have to get a ferry in the morning, ride a few miles in San Francisco and dip my front wheel in the SF bay and then the job, as they say in Wales, is done. Now we will all need to be a bit patient (this happens to be one of my best qualities and some say that I am the most patient person in the world) as I will dip my front wheel (no this is not a euphemism for something else Angela) when Ruth arrives in SF on 10th or 11th of July – I honestly have no idea what flipping date she has booked and neither does she. Honestly…..

So tomorrow I will try to enjoy the 4th July celebrations about Britain losing to the USA on penalties. I hope you are all happy and well and I am looking forward to showing you my cycle tan, including the white bits, when I return to GOB – Good Old Blighty.

I will also introduce you to Franklin and Arnold.


Regards, Alan, Franklin & Arnold xxx

PETER & SUSAN PHOTOS: (and their bikes)






CYCLE TRAVEL PHOTOS:

























The hill fires















Comments

  1. Anonymous6 July 2018 at 20:20

    Absolutely brilliant. You've done it.
    As I mentioned on the phone, provided next time you do all the night bookings and don't leave it to Ruth, you won't need to carry the tent, sleeping bag, or 3 gals of water.
    Anyway, fantastic ride and enjoy San Francisco taking it a bit easy 'til Ruth arrives.

    Ian

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown10 July 2018 at 08:21

    Fantastic achievement Alan, have loved following your adventure and will now look forward to welcoming you home and hearing the untold stories! Have a great holiday together in San Francisco,
    Berni and Ken xx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4th July 2018 - The final, final and thrice final blogpost until next year

-
Image
Hello Everybody! Route: Vallejo to San Francisco For the non-mathematicians out there: Distance: About 4 miles (Total 3,478) Average speed: slightly more than walking pace Calories: I had a small coffee and muffin Cycling time: A little while Average cadence: 74 rpm Climb: 5’10.5”ft, Descent: -5’10.5”ft Heart (yes I have one): Max 180 when Ruth arrived Aver 280 when Ruth is "suggesting" something to me Aver Temp: 37C, Max temp 37C Temperament: Still wondering what the heck happened I had a very nice breakfast with Kay and left (for the first time) at around 9.00am. We travelled about 300 metres and then I decided to search for my passport, which I could not find. I went back to Kay’s house and we both searched my room. We could not find the passport so I decided that I had packed it somewhere and even if it turned up I could always go back to Kay’s place given it was only a short ferry ride aw
Read more

23rd June 2018 Saturday – Tougher than it looked

-
Image
Hello Everybody! Route: Ely to Eureka and then rest day For the non-mathematicians out there: Distance: 78 miles (Total 3,110) Average speed: 11.2 mph Calories: 2,065 Cycling time: 5h 13min Average cadence: 76 rpm Climb: 3,967ft, Descent: 3,845ft Heart (yes I have one): Max 154 Aver 112 Aver Temp: 30C, Max temp 39C Temperament: Very pleased to get to Eureka PICTURES TO FOLLOW AS YESTERDAY I set off at 7.10am so as to enjoy the lack of any wind, temperature, and traffic, almost just like yesterday. However the difference today was there was a westerly wind hitting me from the start and my legs were not talking to me or each other – they felt very heavy, almost as if they’ve cycled over 3,000-miles. This was only the first 100 metres of the day so I was not thinking happy thoughts at this time. However, Ying and Yang, the wind was caused by the buildings acting as a wind tunnel and I told my legs that
Read more

7th June 2018 Thursday – Made it Ma, top of the world

-
Image
Hello Everybody! Route: Salida to Gunnison For the non-mathematicians out there: Distance: 69 miles (Total 2,323) Average speed: 10.8 mph Calories: 2,484 Cycling time: 6h 21min Average cadence: 72 rpm Climb: 4,419ft, Descent: 3,717ft Heart (yes I have one): Max 147 Aver 119 Aver Temp: 25C, Max temp 34C Temperament: I think I am beginning to enjoy things here I decided to do an early start just in case the wheels fell off. I was very apprehensive about today. I’ve done a lot of miles but not much going upwards since West Virginia, which was quite a time ago it feels. There was only one climb, up to Monarch Pass, and it would take me and dear Bloss to the highest point in our whole USA journey together. It is not the most we will climb as we are starting at a fairly high altitude already. So my concern was reasonably well founded I think.
Read more