America? Completed it mate.
The final part of my journey saw me ride up and over the Appalachian mountains that straddle the eastern side of the North American continent, before descending back down into the beautiful countryside of eastern Kentucky and Virginia.
Having 3600 miles in my legs, and having had three rest days in the college town of Berea, I had hoped that the final push across the Appalachian Mountains would be a walk in the park. Unfortunately this was not the case, and what awaited me was by far the hardest terrain of the trip. Despite this, my motivation remained high due to the relaxing rest I had from the road, as well as the prospect of meeting my dad in Damascus, VA, who was all set and ready to ride the remaining 400 miles with me to the coast.
Across eastern Kentucky, I was struck by the run-down nature of many of the towns that I was riding through, as well as the real problem of aggressive dogs that chase you up the road and, as some reports have detailed, nip and bite at cyclist’s skinny legs. Upon meeting a bike tourer who was riding in the opposite direction to me in Kansas, of this section of the ride his only words of wisdom had been ‘be careful there, man’. I didn’t ask exactly what it was I needed to be careful of, and I didn’t really wish to know.
The first night out of Berea, I Presbyterian church allowed me to camp on their back lawn. Prepared with a book for a relaxing evening, I was then informed that the church would be holding a full BBQ evening and ‘pot luck’, to which I was invited, and was not for the first time subject to a whole host of inquiries ranging from ‘do you know the Queen?’ to ‘do you know that Jesus is your lord and saviour, son?’.
The second night, after a long ride during which it became clear that the distances I had been managing over the Great Plains and in the west were not realistic in the wall-like hills of the Appalachians, I slept on the floor of a fire station. I was woken up at 3am to the sound of sirens and the departure of two fire engines, and the giggles of certain firemen that accompanied their semi-conscious struggle to put on large overalls and hard hats.
In Damascus I had arranged to be hosted by a truly wonderful, and infinitely kind couple, Patty and John Brenner. Together they showed me around the town as I rested some seriously sore legs. We went to an Octoberfest party at a local brewery, before being invited to an after party. John, in his 70s, spoke my mind when he said it felt just like being back at university! The next day we went to pick my dad up from the airport; he would ride with me on the ‘glory run’ into the continent’s East Coast.
Staying exclusively in cheap hotels at this point, as well as eating considerably more nourishing food… the final 2 weeks of the trip allowed me to concentrate exclusively on the ride alone. Highlights would have to be the Virginia Creeper trail in Fall, with all of the beautiful colours of the surrounding forests, as well as the burgers, the pancakes, and the beer.
I have attached some photos of the final leg of the trip, and will take this opportunity to thank anyone reading this who has either helped me during the ride, or of course donated to the cause. I set off in February for the next leg of the trip, planning a ride from England to China.