The SolarCycle Diaries: 3 riders. 12,000 miles. 1 cause.

And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike….

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

Hope that whatever you are doing, wherever you are you have a good one.

After much debate and deliberation we are heading out with my friend Vanessa and her friends from Austin for a night of tequilla, dancing* (*see also ‘flailing’) and 80’s disco.

The moves are comin out...

Brilliant.

In fact it has been a brilliant few days. Austin is a great town. Her family amazing and friends awesome.

First things first though - getting here.

My last post left you on a nail biting cliff hanger (don’t pretend you weren’t on the edge of your seat…)

It was Christmas Eve. We had 94 miles to go. The days before had been plagued with punctures. Jamie’s tyre had ripped so we’d been scrabbling around the roadside to patch it up with debris from exploded cars. We had been pedaling 100 mile day after 100 mile day, battling the wind. The area is affectionately known as ’hill country’. A storm was coming…

We awoke that morning to the sound of rain.

Having stayed in a motel, we dragged our exhausted bodies out of bed and trudged round to the reception for a sugar and caffeine boost. As dawn broke, the dark gave way to ominously grey skies and revealed the palm trees lashing from side to side.

Donning our warmest gear we got ready.

Flat tyre.

We had to be in Austin by 4 in order to drive down to Vanessa’s sisters house for dinner in San Antonio.

Our 7am departure time slipped away as I wrestled to remove firstly the layers of arctic gear and then the inner tube.

All set, we made to leave once more.

“What’s that noise?’

“What noise?”

“Is it the wind?”

“Oh that.Yeah it’s definitely the wind… the wind and your other tyre…”

After months of being the one who never got flats, this was not my morning!

Eventually we made it out into the cold and hit the road.

Almost literally.

The wind was blowing at 30mph as a constant and 40mph in gusts.

In our direction.

Wooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

We were flying. The rain had tempered and become occassional spots. The road was good and either not that hilly or we were being hurled so fast we hardly noticed the ups.

Cajunk. Cajunk. Cajunk.

Puncture 3.

8.37….

Freezing and having trouble standing up straight we wrestled to change it in record time.

The clock was ticking…

Ominous skies....

Luckily for us, other than a bit of hail and me careering off the road on a corner, everything else went to plan.

In fact, against all odds, we made it by 3.30 and had time to shower, change and have our first road trip!

Well, first road trip on which we weren’t actually propelling ourselves at least.

And we made it bang on time for Christmas Eve complete with tree, rum cake and family (we tried to get oursleves adopted…).

The next day was much of the same. Only plus stockings, presents and Christmas dinner.

Oh and karaoke!

After a fantastic day relaxing and spending time with a whole host of wonderful people (and - in Jamie’s case - playing with the kids toys) we dressed up in some of Vanessa’s Mum’s best Christmas jumpers (bring on the sequins and shoulder pads) and hit Ashton’s house for some serious Dolly Parton.

Jamie 'building' the childrens play area

I am only gutted that the video of the ‘Humpty Song’ was recorded sideways and doesn’t seem to work on this site.

It was a fantastic night.

On boxing day we were similarly spoiled with a tour of San Antonio from the guy who built most of it (Vanessa’s step Dad, Boone is the architect behind much of the River walk and Alamo restoration) before getting out the pizza and movies with her Dad. Perfect.

The last couple of days we have been chilling out in Austin trying to catch up on ourselves and generally plotting the last leg of the journey.

We met with the guys from Bikes Across Borders after they saw our bikes and invited us for a beer, have been wandering around South Congress, checked out the Capitol building and went to see some music courtesy of the fantastic Nano Whitman.

Nano at Momo's

We have a couple more days (it’s going to be hard to leave) before we head to New Orleans on Monday.

It’ll be interesting to see how we fare after a few days of ‘carb-loading’.

Anyway, before that though… it’s moonwalking into the New Year.

Dangerous indeed!

xx

Yee ha - wishing everyone a rootin tootin Christmas all the way from Texas, USA!

We’ve been in the state for a few days now on the final part of our mission to  Austin and my friend Vanessa’s before the festivities begin.

Currently though we are still 90 miles away….

90 miles in which, we have just been informed, Lance Armstrong trains.

90 miles through an area commonly known as ‘hill country’.

90 miles in which it is forcast to rain and thunder.

Oh dear.

It’s been quite full on these last ten days.

The race to get to Austin has had us cycling every day since Tucson - with quite a few hitting the 100 mile mark. We’ve been pedaling hard through the fairly desolate green desert that makes up: Wild West Country.

Billy the Kid, Davy Crockett, Butch Cassidy - I’ve been day dreaming of them all. Much assisted by the fact everyone actually does wear cowboy hats. How brilliant is that? Jamie found one at the side of the road so we have been joining in too.

Anyway, incredible though it has been, the fates have not always smiled. The sun has been shining but the wind raging in the wrong direction. The colours and scenery have been dramatic but the days turning to nights all too soon. Mostly though, we have been struggling with continuous punctures, broken gearing and - most problematically - a ripped tyre.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrripped

40 miles from the nearest town.

We ate doughnuts and debated our options.

I could cycle on and try to get a new one, Jamie could hitch back to the previous town to nab one from a bike he had spied by the roadside or we could attempt to fix it.

Back in Uzbekistan our fantastic and knowledgeable host, Hans Bedowski, told us of the trouble he had while cycling in West Africa. His bike would pick up punctures from Acacia trees, rusty nails and bad road surfaces almost daily. The tyres of the locals would not. One day he asked a friend how he avoided punctures. He was told that he simply needed to line his tyre with goat skin.

Back on the Texan roadside we recalled the tale.

We looked around.

To our left was a deer.

A dead deer…

And right next to the deer a handily sized, tough yet flexible piece of rubber.

Using the remnants of our Iranian super glue, Jamie stuck it to the inside of his tyre. 10k later, as the pressure began to build and the rip widen, we found a new bit and tried again. And again. Eventually setting up camp before continuing at a snails pace (aka ‘the speed I am happy to fly off at if it explodes’) this morning.

Thankfully finding a replacement in the local hardware store, we raced to get as close to Austin as possible this afternoon.

But the terrain was pitted against us.

It has been hills all the way and it will be more of the same tommorrow.

But we will make it.

Sometime.

Somehow.

There will be much over consumption of mulled wine.

And a few days off.

We are planning to do a spot of resting, a touch of relaxing and a soupcon of mischief making.

We will also be working on a bumper ‘2009 in pictures’ post though so keep an eye out for that. It’s going to rock. Though I am demanding we include photo’s in which I do not look like a: Shrek b: a hobbit or c: a b-boy wannabe with no coordination, skill or sense of shame. (See Jamie’s last blog on health if you have managed to miss those delights. Thanks Jamie. I see you failed to include photographic evidence of your spider bite on the… ahem…)

Anyway, I had better get some sleep before our mammoth hill based bonanza in the morning but before I do - just one last thing.

Our challenge was to cycle 12,000 miles round the world promoting solar energy. We still have about 1,500 to go before we hit Miami and head home but it may be the case that - since I was left in charge of route planning - we have already done about 11,700…

So should you, in a preemptive and festive display of generosity, want to make a donation to SolarAid, the charity for which we are fundraising, please do not let me stand in your way… Actually, if you did try to do this in the last couple of months the link was not working so please accept my apologies. But do try again. http://www.justgiving.com/thesolarcyclediaries

And also - of course - have an absolutely amazing Christmas!

Susie xx

WARNING: this is a general health and injury blog and contains material that some people may find squeamish… continue at your own risk.

GENERAL HEALTH

Before we even set off from City Hall in London I was looking forward to getting a six pack for the first time in my life.

Even though I’d been ‘carb loading’ for a couple of months before the trip I was sure the six pack would emerge in no time. Cycling can burn anywhere from 300 to 600 caloires an hour. Couple that with the 2500 calories my body will burn through normal use I’d need to eat over 5500 calories a day just to tread water. Trying to eat that much is difficult in normal conditions. I thought that finding sufficiently calorific food in Northern Africa and the Middle East must be more difficult. It was more difficult, but despite loosing a significant amount of weight and doing sporadic sessions of press ups and sit-ups nothing’s happened. I still don’t have a six pack. I don’t think I’ll ever get one… big bones or something.

Iain's dodgy stomach. Held up in bed.

I’m constantly surprised how good all of our health has been. The worst illnesses we’ve had throughout the trip have been stomach related. However, Iain, Susie and I have been ill just once each through bad food or water. Much more common are accidental injuries caused from crashes or insect bites.

 CYCLING INJURIES

Ice pack

Only one real injury has resulted from cycling and that was to Timmy in the first week. His slightly small bike frame and first time using fixed pedals probably led to Timmy’s knees giving way and unfortunately the end of his trip.

Saddle related problems have fortunately been rare and minor. I know some of my friends have been waiting for my ‘inevitable’ boils but nothing so interesting I’m afraid. Plus, I’m not so sure I would have posted any of those photo’s so here’s a substitute photo instead.

Happy not to have any saddle sores

 ACCIDENT INJURIES

Pretty much all of the injuries from crashes have been a direct result of Susie. Statistically if you cycle with Susie you are much more likely to be injured by her than any other vehicle on the road.

The graze would later turn into a goatee

Susie's cog mark is still visible on Iains leg

Jamie's burnt leg

Poor Susie

Susie's Cartwheel down an embankment

Not the measels, mosquitos.

 

Susie obviously tastes good. She got over 200 bites while sharing the same bed as Iain. Iain had 4 bites but managed to complain as much as Susie. Apparently bed bug bites are much itchier on men.

Call me 'clumpy'

A wasp got trapped between my sock and tongue of my shoe and proceeded to sting me until I bled. My right foot doubled in size making it difficult to pull off my dance moves at the disco, but not impossible.

Elephant woman

Not an hour after I was stung, Susie’s wasp went for her face. The wasps in Uzbekistan are to be avoided at all costs. The funny thing was that although the sting made Susie cry a prolonged scream she didn’t stop the bike for half a km as she didn’t want to lose the momentum from the hill. However, when the sting made her bottom itch she stopped the bike as if she was about to go off a cliff. Go figure.

Unexpected symptom of a wasp sting. Itchy Bum.

UNEXPECTED INJURIES

Blisters from flippers

I didn’t expect to get blisters from flippers. First, a pleasant swim and paddle out to an Island off the coast of Tunisia. Then, an unexpected change in the weather and the loss of my surf board meant I had to kick hard for a prolonged period of time (clinging to a sea kayak) in order to reach the shore before the current dragged us onto the rocks. Almost an abrupt end to the trip before we’d even started.

  

Susie's swollen feet

Chill blains and the first stages of frostbite were not something we’d imagined having to deal with on a cycle round the worlds deserts. Having encountered the coldest spell Eastern China had encountered for 50 years, Susie’s feet got the brunt of the weather.

This little piggy went to...

The resulting damage to Susie’s foot from prolonged exposure to the cold. Both her little and big toes were badly affected. They actually looked much worse than these pictures portray, swelling to twice the size, turning black/purple and the skin going first shiney and then falling off - in this case leaving a deep gouge.

Apart from these few injuries and illnesses we’ve managed to get, on the whole we’ve all been in very good health. A few tired muscles and sore areas every once in a while but nothing to write home about. For me, the worst I felt was in China when I had a bad chest infection from the cold conditions but it soon cleared up once out of the freezing winds.

For those of you following us on twitter, Susie mentioned I’d fainted 3 times the other day. This was due, not, from lack of oxygen or exhaustion but because I got out of the motel hot-tub too quickly and over heated. (Unfortunately not because it was full of Hawain Tropic girls but because I was chatting with a local for too long.)

On the whole we feel fit and healthy. I’ve managed to loose 14kg (over 2 stone) going from 85kg to 71kg. Susie has lost a little weight but managed mainly to turn what excess body weight she had into muscle (she now looks like Arnie).

Unfortunately, there still seems to be no sign of the six pack. I think the large portions and easy access to food in the States may hamper my chances and the ripped torso may remain illusive.

Jamie

 

PS Although Susie’s extreme dance moves didn’t actually cause any injuries I don’t know how they didn’t so have added a picture in anyway.

Surprisingly no injury at all

Picture the scene:

A log fire flickers sending a warm orange glow across the room. You are cocooned under a rug, enveloped by a massive sofa. Two beautiful white labradors nuzzle at your feet. A delicious smell of baking bread comes from the kitchen.

To your right the news channel talks of ’snow, wind and driving rain’. To your left you look out across an incredible 180 degree panorama of Los Angeles Bay. A storm rages outside. Palm trees are bent double as the gale whips through them. The city is pounded by the incessant flow of water causing floods and mudslides from Malibu to Compton. 

“Do you want to stay another day….?”

Needless to say, we didn’t manage to leave Niall and Marian’s last Monday. (Thank you again so much guys.) But all good things must come to an end and - when the sun emerged the following day - we ran out of excuses not to hit the Pacific Highway south.

Much as the last few miles into Venice Beach, this was Baywatch territory. Long sandy beaches, palm trees, wooden life guard shacks and surfers stripping off their wetsuits at every turn. (It was most distracting. I nearly cycled into the back of Jamie a fair few times…)

It was a gorgeous ride and we burned up the miles.

Two ladies we overtook uphill asked if we had motors.

Jamie expressed dismay that he had not shouted: ”No, we’re just faster than you.” I suggested that it might have been a tiny bit inappropriate considering the ladies were a) fairly elderly and b) out for a gentle mornings amble. (I might insist he doesn’t play any ‘kick around’ games with my friend’s nephews at  Christmas…)

Our luck was not to last though as, pulling into the town of Oceanside, there was a clunking on Jamie’s back wheel and close inspection revealed that he had seered through his pannier rack. We hot footed it to the nearest bike shop, persuaded the kind owner to reopen and got a replacement.

The next day it was more of the same. This time one of the bearings in the hub on his back wheel had come loose.

A bit of emergency mechanics later and we were back on the road (thanks to all of the cyclists who stopped to check we were ok - much appreciated) but with another storm fast approaching, we decided to swerve San Diego and head straight for the hills to outrun the severe weather.

And so far so good.

The hills were beautiful and not too steep. We stayed in Alpine and then hit the highest peaks (stopping by the randomly located casino at the top) before a steep 12 mile descent into the desert and Arizona.

Yes, we are back in the desert.

After a few sweeping sand dunes and irrigated farms, the scenery has settled into the type you see in all the old Wild West epics. Cactus, train lines and jutting mountains all accompanied by dust storms and small settlements with old road signs swinging off their hinges. We went to the diner yesterday. The waitress wore a pinafore and called me ‘Sweetie’ while asking if I wanted a refill of coffee. The trains headed fast in the direction of Yuma. A highway patrol officer stopped us to advise us that ’there’s a storm comin’.

It’s like being on a rolling film set.

Right now though we are taking the day off in the city of Tuscon before heading onwards to New Mexico and Texas. We have finally got the right parts for Jamie’s bike and are resupplying before we hit the desert once again. There are a few areas where there is not much out there. Luckily it is just about warm enough to appreciate how beautiful it is camping out in the desert. The stars here go on for miles. And the colours are amazing.

Not much out there does lead me handily back to what could be in the deserts though: namely solar power (seemlessly smooth…).

Oh and - of course - Katie Visco who is running across America. We thought she was a nutter, on her own in the middle of nowhere waving at us. So naturally we stopped and found that we were right. She is indeed a nutter (it’s going to take her as long to cross the US as it is us to pedal the globe) but a very lovely one and only a couple of weeks short of finishing her journey at the coast. (For more details check out: http://www.paveyourlane.com/ )

Back to the solar though.

For anyone paying close attention you will notice that our route has no longer taken us past the solar stations in the Nevada desert. Following the blizzards in China and the subsequent frostbite (only early stages so that does make it sound a bit dramatic but my feet did split open. and the skin died. and went purple. and swelled up and caused gaping wounds… actually it was pretty horrible) we decided to avoid the North and head straight down to the Mexican border.

Do not worry though. This area too is an area in which Concentrating Solar Power and/or photovoltaics can be used to good effect. Indeed, we cycled past Gila Bend, where the Solana Generation Station will be completed in 2011. This will provide power for 70,000 homes and importantly bring jobs to the area. Recent reports have shown that many Americans are concerned about the economic crash and a rise in unemployment. Green jobs could help to alleviate the problem.

Solar power is still a contentious issue though. Thick power lines and vast stations across the desert would naturally change the local environment. (See the Arizona Star for an article on the topic.) Solar power is also still expensive in relation to its carbon intensive cousins. Hopefully though, solutions can be found so that these underused areas of the US can be used to build industry and sustainably power the nation.

I am hoping that the Copenhagen agreements help to bolster the movement in this direction. Iain (who sadly had to leave the trip early) is over there at the minute so we are hoping that he is aiding and abetting matters rather than causing mayhem and single handedly bringing down the conference.

Will let you know either way.

Anyway, here in Tucson the rain is turning to sunshine and so it is back on the bikes tmrw. We are trying to get to San Antonio for Christmas so are hauling a*s in a series of hundred mile days. Do not fret though, we will do our best to get a few more tales from the road up here before a week off over Christmas.

Jamie has sworn blind that he will be providing a  festive bumper blog so watch out for that headlining soon.  

For now though, hope that life is great with you and will be back soon.

Susie xx

We were set, we were ready, we had accidentally been out the night before till 4am but we were off to start our last leg across America.

After much panic and general pandemonium we hot footed down to the Ferry Port in San Francisco to find Brian and Danny from Sungevity, hit a climate change rally and meet the Vice President of the Public Utilities Commission. (B: “How will I know when she get’s here?” D: “Just look out for a good looking woman.” B: “I love my job!”)

It was a beautiful morning (as they seem to be often in California) and after a brief lowdown on solar in the Bay we headed up over the Golden Gate Bridge - Brian causing all sorts of cycling based mayhem - and then off to San Jose.

Golden Gate Bridge

It was 40 miles.

We had one hour before dark…

Fortunately, the brilliant thing about the road from San Francisco to San Jose, is that it is flat, well lit and full of places to eat emergency burritos.

Even so, after Jamie’s tent flew off the back of his bike and he had to pedal half way back to the City to retrieve it, we decided to call it a day at Redwood and make an early start the next morning to meet our solar sponsors, G24i.

These guys are the ones responsible for making our panniers - custom sewing nano solar panels into them - and allowing us to power, amongst other things, this blog. (So it’s really all their fault…)

They are also great company and took us for lunch (the provision of food is a sure way to get directly to the heart of any long distance cyclist) before giving us details of the route ahead.

It is at this point that I should interject with a warning:

Should you happen to be pedaling over 400 miles to LA, never take topographical advice from an Iron Man…

Man alive.

*Undulatons? Undulations? They were vast, huge, mountainous inclines! You practically need crampons and grappling irons to scale some of them.

I would certainly count them at the more extreme end of undulations.

Right up there with Everest and K2…

It was stunning though.

Highway 1 comprises of a long stretch of staggering coast line. Crashing waves, blue seas and toweing cliff edges. Absolutely gorgeous.

Apparently, being here at this time is great as the days are crystal clear and the roads less busy. We have found this to be true but sadly December has brought with it one small problem.

Namely, daylight.

Which is a shame.

It would have been incredible to luxuriate in the sunshine on the beach edge, stop for longer by the elephant seals (whch are HUGE - we  imagine this is what Charles, our co-cyclist to Shanghai, will look like if he fully embraces his next plan of ’sitting by the fire and eating for two months’) and avoid careering into Santa Barbara in the dark, down a precipise, with woefully inadequate illumination.

Elephant Seal Sunbathing

But it was magical all the same.

And following a brief foray to the Christmas parade, our first run in with the local constabulary (stop signs here are confusing) and a trip to the James Joyce pub, it was just a final push through Malibu and Venice Beach to our friends in Redondo, LA.

Where we have spent the weekend being utterly spoilt.

We were lucky enough to meet Niall - who works for G24 - up in San Jose. He and his wonderful wife Marian have been incredible. After some long days on the road it has  been fantastic to enjoy good company, eat delicious food and - in my case - relax in the ‘Princess Suite’. (I have a stool to stand on to get into bed. Amazing.)

Today though, it is back on the road to San Diego.

Well, as soon as the storm passes….

Yes, once more we have brought the freak weather with us. Apparently it never rains in LA. And there is the earliest snow on record in Texas. Oh dear. There is something odd going on out there.

I just hope that the cold, along with reports of fudged climate data, don’t deter strong and vital steps at the Copenhagen Climate Conference that opened today. It is worth noting that there were also some of the hotest times on record this year (including in Texas which suffered searing heat and droughts) and that a vast array of research has been undertaken on the reality of man-made temperature rises. Much of which is underplayed.

Anyway, we will be checking out the broad sheets for the latest but if you want to get alerts on progress as it happens, Friends of the Earth are providing updates if you sign up here.

Right, anyway, better go and assess just how wet it is out there…

Hope the sun is shining where you are.

Susie xx