Chicago - New York Tuesday 13.03.12 (Day 3 in the saddle)

 

We started out today from the Clarion Hotel in Columbus, Ohio in unseasonably warm temperatures. We drove out of town and were driving down I70 when Nik Nak decided to do a Woohoo and we were playing off the right hand side of the highway and over the rumble strips, those brrr,brrrr,brrrr things that wake tired drivers up. This under any normal circumstance would have been OK, but in our case 'The Mono Brow' nearly mowed down one of Ohio states finest who had pulled over another motorist in a blaze of flashing red and orange lights.

He was up behind us with lights ablaze within a minute. BFGUL made like a statue and said sweet FA and didn't even look at the traffic officer.

The officer had a look at our mobile 'pad' stared at us a bit and asked a few questions and took Nik Nak's driver licence away to check he wasn't on Interpols wanted list. He came back in better hwyl and turned out to be a nice bloke, but when asked if we could have a photo of him said "no, cause you'll only say I'm some dumb cop in the blog".

As soon as he was walking back to his car the brow was all excited.."look at his car its like Mad Max innit".

Shortly after this Anglo - America incident Andy and I got on the bikes and immediately noticed the change in terrain. After a couple of days of flat windy roads we were now into the hills and the start really of the Appalachian Mountain range.

The first 30 miles was a mix of rolling countryside, long slow pulls and fast decent on our way to Cadiz.

We cycled through some great scenery and some real ethnic areas with run-down properties, old fally down barns, rusting vehicles and chained up dogs in front yards as well as Amish.

The heat was a killer and not what we were expecting.

After the first 40 miles we moved to 10 mile legs with just a quick 2 minute stop for fresh drinks. It was during one of these that I suggested to BFGUL that he should knock on some doors and try to sell some of the local, colourful characters or even the Amish a copy of his hit CD, 'Dogging in Kenfig' but he wasn't up for it.

We did a few more legs until the early evening when traffic on the highway going towards our destination for tonight, Pittsburgh got too busy and the road we were cycling on became more and more like the M4.

Got to the Hotel in Pittsburgh at 6pm and its not as good as the others which have been basic. This one has no pool, no jacuzzi to ease our aching bones and butts and when we get into the room for a shower, no toilet paper either much to the big mans disgust. He is straight on the Bat phone trying to rustle up a couple of extra cold rolls just as the Dr ordered.

An early start tomorrow 6.30 and we're expecting some serious climbing and the temps look set to remain high so another tough day ahead.

Pork Pie