Updated 12 Mar 2007

John cycles America

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Photos from a bicycle

    In 3 years, with 3 different buddies, I bicycled 3 sides of the United States
    last century, crossing 21 states. Click on the photos to see more.
    Contact the author on for more information.

Oregon-Virginia 1992
01 ASTORIA - At the start of the route, ready to go! 02 McKENZIE PASS - The top, 5,325 feet. A larva field, it reached 97°F and we had to ask people for water. 03 OCHOCO PASS - An Oregon logging truck. They often came a lot too close. People call them 'Oregon toothpicks' 04 BROWNLEE DAM - Reservoir lake and dry hills 05 CHIEF JOSEPH PASS - From here rivers flow to the Pacific or Atlantic. 1.5 miles high. 06 HEBGEN LAKE - This lake was formed when the earthquake triggered a landslide that blocked the Madison River. The dead trees were drowned in the high water. 07 MADISON -Inside Yellowstone National Park, the first NP in the world. 08 BURRIS - Peter repairs a puncture on an empty road. 09 HOOSIER PASS - We reach the highest point on our trail from Pacific to Atlantic, 11,542 feet. 10 EADS - The driver and the stoker let us 'cab' this huge loco. A watertower and corn-silo are behind. 11 TOWNER - Entering our 6th state, Kansas. 12 NESS CITY - Unused oil pumps parked. 13 MARSHFIELD - Near the end of our hardest day, 118 miles through the Ozarks. 14 CAVE in ROCK - The ferry across the Ohio River into Kentucky. The deck swivels. 15 HODGENVILLE - Abraham Lincoln lived in this log cabin when he was little, with 6 other people! 16 ELKHORN CITY - Entering out 10th and last State 17 GRAHAM'S FORGE - Fall colours 18 SALEM - This waitress recognised Peter! She had just seen him on the local TV. They interviewed us yesterday. 19 BLUE RIDGE Parkway - Ideal for cycling, the Parkway allows no commercial vehicles, and has a speed limit of 45 mph 20 LOUISA - A 16 inch pizza and a pitcher of beer. 21 YORKTOWN - Well done, pardner, we made it! 22 YORKTOWN - A dip in the Atlantic to celebrate, even though it was freezing!
California-Virginia 1994
01 Bike into box at Gatwick Airport, England 02 Speed enforced by aircraft, Glamis, California 03 Saguera cactus, California 04 Needles Eye, descending to Mule Creek, New Mexico 05 Near Silver City, New Mexico 06 Mick descending to Van Horn, Texas 07 Bastrop State Park, Texas 08 'Black-eyed Susan' flowers, New Waverley, Texas 09 Near Oberlin, Louisiana 10 Near Moreauville, Louisiana 11 A skunk near Le Beau, Louisiana 12 Near Morganza, Louisiana 13 Crossing the Mississippi, 1 mile wide 14 Mick (black) and John (blue). Bob (red) joined us for the 1,000 miles into Florida 15 Pensacola, Florida. Alligators! 16 St Augustine, Florida. The end of 3,345 miles in 46 days. 17 John at St Augustine, Florida 18 Mick at St Augustine, Florida 93 John and Mick at San Diego, California, ready to start 95 T-shirt made in the hope of completing the 4th side of the USA in 1995 96 John only had 3 punctures in 3,400 miles from California to Florida, caused by these two dagger-shaped bits of bottle glass, and a giant paper clip. Thank goodness he knew how to avoid Texas Tacks, after drama on the Northern route 97 The tyre that crossed America, (and would have gone further), carrying half the bike+luggage+rider = 300 lbs over 3,400 miles. It was hard rubber, was swopped front-with-back half way across, used at 70 psi and checked carefully every day.
Florida-Virginia 1993
01J. Orlando - a typical American street scene. Field glasses are useful to find a restaurant. 01R. Lake Kathryn, Florida - A cypress swamp with lilies 02J. Orlando - Thunderstorm approaching Florida, that made us stay an extra day. It was spectacular when it came. 02R. Near Ormond Beach, Florida - A Natural forest, part of Tomoka State Park. 03J. Florida - Old oaks straddle our road. 03R. South Carolina - A lovely lake. 04J. Florida - A cypress swamp, with lilies on each side of a river. 04R. Hatteras Island, North Carolina - Holiday developement on the Outer Banks. 05J. Dixie Highway, Florida - A delightful road leading to the town of Ormand Beach. 05R. Near Wakefield, Virginia - a swamp. 06J. Florida - Southern Pine Plantations each side of a lonely road. 07J. Folkston, Georgia - Our motel room provided: a shower, a good night's sleep and security for our bikes. 08J. Georgia - A small tobacco barn gave us shelter from a thunderstorm, but snakes were also sheltering! 09J. Georgia - Cotton, the plant that changed the world. Arkwright spun by machine in Cromford, England in 1771 and introduced the Industrial system 10J. South Carolina - Spanish Moss hangs down from big trees and looks delightful. 11J. South Carolina - A Planter Style American house. 12J. North Carolina - Rosie cycling. I took this bicycle from my bike on the move. 13J. North Carolina - He was cycling the other way, from Washington to Florida. Camping gear, plastic bags instead of panniers, and a dynamo working through his rear mudguard. His worldly goods were with him! 14J. North Carolina - The ferry from the mainland to the Outer Banks. 15J. North Carolina - The game fish which bring rich fishermen to the outer Banks. 16J. Cape Hatteras lighthouse - The first (and last) view of the New World for mant ships. Many were wrecked on the sandbanks. 17J. Rodanthe on the Outer Banks - All wood, on stilts and 4 stories high. It must have survived a few hurricanes. 18J. Outer Banks - Orville Wright made the first powered flight here that changed the world. 19J. North Carolina - What does it mean? Who payed for this? Is it brainwashing the reader? 20J. Richmond Airport, Virginia. Porsche power, a fine car and a great plate, reading VRMMMM.... 99 The WRIGHT FLYER 1903 - The first flight, 17 Dec 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Wilbur watches as Orville Wright lifts off to fly 120 feet in 12 seconds. We saw the remnants of the rail and walked along the line of flight to the stones marking the ends of flights 1,2,3 and 4. The area is now covered with grass and there are trees in the background. To the right now there is a museum, and behind, on top of a large grassed-over sand dune, there is a monument to the two brothers, cycle repairers by trade.

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