Saturday 29 June 2013

Welcome to New Jersey

Now go fuck yourself.

Excuse my French, but that was pretty much our greeting to the state as we crossed the bridge from Pennsylvania.  We were instructed in no uncertain terms that we couldn't ride the bridge and had to wheel our bikes on the side walk, OK, whatever, those steel surface bridges aren't so nice to ride anyhow.  But as us manoeuvring over the barrier caused a minor kerfuffle some fat ugly older lady in a saloon car with Jersey plates was hurling abuse and bad language in our general direction along the lines of "these ain't your fucking roads."  She couldn't  have been referring to our foreign nationality, not having any significant identifiers to that, so must just be anti-bike to a massive degree.  So New Jersey, home of mobsters, guidos and ranty old ladies according to popular culture.  We're staying in Princeton tonight so I'm expecting a little high brow entertainment... until I lower the tone.

PA to NJ
PA to NJ

Riding out of Philly we re-traced our revolutions up the river again, in Saturday morning sun with the joggers and cyclists.  Mostly rural riding, very hot, but at least less humid.

PA to NJ
I drew first grease

It got pretty rural pretty quick and all in all a pleasant day ridning.  Ephram (hope I've spelled your name right buddy) joined us out of town, and I wonder if he knows now what he got himself into.  SO there are 13 riding and Tom in the van, though Bob and Tom swapped for a while.

P2P Packing Down
Empty Ducky

This is the penultimate day, but only of this chapter.  The ride for me so far breaks up as follows:

  1. Pre ride (October to April)
  2. Portland to Minneapolis (The West)
  3. MInneapolis to NY (The Cities)
  4. NY & London (The End?)
  5. After the return (The rest - but no resting)
So we're over half way through the narrative, but chronologically only at the beginning.  I'm trying to be philosophical, as I have all along the way, to balance out the fact that I'm really going to miss this weird family I've shared the last few months with as that's what we've become.  Tensions and arguments, friendship and hugs, food and laughter, sharing memories.  

There won't be an experience like this for any of us again, and we've all taken different things from it as much as we all brought different skills and baggage with us (talking of baggage, how did I acquire so much excess in 2 months?)

There's plenty more stories to tell. And I shouldn't be so down, there's still a good day to go.  New York beckons.

notes to self:

  • rider profiles
  • people
  • places
  • food
  • rooms
  • stats
  • speed
  • distances
  • road kill
  • policy
  • top trumps
  • planning
  • Planning?
  • pools
  • tools
  • trying to be cool
  • read 
  • write
  • stay in school

No videos today as it's late and we have an early start.  Imagine it will be another amazingly few busy days. Must enjoy, and take notes, and don't forget my camera.  OK one video to dedicate to the last 2 months...

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