A bright sunny morning awaited our final day riding. We were both clearly excited and both ready for this to be over. We knew we would have a roll into St Johns so expected some climbs early on. Like yesterday we had a strong wind to contend with but the adrenaline was pumping through out veins. A lot was going on in my head. Thinking about finishing brought emotions rushing forward making me fight the tears back which suprised me. The rest of the time excitement often bursting out into song - or rather shouting lyrics to each other. The party was starting. It didn't take long at all before the decent into the city of St Johns, Newfoundland began. There standing proundly was a large welcome sign announcing the fact we were entering our last city. We stopped for pictures both grinning from ear to ear but we also knew we were still far from the end. We rode around the city slightly lost as we planned to check into a hotel, drop the trailers off, find a liquor store for champagne then we would ride to Cape Spear. The ride proved to be a challenge made worse my the ice filled handlebar bag and the clunking of bottles every bump I went over. The 10 mile ride reminded me of the ride we took to moraine lake all the way back in BC. this was a painful uphill mountainous ride with a massive headwind coming in from the sea that threatened to throw us from our bikes on numerous occassions that seemed so light without the trailers on. I'm sure it was natures final attempt of stopping us winning this 3 month battle. It was painful and good test to end on. Tired, we approached the final hill. We could see the lighthouse off in the distance which marked the cape. A few shouts and cheers and rode on as the wind still tried to whip our bikes frm under us. We rode along a small walkway built into the side of the rugged cliffside as the Atlantic ocean angryly smashed into the rocks below us. Then, just like that... We'd finished. A plague told us we had reached Cape Spear - the most easterly point in North America. This was Victory and as popped a bottle of Champagne it wasn't excitement or emotion that consumed us but peace. We had accomplished what we had set out to do 86 days before and through weeks and months of hardwork and literally blood sweat and tears we had finally done it. It was relaxing. We chatted to few tourists that had come to the cape and posed for photos as we told them of our adventure. We felt proud as we sipped our champagne looking out to sea and we began making phone calls. It was only when I heard my fathers voice my emotions broke. It caught me off guard and I struggled to get out the words "Dad... We've done it!!" The preceeding evening was as booze filled as you can imagine. I feel very tender today. I still can't believe there is no more riding to do. 5254 from Victoria British Columbia to Cape spear Newfoundland. COAST TO COAST!!!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and kept us going. Thanks to everyone who has donated to MacMillans Cancer Support and a big Thank you to all the people we've met along the way. You've really made the trip as special for us as it was. I look forward to staying in touch with you all. Finally Thanks to our very patient girlfriends. You can rest assured we are Never, Ever doing anything this stupid again. But thats not a promise... Knocky

The saying, Be careful what you wish for rang true today. We wished yesterday was harder to remind us how tough this trip has been and to be grateful it was nearly over. We actually loved it. We lazily got ready today knowing it wasn't far to the end. We set off into the wind and soon found some pretty big hills, then some more... then some more. The Challenge was made worse by the fact my muscles were still sore from pushing so hard yesterday. I was soon wincing with every push. As the number indicating the distance to St Johns got smaller and smaller I got the idea Hacks might just want to finish today. It meant 110 miles and that was just to get into St Johns which was possible but the more we rode the more pain I was in. Agony infact. at 80miles I had to tell Hacks that I needed to stop or I wouldn't even be able to walk tomorrow. We had the good fortune of being able to "roll" the next 7 miles into Holyrood. We found a motel who gave us a 2 bed cottage for a bargin price. It feels strangely like our own flat when we used to live with each other. Not so much the layout but the pile of washing up, the 12 pack of beer I'm working my way through and Hackys bottle of rum that disapearing frightenly quickly. Part of me is thinking we are celebrating too soon. Still 30 miles to go and that means lots of hills a continuing headwind, Rain is forcasted and also a hangover to contend with. well, we didn't want it to be easy.

2 huge challenges today.The first to eat $97 of continental breakfast. We had a very good innings and even took 4 english muffins, 6 blueberry muffins and 2 oranges back to the room. The second, to ride what looked like the hardest terrain we've come across since the rockies. I was admittedly nervous and set off hesitently. By mile 20 I was thinking "there are some big hills, but where are these massive ones?" We stopped on the edge of Terra Nova national park. Our last park on our trip and it was stunning. The sun shone brightly and glistened off the many lakes and steams. It was here that we got our test. If we weren't riding straight down we were riding straight up. 28 miles of VERY hard work but it was made easy by the spectacular surroundings and our minds concentrating on finding some wildlife. Needless to say we didn't see a single beast. I guess the road was just too busy for them to come close. We finished the park and still felt fresh and after 91 miles rode into Clarenville around 3:30. This wasn't Humanly possible making us wonder once again if we are part machine.

A makeshift breakfast this morning which only had to get us 17 miles to the large town down the road. We a second breakfast there and did some food shopping for the next 2 days. We decided 2 more sets of 30 miles would do us for the day. We both had the feeling we weren't in NFLD anymore. Its much more populated here and lots more traffic but the riding is still easy and we finished well before 3pm. Normally we'd push on but we needed to do diarys and some washing. It has got dire and Hacks seemed almost disgusted at having to wear the same sweaty clothes for another day. tomorrow promises to be be punishing. Its at least 90 miles and over terrain people have assured us will make the rockies look tame. we don't care, we did Hope to Princeton in a day, we can do anything!! Sadly I fear the wind will be against us and it will no doubt a rain in a bid to make me eat my words. On the brightside we finished today having completed 5017 miles.

Riding is fun again. This morning was possibly the finest riding conditions we've had. Everything was in our favour, soft rolling hills, tail wind, gentle sun and perfect roads. I have to say the roads and wide hard shoulder have been the best we've found in all of Canada. We did 60 miles in just 3.5 hours and didn't even raise our heart rate. We only had 80 miles to do today and it seemed a shame to waste half a day in a campsite so we pushed on. Armageddon arrived with black clouds coming overhead instantly, the hills grew and the wind switched. From the campsite there would be nothing for 30 miles and suddenly the gloomy backdrop wasn't so motivating and the rain began to fall. We found ourselves a cheap motel with a resturant which fed us very well. I don't see our tents getting much more action from here on in...

As if waking up and being so cold you can see your own breath wasn't bad enough I had to put up with an hour of high pitched aussie whinging and listening to how motels would be so much better. we set off into the cold fully clothed with as little skin showing as possible. It wasn't long before the hills had us sweating so much we had to start taking it all off layer at a time. We had to work hard but knowing it was one of our shorter days (75miles) it was easy to get motivated. The scenery was awesome however it was simply too cold to stop and remove gloves long enough to take a snap. As we approched cornerbrook one of the larger cities in NFLD we saw a sign for a bike store. It was a blessing as this would turn out to be the last one before St Johns and my were worn so thin I was on racing slicks. We decided to take the long down hill ride into town where we also opted to have lunch before the slow and painful climb back up onto the highway only for it to roll down again to deer lake. It was a pretty lake and we got to ride along it for 30 miles before reaching its namesake town where we would be spending the night. To my distain and hackys delight a large sign with directions to the campsite had a large closed for the season sign nailed to it. I feel this will happen again and again. Painful on the pocket but at least my ears won't hurt in the morning...

A steady start as we waited for the local supermarket to open or we'd be foodless today. Once we were off we were excited at our surrounds stopping frequently for pictures of the green and mountainous region. We had hills from the start which rolled nicely but as the day went on they got bigger and longer but not too steep. we are very much alone here. There aren't many towns on the island so we stopped at one when we could, st george. This was our only guarrentee of getting food for dinner and choice wasn't an option in the small convience store they had. With a few tins of this and a few tins of that we set off again past the many wide blue rivers that all seemed shallow and full of rocks. we finally got to the campsite at the bottom of a very long hill and it was closed! The fact there wasn't another town for 40 miles might have been why the park ranger still let us stay but we have no showers or toilets and its very very cold. Should be interesting to see if this is how the whole of this next week will be like!

A painless day, all we had to do was ride down hill to the ferry which we could see from our window. Sit on it for 6 hours then ride 6 miles to the campsite. Things are sometimes too easy... Not only did the Ferry arrive in NFLD 30 mins late (add another 30 mins lost for a new time zone) and it was getting dark by the time we rode off the beast. The winds from yesterdays storm was still causing huge swells at sea and as I looked out window I got to see sky, still sky... still sky... now sea, lots of sea still sea... now sky again. for a big ship she really rocked. People were being sick in the toilets, in corridors, at tables and walking was near enough impossible. I guarded our things whilst hacky joined the masses feeding the fish. He looked too tender to ride to the campsite and as the huge orange sun began to set his teeth began to chatter. With some pity I agreed a motel would be a good thing. Newfoundland looks stunning from a first glance, and very barron. We have 100 miles to ride tomorrow now and this is the first place we'll find food. I think our emergency rations will come out on numerous occasions on this glorious island.

We had a time scale today for no other reason than the hurricane that yesterday battered Texas was on its way here and due to hit about 5pm although mostly depleted we decided it still wouldn't be fun. Our first challenge was mount Smokey. I feared for my knee as we passed the ski lift on our right but the gradient was steady and the job was done easily. The Scenery was still looking good despite the low grey cloud that moved quickly over head. We plundered on with hardly a town in sight - a bad thing as we were hungry and needed food. The roads were bad and at times resembled a cracked mirror. At 40 miles as I reached the peak of Kelly mountain I felt faint and giddy. The only food we had was 2 bread crusts and some peanut butter. I spread it so thick there was more peanutbutter than bread. The way down was a nice long run which helped out my fatiging legs. we finally arrived in North Sydney and saw a large ferry which just might be the one taking us tomorrow. We are camping from here on in so we are enjoying the comfort of our last motel and waiting for the storm to hit. All I can say is I'm glad we aren't in the tents tonight when it does. We hit our final provence tomorrow although looking at the map, the islands bigger than we thought...

So, 70 miles 2 big climbs and some beautiful Nova Scotia scenery. It didn't sound too hard but locals hearing of our attempt to reach Ingonish in a day resulted in some severe eyebrow raising. We set off grinning with delight at the instant beauty as we entered the national park and cameras started flashing. It was just 8 miles before we would reach the foot of our first challenge, The French Mountain. the visions awaiting us at the top of every peak was worth every painful push. Breathtaking. The Canadians seem proud of this place and they have every right to be. In our silent approch up the mountain I was even lucky enough to see a mose and her calf. We actually reached the peak in a very quick time and decided that it was infact easy and carried on riding to pleasent bay. I was enjoying the ride so much I almost forgot to stop for food which is very unlike me. Next up was the North Mountain. The phrase "going up!!" got shouted between us a few times as this beast of a climb wipped all other sense of humour from our faces. It hurt and was very steep but in true machine like fashion we nailed it. We felt lucky it was only 455 metres and I thought to myself how did we used to climb to 1700 plus? The next section didn't have any mountains but had some tough climbs. One of which almost ended my trip as I felt a nice burning sensation before the back of my knee felt like it was being ripped out of my leg. I waved to Hacks to stop who waved back and continued riding thinking I was having a great time! A good stretch, some gentler hills and a grimaced face later I was on my way to riding the worst of it off. We had more wildlife before the end of the day in the form of a playful seal out at sea but no whales. As a new trend appears, our desired campsite was closed so we faced a 45 mile ride over mount smokey or another motel. After shopping around we have one complete with a lounge and BBQ for less than any others we've had! Off early in the morning to finish this great trail and on to North Sydney where our ferry awaits us to carry us to the final stage of our epic journey.

Finally a break. we are tired but it doesn't seem like we've riden as much as we have over the same time periods previously. Maybe we are fitter? Maybe the scenery has helped the days pass. We spent most of the day typing up our backlogged diarys in the visitor information centre. We had hoped to go whale watching later but we were informed that it was so windy boats weren't going out. I proclaimed to Hacky it wasn't that windy, just as a large wooden bin toppled over in front of us. Ok... maybe it is. As a result today would not have been good riding so we timed our day off perfectly. I walked back slowly to the motel 1) it was so windy 2) I was disapointed at not being able to see the whales. tomorrow at least is set to be a stunning ride as we continue along the Cabot trail however there are two mountains that need to be climbed. Both are about 455 metres and we've been told they are steeeeeep. pleasure/pain...

Its hard to describe how much I have enjoyed this perfect days ride. The sun came out and dried up all the rain leaving a nice 21 degree sunny breezy day with the wind in our favour. Riding was fast along the winding lanes with views of tree covered mountains on one side and blue sea and small islands on the other. We stopped on several occasions for photo`s and had lunch on some cliffs looking out to sea. It didn`t take long for us to reach Cheticamp, An old Arcadian village. We rest tomorrow and hope to go whale watching. I`ve never seen one so am as excited as a child at Christmas. Big day following that but according to the plan we only have 9 days left of riding. Its amazing how quickly it now seems to have gone.

Another easy day in the schedule. We had just 30 miles of mainland Canada to ride. Nova Scotia is a stunning province and despite winds coming in from the coast it was an enjoyable days riding. We stopped at Tim Hortons for Lunch and enjoyed some fame as people were drawn to our bikes even stopping for photo`s. We crossed over the long awaited bridge to Cape Breton. Riding was fun as we joined the Celiphi coastal trail. It was scenic alright and peaceful too. We stopped to look out to see and there was perfect silence – broken only by Hacky`s pet bullfrog. Before long our beautiful views were blocked by the thick water dripping off our glasses. We rode close and made each other laugh as we got wetter and climbed more hills and through the large forming puddles. We reached Mabou unwilling to camp in such hard rain we stopped by the local pub to ask for advice on accommodation. Needless to say we were soon back there to sample the local ale. I was red eyed and chatty after 2 and a complete mess after 4. The good news is tomorrow is a mere afternoons ride so we sleep off the hangover and let the weather pass. .

Our short stay on PEI was made shorter by map engrossed navigator who found a short cut. Sure it knocked 10 miles off the distance but it wasn`t long before we realised why we were the only people taking this lonely backroad of a shortcut. The hills were incredible! Surprising for what seemed like a flat island. That said we actually enjoyed them near the end as we could see for miles and we could see each rolling climb get smaller as we neared the sea and began racing down them at 35 mph in attempts to get up as far the other side as possible without peddling. On the ferry we pigged out. Ice Cream, Blueberry pie and muffins we clearly hadn`t learnt our lessons from yesterdays sugar fuelled riding. The plan was only to find the nearest campsite today but some drastic onboard route revamping meant we had a little progress to make today in Nova Scotia. We had some more fun racing along the back roads on the mainland before some challenging hills slowed us up adding the fact due to no preparation we didn`t even have food. We reached our new goal ready to eat only to find no shops and no campsite. Hungry and tired we pushed on up more climbs to the next major town. It was here we had our first real argument. Once we well fed all was well between us again. Our new route takes us to the famous cape tomorrow. I hope it is all that it has been promising. .

Awaking in what seemed like storm without rain we realised we`d have a somewhat windy day. As usual it was a headwind – we should have brought our kites and spent the day on the beach. It was to make today our slowest day yet, along with the wind we had some aweful roads to contend with. The only good thing being it was at least warm. We had a 30 mile to confederation bridge but even seeing it from afar we were wowed by this massive piece of human engineering. As we got close to the entry ramp we saw a large sign saying no bikes. We had made quite a detour to get here so we rode a bit closer with the plan of Hitchhiking but there was another sign offering a shuttle service to walkers and bikers. We had about an hour wait but once on PEI we motored on up and down more hills into the wind. Our main energy loss could be from the sugar diet we enjoyed today. Tim hortons for lunch and for breakfast. We were told PEI had red soil, potatoes and a big McCain Chip factory. All of which is correct. We`d like to explore her more but tomorrow we ride to the ferry, still… at least we didn`t miss a province. .

No breakfast this morning, so we thought. Some kind fellow campers – the only other ones on the site offered us some coffee which ended up being bacon and pancakes! Roy and Elaine we doing our trip in reverse in their campervan from NFL. We ended up chatting for ages and we both really enjoyed their company but as the morning grew old we had to hit the road grateful to our new friends for filling our bellies. We headed further inland we knew it would have more hills and it was 20 miles before we got to point our bikes downwards. The warm southerly wind was nice however we were heading south so it was a bit of a hindrance. The day its self was a bit repetitive. Up down small town…. Over and over again on the same long road. My mind wondered constantly further hindering my performance to the point we weren`t even sure we`d get the standard 80 miles done. A big push at the end and we made it to Cape Pele. We ate out as we thought we were in the maritimes and when in rome… eat lobster. We spent another $50 which added to last nights Chinese is $100 dollars wasted on very average food. Hopefully I`m back on cooking duty again tomorrow. Tomorrow we ride the 14km bridge to PEI aother province to tick off. We`ve heard lots of good things about the place so I hope the food is good too. .

Wrapped up in our snuggest gear we left this morning only to stop in 3 miles sweating and packed it away. Today would be a scorcher! From freezing to 32 degrees. We had some making up to do so we were pleased the weather was on our side. H however was not happy boy from being over tired. He didn`t even like my jokes so it was a quiet day, just me and my ipod. The terrain suited me well nice and hilly but enough to speed down with enough momentum to ride half way up the next at good speed. We didn`t break much so were pretty tired when we reached the campsite 108 miles later. Sadly we had passed all the food stores and restaurants in Mirimichi so were looking like being very hungry boys when the campsite owner took pity on us and drove us back into town. I was hungry enough for a Chinese buffet but there wasn`t one so we took the mountain to mohammed. We spent $50 on takeaway. A set meal for 4 and a beef chow mein. It was a little beyond us but I had a good innings eating 3 peoples worth whilst a sick looking H struggled with the rest. I hope he`s better by the morning. .

A bitterly cold start saw us turn headscarfs into facemasks, a cruel cold headwind made the riding hard but we pushed harder. The wind whistled in our ears and oncoming trucks stirred it up so when they passed huge gusts slapped us in the face knocking a few mph off our speedometers instantly. The final stretch of eastern Qubec was pretty. Much like parts of BC cut into the mountain side. I once again imagined my Mum saying ``Barry, Get the Car`` and filling it with the tons of fallen slate to make several water features and alpine gardens alongside her collection of beach pebbles. We found a bridge to New Brunswick sooner than than the one we had planned and decided to cross it. Instantly the roads were better and signs were now dominating in English despite a 50 50 French English split of residents. Still cold we found a small bike store and purchased some trouser like thermal cycling shorts. Sure… it looks like we are wearing tights but we were warm again! Much like the rest of Canada`s weather we were told by the owner that this is unusual weather and should be back up to 30 degrees next week. Didn`t help us though! Soon the rain was also coming down and we had to pull up slightly short. Just as well as the rain then really came down hard. Still have catching up to do the Navigator is talking about us doing 300 miles in 3 days. I`m not a fan so I might have to ride slow and pretend to be injured. .

As we slept a few more trees decided autumn was upon them showing us leaves tinted with orange and red. We lit a fire to keep warm whilst we packed up and ate breakfast. We needed 100 miles today to get back on schedule so it would be a long day. It was freezing but the sun was out in full and it was the wind that was chilling our bones. We followed the river until it grew so wide we couldn`t see the far shores anymore. We stopped in a small tourist office before we began our ride inland towards New Brunswick. It was here we met 2 cyclists cycling from St Johns Newfoundland to Quebec. Despite being seasoned tourers they thought our trip was insane and insisted we must be in very good shape. (why is it so hard then?) they also told us we were in for some hills between here and especially in NFL. Hills they said that would test the rockies! They also told us the temperature was 10 degrees in the evening and as low as 0 in the mornings. I`d been enjoying the riding of late but now my gut was telling me the real challenge might just be beginning. It was sooner than we thought. The next 20 miles were grunts of climbs to the point I even found myself swearing after a very long challenging hill to reach the top to see another just as big waiting to be climbed. To give an indication of the climbing, we saw a lot of arrows with little skier icons and one sign boasting of the longest vertical piste in eastern Qubec. We stopped for food and ate our turbo fuel (corned beef sandwiches) and watched the sun beginning to dip. 23 miles to go we needed 3 things. Luck, Some forgiving Terrain and some hard work. I put my legs to it and don`t think I have done many sections quicker. No big climbs and plenty of rolling hills I was racing against the sun. The last battle we has lost and the taste was still bitter in my mouth. I left hacks a way behind as I raced on at full pace. In no time we reached the campsite with the sun still shining. Victory. The terrain and hardwork has come through but the luck was not on our side. Big sign in French – Le camping ferme pour le saison. We were stuck. The sun sinking quickly behind the mountains we quickly rode into town and checked into a motel. At least its warm.

Twas ones wish for an English fry up for ones breakfast even if I had to cook it myself. With 100 miles now planned I also looked forward to the bacon sandwiches I had made up for lunch. It was bitterly cold and I was set to ride with my t-shirt, base layer, fleece and windproof but sadly my cycling shorts weren`t offering much wind protection. I couldn`t complain Australian born Hacks would have hugged a fire if it warmed his hands up. I knew a good pace would warm us up so I set off in normal riding gear whereas H was even wearing his waterproof trousers. Sadly road construction put us down to a mere 5mph on a gravel track. It was here that H didn`t fall off his bike as much as drop it. The consequences of which were yet to come. It was cold alright and the wind that yesterday was our friend today was our enemy. The strong wind from the side meant riding was slow and at the mere 12 mile mark Hacks pulled up complaining about his gears. His fall seemed to have bent his rear derailleur so gear changes were almost impossible. I inspected it more closely and sadly the derailleur was fine… his bike frame had bent! With 60km to the next big town we were stuck. Dispite the threat of further damage H decided to try and ride on until I flagged down 2 oncoming cyclists to see if they knew of a more local bike shop. Despite a language barrier we managed to show them the problem and they produced a book showing bike shops and we could go 25km back or 60 forwards to get it fixed. When they looked at the bike I easily managed to translate their exclamations of Un Grande Problem but it seems H had worked that one out for himself. Fortunately a farmer who was cutting his wheat wondered over. In good English he told us of a shop just 6km away who could help us. It was out the way so with his very rough drawn map we set off to find it. It was a mechanics shop so we panicked a little. Again with French being the main spoken language they found the problem and told us that they feared if they bent it back into place it would break. With out any further discussion pliers were manhandling H`s bike. To their credit they did a good job and we were back on the road again. Today was like being back on the prairies with the wind just with a little more scenery and sadly hills. After 46 miles I was shattered and food never tasted so good. Maybe its because I`m now old. With our little detour we were now miles behind and agreed to push on for another 30 miles and it took some pretty serious graft to make it. Hacks kindly took me out for dinner and we found it comical that we actually drank more wine that water today. The food was excellent. The menu and staff were all fully French and I enjoyed translating everything. We even managed to tell them it was my birthday and pudding came out with a sparkler! We soon realised we the only guys in the restaurant and maybe it was ladies night but after seeing us take off our matching rucksacks, matching jackets to reveal our matching fleeces, hackys new goatee and the fact we sipped on rose… they thought we would fit in nicely.

Woke up and it was very cold. T-shirts, Fleeces and windproofs came out for the first time. We enjoyed a cooked breakfast and hot chocolate in our new cups from yesterdays shopping expedition and by the time we set off it was a warm summers day again. Still riding along the river the water became dirty and more choppy. I presume the sea water is mixing from the not so distant estuary but it could also be the fact this is one of the windiest days we`ve experienced. As fortune would have it, it was a tail wind. Once we were over the long slow hills we were flying along. We are also in the nice position of not being rushed as we have planned 10 days riding of 80miles each to Cape Breton. It seemed a waste of a good wind to stop at 80 so with some badgering from Hacks I agreed to the plan B of 120 miles. It wasn`t long after that when I suffered my first flat in ages slightly damaging our hopes for the 120 closely followed by H`s chain becoming mangled in his rear cassette dashing them completely. As a result we ended up as planned initially. Dinner wasn`t great as it was all tinned stock but shops were open so I went out and brought us a good breakfast for the morning. We had a cheeky celebration of my UK birthday at 7pm with the miniatures Patrick had given us and a beer by a friendly local who had decided we were crazy but he was very ``proud`` of us riding so far across his country. Genius.

And Relax… Very easy to do in this beautiful old city. We spent our first day sleeping and going for a gentle ride in to town. Not expecting much our faces beamed with delight at sight of cobbled roads, castle walls and green copper roofs. Ahh Europe. We spent much of the day however on the computer knowing we had another day here tomorrow to explore. It was nice to be able to camp on the outskirts a) its cheap b) the restaurant over the road is excellent and has out of town prices. Its fed us 2 breakfasts 2 dinners one of which was all you can eat mussels. I was beaten in a mere 2 large bowls. (don`t want to push too much seafood) We explored lots day 2 and did a fair amount of shopping to tie us over in spare parts til the end of the trip. Its labour day tomorrow and we doubt much will be open so we have large food stocks too. We`d like to stay but tomorrow we head off along the St Lawrence and with a slight route change we`re now following the coast along the French maritimes of new Brunswick and attempting the 14km confederation bridge to Prince Edward Island (PEI) The nights are much cooler now and I`m sure we`ll find the early mornings the same. My new regime of pushups and sit ups is going very badly and that isn`t going to help.

Non? Bienvenue mon Monde. We had a great breakfast this morning – it would be needed. 3 sets of 30 miles and a 20 to finish. I didn’t enjoy being back on the saddle for the first 10 miles but soon warmed up. It would be 36 miles before our first break and another 35 before the next. I had brought food for the whole day not knowing what to expect. Traditionally it seems this is where we normally get lost. We nearly were when we stumbled across a cycle track leading us right back onto the 135 which helped Hacks earn his keep. Qubec was still further than we thought and we needed another 60 miles to reach her. On we pushed, it was nice following the St Lawence river even though it was littered with giant cargo ships. We were now truely in French Canada – the signs, the language barrier and the drivers... The final leg saw the sun dipping behind us – we needed a huge effort to reach the target. We got to a campsite at the foot of the main bridge into the city just as it was getting dark and opted for the cheap spot over a costly motel in the town centre. I’m looking forward to exploring tomorrow as it is our last city break.

We awoke with the goal of reaching Trois-Riviere 100 miles away. By the time we has eaten breakfast and collected the bikes it was already beginning to look unrealistic. Last nights storm was still kicking down a fine mist of rain as we rode off back down to the lake shore. Our journey was simple, stick to the waters edge either on the lakeshore drive or mulitude of bike tracks that accompany it the only hard bit was finding the right bridge to cross as many looked liked highways. Fortune was kind enough for us to stumble across the first one with ease via a bike track. This would be the last of our luck for the day as the routes soon became confusing and misleading. We got very lost. Hacks looking depleted led us onto the highway in a desperate bid for it to take us somewhere useful. It was here he blew a tire and was forced to walk to the next exit of the busy road. Still lost we found a Tourist information office who gave the right route along the cycle tracks minute from our location. Relieved we set off confident we were finally making progress. 15 minutes later some major bridge contruction abruptly haulted the cycle track. We were forced to unhitch our trailers and carry them 6 flights of stairs to get across the overpass back into country unknown. On the bright side the sun was now shining. Some flukey riding found us on the back on the right road again sadly though Montreal was still looming behind us, we had 38 miles on the clock and it was now 5:30! Food had consisted of a ceasar salad so we comped down a powerbar each and agreed to ride without breaks til we reached a campsite 40 miles away. It was a race against the Sun, one we lost. We had found a food store just a few KM away from the campsite, if we stopped to shop it would be dark, if we carried on we would be hungry. I used my very poor french to find us a hotel which we booked into and ate at the bar. Slightly disapointed with the day but we made some good ground in the dying hours making Qubec city a small but at least a realistic possibility tomorrow.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we just don’t enjoy the big cities. We had 2 days scheduled for a break but 1 was enough to enjoy the city as tomorrow we would be bored. Old Montreal however was Fantastic and a real taste of France. We walked a lot but it was very hot so didn’t make it to Mount Royal (A La Francais Mont-Real) as I had hoped. We did relax nicely though enjoying lunch in a quaint bistro where they fooishly offered us an all you can eat salad bar for an extra $2. We got back to Shirley and Eugenes late but they had wanted to eat with us so we were entertained with more stories of the war and other great tales. We finished the evening with our now rehearsed slideshow. We have really enjoyed our time here but we look forward to being back on the road again.

Knowing we had another short day today we took our sweet time getting up. We even let the sun dry our tents. I took the time to do some over due maintence on my bike and replaced my chain. I don’t think I did a good job of it and Hacks was suddenly reluctant to let me change his. The sun was hot today and the riding was lazy but interesting as we weaved in and out of village lanes and they became more and more french. We enjoyed the Lake shore scenic ride the most. I’m sure this is how beautiful lake ontario would have looked had it not been raining so hard. We were glad to arrive however. Albeit 2 hours late... no day would be complete without potencial disaster, about 12 miles in riding up a large hill peddling became far to easy as my snapped chain fell from my bike! Must have been a manufacturing error. We are staying just outside Montreal with our new friends Shirley and Eugene. We have had a fantastic evening fully ingrossed in conversation and tests from the Yale educated maths genius. Apart from the fact Eugene must be one of the most intelligent people I have ever met he is also hoping to compete in the 2008 olympics in Perth as he’s competes nationally at swimming. It doesn’t sound too impressive until you discover he’s an amazing 94 years of age. He has also inspired us to climb mount kilimanjaro – a feat he accomplised at the age of 64. I’ll enjoy this break however I’ll let Hacks deal with all the maths.

It would be fair to say today was a half day as we didn’t set off til 2pm. We had a nice lay in, a fantastic breakfast and then a whistlestop tour of the PM’s house and other diplomatic buildings. Today was down as a stroll and it was. I daydreamed for all 49 miles so it flew by. H did well considering his knees. We only have 55-60 miles to do tomorrow but think I’ll still get up early and go for a swim in the campsites lake. Its strange to think we have followed the rivers edge for only a short time yet already the language is changing to Francais dispite the fact we are still in Ontario. The ride from the city was on a quiet green and scenic road, I hope the scenery continues to improve as we approch the next two major cities. We are both getting excited about reaching Newfoundland and also the side trip we have planned around Cape Breton. We were also informed during last nights 3am booze session that we will need to be “screeched in” to become honory citizens of Newfoundland. We are both intrigued and concerned at this acient custom. It seems screech is a type of dark rum... can’t be too bad can it?

We were only due one day off but decided to opt for two to give H's knee a break. We've had a great time here with Karin, Patrick and the boys. Rowen is extremely bright and 3 year old William is full of energy and didn't put me off my broody spell. We also got to meet up with Pearse whom we stayed with in Kelowna which was a real treat and a good excuse to drink some guiness. We had a good look around Ottawa and we are convinced that as a city its the nicest we've been to in Canada. Very Clean very modern without highrise buildings and full of history. The Parliment buildings are its main attraction but the is a nice vibe around the surrounding pubs, resturants and shopping facilities. We have relaxed more than enough. Hacks still in pain is keen to ride tomorrow even if we get to montreal in 2 days instead of 1 massive one. I am inclined to agree. I still have a very numb hand and have forgotten to replace my bike chain. i'm looking forward to the french citys. Both are close which is great but sadly signal the beginning of the end of our great adventure.

Expecting at least 120 miles today we started early. We were graced with sun, tail wind and perfect roads with hardly any hills. I think we deserved it. Hacks was riding well dispite depending on one leg for most of his power. It was painful for him though and often pulled up. pyhcologically he didn't like me sitting too closely behind him as it reminded him he was going slow and wanted me to go in front, I thought this would also be difficult watching someone disapear when you can't catch them. I know this from experience so I gave him his space and sat 100 metres behind for the day. I actually enjoed the ride as it gave me a chance to look around as apposed to hammering out big milage. That said we still kept a good pace and did 60 miles with only one break. After that Hacky really began to hurt as we turned north with a side wind and 40 miles of climbs. after jut 103 miles we suprisingly reached our stop and met Karin and Patrick who welcomed us into their home along with their two boys Rowen and William. From a first glance Ottawa seems very nice and we are looking forward to exploring.

With a big day planned we arose early. I sadly had to swim out of my tent making me think a single skin tent, although being light wasn't the best choice as it doesn't let the condensation out. I'll add that to carbon road bikes with a bob trailer over a specific touring bike and panniers as its really taken a hammering. We needed at least a century today to stand any chance of reaching Ottawa tomorrow. We had some local advice to avoid plan B of hitting the trans-can highway due to a lack of hard shoulder and actually added some milage to the trip with the promise of quiet roads and the scenery of Lake Ontario. Both were granted but sadly we hit rain, not just any rain either. The rain drops were so hard they stung our skin through our rain jackets and base layers. With the elements against us we weren't going to be beaten and we got a good 50 done by lunch. We had now passed many English towns: London, Brighton, Scarborough, Newcastle... and were headed towards Kingston and Cornwall. We stopped for a bowl of Chilli at Tim Hortons - a canadian institution, and the sun peeped its head out long enough for us to think we would have a good afternoon ahead of us. We set off only to find our first real disatasterous day.Leaving the town in slow and heavy traffic I saw a parked car with the driver opening her door in front of Hacky, fortunatly she closed it again for him to pass and she reached across the car as if to get out the passenger side. I watched her as I cauciously approched the vehicle I was just about to pass when she spun round swinging the door open. I tried to avoid it but her timing couldn't have been more perfect. I felt a rush of pain run through my hand and arm. I pulled over in agony. I took off my still wet glove to see some deep cuts and instant swelling. It had to be broken. She came rushing over to ask if she could do anything to which I wished I replied "sure, unbreak my hand for me so I can finish my trip of a lifetime" but I was polite and she soon disapeared when an angry looking hacky rolled over. We whipped out out medical kit and began strapping. Hacks wanted to put Ivobroven muscle relief on it as a disinfectant and was strangely put out when I rejected. I wasn't going to hospital A) cost B) I didn't want to know if it was badly damaged enough to send me home. I'd rather not know. Off we rode, within minutes the rain was back in full glory soaking us through again. We actually had to laugh. We had short ferry crossing then some solid progress dispite the pain in breaking and changing gear as we had to reach at least kingston. As we rode past the Kingston signs Hacks knee gave in. both in pain we pushed on to the next town and checked into a motel to tend to our injurys. The swelling on my hand has reduced and I feel fine to carry on. I can only hope H's knee will be good as we have a big one tomorrow.

Its so nice to sleep in when we have days off but today we had to be up if we stood any chance of making it to Ottawa in 3 days. It started badly as I couldn't rise Hacky from the comfort of the sofa. The fact he was there was because of my persistant drunken snoring. We said good bye to Bisco and Bonnie When they left for work and we got ready. We were only slightly behind schedule when we shut the door to the flat only to realise I had left my flag behind. We had a mad rush to Bonnies work and back with key and then returning them made us officially late. Hacks was still tired and he showed signs of being human today and much to his annoyance someone had left 40 miles of traffic lights on our route to slow us down. That and the fact there wasn't a single flat road in sight meant todays route was of somewhat regret. We stopped at the 70 mile mark for supplies and found our much missed boston pizza. Needless to say we only ordered 1 main each this time but we did get the waitress back to bring us some appitisers to fill us up. We decided to push on an extra 13 miles to save us longer rides the next 2 days. We also made the decision to head north onto the Trans Canada highway to hopefully cut some miles off, that said all routes look the same and the next two days will be very challenging.

Toronto, the City I had always dreamed of. Sadly she was just a city with the same streets and buildings as any other. I don't know what I was expecting really. We took a day trip to see Niagara falls which were truely stunning. I was fortunate enough to see the American falls first thinking it was Niagara I was impressed, and then breathtaken when we turned the corner to see the Canadian horseshoe falls Niagara is famous for. A true natural wonder. We then spent the day in the Casino I watched everyone lose a lot of money and also tried to beat the $11 buffet there. I think I lost for a change. Tuesday we went to the bike shop to get my bike fixed up. Sadly they have to replace with a much better and more expensive wheel... for free. Life is tough sometimes. Lets hope it lasts. Tonight we go to our second baseball game, The Bluejays. We feel confident we know all the rules this time and are looking forward to the Hotdogs.

46 miles to the city, normally a breeze but Hacks was more than under the weather and I was at a snails pace waiting for my rear wheel to crumple and fold beneith me. We were due to ride the scenic route of the Lake shore but decided the main road in was shorter which benefitted us both on this occasion. We finally made it to Bisco's house, greeting by some red wine which went straight to our heads. Bisco had informed his Rugby team we were in town and they were keen to meet us so were soon out on the town. I had made a decision not to drink anymore this trip but we had a nice meal with a cold bottle of cider which went down far too well. Before long I was drinking strongbow straight from the jug in a very drunken stupor.

As we left London we opted for a slight change of plan to skip riding through Cambridge and heading towards Hamilton. Those of you growing up with hockey should be thinking Dean Youngblood and the home of the mustangs. My first 30 miles were miserable. I hate riding in the wind and this was noted by my faithful riding companion. We stopped and ate like kings as we found a supermarket with a good deli counter. It was just what I needed and I was soon back on form. We stopped in Paris. - Having left London Oxford street this was pretty good timing and I think quicker than Eurostar. We didn't have far to ride today as we'd arrive too early in Toronto so we enjoyed a steady pace. It was only on the last few miles my bike began making funny noises which I couldn't figure out. Hacky stopped to check the maps so I took the opportunity to give her a full inspection. Amazingly thanks to the Armadillo tires we have put on we haven't had a puncture for weeks and dispite the bumpy roads failed to break a single spoke so imagine the shock I had on my face to discover my spokes were actually ripping through the metal wheel rim. Even closer inspection revealed more cracks and more panic that my bike was now un-rideable. I rang Bill from our faithful bike shop in Victoria who assured me the wheel should last till Toronto and that they should still be under warrenty. with 40 miles to go we'll see. Comical moment for the day, just short of the campground a dog started chasing Hacks, This is far from uncommon but this one was an olympic athlete and keep up with Hackys best pace I couldn't help but laugh as I watched him riding away at 150 miles per hour. His owner finally called him back which was when I realised I would then have to run the gauntlet and the comical moment was over. We meet Bisco tomorrow and have 2 days off in the city.

This morning began with a mad dash for the border. We haven't ridden 40 miles faster completing it in just 2.5 hours. Sadly Escape wasn't that easy. The bridge to Canada turned into a freeway (only halfway until it was Canadian) so we couldn't ride on it. The next bridge was 30 miles south and not an option. In the end the bridge attendants decided to drive us across in a van delivering us safely into the hands of Canadian immigration. We were finally Free! The differences were instant. Already the industry was a mile behind us in another country, the people were friendly and the roads were pretty good too. more importantly there was a tourist information with free maps and guides to campsites. A wind however picked up hitting us hard from the north so further progress was slower. We only planned another 30 miles from the border but the campsites were a little further, so we pushed on arriving at our final destination at around 6. Sadly for me and my aching body we saw a sign saying London 32 km - off we rode to get to London. The wind in front of us and the setting sun behind us. The fact we hadn't eaten well (expecting only a 70 mile day) it was a painful ride but we finally got there after a 106 mile day. Being in London, we are now camping next to the River Thames. Genius.

We kicked off at a good hour this morning to get as close to the Canadian border as possible. We soon passed a sign saying Port Huron 113 miles – possible we thought and rode faster in a bid for freedom. The first 30 was the easiest yet but then the roads got confusing. We even got pulled by a cop as we began entering the interstate by accident. We asked several people for directions, all different so we opted for the guy who sounded most confident. Error. We began a 10mile detour on the worst road yet, no shoulder and pot holes so deep we could see miners at the bottom. Reduced to a minimum speed we reaslised our bid for the border was slipping away. Due to some good local knowledge we avoided Flint. Little did we know it has Americas 4th largest murder rate. Nearby Detroit is the countries 2nd highest – perhaps you are getting an idea of why we are so keen to get out of here. We pulled up at the 90 mile mark assured of a good nights sleep knowing it wasn’t far to go. For dinner we enjoyed a Chinese Buffet. Little did they know by looking at us how much we could eat. The owner was close to tears after giving us the bill and then watching me disappear to the dessert bar again to fill my plate with everything. The total was 4 pounds each including drinks. American quote for the day “ Chicago’s a big city, must be bigger than Australia?” Hackys comment sadly isn’t publishable.

We’re feeling fitter these days and made another fast first 30 this morning. We stopped as usual at a petrol station for supplies although I realized for the first time the cashier was safely behind security bars. I came out to see a frightened Hacky who had been making friends with the locals. They had even asked him for money. We made the decision to forget food and just ride out of there as fast as we could. There were times today the were almost picturesque but ruined by the shoddy roads. I thought I was mountain biking at one stage it was so bumpy. We cruised into Lansing – a shorter day than we wanted but there was nothing between here and another 40-50 miles. Still in motels we went out for dinner. We had starters, main, pudding and drinks for seven pounds each. I made the schoolboy error of asking for fish and chips which at first came out as fish and CRISPS! It soon got corrected. Hacky had a burger – from America where they pride them selves on fat content. Instead of a bun it was in 2 slices of deepfried bread!

Today began with the best intentions – up at 6:20 for breakfast and a swim in the lake. However the storm blowing meant the swim didn’t happen so after spending a couple of hours chatting with Shade I decided it would be just as well to go back to bed for a snooze. Hacks was still asleep. By 9:30 the rain had cleared so I dragged a sleepy H from his bed about 10 to get ready. We eventually made it to the local beach which couldn’t have looked more like the sea. Unlike Chicago there were no buildings to see just water, sand and even waves lapping at the shore. We didn’t actually begin riding til after 12 so knew we would have some work ahead to even reach 60 miles. The first 30 were a breeze even though we missed a turning. We asked directions from the village idiot (my reformed status that not all Americans are stupid – it just so happened that this one was) I let her chat to an unimpressed Hacky who was rolling his eyes at the ridiculous conversation he was having. We opted to ask someone else. Back on the road again I found it tough but I pushed hard as I didn’t want to be the one putting us behind schedule, that and the area wasn’t one I would want to bring my kids up in. We finally reached Kalamazoo 81 miles later and back in a motel. Our camping equipment is feeling very redundant. A note we have made are the roads are aweful in this forgotten and neglected part of America – The people are aggressive and unhelpful and we are meeting more and more village idiots by the minute. Despite the laughs we getting from these colourful conversations I can’t help feeling I would rather be somewhere else. I wouldn’t have missed my time in Chicago for anything but I look forward to getting through the next few days and back into Canada.

Fond farewells this morning to Paul and Marissa - as they went to work, and so did we. We aimed for a national park just past Sawyer so we could camp. We took the cycle path from our ride as far as it would go until we joined highway 12 again. It was on this path our first real technical problem occurred. There was a petrified look on Hackys face through the sparks flying behind him as his trailer wheel rolled happily past me. We managed to fix it and then checked all other fastening pretty quickly. We then hit some “interesting” parts of town. We had been warned not to stop. The first part, riding the expanse of the great lake was fantastic but my legs soon decided they’d rather be in Chicago drinking vodka the pace was so slow. We reached Sawyer – the park a few miles ahead so we did a food shop. It was here we were firstly given advice on a great Farmers market and secondly if we needed a place to stay we could stop at his Guest house. The tip came from Shade. Shade has recently moved out into the sticks from Chicago. Our faith in mankind had been restored and we had a great evening chatting with our new friend.

For two people trying to avoid big cities we found it very hard to leave the wonderful place we fondly call Chicago. Paul, our greatest American friend and honorary brother welcomed us in his traditional polish heritage way – 2 and half bottles of vodka. The half was purely from just shots. Why why why?? Needless to say the next day was a bit of a write off. We managed to meet Paul for a late lunch and pick up our newly pimped bikes from St Charles. That evening was a quiet dinner with Paul and Marissa who had just returned from a business trip to find a hungover husband, 2 unshaven travelers and Sebastian’s bottle filled with Vodka. It was great to feel at home and we all chatted for hours. The next day Paul took us for a bike ride along the Lake sure. This truly was the ocean with large sandy beaches, volley ball, yaughts and water as far as the eye could see. It was hard to believe this was part of such a big city. You could be Venice beach California! That evening involved a pub crawl unsurprisingly and also a few games of darts. Saturday was a great day. We started with a much needed sports massage. Next up was our very first baseball game. Paul is a massive Chicago Cubs fan… I mean White Sox. It was great to see this American experience for real. Baseball, Beer, Peanuts and Hotdogs. We even had a go at pitching - I turned down the chance to play for the Sox but KSF need me back for next years hockey season… on the way home we stopped by the Blackhawks Ice Hockey stadium. I got out to take pictures against the advice of Paul who even locked the doors for safety. Nice area. The next day we were due to leave and as much as we loved riding we were enjoying our time with everyone so much we couldn’t. We got another day sight seeing (cocktails on the 96th floor in the John Hancock building, amazing!) and in the even evening we were treated to Marissa’s Italian cooking with her Mama’s secret recipe. Its been so good to meet them again and for me to meet friends anew. Tomorrow we HAVE to go or we never will. We’ve loved the conversations, the fun, the friendship and the feeling of being at home. Thanks so much guys.

To say I lacked sleep last night was an understatement. The storm was a big one and say right about our heads and was bright an noisey. Also needing the toilet at 4am meant I had to get out in the downpouring rain. The ride for me began badly. My legs were going round but not much power was coming out of them. I counted every slow and painful mile up to 40 where we stopped a I opted for an energy drink and a peanut butter sandwich. I got back on form and the last 40 miles into St Charles (on the Chicago limits) were fast, easy and fun. The best part about today was it is our last for 4 days and I got meet some friends of Hacky's. Colleen, Her mother Cheryl her Father Charles and her Boyfriend Keith. We ate and drank beer which is 2 of our favorite things to do and we were also introduced to our very first lightening bugs (fireflies) which really are amazing! I'm really looking forward to relaxing but will try my best not to gain 20lbs!

85 miles today, nice easy one as we have got back ahead of schedule. We thought we would also take a slight detour as Wisconsin is the home of TREK Bikes so we decided to take my bike home to her birthplace in the town of Waterloo, incidentally one of the nicest towns we have come across in a while. We'd hoped for a factory tour but alas, twas not to be so we settled for a tour of the history of trek which involved lots of us picking up lance armstrongs winning tour de france bikes, lots of nodding and "wow isn't it light"s. Generally we had a good day spoilt only by the folk of a small town. Camp Hayward I think as not only the first place to get abuse but several bouts of angry motorists. I was tempted to shout back but I'm an English Gentleman... that and they have guns. We're back in the woodlands and camping again. Glad I got to cook healthy again. The Gentle rain and quiet thunder aren't a problem for us yet but the flash flood alerts the park ranger has warned us about might be. joy!

Catch up day... Would our legs be up to it? We got up early still giddy from our 4 beers but had a very large breakfast and set out. There was no sun today, just a whitish grey sky and a fine mist of rain that soaked you instantly. We made the executive decision to cut down our breaks and do 2 x 30miles rides to begin with. It worked well and we rode good considering the weather and our heavy gear. I actually enjoyed the ride, not only was it cool but also scenic until suddenly out of nowhere - riding through the wisconsin dells... Blackpool! We came around a corner to see a whole host of dodgy theme parks and cheap motels. People were everywhere so we quickly skipped through it into portage and the 100 mile mark. Still no campsites but we are loving the free motel breakfasts!

motels, even shoddy ones can be comfortable after over 600 miles in 7 days so needless to say we had a slightly late start. It was still wet and gloomy outside and the wet weather gear was on standby. Just as well as it was soon spitting, lightly but continuiously. For some reason we were both in second gear. Glad it wasn't just me. The pace was very slow and it didn't pick up, unlike the rain! We had heavy rain for the next 40 long and slow miles. We stopped in Black River falls, cold, wet and hungry. It was a good size town so we found a resturant for some hot food and to get out of the rain. We ate well after deciding to 60 miles was enough for today considering the conditions outside and with at least 30 more miles before the next guarenteed accomodation. Sadly there was no campground so we were spending night number 2 in a motel. Due to an apparent shooting competition in town EVERYWHERE was fully booked. Panicking we rode from motel to motel before we found a hotel and begged for a room even if it was a shoebox. They found us one Room 298. as I reached the door it read "Excecutive Suite" nooo I thought, opened the door to their board room complete with board table, A frames and 2 foldable beds. Jackpot! I've since enjoyed a spa bath and now at the bar. what a great idea to stop!

Pancakes for breakfast! so nice to have a hot breakfast. Jeff and his Family were perfect hosts and even took the time to fine tune our bikes. It was a delight when he fetched hisfavorite of the familys 15 + bikes to join us... A trek 5.0 - A fine choice of bike indeed. We were taken on a treat of ride around long lake before stopping at a beautiful stretch of river for a break. We said our goodbyes and as Jeff rode off we discussed how nice it was that not only were there still good people in the world but we've got to meet them. We rode on, pretty fast as we only had 80 more miles til Eau Claire. Sweet. We reached 60 easily and bought half the superstore and put it all in one sandwich. 20 more to go. Enter monsier navigator - we soon lost our way and we riding down a nice residencial area, not the highway 12. I finally stoped and asked for directions from "Bob" Bob was gentleman and told us the way and announced quite excitedly I was the first English person he had met. The pleasure was all mine... An American who knew where England was, Genius! We slowly pressed on thinking it wasn't far now and our second error arose. Dispite being a large town with large amounts of recreational water there was no campsites. We were homeless and hungry so stopped at subway to refeul. A kind policeman even rang around for us. our options were 30 miles backwards to the town we were previously lost in or our first night in a motel. Neither of us were delightedwith that but on the bright side I've shaved my beard but left a handlebar tash... well... when in rome...

Neither of us knew where we were headed today except we wanted to ride at least 100 miles via Deluth. The day started well... the alarm didn't go off so we had a slightly late start but fortune was with us and wepicked up agood wind into Deluth. The City was a maze of Roads and major bridges across lake Superior. We decided to cross the big one to the adjacent town without realising it was a major highway. We made it saftly across had lunch then headed east to Eau Claire. The scenery was still stunning as we passed into Wisconsin. We rode all day stopping at the 80 mile mark to get ref reshments. It was here we met Jeff a fellow cycling enthusiast and we got chatting. As it Turned out he lived 40 miles away and offered a lodging and food. It was also his eldist sons birthday and the promise of cake was worth the next 40miles of pain. We did the 121 mile trip in just 3 more hours. It would have been quicker had we let Jeff take our Trialers but as Hacky pointed out that would be cheating. We were warned he lived at the top of the biggest hill in wisconsin and he wasn't kidding.Wefinally madeit upand werewarmly welcomedbyJeff, his wife beth, four children and 2 kittens! Jeff hopes to ride with us in the morning and we have been promised the scenic route. Always the best.

Had a perfect start to the day. Wondered down to the sandy lake shore and dipped our feet. The sun still rising behind the trees. i waded deeper gasping at the waters coldness I turned to see a very discouraged Hacks Still ankle deep. Not being one for swimming in lakes and streams I'd strangely been looking forward to this moment so I waded deeper and had a nice swim on my own. I presumed this would be as wet as I would get all day. Within minutes of us Riding out the campsite a few drops of water bouced off our helmets. "its stopped I think"said Hacks. Nice one I replied... now wait for the thunder. Sure enough he'd jinxed it and thunder rumbled less than 30 seconds later. We got drowned!! The storm was such a suprised we didn't even have wet weather gear to hand so we just rode on. about 10 mins on I felt a deep burning sensation in my eyes from what can only be descibed as a months worth of collected sweat washed from my helmet into my eyes. I was blinded and forced to stop and rinse my eyes out. We rode towards the distant sun trying to venture out of the clouds. We got to a gas station and realised we couldn't outrun the storm. We watched as it passed over. It was wasted time and we were still soaked through but we actually enjoyed it out there singing silly songs to each other to keep our spirits high. now it was gone it was time to catch up. We motored on realising our towels and and swimming shorts which were drying on our trailers were now wetter than they started. We decided to get to Grand Rapids and get motel to dry off and have a big day tomorrow. We reached it with absolute ease an it was still only lunchtime. With clear skys ahead we rode on from town to ton reaching Floodwood in just 6 hours. We both felt good and could have reached Deluth but decided a good nights sleep would suit us better. We ate in the local diner and the rain came down again hard. Fortunatly only for a minute or so. Early to bed, early to rise.

A glorious morning awaited us early risers hoping to make it 100 miles to Cass Lake. We spent some time talking to the local bum/crackhead who decided to tell us about his 12 illegitimate children... don't do drugs kids! The riding had to be good today and we pushed on and changes became apprent. First meadow flowers, yellow and purple along the highway then more and more tree appeared. We looked forward to seeing some of the 10,000 lakes minnosota boasts. As we broke through the 50 mile barrier small ones appeared along with more trees breaking the wind for us. Patches where there were none reeds were bent double in the wind and you braced yourself to enter the upcoming wind tunnel of side wind. We stopped for lunch after a hard pushed 75 miles. We were well on target. As we pushed on we were in MN forest region and once again treated to rolling hills, green views and eagles soaring above our heads. We finally reached Cass Lake. On the map it seemed small but upon arrival I was breathtaken at the expanse of her. It took 8 hours to get here so were pleased to get there early enough to enjoy shopping for grocerys at leisure and the abilty to sit at the campsite bar and drink 3 beers. Shamefully we were both giggly drunks by the end of them. We eventually set up tents and ate in the dark. I hope to rise early enough for a swim in the lake.

Enter Minosota. Minnosota looked a lot like north Dakota. North Dakota looked a bit like Manitoba, which looked like Saskaschua. Sask looked a lot like Alberta... Strangely they are all also Damned hot but most of all... They all the WINDIEST PLACES ON EARTH! We hoped for a big day today but had to pull short in Crookston as the next nearest campsite was in another 45 miles - into the wind. Neither of us were arguing. Hacks has woken up with a nasal infection and since Hank and Sallys I'm not areodynamic anymore. There were times today where I thought I'd go backwards. As a result we need 3 big pushes to get to Deluth on time which is on the coast of lake Superior. The scenery here is looking set to improve greatly. We are now camping in a normal park where the local kids are here en-mass playing a game only discribable as golf with a frissbee. We sleep early tonight and look forward to the treats minnosota is promising us.

We glumly left Hank and Sallys house after another feast of a breakfast. We were suprised as it was the first day we weren't glad to be back on the bikes. We cheered up when we saw Hank kitted up ready to ride the first part with us. He rode 10 miles with us before we said our goodbyes and turned south towards the border. It didn't take us long to get there but we were in Customs for some time. Our website checked, the charity checked, passports and even our bags searched. They were confused what to do at first as they couldn't run our plates!! We finally set off again before making a dreadful but nessacary decision to head southerly into a full headwind and a road so bad and bumpy it actually made Hacks feel naucious. It had to be done though. We got to a small town 15 miles short of Grafton where a the Gas station manager welcomed us to north Dakota by giving us free powerades. It was refreshing considering the first American I spoke to asked "where you guys from?" to which I replied England. He didn't know where that was so I said the United Kingdom? Still not familiar with us I said Europe. "wow" he said "thats far, d'you get here by boat?" er no... they've since invented the aero.. plane... All in all a tough day made worse by the fact mosquito's are in even greater numbers down here. We miss Canada!

We arrived a day early at Hank and Sallys but they didn't mind a bit and we liked it there so much we stayed 2 days!! As it happens Hank is a Triathlete and loves bikes and fitness more than us so they knew exactly how to feed up two hungry cyclists. I left their house a whole 10lbs heavier! dispite the fact we only knew them by 5 degrees of seperation they welcomed us fully into their home and even let us use their sauna. Hank even fixed up our bikes. We really can't thank them enough for their kindness but I think they knew how much we appreciated them by the solom looks upon our faces when it was time for us to go. Thanks again for everything guys I look forward to staying in touch.

2 days until a break we thought. nice. We rode off on our final leg of the prairies reaching a small town just 15miles away wherewe stoppped and made our selves a hugge breakfast. the sun was hot but we pushed onto Portage la Prairies the lasttown before we headed south. We looked at the map and thought with a lot of effort we could reach morden today for when we turned the windswould be behind us. We had a good break and resturant lunch for the first time filling ourselfs on Pasta and root beer. We left portage and then headed towards the US border. We rode as fast as our bodies could would let us. As we passed through Carmen I was excited to see a town called Carmen. A large sign on the outskirts read "Welcome to Carmen,Home of Eddie the Eagle Belfour" my Childhood hero. This was our last chance to camp before morden but were going to make the most of this wind and hammered the last 40 km in just over an hour. a long day, 106 miles in all but we met in Morden by our cycling host Hank who took us to his lovely house. We met his wife sally and some of their friends before the proceeded to feed us up. We have 2 days of now and we know our hosts will be looking after us very well.

Virden to Sidney was merely a pipe dream. Originely we were staying in the city of Brandon just off Highway 1 a 50 mile ride but Hacks was keen to stay ahead of schedule so we made a plan. The day started off windyas usual so we slogged on. Neither of us complaining. As we reached Brandon we met rolling hills compariable to those both in height and in light to those we found riding the morning from Banff to Calgary. It was dark and cool the huge pending storm behind us and the storm clouds forming in front of us drove us on quicker. We had started to notice a change in scenery, much more greenery and trees springing up. Sadly most of this was ignoredas we had to put a lot of attention to the roads we were offered. most of our journey was in the slow lane of the highway as the manitoba hard shoulder was gravel, impossible to ride on as Hacks discovered when a gust of wind blew him onto it forcinghim to leapfrog his bike as it was sucked into the gravel beneath him. The Winds were now the worst we'd had and were making it dangerous to ride. We needed a lot of strenth to stop the side winds blowing us over and the passing trucks created a vacumn sucking you towards them. Not pleasent riding. We decided to pull up in a small town to either stay or let the storm pass. there was neither a campsite or motel so we asked around and got told there was a motel 10km down the highway. 18 MILES LATER we found it. We were fading fast having only had2 breaks today so little food. The motel was fully booked so we opted to have dinner there and considered their offer of letting us stay in the parking lot. The weather seemed to settle andwe had eaten 5 courses so we setoffinto the fading light eventually getting to sidney and our campsite. It seems as the didgets to Winnipeg are shrinking our days in the prairies are finally ending. Tomorrow we start heading south. Its been difficult and frustsrating but we've nearly beaten them..

Another day, another province. What did we get for our troubles? Stronger wind, hotter sun and even worse roads. I managed to have my first stress this morning. Over tired I guess but it did help me cover a fair few miles at record speed. The goingthen got tough. We were both finding the prairies a bit mundane and the aches and pains were on our minds constantly. Riding was generally slow but we are in no rush. I managed a big blow out 3km from the end resulting in my whole tire being destroyed. On the brightside we discovered A&W's. A fast food chain but it serves 1 litre of icescream in a frozen jug as a milkshake. It didn't last long as we devoured them before the sun did. We'll be back there! Brandon is the goal tomorrow then onto Sidney if we feel strong.

We over slept this morning Easily done when you are this tired. The winds were once again against us so progress was slow but time was on our side with little under 80 miles to complete.We met some other cyclists from Qubec and Holland riding as far as winnipegand agreed to meet them in whitewood. We stopped for lunch. The sun was feirce and the winds strong sowetook the option to have a nap and wait for the sun to cool.It didn't. At 5 we had to head off to complete the final 30 miles. It eventually began to cool but the wind wasstill a huge burden. All in all the ride was easy and it was nice to see some familiar faces at the campsite as our new friends introduced us to more cyclists. I'm sure we'll see each other over the next few days. not sure how much we'll do tomorrow, I guess it depends on the winds!