So a Black Bear is BLACK and a GRIZZLY bear is, well, grizzly, right?

This is an important question!  Of all the things that have troubled me most about this planned trip to the US are the BEARS.

This little scaredy-cat Brit has never shared the outdoors with bears before and the thought of lying in my tent at night listening out for every snort, snap and pant and wondering if this is the night I have ea close encounter with Ursus arctos horribilis has exercised me greatly.

So....I've done a bit of homework and concluded that.....

• Black bears aren't always black
• Grizzly bears aren't always bigger than black bears (and how do you compare them anyway unless the two species are are in front of you together)
• Bears like soap and sunscrean.  Yep, I know that they don't plaster it over their bodies....but apparently the smell of these left in your tent is enough to bring them out of the woods to check you out
• If a black bear attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks, equipment, or your bare hands BUT.....
• .....if a grizzly attacks you then all you can really do is curl up in a ball and pray
• Bears are most active at dusk and dawn....just when I'll be pootling around the forest making my morning museli.
• Oregan state along is home to about 25,000 to 30,000 black bears

So...."just get a bear spray" I hear you say. Problem solved.  Listen to what the US National Park Service advice is about this... "Bear repellents even when effective, only work at such close range that depending on them could endanger you".  Hmmm.  Not really a strong endorsement of the efficacy of a bear spray is it?

I'm not sure all this head knowledge has really settled my fear much. :(

So, you want a more detailed map of the ride eh?

Check this line out...

Sierra Cascades route

Should I get my kit off?

That's the question that exercised me as I cycled into Exeter after a splendid sojourn via Moretonhampstead, Widecombe and HayTor this morning.   It's tempting ,I know, to relish the thought of feeling the wind whistle where it doesn't normally.  'What prompted this sudden rush of blood' I hear you ask.  Well, cruising along the Quay I came across several police cyclists accompanying a bunch of cyclists who....it took several glances to confirm....weren't wearing anything (that's the cyclists, not the police....)

I don't mean they weren't wearing the right sort of lycra - which, you will appreciate, is very important - they actually weren't wearing anything apart from a bike.  Yep, I stumbled into the world naked bike ride  ride this morning.  Good on you guys.   Good cause.  You're braver than I.  I couldn't rise to the 'as bear as you dare' challenge you posed me and our children were, strangely, strongly against their mum and dad joining in.

Perhaps next year?  Do you want to join me?

p.s. do you think it would be possible to spot a policeman if he went 'undercover' as it were with those World Naked Bike ride people?  I reckon I could still spot the infiltrator going undercover without any cover.

how few bike tools can i get away with? a wake up call

There I was, absolutely stonking along on this blustery but beautiful summers evening wondering how I need to reduce weight. What tools do I really really need I? Moments later I find myself sitting on a gate watching the sheep do what sheep do (see earlier blog post) with my chain wrapped around my back wheel. And yep, you guessed it: I've not got a spare chain link nor a chain tool on me. So...I sit here sheepishly awaiting a lift home in the car and feeling 'under tooled'. Note to self for US trip - take the right tools to keep yourself on the road.

California - dreaming of summer sunshine - don't bet on it

When planning this trip-thing down the length of America I imagined endless days of cycling under crisp blue skies worrying about whether I have enough suncream to survive.

Well, I've been tracking the weather in Washington, Oregon and California over the last month and I've come to the conclusion that the UK is both drier and warmer than any of the places I'll be travelling through. Even California!   Take today for example: Sand Diego is cooler than Exeter and is cloudy.  Modesto in California is wet and cooler.

Hmmm.  Makes you think.  Perhaps I should just cycle around Devon instead of heading off to the US.  What d'ya reckon?  A change of plans?  It would certainly solve my problem of how to transport my bike back from the the US.  This conundrum is still not solved. I was quoted $1900 for the privilege this week.  This is getting silly.