Hey everyone. So as you already know we (Daithi & Cormac) are cycling across America. The plan is to update this blog once or twice a week with any news, pics or crazy stories from the trip. So check back every so often if your feeling bored to see how we are getting on. Basically the plan is to cycle from San Francisco to New York (with a lot of detours).


So you might be wondering why the hell we would even consider a 4000 mile cycle across a continent, negotiating scorching desert, vast mountain ranges and endless boring farmland? The answer is... Well to tell you the truth we don't really have an answer but it seemed like a good idea at the time. One time a few years ago after a considerable amount of beer, the idea of cycling across Ireland sprung up. This turned out to be one of our best ideas of all time. So when the idea to cycle across America was suggested, who were we to say no!


Anyway after much planning we are finally here in San Francisco. With bikes dismantled and packed into boxes we arrived here on Tuesday afternoon. Colm and Simon met us in the Airport, and helped us find our way. Thanks lads! Luckily we were on the same flight as my friend Emma who had rented a house here for the summer with some friends. Chris and Ronan met us at the train station and brought 3 massive pizzas back to the house for lunch. So Tuesday night we stayed in the house and watched the NBA final cheering on the Celtics (after only a few weeks in America the lads were already passionate basketball fans) and had more than a few beers. I slept in a hammock! Wednesday morning was spent nursing a hangover while trying to assemble our bikes in the midday sun. I got mine put together in about an hour while four hours later Daithi was still struggling with the mud guards! Daithi found himself hoping for rain during the trip. So we said our goodbyes and set off into town in search of a hostel.


San Francisco is best known for its hills so the cycle into town was quite rough. After a good three hours of pointless cycling round the city we finally found a hostel on the edge of China Town. We had to haul the bikes up four stories of narrow stairs to the very cramped but extremely friendly Pacific Tradewinds Hostel. Within 5 minutes we were doing shots of tequila with our new buddies including the hostel manager Dave (coolest hostel manager ever!). We got talking to a fellow cyclist Krystin who was touring around California. After a good Chinese dinner with Krystin we headed back to the hostel and spent rest of the night partying in the common area. Two girls from Belfast were Irish Dancing earlier so Daithi was going to play a few tunes on the tin whistle, until he realised he forgot to pack it...


Thursday morning Germany Vs Portugal! Our new German friends dragged half the hostel to the local Irish bar at 12 in the afternoon to support the German cause. It was an epic match made even better with pints of Guinness straight after breakfast. Deutschland!! As much fun as it looked, we couldn't stay after to celebrate the German victory as we had to go shopping for a few bits and pieces for the trip. Nothing major just a few supplies. 1000 dollars later we got back to the hostel with shiny new bike and camping gear as well as a new camera.

Thanks Krystian for emailing the pic! Thats Lisa (the only real German among us) holding the beer and Krystian behind her with the sun glasses.

Friday our last day in San Francisco we went on a bit of a tour. There really are some serious hill in this city. Believe it or not it is actually quite scary cycling down a 45 degree hill. If your brakes failed you are dead! Lucky our bikes are new. Anyway under the beating sun we cycled over the Golden Gate Bridge which was a pretty amazing experience to say the least. On the far side of the bridge there is a coast drive around the Marin headland which we followed. Again another great cycle even though there were some quite severe hills. Our new friend Krystin from the hostel was thinking of cycling to Yosemite with us but unfortunately she had to leave on friday morning to meet a friend somewhere else.

Cycled around the Marin headland

Daithi under the bridge

Finally got to the top of a hill

So that takes us to the end of our San Francisco stay. It seems like such a shame to leave cause there is so much we didn't get to see but we have a long journey ahead. Tomorrow morning (saturday) we set off for Yosemite National Park. Its about 170 miles away so it should take about two and a bit days to get there. Of course we could probably do it in one day and definatly in two but we are gonna take it easy to begin with.

Till next time

Cormac

PS. Check out this video below. At the end I go over a bump and drop my new camera but luckily I had the strap on my wrist.