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Raceline Reports
Ever
wondered what it must be like to travel long distances to far off
places and enjoy it through the romance of thought, well think again.
We now have first hand experience of flying long haul and romantic it
is not. Packed in 3 to a row for the first 7 hours from
Manchester to Newark, New Jersey. After a 3 hour sabbatical
stuck in the airport where you again have to check your bags
in. All in all around 26 hours from first getting up to
reaching destination.
San Diego is 8 hours behind the UK. The weather is fantastic and we
all set off along the coast for a warm up ride and to maintenance
check the bikes. 5 minutes later major surgery on Mr Sadlers bike
with the gears not engaging and a 20 minute stop. The ride is
fairly stop and start and its not long before we are turning round
heading back only for us to stop again this time for a cake and
coffee. Mr Morton weighs in with two pieces of Carrot cake
leaving none for Keith, the service is slow and it takes ages for us
all to sit down and start the banter. After demolishing the
carrot cake Gary (Morty) tucks into some left over Blueberry muffin,
trying to wash it down he picks up the wrong cup, tastes tea instead
of coffee and spits it out all over John (Steve Austins) new white
shoes.
Day
Two (Sunday 31.08.08 First main ride and we are on our way)
Well all the preparations been done, we've had a rest, joked about
what lies ahead and here we are :-
The intention being we all cycle the 4 miles to Oceanside in San
Diego before dipping our back wheels in the ocean, then setting off
down East 76 highway for another 20 miles in 88deg
temperatures. After a short changeover ("minutes are
critical") Team A will set off for the first team stretch of around
23 miles. With temperatures and humidity both debilitating
factors Team A have a real battle on there hands with a good chunk of
the riding uphill, this is not for the weak at heart.
One of the RVs breaks down, electrical problem and overheating, just
what we need.
Day
Three (Monday 01.09.08 Borrego to Chiriaco Summit, 91 miles)
We're all up and on time and the RV is being packed and made
ready. Breakfast at Borrego is continental and early 6.45am.
Bran Flakes with Raisins and banana on top, coffee and muffins.
Everyone is in good spirits and really just want to get on with
it. Team A, led by Keith set off early for the first 30 mile
stint. Even though its only 8am when they start the temperature
is already in the 80s and there is no shade. Not having a
second RV is making life difficult for the riders, you need that
support and we have four riders out there with no back up for the
first hour, it's dangerous and we have to do something about it.
By the time we catch them up they are on one of the longest straight
roads you'll ever imagine, but they're doing well and are already at
16 miles. 14 more and there riding day is finished, they stop
and take on more water, in fact on this day we will use 13 gallons
(104 pints) between the 13 riders.
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Dear Friends and Supporters
Well it has begun and it is fair to say that we have had
an eventful start as you will see from this update.
Its pretty tough riding 5am starts 108 degrees and
180mile plus days gives little or no time other that eat,ride,sleep
but its for a fantastic charity so please dig deep.
www.gmfundraising.co.uk
www.hopehouse.org.uk
Thanks for your interest and the donate button is just
up on the left.
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Leaving on
a Jetplane
 In the words of
the song " Well my bags are packed and it time to go" the
team gathered at Manchester airport to kiss goodbye to their nearest
and dearest to join the new adopted family for the next 3 weeks. We
all realise there will be rows high and lows but we all have 1
objective, to raise money for Hope House Children's Hospice . In 24
hours time we will arrive in Carlsbad our base for our preparation
day before starting on Sunday 31st August.
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Surfs up Dude
It is tradition
in the ride across America that cyclist dip their wheel in the sea
on the West and the East coast.
Morty gathered us together to wish everyone good luck and a heart
felt thank you to the team for the effort and sacrifices they have
made on behalf of GMF and Hope House.
 You can see the
team here at the start of day one on the beach at Ocenside California
honouring this tradition unfortunately it took a lot of effort to
get the team off the beach due to the lovely views and the friendly
locals wishing the team well before the start of our
adventure.
 Thanks
to Becky and Drew from Ocenside Surf Clinic for taking
the time to talk to me about the ride and for donating $ 10,
unfortunatley Drew is just out of shot shame he was a nice guy.
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Rider
Profile Graeme Bailey
Graeme "Raceline" Bailey is Managing
director at Business
Micros the window industries leading
software provider ! (thanks for the tenner mate)
Married to Angela with 3 children - Nicholas 21,
Matthew 12 and Claire 16 living in Warrington, Graeme's
motivation is to raise money for a worthwhile cause and attempt to
keep charity work in the industry calendar.
As a seasoned charity cyclist completing the Top 2 Bottom and the
Tower 2 Tower rides, Graeme
says his only fear is fear of letting the team down by not
completing the event and injury.
Check out "Raceline Reports" for his riders eye view of
the ride as it develops.
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 Its a Hard Knock Life
Day 2 saw our
first fall, our leader Gary Morton founder of GM Fundraising had a
fall early in the session, despite trying to ride on it was decided
he should rest then return to do a further stint in session 3.
If you are eating or are of a nervous disposition please do not
look too closely at the photo mainly because you will see Morts
battered rear end in the buff !!
Gary has given permission to display this photo so please hit the
donate button to give him a boost
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The Route
day 1 - 3
The ride starts
in Oceanside (California) where the whole team will cycle the first
20 miles together. Oceanside is home to the longest pier on
the western United States coastline built in 1988. Changes to the
team will happen at 43 and 65 miles with the total mileage of day
one standing at 87 miles. The first night will be spent in
Borrego Springs (CA). Borrego Springs often has temperatures
over 100°F attracting many seasonal residents.
Changes to the teams occur at 25 and 50 miles on day 2 ending a relatively
short day at 87 mile (time to hit the pool). The ride takes the
team through Salton City, endings at Chiriaco Summit which is a
small unincorporated town and travel stop located along Interstate
10 in the Colorado Desert of Southern California. It is
19 miles (31 km) west of Desert Center.
Day three kicks off at 6am and has five changes to the teams,
resulting in the total day's mileage standing at 181 miles. The day
ends in the town of Congress which is now a gold mining ghost
town. Gold was discovered in 1893 with mining ceasing in the
mid 1930's when the gold ran out. Day three also sees the
team passing over the Colorado River.
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 Brocko alone in Bango Land
There's a place
in California called Rincon. Its "Injun" country or for
those of a PC persuasion a Native Aboriginal Settlement. If this
place was in the middle of a country called Remote, it would be the
remote centre of remotest place in the land of Remote. They say the
hills have eyes around here. That people disappear never to be seen
again. I must be lucky then because that's where my RV broke down.
For those who don't know, an RV or Recreational Vehicle is the HGV
of the camper van world. 31 feet long, 12 feet high and 8½ feet
high, weighing in at 14500 pounds with a 6.8 litre V8 engine,
delivering 8-10 miles to the gallon. It is the embodiment of
America's passion for trying to dominate their environment. That is
unless it breaks down on Labor Day weekend (That's
"labour" to you Brits).
The Yanks are pretty mean when it comes to statutory holidays so
they tend to make the most of those they get, which means on Labour
Day weekend you are going to struggle to find a tow in the city,
let alone in the middle of the boondocks. So having nobly
volunteered to stay with the RV (The hire company had my credit
card number) the cyclists decamped to the remaining vehicle and I
prepared for a longish wait.
I called the hire company (Answerphone "Have a great holiday
weekend"), I called their head office (Answerphone
"Moturis is committed to customer service") and so in
desperation I called Chevrolet who agreed to send a tow truck. Now
in the era of satnav it may come as a surprise that the first tow
truck couldn't find me but remember this is Rincon and it is
remote. When the second tow truck arrived 7 hours after I had first
broken down, dusk was descending over the high desert. Sadly it
could not bear the weight of the Winnebago so faced with sleeping
in the RV with the reservation crazies or getting a lift into Pula,
the nearest town, I settled for the least life threatening option.
Pula is an Indian owned desert casino town. Lets be honest it's a
570 bed hotel with a casino surrounded by a few trailers and
houses. Dressed in sandals, a T-shirt and shorts, I must have
appeared an incongruous sight at the reception but this is America
and by their sartorial standards I was dressed for dinner. Shame
then that the hotel was full, yes FULL, I had to get back to
the team somehow so for just $30 (Kerching) the hotel agreed to
find a cab to take me the 60 miles to Borrego Springs Resort for
just $100. Trust me, when you're as desperate as I was to find a
friendly face $130 is a bargain.
That is how I came to wander into the Borrego Springs Resort Hotel
at 10.45pm at the end of the first day of the Ride 4 Hope and why I
hugged Graeme Bailey far too earnestly for polite masculine
company. Losing an RV is a big deal but a replacement is on the
way. The Ride 4 Hope was always going to be tough but with just one
vehicle, the challenge just got greater.
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 Support
Team Profile
Dave
Broxton
Dave
"Brocko" Broxton , married, aged 47 (Mentally still 25),
born in Tipton, now residing in Humpshire Willenhall, West Mids.
By day he is the
Event Director for Glassex and the Glass
Processing & Technology exhibitions. In his spare time he is
part of the GM Fundraising committee. On the Ride 4 Hope is called
the Support Team Manager, a role largely built around emptying the sewage
tanks on the RV.
Married to the long suffering Michelle (32 years or two life
sentences), mother to 2 girls Rosie (16) and Maddy (7).
"What I expect from this ride is the usual stuff, trip of a lifetime
etc. To be honest I expect the ride to be largely hard graft,
interspersed with wonderful camaraderie, great humour and a small
element of physical violence. Joking apart, I want everyone to
enjoy the experience and come home safe.
I got involved with GM Fundraising because I am blessed with two
gorgeous healthy girls. Lest we forget, the people at Hope House
are the real heroes and heroines of this undertaking."
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