FFW 2013

I'm at it again, one last time... Arrived in LA this afternoon, bike is built and at The Mill waiting for its journey to begin.

Thank you to all who have sponsored me so far:

http://nationalevents.cityofhope.org/site/TR/General?px=1611977&pg=personal&fr_id=1840

I've smashed my target but every penny goes towards life saving research and treatment so keep up the giving!

For those who suffer we ride.

Missing the West Coast...

Only 49 weeks to go or something... :( We've raised $163,650 of our target $165k, 99% there. Final push. Allez Fireflies! 

The Arrival Party!

At Father's Office, I was met with the delightful surprise of Jake Scott being there, European Firefly friend and legend. And then two other bits of amazing news - 1) Adrian Moat, my reason for ever becoming a Firefly in the first place was going to be at the arrival party, and 2) I was to lead the peloton in with Tara, each of us carrying the flags of our respective motherlands - Team GB and Team USA!

We rolled into The Mill, a couple of blocks away, to a swarm of family, friends and guests, who had come to toast our 550 mile trip. Lots of hugs, booze, a sandwich and some flashing cotton candy and bike packing later, I was ready to collapse into bed. 

It was a fantastic ride, I loved every minute of my return from cycling retirement, and am incredibly proud of the help and hope that it will give: truly, for those who suffer, we rode!

We've raised loads of money, but we are setting our bar ever high and we all really want to smash the target. So click here to keep on giving please if you haven't already!

Day 6 - a big hill to the finish

After the emotions of the night before, and Chris Soos's wine bar...we rolled out of Ventura late, at 10am, our numbers swelled by a clutch of guest riders for the final day. We took in the last stretch of strawberry fields, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli...


Which meant we turned off PCH to climb the 8 mile Mulholland Highway like complete mad dogs and Englishmen - out in the midday sun and 105F degree heat! (to us English peeps that's 40C) We sweated and toiled our way up the amazing climb, which has no victorious top - it just keeps kicking up, even when you think it's done with you... But Chris Soos' socks keep you going. As do the yellow, red, left, right rhythm of mine apparently, according to Tara!

And then downhill, a crazy downhill at speed, with the approaching LA traffic on Kanan Dume Road. But the reward at the end of that - Paradise Cove and lunch. Mary, Tara and I had never been so happy to see a pina colada and a huge meal!

Then we tackled PCH's final rollers, before being spat out onto the Santa Monica Beach path, to wiggle our bicycling way through LA to the finish - it was another 30 miles that afternoon, taking us to 80 on our final day by the time we hit Father's Office in Culver City for a well deserved pint or two!

Ventura to LA

So the final day hits. The last stretch of beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Not without a big 'ol Santa Monica Mountain thrown in though for good measure - climbing the 8mile long Mulholland Highway and descending down just as long into Paradise Cove...

Check my GPS data from the whole ride travelling down the coast - thanks Nike+ SportWatch. Although some thought I was running. Now THAT would be impressive!

Day 5 - from wineries to the beach

After the previous night's Hitching Post steak, and a mud pie for dessert (man I love being a pig on a bike...), I wasn't sure I could muster much strength for this stage... But luckily it seemed to give me energy, and a slightly shorter day's work was our reward! It was twisty and turny though...

We rolled out past the lovely Lake Cachuma, and climbed a very Alp-like little stretch called the Stagecoach Road - up a canyon to past the Cold Springs Tavern, and pair of honeymooners trying to negotiate the tight bends and hairpins in a white stretch limo. I climbed up with the legendary Rose, aged 65 (look at her go!), and then we came up to the top of the ridge, and descended the gorgeous San Marcos Road with lots of steep, fun hairpins (and photo opportunities), down towards Goleta.

But we didn't quite come out of the hills at that point - we took the Foothills Road and Mountain Drive along the back ridge of Santa Barbara, one awesome view and fun little portion of the ride, nipping around endless wiggles and turns, before zooming down into Montecito for lunch.

Then we were back on the coast - but it involved a particularly hairy section of freeway riding with tons of speeding traffic - pretty awful, despite being right by the sea and breaking waves! I gritted my teeth, followed Mary's wheel and we made it unscathed to the safety of a cushy beach bike path into Ventura, where we pulled up right to the Inn on the Beach there for the night.

Then it was time for dinner - it's a Firefly tradition, both European and also American, that we speak of why we do this ride. And so I stood on a chair, talked about my brother in law Georg and his battle through inoperable lymphoma to stem cell therapy, my cousin Phil and his same lymphoma fight with chemo, with stem cell to follow, and BBH New Yorker Griffin with his taking on cancer surgery and chemo at a young age too. Tears flowed quickly of course. And everyone else's reasons and eloquence brought more pin pricks to the eyes. It's been emotional. Hard to believe it's almost over...

Solvang to Ventura

Out of Solvang, and climbing over the winery ridges and along the back of Santa Barbara and then down into Montecito, to get back to the coast road and along PCH into Ventura Beach. Our first gift of a less lengthy day, at 69 miles!