Companions

Whether to cycle alone or with companions? A question given considerable thought. The conclusion company is preferable. A decision based on concern for my sanity (the Midwest long empty stretches may test mental strength), also the needs of family. They will be happier to think there is someone around to keep me out of trouble.
So the plan is to cycle with others, but not to feel completely wedded to a group.
I like to think of potential companions as fellow cyclists who just happen to be cycling in the same direction as me.
To create interest I have talked to many cyclists of my plans over the last couple of years and also placed a post of my trip on the American Cycle Association website. The resulting  conversations came from near and far. Resulting in two companions from Bristol who will join me in Yorktown for the Transamerica route and others, joining in along the way. Some personal introductions below, starting with the Bristol contingent.

Christopher Orlik aged 66, separated has three children. More of a `getting from A to B cyclist' than a seven day a week leisure rider Christopher first conceived the idea of cycling across America after reading a Guardian article about a woman who had done this some years ago. On a Ramblers Holiday in Greece in 2011 Christopher met Sally who had the same idea and so the ride was born. Christopher currently works as a Rights of Way officer and Social Services Complaints Manager but will shortly retire from one post and take unpaid leave from the other to do the trip.  On the three month journey Christopher will miss Tennis, his garden, Bristol and model railways, though not necessarily in that order but he is looking forward to meeting interesting new people, getting fit and celebrating at the end in Las Vegas.

Martin Dennington- I grew up in Woking and got into cycling, exploring the south coast etc in my early 'teens and apart from a brief painful encounter with motorbikes, have been doing it ever since. I did a bit of racing at Eastway track on Walthamstow Marshes in the 70's and later on did the end to end. Virginia and I lived in North London before moving to Bristol 25 years ago when our two children Michael and Zoe were small and have continued to ride for work and pleasure; in recent years I have completed a number of the Sustrans routes in different parts of the UK.
I met Christopher when I started working for social services and have seen him sporadically over the years but we haven't done any cycling together until recently. I am interested in politics and current affairs, astronomy and music---we go to quite a bit of live music, for which Bristol is pretty good. I also read a lot especially since I retired last year and am still undecided about taking a book or a kindle to the US.  I had to take my Genesis 8-speed hub gear bike back to the shop and have now exchanged it for a more conventional Ridgeback tourer, which seems to be more reliable so far. I have done only a very limited amount of cycling in the US, including an episode on a tandem with Virginia in Texas which did nothing to allay my anxiety about dogs, but probably best to stop before I get started on the subject!--except to ask if you have a dog dazer-- I looked them up, but they did not sound too effective?

Kielo Sauvala
My name is Kielo Sauvala, I am originally from Finland, right now I live in Glenview, IL. I am an avid cyclist, XC-skier, runner, marathon runner (I survived the Boston Marathon 2013 on Boylston Street). In April I answered Sally's ad in ACA's magazine. I wanted to do a cycling trip in the USA and the timing was suitable for me. Once I finalised my plans I decided to cycle from Charlottesville VA to Carbondale IL with her. I really, really enjoyed the trip, the experience, the hospitality of American people on the way, hills, mountains, scenery, the good company, and I feel so sad to part from them in Carbondale on Monday morning when I take the train back to Chicago.