OK, what this is all about ! ... The TRIP - "Atlantic to Pacific" using great bike routes ...

I can't believe I've been writing for the past couple of months and haven't yet discussed what the trip / route / adventure is all about. 
Having lived in the US for a couple of years in New York and then in Boston, work never gave me enough time to explore this amazing place.  Since getting a real bike and exploring places here in the UK and over to France I now know what it's like to have the wind in your hair and be free to find unknown treasures and things out of the norm.

The idea is to start on the East Coast. 
Ideally I want to start in Boston where I could shack up with some very dear friends to get used to the bike for a day or two before setting off.  Research has revealed that to hire a Triumph Bonneville in the USA is almost impossible, let alone pick it up on the East Coast and then be able to drop in off on the Pacific West Coast -  Research has been essential and sometimes very dis-spiriting with not a lot out there - the idea of taking my own bike over there is now out of the question due to costs/reliability etc etc.
I've  basically found a few options - one is an outfit based in New York with a place in L.A. where I could drop it off. 
Then by pure chance I started chatting on-line with a new outfit starting this year with Bonnevilles going across the US!  They have said that although the trips start in New York, they could get me a bike to Boston! 
But wow the cost of renting a bike like a Bonnie for a period of about 28 days is painfully expensive - again all relative - I know ! Some people I know would spend what I call a fortune just on  a couple of weeks holiday with family ... that's why I try never to compare my lot with others !  Just have to get on with it.
I haven't as yet calculated the number of miles I will do because as we will see, this is not a simple straight trip across the US on Route 66 like everyone else! 
I'm going to see the places I've always dreamed of seeing on the perfect bike!
Oh boy (that already sounds American!), I can't wait to start writing about the ideas on the first part of the trip ...

When things are too good to be true, they normally are ... !

or maybe never count your chickens before they're hatched !

I was jubilent last week having found a lodger who was potentially going to contribute to a large percentage of the trip!  I couldnt believe what he was offering !  I was already calculating what a potential 10 months (at least!) would give me. 

Well now it seems that he's in reality wanting to share with a friend and may only stay for a month or two ... obviously he had a good tactic in offering such a high price that of course I had to accept and reject anyone else I may have had wanted to see!

And just think, I was going to start on a positive note and start talking about the trip, ... but oh, yes I will in the next few days ... watch out for this space!

Famine or Feast ... but it's all relative ..

I haven't blogged for a month but it doesn's mean I haven't stopped thinking about the trip and how to finance it ... in fact it's been in my mind all the time! 

Ironically, my current tenant who is already leaving at the end of the month, has only helped pay off some of my bills so I haven't even been able to put any of that away!  Oh god!  Well, at least it gave me some feel for what it's like to flatshare again.

I need to find a new tenant for the beginning of August so I started looking again - not that easy - they either want to stay for a short period or are just not willing to pay much.  I am adament about wanting and needing to ask for more,  otherwise this money making option just won't work!

Then miracles do happen ...
I saw someone this evening who is willing to pay almost double what I'm already getting and even said he'd pay for a cleaner!
He's a young contractual guy working for BP so money must be good - the brand new sports Audi he arrived in certainly proved that!  He loved the place and immediately said he'd love to move in for a minimum of 5 months and what I asked for (which was a lot more than I'm getting now) was well below his budget ... well I must have said the right things!

So there you go, there are some people with lots of money and others (like me) who literally have to scrape by with hardly any money (I'm also good at making a weeks supply of fried rice for lunches at the moment!) to pay the bills.
Hopefully soon, the main bills will be air tickets to the US!!

Next blog I'm going to start talking about the envisaged trip ...