Coast-to-coast epic bike ride

Shaw man Brian Butler had never been to America before – but he has now seen more than most courtesy of a grueling
4,200-mile challenge.
The keen cyclist has completed an epic bike ride that saw him pedal from the west coast to the east in 52 days.
Brian, who has previously cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End, used 11 new inner tubes, three touring tyres and
two chains during his adventure. He was a little saddle sore as well! “I had never been to America before and I had
always fancied cycling across. The people were fantastic and couldn’t do enough to help,” he said this week. Brian started his journey in San Francisco and symbolically dipped his rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean before going on to pass through 13 states.
He whizzed by the famous Folsom Prison in California – made famous by a live album recorded there by Johnny Cash – and scaled the foothills of Sierra Nevada, before climbing 8,450ft over Donner Pass in hailstone, rain and snow. Brian then experienced
strong headwinds of 30mph for six days in Kansas and high temperatures, with 94 per cent humidity, in Missouri.
Crossing the Mississippi River, our two-wheeled adventurer rode around the velodrome in Indianapolis, cycled through Ohio farmlands and, after crossing over the border from Erie to Canada, admired Niagara Falls. Next came New York State
and a testing climb up the Appalachian mountain range to Vermont, where he crossed the Hudson River and followed
the hills into Manchester, New Hampshire.
On his final day in New Hampshire, Brian completed his journey by dipping his front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean.
Brian, who works as a driver for building services at Rochdale Council, hopes his efforts have raised £7,000 for Springhill Hospice and the Robyn Brooks Trust, which fights childhood cancer. The 40-year-old added: “My next fundraiser is to run from Land’s End to John O’Groats in July with some lads from Total Fitness gym.”

Special thanks to

Stuart Greer
Reporter: Oldham Advertiser