Open Writing

121 - The Golden Gate Bridge

Eric Biddulph goes cycling in America.

The alternate years of our French sojourns were taken up with two major cycling trips to more distant locations. In 1998 we embarked on a journey to the USA. I had obtained the Servas Handbook of American hosts, In Chicago we enjoyed agreeable accommodation with Harvey for the first two nights in the country. A visit to a thespians production and an ice show were the highlights of our visit to this very appealing city. Harvey and his partner both cycled and had undertaken a number of European tours.

I had booked on the Amtrak train across the mid-west to San Francisco. As we rolled out of Chicago the industrial landscape soon gave way to the flatlands of the prairies. Hundreds of kilometres of farmland were to be with us for the next two days. Breaking our journey in Denver we were again the guests of a Servas host who had an interesting profile. His partner was a Russian born woman who he had met whilst in Russia as part of an American sponsored tour. Olga had settled in the city with her daughter from her Russian marriage.

Our host was a tax inspector working for the state of Colorado. He had a number of interesting tales to tell but one particularly stands out. After putting the finger on one tax-evader his life was subsequently put in danger when the accused vowed vengeance. He was dispatched, together with his dog, to a hidden destination in the Rocky Mountains where he remained for several months.

During our stay in this pleasant city we made a visit to the Colorado State Legislature building. After two days we rejoined the train for the second leg of the journey. The Rockies are only a short distance to the west of Denver. As the train rapidly approached the lower slopes of this huge mountain range I looked through my binoculars to see if I could see the tunnels through which I expected to be passing. At a bend in the railway line I caught sight of three locomotives at the head of our train. They were going to pull us up the mountains.

The views from the high elevations were stupendous. I was glad that the railroad pioneers had decided not to tunnel through the mountains. Some time during the night we passed through Salt Lake City. In the morning we began the long descent to Sacramento and onwards to that most famous of earthquake threatened cities, San Francisco. Characterised by steep hills, a magnificent harbour, bridge and wharf. A ride on one of the world famous trams was a 'must'. They ascended and descended many of the city's steep hills. They do not have any motor but are moved by means of a steel wire cable which is powered from a control centre. It is kept moving through a series of loops. When a tram wishes to move the driver throws a lever which causes an engagement with the wire and movement is attained. When a passenger indicates a wish to alight the driver disengages the securing clamp from the wire and simultaneously applies the wheel brakes. Such a simple system in the era of high tech.

The Golden Gate Bridge built in 1906 has a cycle friendly track catering for the large number of riders who make regular use of it to get to and from the north bank.

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Eric’s book The First Seventy Years can be obtained for £10 by contacting http://mary@bike2.wanadoo.co.uk or telephoning 01484-658175.

All the cash raised by the book goes to a water aid project in Malawi.