A DORSET man who cycled across America to raise money for charity has described his journey as ‘epic.’

Stephen Howard, aged 53 from Poundbury, has finished his 4,500-mile ride across the US to raise money for Dorset Blind Association.

When Mr Howard last spoke to the Echo he had journeyed through Wyoming and The Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

He reached the highest point of his trek, the Hoosier Pass, before continuing through Kansas towards Missouri and Illinois.

In his final update, Mr Howard said: “After the relative ease of cycling across the flat lands of Kansas and west Missouri, the terrain started to get greener and hillier in east Missouri and west Illinois. Upon reaching Illinois, I achieved one of my life's goals by reaching and crossing the mighty Mississippi River.

“Once in Kentucky, the main concern was dog attacks. All the "Transamers" I met riding east to west complained about rogue dogs, with a number of riders actually suffering dog attacks. Kentucky is a seriously pretty place and having to spend time looking out for dogs instead of the fantastic scenery was a bit of a shame.

"I did have three serious dog attacks were I thought there was a chance I might get bitten, but thankfully a blast from a can of wasp spray I'd been advised to buy kept the dogs at bay.

“Through Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and into Virginia the humidity rose alarmingly. When in Colorado and Kansas it was so dry I was hardly sweating, despite riding for up to 12 hours in the 90-degree heat, which was strange because in the east I was sweating profusely. Whilst climbing one of the steepest climbs up the Blue Ridge Mountain Range, which was also in thick cloud, the sweat and moisture was pouring off me so badly I was struggling to hold onto the handlebars.”

He then rode along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but due to thick cloud and low visibility he sadly missed the fantastic views.

He continued: “Once past the Appalachians the terrain flattened out and the two days of hard riding to the finish were relatively flat. The finish at Yorktown evoked different emotions. It was obviously a great feeling to finish such a hard, long and arduous challenge and the sense of satisfaction was immense. But this was tinged with sadness at knowing that I wouldn't be cycling across America again (perhaps). I celebrated by diving into the surprisingly warm water of the Atlantic, still fully clothed, and swimming about to the amusement of the other bathers.

“I spent the last couple of days "decompressing" in American-speak and visiting the very historic areas of Yorktown, (where the divisive battle for independence against the British took place), Jamestown (where the first permanent English settlement was established) and Williamsburg (a safer and more pleasant environmentally than Jamestown, which was humid and plagued with mosquitoes).”

The highlights of his trip included seeing grizzly bear at The Rockies, getting caught in a tornado in Colorado and riding across Kansas whilst listening to Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.

He added: “Would I do it again? Possibly not, as I've already successfully completed this arduous undertaking and there are plenty more challenges out there for me. But I would recommend it for others considering such a challenge and I'd be happy to help in any way I could.”

Mr Howard finished his ride in 53 days and raised £351 for Dorset Blind Association, visit his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stephen-howard-transamerica