Another great day here in Kansas, and cycling conditions couldn't be better. The unusually light southerly winds made pedaling easy, but didn't do much to cool us down either. Temperatures climbed into the 90's this afternoon, making us all more than a little thirsty. Fortunately, our reliable SAG drivers came through as usual, providing water and other goodies. Today marked a milestone for BAK cyclists, we reached the halfway mark on all three routes--only four days to go!
The Bedazzled route gets the high mileage award today, with an 85-miler from Stockton to Mankato. Since the weather cooperated, many riders chose to ride an extra 15 miles to complete a Century (100 miles). We do have a dedicated bunch!
The highlight on this route today was passing within four miles of the marker designating the Geographic Center of the Continental United States, meaning that we were smack dab in the middle of it all.
The other two routes had the easier mileages; both the Adorable and the Karefree only had a leisurely 54 miles to cover. The Adorable riders pedaled from Phillipburg to Downs and the Karefrees from Smith Center to Beloit. Highlights included passing by a small-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty and one of the most celebrated wonders of Kansas, the World's Largest Ball of Twine, located in Cawker City. Yes, there are other large twine balls in other states, but this is the granddaddy of them all. A once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity to be sure!
After the day's ride, BAK cyclists are finding plenty of things to do to stay occupied. Napping is high on the list for many, while others are busy sampling the local cuisine, usually in the ice-cream shops! Many cyclists are also visiting our massage therapists to relieve their aches and pains.
Our pesky computer problems are behind us now, and you can now actually SEE what we've been doing, thanks to our BAK 96 photo gallery. Don't miss it.
The e-mail delivery is also going smoothly and your messages are getting delivered (provided that you included the name of the recipient!)
