RecumBum

So what did I learn from my Biking Across Kansas 2006? Even though I didn’t make it all the way across the state, succumbing to illness after 385 miles (of 485 total), I count my first tour a success. I had fun, even though I got sick, and I proved to myself I [...]

Thursday, June 15, 2006 – Up at 5:00 or so again, tore down the tent, packed away the bags, and went to the school cafeteria for breakfast – egg and cheese biscuits. Unfortunately, I could only eat a few bites. I don’t think the food was actually that bad, but I found it disgusting. [...]

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 – Left Clearwater around 6:00 and arrived in Burden a little after noon. The total was 58.47 miles, 5:03:56 ride time, and an 11.5 average. The day started cool, with a very mild wind, and the early-going was very easy and fast over flat farm country. Lunch was at Udall, [...]

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 – Today was a much nicer day than the last two – a bit longer than yesterday, but cooler, with less wind. There were a few hills, but they didn’t feel too severe. The total for the day was 78.34 miles, 6:53:13 ride time, with an 11.8 average. Lunch in [...]

Monday, June 12, 2006 – I was up again at 5:00 and only the road by 6:00 or so. There was still a headwind to contend with, though slightly gentler than yesterday. The temperature was also a bit milder, topping out in the low nineties. Those two changes, along with a slightly shorter route [...]

Sunday, June 11, 2006 – As easy as yesterday was, today was just as hard. During the night the wind picked up, hard, from the northeast. I was up at about 5:15am, breakfast at 5:30 (some really nasty egg casserole), and on the road by 6:00. I’m not sure how hard the wind was [...]

Saturday, June 10, 2006 – The wind was still blowing when I awoke. I’d planned on a late start, since it was a short day, but I ended up awakening at around 6:00. Surprisingly, a lot of my fellow campers were already packed and gone. I’d decided to skip the ride to the Colorado [...]

June 9, 2006 – It’s the day before the official BAK start, and I had trouble sleeping last night – nervous anticipation, I suppose. Going over everything in my mind, hoping I hadn’t overlooked anything in my packing or preparation. I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning to be in [...]

I prepared for BAK for months, both in terms of riding and in deciding what I needed to bring. Since this was my first tour, I really didn’t know what I was doing, but I’d been reading others tour notes and packing lists, and I finally put together my own. Here’s my list: Camping Gear: I [...]

I first heard about the Biking Across Kansas (BAK) tour when I was researching Kansas bicycle shops, back when I was looking for my first recumbent, and remember thinking that it was something I might want to try some day, even if I couldn’t quite imagine myself being able to ride all the way across [...]