Kansas [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

July 11, 2009


For the duration of the trip we have been attempting to meet up with one of Amanda’s friends, Bob Lorence, who has wanted to join our journey from the very beginning. He’s a 24 year old long haul trucker who drives 18 wheelers for a living. He also unicycles on the side! We’d initially planned to meet him in Oregon, then Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, but each time his company dispatched him out on a new job. At long last he was sent out to Denver, a short two hour drive from where we were riding. After parking his rig in Denver he rented a U-Haul and drove his bike down to Scott City Kansas, where he met us in the sweltering Great Plains heat.

Bob rides an AWESOME “Longbike Sidewinder.” It’s a very modern recumbent, with under-seat steering. As we toil along in awkward positions on our standard bikes, Bob reclines as though lounging at the pool. It’s a SWEET bike, and after riding it around Scott City for a few minutes, I may very well be converted to this new style of riding. We’re back up to five riders, and having a GREAT time.

Bob's New "LongBike Sidewinder" Recumbent.
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Kansas has been entirely different than we expected. There is a great deal of repetition here. Each town is 15-20 miles apart, and each is an almost identical 10 by 10 block copy of the last. The roads do not turn. Swimming pools are not a luxury here, they are an expected commodity which each town is very proud to build and maintain. As cyclists, we are often invited to swim free of charge, by locals who are reliably enthusiastic about our journey. We’re already 1/3 across Kansas, and we have only been in the state for 2 days! The heat is intense; every day is over 100 degrees. We've taken to riding in the morning, taking a four hour lunch break from 2pm to 6pm, and finishing up the ride in the evening. 64 oz slurpees are one of the few things keeping us sane after a 7 hour ride in the beating sun.


Staying Cool With 64 Oz Slurpees in EVERY Town.
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