Lazy Sunday Afternoon...Day 15...Great Bend to Abilene...Sunday 08/05/11

We headed out of Great Bend as per this morning and faced another 3/4 headwind which meant a lot of us hanging back together trying to find a bit of shelter and conserve energy for the 129 miles to our next home in Abilene.
Eventually Drill Sergeant Manny had us organised into a paceline as best he could, but there were just too many of us to make it work effectively despite Manny's best efforts/barking out orders!

At the first stop of the day at 31 miles in the town of Lyon with a local and vocal mog. Not impressed by my suggested dietary enhancement...

Probably means something else...

I was having a so-so morning with no real drive in the engine room, and frankly could've climbed-off after 45 miles or so...the thought of another 80 wasn't filling me with delight.
It's a bit rubbish when you are giving it your best, concerted effort and yet you are down to barely 10mph: all of us will go through these bad patches, and yet I rallied  before lunch at 70 miles. I know pretty much everyone thought that that was a tough sector.

We had another 6 miles of struggle after the food-stop before a left turn meant that we were sailing along with the wind. More like it.
Somebody in Canton has a sense of humour...

We eventually ran out of road...

...which meant a little bit of cyclo-cross...

               (courtesy Mike Munk)

The rest of the stage was a slog-fest in ever increasing temperatures: my Garmin read a maximum of 101F.
Rarely have I been so glad to see a water-tower!

Tomorrow? A mere 109 miles to Topeka. Winds- please do one!

Here we go with the numbers...Hot stats!

Buffalo Soldier...Day 14...Dodge City to Great Bend...Sat 07/05/11

Sorry for the delay in getting this load of nonsense out there but the hotel's wi-fi was a bit steam-driven and prone to er, not working. Nevermind...

First of many photo-ops today (well, yesterday now) on the way outta Dodge...

At our first stop in Kinsley, although I should add that it's not this trip's midway point...my arse and I both hope that that point is reached sooner rather than...

Buster Keaton lives on...

Into a paceline to battle the 3/4 headwinds. Tedious.

Second detour: Fort Larned...

Where Bob got his 'Buffalo Soldier' idea from...

A car on a pair of step-ladders? Why not.

Another detour to Pawnee Rock look-out. No, no films were made...

The view from the rock...

Where Ohio Bob is believed to have purchased his Cannondale...

It was doing all of 10 mph. Not unlike us, then.

We finished in Great Bend's famous ice cream parlour 'Braums'...recommended!

Almost forgot...THE NUMBERS!

Vanishing Point...Day 13...Liberal to Dodge City...Fri 06/05/11

Right then, I'll not even try and tell you that today's stage was this-or-that...it was as close to a formality as cycling 85 miles could be thanks to a little bit of a kind wind and flat terrain.

Still think my Bruce Forsyth needs work...

Our only stop today was at 38 miles and we had a look at the Dalton Gang Museum which was run by a lady from near Cork. Obviously. She told me that she arrived in New York on December 2nd, 1957. So now you folks know too.

We steamed into Dodge...

...and I spied this mint '70 Challenger.

Beef this, beef that...

At the Boot Hill Museum we felt it prudent to tie-up our horses...

Our kinda museum as it goes, with beer served...

...and a bartender who plays a mean tune.

Tonight we stay right on the city limits- almost as if Mike (doing well for 203) wishes us out of harm's way...

Another short stage tomorrow but this will be one featuring confused winds. We'll see!

Stats...get them here...Three from the top...

Blowin' In The Wind...Day 12...Dalhart to Liberal, KS...Thurs 05/05/11

Well, we were told that the winds would blowing from the N.N.E., and that our track would be N.E., so you can work the rest out...

We were away just at sunrise...a tad fresh into the wind...

As we worked our way out of Texas and into Oklahoma there were plenty of these grain silos to feed the cattle...

Fastest in the West meets the slowest...in Conlen.

It was good to see that a few of us formed groups (pacelines as The Colonials have it, ahem) to share the workload and take turns at the front.
From the left...Lasse, Craig, Anthony and me.

And no, there wasn't any ropey attempts at singing like Howard Keel, mercifully.

From the left...Ed, Anthony, Craig, Lasse and me. Second state of the day!

That lasted in various guises until lunch at 70 miles when the fast guys did their own thing i.e. we couldn't stick their pace anymore.

From then on I was solo until the end. Joy. I couldn't honestly say that I enjoyed today but there was a sense of some satisfaction in having done it, and in a reasonable time, all things considered.

Lonnie's big hit...

Mile 91 brings through the town of...you can do your own gags.

And finally into our third state. Still blowing a hooley.

Post-ride steaks (yeah, the ambivalence lasted a whole day) all round.
From the left...Mark, me, Lasse, Anthony, Jay, Clay, Chris and Steve. Shock and horror when we ordered beers and the waitress said that they didn't have a licence. Food was top-notch though!

Being Kansas they go a bundle on 'The Wizard Of Oz'. Oh dear, and goodbye...

Our daily numbers...Stats...stats...stats...

(I'm a) Road Runner...Day 11...Tucumcari to Dalhart, TX...Weds 04/05/11

This did promise to be a 'champagne' day's cycling thanks to the short length at 95 miles and the forecasted favourable winds...well, I think that we were all upgraded to Jacuzzi Class!
It was almost like a rest day, except for a few of the fast guys who took the opportunity to post insanely quick times: how about 3 hours and 45 minutes for 100 miles? For what it's worth, they had to cycle a few extra miles to clock the distance but didn't enjoy cycling back into the wind to the hotel, hah-hah!

The good roads department people of New Mexico making good some tatty tarmac, which held us for a few minutes.

Never ceases to amaze how much freight is shifted in this country both by road and rail.

Well, it's almost 'Dallas', isn't it? Alright, I'll get my coat...

Had to take a picture as the fast fifty rolled-up...ridiculous.

The obligatory set of photos on about 10 different cameras which explains the rather half-hearted and frankly, limp effort on display here.
From the left we have...Daryl, Mark, Me, Lasse, Steve, Bob, Jason, Jim, Patrick and Steve.

Oh yeah, we lost another hour today, so now am only 6 hours behind the Motherland. Good day to lose it on, though.

Shot to ribbons. The sign, that is.

You heard The Can.

More freedom to roam...make the most of it, lads. You'll see why shortly.

But before that, here's a lucky escape...I was cycling beside Mark at 25mph explaining to him how that despite what he had heard Stateside, all the arseholes haven't quite given-up on killing in N.I. yet (he asked me, honest), when his rear wheel goes BANG and he manages to remain upright.

As you can see, a nail had decided to get acquainted with his tyre and rim. Good job it wasn't his front, eh? Jim the mechanic was with us before too long and had it sorted. I had only just changed a tube myself so we were glad of no further dramas.

Dalhart is a cattle town and below is a tiny section of the many thousands of animals who are sent here to eat constantly for 6 weeks prior to being offed. And then scoffed. Their weight will increase from around 800lbs to over twice that in that time-span.

There are quite a few of these vast feed stations along both sides of the highway, and as we caned-it past there were cattle trucks arriving and departing constantly.

Didn't really fancy a steak tonight.

Embarrassed stats time...fantasy conditions=jacuzzi cycling stats!