My BAK journey actually started around June 2, 2009. I had never been on a trip like this, so we had to get supplies: a duffel bag, self-inflating mattress, travel soaps, etc. We spent a couple evenings going through the list that BAK had provided and my companion had put together from his last BAK, and got everything put together by Thursday, June 4, 2009.
We were scheduled to leave Wichita at 12:00p, Friday, June 5, 2009, so we could get registered, get set up, and do the 17 miles from the Colorado border to Syracuse, Kansas. I was to ride out with my companion and his wife and young daughter. I was at my house by 11:00a, got all my stuff put together (I had it all packed, just did a last minute check). My companion called at 11:30a to notify me he had to go to his chiropractor for an emergency visit because he had wrenched his back putting his bags in the trunk of his car, and that he would be running just a bit late. This was a sign of how that day was to play out. I waited patiently, and he picked me up around 12:20p.
When he arrived, we put my stuff in the trunk, hung my bike on the rack, and made a quick trip to my office to pick up a laptop. I had good intentions of getting work done after each day's ride. You'll see how that worked out if you keep reading. We left there at 12:30p (I later learned that I had left my hat on my desk in my office), and headed toward my companion's house. He called his wife on his cell and found out not only that she was not ready to go, but that she had not fed their daughter yet or packed her bags. Strike two on getting to Syracuse by 4:00p.
We got to his house around 12:45p, and I patiently waited while they fed their daughter, packed their bags, and generally piddled for another 45 minutes. To save time I put my companion's bike on the rack and waited. And waited. When we were finally all loaded and ready to go, my companion saw that he had a low tire on his car (he had neglected to check the car over the night before). He quickly spotted a nail in the tire and decided to get it fixed, which I agreed was a very good move before making a 4 1/2 hour journey through western Kansas.
My companion lives 2 minutes away from a Wal-Mart. Instead of making a quick jaunt over there to have the tire patched, he decided it would better to drive 20 minutes to the nearest Sears, because he had purchased a roadside package on the tires and could get a free patch there.
We ventured over to Sears, my blood pressure starting to rise, just to learn that the patch could not be done, but that he would need a new tire. We sat there while the fat Sears mechanics fiddled around for an hour before figuring out that the tire could indeed be patched. My blood pressure rose a bit more. We then waited some more, and my companion decided it would be fun to go to the Orange Julius (the Sears was at the mall) while we waited. I walked over with them, threw some coins in the fountain with their daughter, waited patiently while they let her have a ride on the carousel (I was at a low boil at this point), and then walked back to see that the car still was not ready, and that the genius mechanics were now removing the rest of the tires on the car. My temperature rose some more. Apparently my companion had gotten a bad set of valve stems when he got his new set of tires, so they all had to be replaced. We waited, and waited, and by 4:00p, we were set free to go.
We pointed the car west and headed toward Syracuse. My blood pressure started to drop, as I finally felt like we were making progress and my companion and his family maybe weren't totally pissing away the afternoon. Those hopes were dashed when, just 30 minutes into our trip, we had to make a stop to eat at of all places McDonalds, and we didn't get it to go, we had to have a nice, leisurely visit eating our meals. I was about to blow.
We got back on the road and kept going, and I think they realized I was getting pissed, so we didn't stop from that point. We pressed forward and arrived in Syracuse at 8:45p, the sun setting (too late for the 17 mile leg that night), and just as the BAK registration had closed. Ohhhh, I was pissed. Trying to keep my cool, I got my stuff, ignored my travel companions, and found a place to sleep.
By the time I had gotten myself situated in the gym it was lights out (10:00p on the button), and I laid down and tried to get some rest. It didn't happen. I think I passed out around 2:00a, after tossing and turning on my air mattress (which was just a bit too short for my body) and reviewing my mental checklist of all the things that needed to happen the next day. I woke to the sounds of stirring at around 5:30a, got up, brushed my teeth, got dressed, packed away some of my stuff, and set off to find my companion and get the 17 mile let out of the way before breakfast.
My companion and his family had slept in a tent that night, and we were supposed to meet at 6:00a to do the 17 miles. When I found their car, they were not ready. I waited until they got around, and we headed out to the border just as the sun was peeking its first rays over the eastern horizon.
We were scheduled to leave Wichita at 12:00p, Friday, June 5, 2009, so we could get registered, get set up, and do the 17 miles from the Colorado border to Syracuse, Kansas. I was to ride out with my companion and his wife and young daughter. I was at my house by 11:00a, got all my stuff put together (I had it all packed, just did a last minute check). My companion called at 11:30a to notify me he had to go to his chiropractor for an emergency visit because he had wrenched his back putting his bags in the trunk of his car, and that he would be running just a bit late. This was a sign of how that day was to play out. I waited patiently, and he picked me up around 12:20p.
When he arrived, we put my stuff in the trunk, hung my bike on the rack, and made a quick trip to my office to pick up a laptop. I had good intentions of getting work done after each day's ride. You'll see how that worked out if you keep reading. We left there at 12:30p (I later learned that I had left my hat on my desk in my office), and headed toward my companion's house. He called his wife on his cell and found out not only that she was not ready to go, but that she had not fed their daughter yet or packed her bags. Strike two on getting to Syracuse by 4:00p.
We got to his house around 12:45p, and I patiently waited while they fed their daughter, packed their bags, and generally piddled for another 45 minutes. To save time I put my companion's bike on the rack and waited. And waited. When we were finally all loaded and ready to go, my companion saw that he had a low tire on his car (he had neglected to check the car over the night before). He quickly spotted a nail in the tire and decided to get it fixed, which I agreed was a very good move before making a 4 1/2 hour journey through western Kansas.
My companion lives 2 minutes away from a Wal-Mart. Instead of making a quick jaunt over there to have the tire patched, he decided it would better to drive 20 minutes to the nearest Sears, because he had purchased a roadside package on the tires and could get a free patch there.
We ventured over to Sears, my blood pressure starting to rise, just to learn that the patch could not be done, but that he would need a new tire. We sat there while the fat Sears mechanics fiddled around for an hour before figuring out that the tire could indeed be patched. My blood pressure rose a bit more. We then waited some more, and my companion decided it would be fun to go to the Orange Julius (the Sears was at the mall) while we waited. I walked over with them, threw some coins in the fountain with their daughter, waited patiently while they let her have a ride on the carousel (I was at a low boil at this point), and then walked back to see that the car still was not ready, and that the genius mechanics were now removing the rest of the tires on the car. My temperature rose some more. Apparently my companion had gotten a bad set of valve stems when he got his new set of tires, so they all had to be replaced. We waited, and waited, and by 4:00p, we were set free to go.
We pointed the car west and headed toward Syracuse. My blood pressure started to drop, as I finally felt like we were making progress and my companion and his family maybe weren't totally pissing away the afternoon. Those hopes were dashed when, just 30 minutes into our trip, we had to make a stop to eat at of all places McDonalds, and we didn't get it to go, we had to have a nice, leisurely visit eating our meals. I was about to blow.
We got back on the road and kept going, and I think they realized I was getting pissed, so we didn't stop from that point. We pressed forward and arrived in Syracuse at 8:45p, the sun setting (too late for the 17 mile leg that night), and just as the BAK registration had closed. Ohhhh, I was pissed. Trying to keep my cool, I got my stuff, ignored my travel companions, and found a place to sleep.
By the time I had gotten myself situated in the gym it was lights out (10:00p on the button), and I laid down and tried to get some rest. It didn't happen. I think I passed out around 2:00a, after tossing and turning on my air mattress (which was just a bit too short for my body) and reviewing my mental checklist of all the things that needed to happen the next day. I woke to the sounds of stirring at around 5:30a, got up, brushed my teeth, got dressed, packed away some of my stuff, and set off to find my companion and get the 17 mile let out of the way before breakfast.
My companion and his family had slept in a tent that night, and we were supposed to meet at 6:00a to do the 17 miles. When I found their car, they were not ready. I waited until they got around, and we headed out to the border just as the sun was peeking its first rays over the eastern horizon.
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