DAY 27

ROUTE:McPherson,KS to Abilene,KS	DISTANCE:64 miles	WINDS:From the north at 5-10 mph...and of course we were riding north today!
WEATHER:Wet!	TERRAIN:Pretty flat	CLIMBING:A few easy rollers!

Today started out looking a bit ominous. It was fairly warm (66 degrees early), but the forecast was for scattered thunderstorms. As we headed out, we were riding in a really heavy fog that slowly began to turn into a steady drizzle. Luckily, we never got a downpour, but we were soaked to the bone by the SAG stop at mile 34. Again this morning I started out riding with Mason and Bill, but again, the riding lineup changes each day depending on how spunky folks are feeling. Mason was none the worse for wear after his Thursday race against Big Dog, and our pace was pretty good out of the hotel. Before the first SAG, we had passed a few folks and had added Tim and Kathryn, Dan, and John to our little peloton. One of the funniest moments of the whole trip happened today. We were riding loosely and talking...not in a organized paceline. Suddenly, Mason came flying up from the back of the pack, telling everyone to pick up the pace. As he passed, all we could see were his white butt cheeks! The nut was mooning all of us as he rode by! Dan was right behind him, filming the whole thing (and our reactions!) for the dvd he's making about the trip! Okay, so maybe it was an R-rated moment, but it sure was funny! The only real picture-taking opportunities came in the town of Roxbury, where there were little buffaloes on every corner. Tim and Mason got on one for a photo op. Otherwise, all we saw today were fields of soybeans and corn. At the SAG stop in Gypsum, a local guy told us that a group of 27 cyclists from Yale University had been through just two days earlier. These guys are riding from the east coast to the west coast and are building houses along the way for Habitat for Humanity. Cool! My riding group wanted to stop into a little cafe for coffee in Gypsum, but I decided to head on in today since I was soaked and ready to get to the hotel. I took off by myself, but caught up with Dan (video man!) after about 7 miles and rode in the rest of the way with him. We cooked along at a decent pace of 17-19 mph, and got the hotel a little before noon. This is big Greyhound racing country, and we saw several breeding farms as we came into Abilene, as well as the National Greyhound Association site. It's awesome to get in early and have the rest of the afternoon to chill. I showered, got a sandwich from Burger King, and read most of the afternoon. Woohoo! About 4pm, I started cleaning up my bike and discovered I had a flat tire...what we call a "hotel flat". The good thing about these is that you can change 'em in the comfort of your hotel room! I guess it was ineveitable that I'd eventually get a flat, and I'm thankful that is wasn't in the rain today! Tonight the Chicken passed to Vern, one of the bike mechanics and ABB staffers. He received it for getting a speeding ticket today while driving the SAG van...we also chipped in $5 each to help him pay his $90 ticket. He suggested that we should be concerned that the chicken be in the hands of a known felon, but we're pretty sure Buckshot will be just fine! :) Tonight a route rap we also got a chance to meet Joe's wife Janet. He's taking the next two days off in order to spend his first anniversary with Janet. He'll rejoin us after the rest day in St. Joseph. Tomorrow we have 108 miles to Topeka, so keep your fingers crossed for good weather. I HAVE to find a Walmart tomorrow to get some supplies to decorate my bike for the 4th. We're all wearing our red,white, and blue America By Bike jerseys on Sunday, too. Should be fun! I have a few ideas for dressing up the Litespeed, but I'd love to hear yours! Heading to bed now...thanks again for checking in!

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