Bazine, KS to Leoti, KS
Rude horn honks: 1
Friendly horn taps: 1
Miles: 93
Total so far: 2,442
Navigating Kansas - it's not difficult. The horizontal red line on the map section is our route, going right to left. No turns for a couple of days. Just go.
We confidently arose at 4:30 this morning, despite strong southerly winds. The forecast had good things to promise, so we were game for the day. Elaine fixed us each a fortifying portion of hot ten grain cereal, we packed up our gear and said our goodbyes to Elaine and Dan and thanked them for their kind hospitality at the Biker’s Oasis.
As promised, the winds died and we started out of Bazine. The winds eventually re-kindled themselves, this time from the north, but then to our highest expectation they turned northeast, and we pushed out some significant mileage with a quartering tail wind. Most of the journals I’ve read from riders going through Kansas have complaints about the winds, but there always seems to be a day when they can kick out some miles — today was our day. 93 miles down the road, we stopped at Leoti, Kansas for the night.
Kansas today
Not only were the winds favorable for riding due to their direction, because of the northern influence, cooler temperatures prevailed, so we were free of the 100 degree heat for the day. All of this combined with a day off thee bikes yesterday, and the great hospitality from Elaine and her husband Dan, made for another terrific chapter in the ride we are truly grateful for.
Speaking of gratitude: We’ve encountered another individual on this ride who has been leap-frogging us some and so we’ve seen him intermittently for the last 10 days or so. This gentleman is from another country that I will choose not to identify because he is, by all measures, a seriously negative fellow and I think it unfair to paint his countrymen in that light. In our very brief encounters with him, we’ve heard him complain about the snakes, the lack of a good steak, poor lodging choices in towns of less than 1,000 people, the performance of his own very expensive bike, and how much he paid for it, the wind (of course), the roads, the trucks, the lack of amenities provided in the city parks (where we are permitted to camp for free)…the list goes on. In short, this poor fellow is having a miserable time.
The first time we saw him he rode by us as we were stopped to stretch without so much as a “hello” (it is customary on the Trans-Am for riders to stop and exchange greetings and riding information every time one encounters another). I believe that is the heart of the matter with this gentleman. If we were to forfeit the pleasure of greeting others on this trip, we would miss 90 percent or more of the beauty we have found. Yes, this is a gorgeous country, but the people are the rarity that makes all this work for us.
On the other hand, we have found great pleasure in meeting others, have tried our best to be open to what others have to say about things, and have purposely sought out the beauty in places where it may be often overlooked. That is not to say we are perfect by any means – journeys like this take people to their (sometimes) ragged edges – however we’ve found great beauty and benefit and that is what touring is all about.
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Tomorrow’s ride is dedicated to Justin Daniel Fujibayashi
Justin Fujibayashi
On December 4, 2008, Justin Fujibayashi of Valley Falls, Kansas was killed in a motor vehicle collision involving a drunk driver. Justin was a husband and father of two children. He will always be missed by his family and friends and everyone who knew him as a smart, thoughtful, funny man.
In Memory of Warmer Summers 
You two are getting real close to Colorado. Near Pueblo there is a guy who is trying to be listed on the route. He’s a Viet Nam Vet, Special Forces. He’s refurbishing an apartment building to serve as a stop for cyclists. He lives in a real old place with no finished floor work so he spreads sand on the whole inside of his house. Says it keeps bacteria out. Has real Nam photos of him in the newspapers hanging on the walls, a motorcycle with a horse saddle on it. Keep an eye out for him. Has a sign on a wall of his place. It’s worth a little time just to stop and talk with him for a minute or so. I wish I could remember the name of the town. It’s very small though.
You’ll also ride past a place before there where you’ll see a wood plank outhouse that seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s a must stop, use the facility, put your name in the book. The thing even has a battery powered light in it. It belongs to a woman rancher who lives across the street. If she see ya she’ll come over to chat with ya. I think she’s trying to be listed on some new map system another group is making.
Be prepared to put more cushion on your hands, Colorado has expansion joints about every 30 feet. I literally had bruised palms on the last day I was in the state. Once we crossed the Kansas border it was perfect, just like that, cross the border and the road smoothed right out. For you it will be the opposite so watch out.
-Brent