Glossary of BAK terms

I hope to be able to keep this blog up to date as I ride the BAK this year. For the non-bicycle touring readers I've included the following definitions of terms :

bent – a contracted form used to refer to a recumbent bicycle. Riders of bents are called “bent riders”. This term is an oxymoron, however, because “bent riders” ride in a reclining position while riders of upright bicycles (DF or diamond frame) ride bent over.

bonk – to run out of energy. This condition usually happens from lack of carbs when the body runs out of fuel. It is similar to marathon runners’ experience of “hitting the wall”.

Canus Chaseus - a small dog only interested in trying to bite your tires or any dog you can outrun. Not to be confused with the Canus Biteus which is a dog fast enough to catch you and wants a piece of your leg.

captain – the lead rider of a tandem bicycle.

century – riding 100 miles in a single day.

chamois butter – also called “bum butter”. A salve used to help DF riders cope with the chafing of their “bum” on the saddle.

cleats – special shoes with metal inserts to snap into clipless pedals. Cleats and clipless pedals lock a cyclists foot to the pedal enabling him to pull up as well as push down. The foot is unlocked by twisting the heel to the side.

clipless pedals – special pedals made to lock in bike shoes with cleats.

cold – the water that comes from the showers.

crash – falling to the ground while riding your bicycle. Opinions vary as to what constitutes a crash. Most agree that any road rash, bleeding, or bruising as a result of falling is a pretty good indication that you did in fact crash. However, if you fall while barely moving and don’t have any marks to prove it, you probably didn’t experience a crash.

DF – abbreviation for a “diamond frame” or “upright” bicycle.

drafting – riding close behind a rider or group of riders so that they break the wind, allowing you to maintain the same speed as the lead rider with much less effort. To accomplish a good draft you must ride with your front tire about 12" behind the rear tire of the rider in front.

flat – a word non-Kansans use to describe Kansas if they haven’t ridden a bicycle across it. Flat is what Kansas residents use to describe a bike tire with no air.

gym rats – people who sleep in the school gymnasium.

hot shower – a mythical legend told by long-time BAK riders. Some veterans claim to actually have experienced one of these, but the claims have never been proven.

overnight town – town where BAK spends the night.

paceline – riders riding in a tight line so that the person in the lead provides a “pull” or a “draft” for the riders behind. Air resistance is the greatest barrier to speed for a bicycle, so riders in a paceline expend less energy and go faster. The members of the paceline usually take turns “pulling”. The disadvantage for riding in a paceline for the BAK is that you only get to see the rear tire and butt of the person in front of you.

pie – premium fuel for all BAK riders.

pulling – taking the lead to break the wind and provide a “draft” for a rider or riders behind.

railroad tracks – if you don’t ride across perpendicular to the rails, see “crash”.

Rashus Ouchem - the pain that one experiences for many days when one does not wash all the soap out of their riding shorts.

saddle – what a rider of a DF bicycle sits on.

SAG – rest stop where you can get water and snacks. The most common explanation is that it means “support and gear”, but it could originate from the posture of tired riders when they dismount their bicycles.

SAG in – to ride the SAG wagon to the next overnight town.

SAG wagon – vehicle that picks up riders who are unable to go on because of being too tired, injured or experiencing mechanical breakdowns.

seat – that the rider of a bent bicycle reclines on.

stoker – the rear position on a tandem bicycle: also called rear engine, rear admiral, she who must be obeyed.

tent city – what the green space around the school or community center in the overnight town becomes.

toe clips – bicycle pedals that have a plastic or metal bail allowing the riders toe to be held to the pedal, allowing him to pull up as well as push down. Not as effective as clipless pedals and cleats.

wheat field – large restroom facility. This definition applies to any field of tall crops.

wind – air moving from Missouri to Colorado. Not to be confused with “tailwind” which is air moving toward Missouri.

Second Breakfast

It's hard to ride for a couple of hours without breakfast. Last night Brenda suggested that we make crepes for breakfast. I told her I needed to eat something before my bike ride but that I'd make them when I got back. So today I had first breakfast and second breakfast. I found an easy recipe for crepes online and we've become hooked.
Here's the recipe:

1 cup milk
1 egg
1 egg white
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
sugar - tsp. optional

Put the milk and eggs into a blender. Blend for 15 seconds or so until froth forms on the top. Add flour and sugar and blend a few seconds until smooth. Cook in a small to medium omelet pan on med. high heat. Butter or spray the pan with each crepe. Pour a few tablespoons of batter and tilt the pan in a circle to spread the batter thin.

We put either ricotta cheese or cottage cheese inside along with strawberries or other fruit.
It is a great second, or even first, breakfast.

Exceeding the Speed Limit

It's not often I get to exceed the speed limit on my bike. But my training route takes me to a hill that has an 8% grade. When the wind is from the north I can hit the speed limit of 35 MPH on the way down. With a slight tailwind or a clam day I can exceed the speed limit. Today I hit 41.3 MPH. I don't think I'm in danger of being pulled over for speeding, but it sure is a fun ride.

Why Are Bicycle Riders So Unfriendly?

Hard-core bicycle riders are easy to spot, once you know what to look for. The skin-tight clothing reveals that they look to be so thin as to seem not much wider than the bicycle they are pedaling. Their clothing is covered with the names of bicycles costing several thousand dollars. You usually see them hunched over their handlebars, staring at the road ahead as they keep a steady rhythm of pedaling.
What I've learned about these folks is that they are typically unfriendly and standoffish towards other bike riders. Motorcycle riders usually wave at each other when they pass. There's a certain camaraderie shared when you encounter another person willing to take the risks of riding a motorcycle in traffic. Not so with the hard-core bicyclist. I always wave as I pass. If they even deign to look my way, the most I get is perhaps a finger raised. But even that much is unusual. Last week I waved at a pair of fellow travelers as they rode by in the opposite direction. They merely stared at me as they passed. I had to laugh at the encounter because they reminded me of a couple of lemurs.
I don't know why bicyclists are so unfriendly. I still hold out hope. I'll continue to wave when I pass them by.

Turttle and Leg Cramps

Lack of clear weather has kept me off my bike this winter. Last winter I only had a couple of weeks I couldn't ride. This winter has given lots of cold, rain and ice. And it's hung around like a homeless stray cat.
I'm trying to get prepared for the BAK in June. This weekend provided me enough time and warm weather to ride 2 days in a row. Saturday I rode 30 miles and did fine. Today, Sunday, I felt a bit sore but I headed out anyway. Today was warmer than yesterday, a great day for a ride. The wind was against me, but I didn't mind. It's good for conditioning. I was encouraged to find a sure sign of spring on the trail just below Shawnee Mission Lake: a large Snapping Turtle. I opted not to put any part of my body near it for perspective in the picture. It's shell was about 12" in diameter.
I was only a few miles from home when I got a severe cramp in the front of my left thigh. I stopped my bike to stretch it out and the back of my thigh cramped as well. I couldn't bend my leg so I just stood beside the road and hoped the pain would ease soon. I decided this was the time to call for help, so I asked Brenda to come and get me. I've never in my life had a cramp so severe.
I'll give my legs a day or so to recover and get back to building my endurance again. BAK is only a little more than a month away.

Home Show

Late nights.
Choose a color.
No, we're not going to do that one.
What do you mean you're not going to make a sample? We've never done this before.
No time for a sample. It won't dry in time.
Some fights.
I don't think I've got enough plaster to cover this much space.
Fans blowing.
Got to get the next layer on.
Brenda's stressing because it doesn't look "good".
Can't help it now, we're out of time.
We were supposed to be there an hour ago.
It will have to do.
Pack it into the trailer and haul it to the show.
Maybe it's time to redesign the booth. This is too much work.
Find our space. Unload. Carpet is too long. What's going on?! Our space is only 18 feet. Our walls are 19' 6" and made of wood. They won't shrink. Talk to the head honcho. Problem solved.
Set it up. Where are the bolts? The colors look different here. Where's the extension cord? Do the lights work? This piece needs a layer of wax, it looks pale. Brenda still doesn't like it. Doesn't look good enough. Well, it's the best we could do. Next year we'll do it better. Start earlier. Do something to "wow" them.


This is our typical pre-home show week. And the list above was edited to fit better on your screen. There are endless details, and we are always scrambling to get things dry in time to take to the show.
The piece Brenda thought was not good enough is the star of the show. (This is not the first time this has happened.) Several people gave us positive feedback. One lady said our walls were far superior to the other 2 faux finish displays. Today the traffic was steady but not overwhelming. After seeing and hearing how people respond when they see our booth we abandoned our thoughts of re-designing it. Every year it's a lot of work, but we'll be back, I'm sure.

Squirrel Contest

He started talking to me as soon as he stepped in the bathroom door. I was surprised because men usually don't talk to each other in public restrooms. (I think there is a fear of appearing too "friendly" while taking care of nature's call.) This man didn't appear to care. "How's it going?", he asked. "Great weather we had today." It was the typical conversation starters, but it seemed a bit odd because we were in the men's room. He then asked me if I'd heard of the squirrel shooting contest. This conversation had jumped from merely "odd" to outright strange. I quickly reminded myself that Tonganoxie, KS has a different mindset than the metro area. Still . . . a squirrel shooting contest?
My chatty companion explained that he owns a local gun shop and that he'd sold two .22 rifles to people participating in the squirrel shooting contest sponsored by Cabela's. Whoever brings in the most squirrels (by weight) wins the contest. He didn't say what prize these marksmen won. As he breezed out the door he talked of how he'd given up shooting the squirrels raiding his bird feeder and had merely installed PVC over the support post. He was gone as quickly as he came, leaving me to contemplate that this was the strangest men's room conversation I've ever had.