The weather cooled off a bit from yesterday just in time to start the 2008 version of Steam-N-Wheels. Other than some wind, the weather was nice - clear skies with not a hint of rain! That's a welcome change from the last few years. Jim and Gary were at their places early, helping out with any last minute bike fixes. They stayed pretty busy until the gun went off.
Lots of riders participated in this year's event. A good number of Abilenians showed up to support the local event. Thanks, y'all! At this point in time, we know that the top local rider was Thomas Talley. He was 3rd overall in the 48 mile event. Good job, Thomas! If anyone has results that you'd like to share leave us a comment, please. We'd love to publish it.
As I was walking around handing out fliers and getting kids registered and ready for the new kids' rodeo, the camera didn't budge from its place over my shoulder. So, you'll have to make due with a couple shots of the new event that took place after the cyclists left. As I mentioned a few sentences back, there was a kids' rodeo this year. It was nice for the younger family members to have something to do while waiting for mom or dad to finish the ride. For a new event, quite a few kids registered. Hopefully, it will grow every year!
After riding for a while, all the kids were treated to a snack and got the chance to see and pet a monitor lizard. Thanks to the Abilene Zoo for arranging that. Kids and reptiles are always a fun combination.

If anyone has some good pictures from today's events, email them to us (use the link at the bottom of the page) and we'll get them online. Thanks to everyone who helped with the ride today!