By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — Sunday morning’s rains took their toll on bikers hoping to use solar-powered batteries to make their rides easier.

The steady rain didn’t bother Michael Lukens too much, though. He finished about 15 of the 62 miles that his team had to complete.

“It’s not that bad,” said the 16-year-old resident of Bloomington, Ind. “It’s nice and cool.”

“But when you’re off your bike, it gets chilly quickly,” said teammate Ian Martin, 18.

Crowder College was host for Solar BikeRayce USA, an annual competition for solar-powered bicycles and other solar-powered vehicles. The race drew teams from across the country, including Bloomington, Kansas City and Mexico, Mo.

Teams’ vehicles were equipped with solar panels and motors that add power to a driver’s pedaling. Team members drove bicycles and recumbent — with the rider reclining — tricycles equipped with the motors in the 62-mile marathon.

The wet roads slowed down the three-wheeled vehicles, Martin said. He rode a recumbent tricycle on the course.

“As I was riding, I could see the water flying off of my tires,” he said. “Whatever energy I could have used to speed across the asphalt was used to spray water.”

This is the 11th year that faculty adviser Jim Graham has brought a team from Mexico High School.

“This is the first time we’ve had weather like this,” Graham said. “But what makes this fun is that all the teams help each other. Everyone is racing for everyone else.”

The team picked out uniforms at a retail store. The men chose loose-fitting, Hawaiian-print shirts.

“This is definitely a form-over-function uniform,” said William Seigfried, 18. “It might cause some drag, but it looks awesome.”

Drag was no problem: The rain saturated the shirt, gluing it to Seigfried’s back. The motor on his bicycle didn’t work, either. The thick cloud cover kept its solar panels from collecting much energy.