SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - It seems ironic one of the "shorter" Anchor House Rides for Runaways started with one of the longer bus rides yesterday.

The 195 riders and 25 members of the support crew boarded four buses at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J., yesterday morning, saying goodbye to family and friends. The buses rolled into South Burlington almost nine hours later with a one-hour stop for lunch.

It was the last time for the riders to relax and rest before getting on their bikes today for the first day of riding the 500-mile route which ends on July 17 at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence, N.J.

The four buses reached South Burlington just before 5 p.m.

As rain fell nearing Burlington, the riders on one bus were ensured it was not raining in South Burlington, where their bikes were being kept outside, waiting to be claimed by their owners.

Sure enough, it didn't start raining until everyone was in the process of settling into their rooms and picking up their bikes.

The forecast for today's 79-mile ride to Rutland is for sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s.

The long bus ride didn't seem to faze any riders, who know they won't again be moving together without any effort until the final 10-mile easy ride from the Dutko residence in Pennington, N.J., to Quaker Bridge Mall, during which the entire procession of riders stays together.

"I get antsy," said veteran rider James Johnson. "But I just talk to good people. I slept more this year. I was impressed (with being able to sleep)."

While several riders immediately broke out cue sheets, detailing each day's ride and taking note as the bus struggled up some long grades once it entered Vermont, Johnson chose to ignore the whining of the bus engine and the scenic mountains on both sides of the highway.

"I don't want to know," Johnson said. "I am one of those types who does not want to know what is around the corner. I know the ground is always flat if I look down."

Each bus offered an interesting mix of movies. One bus played two classics, Animal House and Breaking Away, the best cycling movie ever made - out of the small list of movies on the subject.

A second bus played Anger Management.

Rookie rider James Fitzpatrick tried to enjoy the movies but he could not help but notice the hills during the final hours on the bus.

"I tried to relax, but it seemed like the bus was doing a little uphill," said Fitzpatrick. "The movie choices were good. You can't beat John Belushi and `Breaking Away.' "

One of the favorite debates on the bus was which day will be the most difficult. While some picked today's route, which is the longest mileage day of the week and climbs for a good part of its length, the consensus seemed to be the fifth or sixth day. The second half of the fifth-day ride from Kingston, N.Y., to Port Jervis, N.Y., is mostly uphill, while the 74-mile ride from Port Jervis to Phillipsburg has significant uphill sections.

Anchor House Ride for Runaways

Here are a few of the participants of the Anchor House Ride for Runaways.:

Ray Accola, Shanes Adriene, Fred Allen, Ron Angelini, Marta Babbitt, Bob Bartolf, Rob Baumgaertner, Lou Beke, Bruce Belovin, Tom Belton, Gayle Berkery, Ted Bertuccio, Larry Bird, Chris Bolden, Sean Bolden, Barbara Brent, Johnnie Britt, Ann Brown, Russ Buckley, Phil Bull, Richard Burgos, Lori Burke, the Rev. Mike Burns, Paul Butterfield, Tom Caldwell, Eric Campbell, Juan Carnenosa, Alison Carpenter, Virginia Cavella, Charles Chichester, Mike Chordas, Neil Coffee, Cheryl Cohen, Sandy Cooney.