I was starting from Olathe, and Bill from Kansas City, Missouri. We agreed on a southern route, with a vague destination of La Cygne for the first night. The second day and night we’d play by ear, making it up as we went along. Sticking with areas I knew well, we could afford to take a pretty casual approach to tour-planning.

Bill and I met up in mid-afternoon at 199th and Metcalf in Stilwell. This was about 20 miles from home for Bill, and 10 for me. We headed south on Metcalf, through rural Johnson County and into Miami County. Our first destination was Louisburg, after about 10 miles due south on Metcalf, into a brisk ~15-MPH headwind.

At Louisburg, we had our first decision point. There was another 25 miles to go, most of it into the wind, to get to La Cygne. But we had other options. Middle Creek State Fishing Lake was our first camping opportunity, at about 8 miles. The next was La Cygne Wildlife Area, at about 17 miles.

So the decision was whether to buy food in Louisburg, or wait until La Cygne. Suspecting that we may decide to cut the trip short, we stocked up on food and water in Louisburg, since there were no services at either bail-out option, or along the planned route.

After loading up at the local grocery, we headed south on Rogers Road, which parallels Metcalf for several miles. Though graveled, and not paved, this was a scenic and nearly traffic-free route, which crossed one of my favorite bridges in the area, the Branch Rabbit Creek Bridge, a one-lane pony truss span built in 1915.

Just past the bridge, on Rogers Road, is this great red barn and silo.

After the gravel, and another few miles of headwind, we decided to spend the night at Middle Creek State Fishing Lake. We set up the tents, had a bite, then found ourselves with some time before dark. We soon realized that we’d neglected to bring any beverages of a refreshing sort. So, leaving the tents set up, we made a quick run to Drexel, Missouri, about 7 miles distant, to the southeast.

Having offloaded our supplies back at camp, we had fresh legs, and made good time. The ride to and from Drexel was gravel roads both ways for most of the distance, and we managed to find a few hills as well.

Back at camp, we settled down and prepared for dark, with more food and drink.

It was warm enough that a campfire wasn’t strictly necessary, but somehow a fire is always comforting, and seems appropriate when night falls outdoors. A fire ring, along with a picnic table, is one of the appreciated amenities when camping at places such as the Kansas state fishing lakes.

We stayed up for an hour or two after dark, and were treated to a clear sky with a sliver of a moon and a brilliant display of stars. Hitting the sack in our respective tents, we fell asleep quickly (or at least I did).

Next morning, it was beautiful lakeside. I made a bit of coffee while we each had a little breakfast.

My Alps Mystique 1.5 tent once again performed flawlessly. Went up quick, tore down quick, packed tight. I opted to strap it to my rear rack on this trip, to free up pannier space.

Bill took the opportunity for a little morning yoga, observed by a group of birds posing out on the water.

We decided on a first destination of Osawatomie, where we intended to secure a second breakfast, then get onto the Flint Hills Nature Trail to Ottawa. From there, were intended to loop back north to Baldwin City, then on to Douglas State Fishing Lake for the night.

During the overnight hours, the wind had shifted to the southwest, and it picked up in intensity as the day lengthened. Of course, we were headed southwest, so faced at least a half day or so of headwind.

These are our bikes at one of our rest breaks on the way to Osawatomie, leaned up against an interesting farm gate. We both rode Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bikes. Bill’s is the green one on the left; mine is on the right.

In Osawatomie, we stopped in at Chris’ Cafe (it was the “Free WiFi” that drew us in), and had a little late-breakfast / early lunch before heading off again. Good eats, reasonably priced!

We entered the Flint Hills Nature Trail just west of Osawatomie, and enjoyed the car-free quiet, and numerous wildflowers along the trail.

We’d only gotten a few miles before my cell phone rang. It was my wife, letting me know that she had called her doctor about severe stomach pains that had been bothering her for awhile, and they’d suggested that she go to the emergency room at the hospital.

That meant I was headed home, and Bill decided to return home as well, rather than proceeding on his own.

Heading back north, we finally had a nice tailwind, and made good time, but there were some hills to contend with, and the day was heating up quickly. Here, I had stopped after a bit of a climb to apply more sunscreen. A nice little view!

After a long stretch of gravel, we took a break at the old Rock Creek School House, built in 1910 at 231st and Pressonville Road in the country between Edgerton and Wellsville.

The heat, wind, and rough gravel got to ‘ol Bill and he lay down for a quick stretch at the school. Hottest day of the year so far, and the first heat rides are always the toughest…

From there, we headed east, crossing the Antioch arm of Hillsdale Lake, and taking 223rd into Spring Hill. There, we split up, with each of us heading for home.

I ended up with about 100 miles total. Not a bad little trip, even if it was cut a bit short. My wife’s stomach ailment turned out to not be too serious, so all ended well.

Hoping for more bike camping trips soon!

Air Capital Memorial Park is located on the west side of Wichita, at 9501 W Kellogg Dr, Wichita, Kansas 67209. There are currently about 2 miles of singletrack trail, with about a half mile of that being beginner-friendly, and the rest consisting of intermediate and advanced trails. The trails have been built by volunteers from Kansas Singletrack Society and Lee’s Bike Shop.

The park boasts some new signage to help you find your way:

Here’s a trail overview map:

The prior three images are courtesy of the Air Capital Memorial Park Singletrack Facebook Page.

Here are a couple shots that I took when I visited the trails in early April:

This is part of the “East Loop”, with lots of ups-and-downs, tight turns, and challenging obstacles.

This is part of the “North Loop” trails — smooth, flowy, and fast.

Volunteers, thanks for all your hard work. It’s great to see some new singletrack come online in Wichita!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Meadowlark Trail Progress

The final steps are being completed on the Meadowlark Trail, which will stretch between McPherson and Lindsborg in central Kansas. The McPherson Sentinel reports that “Four miles out of McPherson already have been completed, while eight miles remain leading up to Lindsborg. If the weather cooperates, the rest of the trail should be finished by the end of next week.” [link]

Topeka on road to being more bicycle-friendly

“The wheels are turning to make Topeka streets more bicycle-friendly. The city is taking steps to improve safety and access. The city also has applied for a $1.4 million federal grant that would help finance the first phase of a project to implement a Topeka bikeways system.” [link]

MCC regional director biking to 50 churches in Kansas

“Before John Stoesz steps down as executive director of Mennonite Central Committee Central States, he’s spending the month of May on a farewell bike tour of 50 Mennonite churches in Kansas. Stoesz has divided the state into five regions — Newton, north, south, northeast and west — to cover in five weeks.” [link]

Fastpitch League Pitches In To “Recovering Rylee”

“Friends are pitching in to help a teammate injured in a bicycle accident. 12 year old Rylee Robinson remains in critical care at Stormont-Vail Hospital. She was hit by a car while bicycling last week on South Topeka Boulevard.” [link]

“A spokeswoman for the family of a 12-year-old Topeka girl who sustained serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding her bicycle said Friday afternoon that family members and friends are seeing ‘small improvements’ in her condition every day. Rylee Robinson was riding her bicycle in the gravel shoulder of S.W. Topeka Boulevard when she was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Rebecca Lynn Horting, 32, of Topeka, authorities said.” [link]

No word on charges against the driver; the collision is apparently still being investigated…

Regional Bicycling News

– Little Rock, AR: Proposed Bike Lane Could Shrink Road for Cars — “A bicycle-friendly route to work could cost Little Rock drivers an extra lane. On Thursday a public meeting was held to discuss proposed changes to parts of Main Street from a four-lane road to a three-lane one with a lane for bicycles.” Foment conflict between bicyclists and motorists, just in time for bike week. Classy.

– Conway, AR: Conway Police observe National Bike Month with education efforts and more directed patrols — “An avid bike rider himself, Conway Police Chief AJ Gary said the enforcement is not about hassling bike riders, but about safety. ‘Vehicles and bikes should be able to share the road in a safe manner and that can only happen when all involved obey the rules of the road. With this in mind we are using these concentrated efforts to make sure citizens are familiar with the laws,’ Gary said.”

– Colorado: Cyclists Take Note- There Is A Growing Movement In Your Local Community To License You! — “A concerning trend over the last year has been the increased call by frustrated residents for the mandatory licensing of bicycles and the requirement that cyclists display a license plate and/or pay a license fee to operate their bicycle on public roads.” An interesting discussion about the motivations behind proposals to license bicyclists and/or bicycles in Colorado.

– Lyons, CO: Wrong-Way Motorist Kills Cyclist — “A cyclist was killed after being struck by a SUV in Lyons Saturday evening. A Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Sgt. Nick Goldberger, said the SUV was going the wrong direction at 5:11 p.m. when the fatal crash happened.”

– Sioux City, IA: Big donation means more bike racks in the Sioux City area — “The Southern Hills Scheels store donated $10,000 for decorative bike racks. A Scheels spokesman says the bike racks will have a positive impact on the community. ‘These racks not only provide public bicycle parking, but also help and enhance the community and encourage people to pedal to their destination.’ The city plans to install 330 on-street bicycle signs, totaling 84 miles worth of bike paths.”

– Missouri: Historic Missouri Transportation Funding bill, first ever to incorporate biking & walking, passes Missouri House 100-57 — “Today bicycling, walking, and transit took another step towards being officially recognized in the Missouri Constitution and funded by Missouri transportation dollars. If approved by Missouri voters, in either August or November 2014, the measure will, for the first time, completely integrate bicycling, walking, and transit funding into the Missouri state transportation system.”

– Kansas City, MO: Trails KC System Expanding in Platte County — “The City of Kansas City, MO will expand the City’s Missouri Route 152 Trail and Line Creek Trail this summer using a combination of federal and local funds. ‘Our commitment to trails that serve both as transportation and recreational needs allowed us to leverage $1.5 million of federal funds and will allow our residents to hike and bike from Riverside all the way to the Zona Rosa area with minimal cost to Kansas City taxpayers’”

– Omaha, NE: Hit and Run; Truck hits 10-year-old on Bicycle — “The Gomez family were out for a bicycle ride on Saturday afternoon. Anthony Gomez tells Fox 42 News he saw a white pickup truck hit his 10-year-old daughter who was riding her bike. He says the truck then speed off in the other direction. His daughter, Mya, walked away with bumps and bruises.”

– Oklahoma: Oklahoma Establishes Historic Chisholm Trail Bike Route — “New legislation has been signed into law in Oklahoma, establishing the Historic Chisholm Trail Bike Route through the state, from Texas to Kansas. There is not yet an official Chisholm Trail route in Kansas.”

– Oklahoma City, OK: Driver sought in OKC fatal hit and run of teen — “Police in Oklahoma City are looking for a hit & run driver who fatally struck a 16-year-old boy on a bicycle. The youth was struck by a pickup truck and killed at 11:30 p.m. Saturday near SW 51st Street and May Avenue.”

Event News

Events on tap for this coming weekend include:

– The 40th Annual Wicked Wind 100 welcomes riders of all abilities for 25, 50, Metric Century, and 100-mile rides southwest of Wichita. May 18.

– Elrod’s Cirque is a gravel grinder set in the southern Flint Hills of Kansas, starting and ending in downtown Winfield, with 16, 61, and 121 mile route options. May 18.

– MMCT Salina 2 Day offers a weekend of bicycle racing in Salina, Kansas, with a Road Race on Saturday May 18th and a Criterium on Sunday May 19th.

– Ozsome Bike Fest is a free family-friendly festival featuring both bike riding and activities for all ages, at OJ Watson Park in Wichita, Kansas. 1, 2, 5, and 25-mile route options. May 18.

– The Capitol Classic is a showcase for the very best in Topeka area cycling, with 16, 38, 60, and 100 mile routes. May 19.

– Dirty Little Secret is an annual mountain bike race that takes place on the challenging trails at Fancy Creek State Park near Manhattan, Kansas. May 19.

– Also of note is the annual Tour de Brew Kansas City ride, which takes place primarily in Kansas City, Missouri, but does venture into Kansas, briefly, on the longest route. May 19.

And looking further into the future, mark the Kansas Built Environment and Outdoors Summit on your calendar. This educational event helps municipalities and advocates work together to improve the bicycling and walking environment in our communities. The 2013 Kansas Built Environment and Outdoors Summit is scheduled for September 24-26 in Topeka.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Bicycling Inspiration

This is some smooth singletrack at Hillsdale Wildlife Area, just south of Gardner, Kansas.

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

According to the McPherson Sentinel:

The final steps are being completed on a recreational trail that will stretch between McPherson and Lindsborg. The Meadowlark Trail, which lies on a former railroad track, is getting covered with limestone screening. The limestone, when made wet, will harden, making a smooth, even trail.

The trail out of McPherson begins at the intersection of Moccasin and Old Highway 81. It then goes up to Lindsborg, and stretches a total of 12.4 miles.

Four miles out of McPherson already have been completed, while eight miles remain leading up to Lindsborg. However, before limestone is laid on the rest of the trail, maintenance, such as removing weeds and grass, must be finished.

If the weather cooperates, the rest of the trail should be finished by the end of next week.

The Meadowlark Trail and the Sunflower Santa Fe Trail are being developed by the Central Kansas Conservancy. Their web site is currently down, but they have a Facebook page that you can use to keep up with news on these trails.

(Photo courtesy of Central Kansas Conservancy.

The Chisholm Trail was called “the greatest migration of livestock in world history”.

Recently, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed HB1257 into law, establishing the “Historic Chisholm Trail Bike Route”:

State Highway 81 from the Kansas border to the Texas border shall be designated as the “Historic Chisholm. Trail Bike Route”. The cost associated with signage required by this section shall be provided from private sources and shall include the cost of the initial erection of signs as well as the cost of potential replacement or reconstruction of signs. Upon receiving adequate funding from private sources and after a shoulder lane has been provided, the Department of Transportation shall cause suitable permanent markers to be placed upon the highway bearing that name. Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Department shall provide a shoulder lane designated for use by bicycle traffic on the Historic Chisholm Trail Bike Route. This act shall become effective November 1, 2013.

Although there is currently no “official” Chisholm Trail Bicycle Route in Kansas, you can follow the approximate route by taking US-81 north from the Oklahoma state line to Caldwell, then on various state and federal highways through Wellington, Wichita, Newton, Hillsboro, and Abilene.

You can learn more from the Kansas Chisholm Trail Bicycle Route Guide.

Hopefully Kansas will continue the trend and establish an official Chisholm Trail Bike Route in the Sunflower State!

Oklahoma US Bicycle Route 66 Setback

In related activity in the Oklahoma Legislature, SJR13, which would have designated Route 66 as “Oklahoma’s Official Bicycle Route” and would have directed the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to apply to add Route 66 to the US Bicycle Route system, died in the House Tourism committee, after being passed by the full senate on a 40-5 vote, and receiving a “do pass” recommendation from the Transportation committee.

Despite the legislative setback, Oklahoma already has more rideable miles on Route 66 than any other state, and continues work to get more communities to get on board with the effort.

Kansas, despite having only 13 miles of Route 66 in the state, is still in the early stages of establishing Route 66 as an official US Bicycle Route.

See also: Bicycling the Route 66 Historic Byway in Kansas

The Ride of Silence takes place on the third Wednesday of May, at 7pm local time, and consists of a silent slow-paced ride — a funeral procession, in effect.

Be sure to make plans to arrive early. There’s usually a brief ceremony to remember friends and loved ones who’ve been injured or lost their lives, followed by an announcement explaining ride protocol and safety precautions for the ride, which begins promptly at 7:00pm.

2013 is the 10th anniversary of the first Ride of Silence, which took place in 2003 in Dallas, Texas.

Kansas Rides of Silence

– Hutchinson Ride of Silence: Begins at 3rd and Main.

– Lawrence Ride of Silence: Begins and ends at the gazebo in South Park. Ride will loop through downtown twice before returning to South Park.

– Wichita Ride of Silence: Begins and ends at Heartland Bicycle in downtown Wichita. About 10 miles.

Regional Rides of Silence

– Arkansas: Little Rock

– Colorado: Fort Collins, Woodland Park

– Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown, Mason City

– Missouri: Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, St. Louis

– Nebraska: Bellevue, Lincoln

– Oklahoma: Stillwater

Highlights include:

– Bike to Work with Varsity Donuts: “Every Monday during the month of May, from 6-9 am, you can receive a free drink with the purchase of a donut for biking to work and/or school. Since we encourage safe riding practices, you must present your helmet to be eligible.”

– Bicycle Progressive Dinner: “This year’s progressive dinner will be on Thursday, May 16th at 6 pm. We will meet at La Hacienda to enjoy some delicious chips, salsa and guacamole. Next, we will bike to AJ’s Pizzeria (downtown) for some pizza. Afterward we will head to the final location, City Park (Poyntz Shelter), for some sweet treats from Never Better Bakery and Hazel Hill Chocolate. It’s sure to be a great time!”

– Bike and Brunch: “On Sunday, May 12 at 10:30 am, meet in front of Big Poppi’s to take part in one of their regular rides: bike and brunch. It will consist of an easy-paced ride, followed by a brunch at a local business.”

– Mayor’s Ride: “The Mayor’s Ride will take place on Saturday, May 25 at 10 am. Participants will meet at the Rose Garden in City Park. Individuals will then accompany Mayor Matta and City Commissioners for an easy-paced, leisurely ride around Manhattan.”

For a complete listing of events, plus more details, visit bikemanhattan.info

In addition to the events above, Cycle CASA takes place on May 11th to raise funds for Sunflower CASA, a nonprofit organization in Manhattan. And on May 19th the Dirty Little Secret mountain bike event takes place at Fancy Creek State Park just north of Manhattan.

The coalition also has a more detailed Bike Month Calendar. Some highlights:

– SHIFT to Bikes Corporate Challenge: “One of our goals is to promote bicycle commuting as a viable mode of transportation in Wichita. We want to encourage individuals to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes to work, for errands, and for fun. It is open to all Wichita area employers regardless of size. The Wichita SHIFT to Bikes Corporate Challenge is FREE! So rally your team of 5 people then register to participate.The top 3 teams will be awarded with gold, silver, or bronze Wheel Trophy.” [poster]

– Wichita Million Mile Month: “Log your bicycle miles during the month of May.
Get on your bike for work, errands, and recreation. Go to mycyclinglog.com to log your miles for the Wichita Million Mile Month Group.”

– Tour de Cure: Wichita is May 11th, a one-day fundraising cycling event to benefit the American Diabetes Association, starting and ending at Sedgwick County Park in Wichita.

– Bike to the Ball Park: “The Wichita Wingnuts invited bicyclist to the ball park on May 15, 11:05 a.m. Present your helmet and get your tickets for just $3.00 each.”

– Bike To Work Week: May 13-17, with a free Jimmy John’s lunch on the 17th in Old Town Square.

– ‘Oz’some Family Bike Fest: A free family-friendly festival features both bike riding and activities for all ages, at OJ Watson Park in Wichita, with 1, 2, 5, and 25-mile route options. May 18th.

– Air Capital Mountain Bike Trail Ribbon Cutting: The Kansas Single Track Society will host a ribbon cutting and the official opening of the Air Capital Mountain Bike Trail. Volunteers will be recognized and tours will be given. May 18th.

– Wicked Wind: “The Wicked Wind 100 Bike Tour celebrates our 40th ride this year and we’re making it a weekend! Join us on Saturday May 18th for a family ride, velo swap and a moonlight ride, all free and then Sunday May 19th for 25-, 50-, Metric and 100-mile tours.”

Refer to the full calendar of events to learn more!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Andover-to-Augusta bike path taking first steps

Progress on the Redbud Trail: “There’s been talk for years about creating a path, to be used by foot or bicycles, from Andover to Augusta. Now, a grassroots organization is working in conjunction with several other unities to turn the ‘Rails to Trails’ path into a reality. Anyone interested in volunteering, or getting involved in the organization, is encouraged to call 204-8476 or emailing aartitrail@gmail.com .” [link]

Garden City / Holcomb Trail Proposed

The Finney County Commission, Garden City Commission and Holcomb City Council recently held a joint meeting to discuss, among other topics, “an inter-community bike/pedestrian trail”. I have no additional details on this proposal, unfortunately. Sounds intriguing! [link]

First Sharrows Installed In Wichita

The city of Wichita has recently installed its first sharrows, at the intersection of 21st Street and 135th Street West, in response to safety concerns from bicyclists. [link]

First Sharrows in Emporia

The city of Emporia has recently added their first sharrows, to about 2 miles of city streets. This is the first of four streets scheduled to receive the treatment within the next few years. [link]

Child on bicycle struck by car on S.W. Topeka

“A child riding a pink bicycle along S.W. Topeka Boulevard received serious injuries Monday afternoon after being struck by a black passenger car.” [link] “The driver, identified Tuesday as Rebecca Lynn Horting, 32, of Topeka, was driving south on S.W. Topeka Boulevard in a 2008 Kia Optima when her car collided with the bicycle, which Rylee was riding on the gravel shoulder.” [link]

More information, and video, from WIBW.

Bikers battle wind in anniversary ride

A report form Saturday’s Rope ‘em Ride in Hays: “Brandon Case, 47, Pratt, was the only bicyclist to cover the entire 100-mile course on the cool day that saw riders battling gusts that nearly sat them on their side, especially when riding by the Toulon elevator on Old U.S. Highway 40 east of Hays. Brandon Case is an avid bicyclist who participates in Biking Across Kansas and was back for the Rope ‘em Ride for the first time in several years. ‘We definitely wanted to come back for the 25th,’ Case said.” [link]

Tour de Topeka gives riders taste of city streets

“Bicyclists cruised the streets of Topeka on Sunday as a way to highlight the city’s bikeways plan. Tour de Topeka took place about eight weeks earlier than the Tour de France — and the scenery was a tad different, too — but bicyclists showed enthusiasm for the steps the city has taken toward making Topeka a better place to ride.” [link]

City of Manhattan, local businesses celebrate bike month

“This month, the city of Manhattan and local businesses are giving people an opportunity to celebrate national bike month. Bike month, which has been a weeklong celebration in past years, gives the public a chance to participate in various events that promote bicycling.” [link]

National Bike Challenge Update

As of press time, the stats for the National Bike Challenge has Kansas as the number 12 state in the nation (the top 3 are Vermont, Wisconsin, and Nebraska). Kansas currently has 266 riders and just over 8500 miles logged.

Topeka cyclist Eric Bradford Nordgren is the #1 cyclist in the nation, with 762 miles since the beginning of the month (yikes!). Two other Kansans, Joe Jordan and Brian Carr, both of Topeka, are also in the top 10 nationwide.

The #1 team in Kansas is the “Topeka Ol’ Phogeys“; they’re also the top “small team” in the country, having logged nearly 2325 miles as a 10-person team.

Topeka is taking this thing seriously; the rest of us have some catching up to do!

Not signed up yet for the National Bike Challenge? Shame on you. Get on it. It’s free and it’s fun, and the more the merrier. You can easy back-date your miles through the beginning of May. Sign up now!

Regional Bicycling News

– Conway, AR: National Bike Month brings array of events to Conway — “National Bike Month has kicked into gear, and events will be happening in and around Conway for the entire month that will bring awareness to cycling and lessons about traffic safety for those sharing the road with cyclists.”

– Telluride, CO: Town Park pump track nears completion — “What was once just a sketch plan and big pile of dirt has transformed into a sculpted play park that is nearly ready for area bikers. Volunteers and SMBA members worked over the weekend to get the track into ride-ready shape and did some test runs. They will be working over the next few days to tweak some aspects of it and make sure that it flows well, and it will be open to the public on or before July 17.”

– Iowa: Iowa is 21st of bicycle-friendly states– “The Hawkeye State dipped five places from 2012, placing 21st in the nation in the League of American Bicyclists’ annual review, released Wednesday. It’s a significant dive from 2009 through 2011, when Iowa repeatedly ranked in the top 10 for bike-friendliness. ‘We’re dropping like a rock. It doesn’t resonate very well for a state that prides itself on doing RAGBRAI when we’re not judged as a very safe state for bicycling.’”

– Pleasant Hill, MO: New Pleasant Hill shop caters to bike enthusiasts — “A new Pleasant Hill business offers a two-for-one deal: coffee and bicycles. When Voss learned that state began making plans to expand the trail through Pleasant Hill, the idea spurred to open up his own shop as a resource to others bicyclists by providing repair services, along with rentals and sales — as well as some caffeine.”

– Beatrice, NE: Beatrice man gets year behind bars in hit-run case — “Investigators say Drent’s car ran into a bicyclist on July 21, 2012. Drent continued driving and then left his vehicle in a parking lot. He was arrested after he was contacted at his home. Defense and prosecution lawyers had jointly recommended two years of probation for Drent, but Judge Paul Korslund told Drent he was giving him the year’s sentence as ‘a wake-up call.’” [more info] Well done, Judge Korslund!

– Lincoln, NE: Nacho Ride kicks off seventh year Tuesday — “Lincoln’s Nacho Ride averaged 100 bicyclists per week in 2012. The Nacho Ride officially starts at the trailhead just south of 84th and O streets at 5:30 p.m., but many riders arrive early or come late. They pedal 10 miles to Eagle and stop at the One-Eyed Dog Saloon for nachos, beverages and to socialize. Total round-trip distance: 20 miles.”

– Tulsa, OK: Pedicabs offer low-cost, low-hassle transportation in Tulsa — “Driving in circles to find parking, then hiking several blocks or more to get to an event, is something of a Tulsa tradition. Tulsa Pedicabs offers an alternative. A phone call or email will reserve you a ride in a Pedicab, something of a cross between a rickshaw and a bicycle. The drivers work for tips, there’s no fare.

Event News

Events for this coming weekend include:

– Cycle CASA in Manhattan on May 11th

– Tour de Cure: Wichita at Sedgwick County Park in Wichita on may 11th

– Gravel Ride for Maisie’s Pride on May 11 in Eskridge

– Trail Care Day on the Lawrence River Trails, May 11. Complete a few hours of work and earn a chance to win some awesome prizes from Sunflower Outdoor and Bike, including a new bike, lights, helmets, shoes, and other great gear.

Next Wednesday, May 15th, is the annual “Ride of Silence“, to honor those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. There are events in Lawrence, Wichita, and elsewhere around the region.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Bicycling Inspiration

A half mile of sharrows was installed on an isolated portion of McClure Street in southwest Topeka in 2011, but these on 10th Avenue are brand new, and are part of a demonstration project, in anticipation of implementation of the first phase of the Topeka Bikeways Master Plan.

These are well-placed within the lane, and on a very suitable street. Hopefully they are indicative of many more to follow!

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

These are the first sharrows on city streets in Emporia.

(Photo courtesy MUPP Board, used with permission.)

Emporia’s Multi-Use Path Planning (MUPP) Board, which is working to improve the walk- and bikeability of Emporia, reported the following:

We’re very excited to have them, and the community response has been great so far. They’ve been placed on 12th Ave., from Industrial Rd. to Merchant St. (approx. 2 miles). This is the first phase of the project; as funds allow, they will also be placed on Prairie St., Merchant St., and South Ave.

Given the current funding forecast, they’re aiming for all 4 streets to be completed sometime in 2017. If addition funding is secured sooner, the projects can be accelerated.

At that point, there will be a total of about 6.75 miles of sharrows in Emporia — 1.25 miles on Merchant, 1.5 on South, and 2 on Prairie, in addition to the 2 already in place on 12th Avenue.

Emporia is the 4th Kansas community to add sharrows on their streets (the previous ones were Topeka and Manhattan in 2011, and Wichita very recently.

What is a Sharrow?

A sharrow (short for “shared lane arrow”) serves two main purposes: First, they advise bicyclists where to position themselves within a lane for optimal safety — basically, bicyclists should ride right over the “point” of the arrow. Secondly, they remind motorists to expect bicycle traffic, and where drivers should expect bicyclists to position themselves. Secondary purposes of the sharrows are to remind bicyclists to ride in the same direction as other traffic, and can also be used as a wayfinding aid.

Although sharrows are relatively new in Kansas, they’ve been used around the country for many years, and can help improve the safety of the roads for both motorists and bicyclists.

This article explains in more detail: Sharrows in Kansas.

There have been wide shoulders on 21st for many years, which bicyclists used to travel along this arterial road (essentially using them as bike lanes). When the intersection was rebuilt, in late 2012, the shoulders were dropped within the intersection, leaving cyclists with no choices except to merge with potentially heavy and high-speed traffic, or to continue straight through a right-turn-only lane. Neither option was ideal.

Representatives from Bike Walk Wichita and WAMPO (the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) contacted the city about the issue, and a compromise was reached, in which sharrows — shared lane arrows — would be added to the right-turn lanes, along with appropriate signage, to indicate to bicyclists and motorists that bicycle traffic may use the right-turn lane to continue straight (or to turn). Bicyclists still have the option of moving into the main through shared lane, if they prefer.

Wichita Sharrow Photos

The following photos (and captions) of the new intersection were taken by Bike Walk Wichita, and republished here with permission:

We will need to educate motorists what this sign means: bicyclists may use any portion of the full width of the lane.

It can be hard to safely mix right turn lanes with bike lanes. The city made a good decision to use sharrows and signs to make clear that cyclists going straight have the right of way.

Very clear signage, we hope motorists and cyclists understand.

Another view of the sharrow and the turn arrow.

This is the approach to the intersection. Nice job separating the bike lane, but not so good keeping bike lane free from debris.

Motor vehicles can turn right in this lane, they just need to share the road with cyclists. Should be easy, but this will take public education efforts.

Thank you, Bike Walk Wichita, for these photos!

First In Kansas

This is, as far as I’m aware, the first such implementation — a sharrow within a right-turn lane — in the state of Kansas.

It’s perhaps not an optimal configuration — an installation such as this one (on Lone Elm Road in Olathe is probably considered more “standard”, and less confusing — but it’s a reasonable compromise for lack of planning and coordination.

Given the “Yield to Bikes” sign, the through bicycle traffic will have priority over traffic merging from the shared-use travel lane to the right-turn lane. This should be relatively safe, as long as bicyclists and motorists are aware and considerate of each other. (But bicyclists, watch out for any oblivious motorists who may fail to yield the right-of-way! A rear-view mirror or head turn is strongly advised as you enter this area, to ensure that no motor vehicle is attempted to merge into your lane.)

I do not know if the entire length of the “wide shoulders” on 21st have now been officially designated as a “bike lane”, or if only the sections nearest the intersection now have the appropriate pavement markings and signage. (I assume the latter.)

It’s great to see the city of Wichita being willing to experiment with a new configuration, and responsive to the concerns of bicyclists!

Kansas.com covered the sharrows installation: New lane markings arrive to assist Wichita’s bicyclists (though, oddly, their photograph doesn’t appear to be from 21st and 135th; not sure what location it is depicting, and why they chose a photo showing a cyclist using a sidewalk instead of the sharrow’d street).

Halfway through calendar Spring, and it’s still snowing.

So of course, I couldn’t resist riding my bike though this rare meteorological event. Good thing I hadn’t put away all my winter gear yet!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

The National Bike Challenge Has Begun

The National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st through September 30th, with the goal of at least 50,000 riders participating, and riding at least 20 million miles. Are you participating yet? Get on your bikes and ride (and log those miles)!

Join the 2013 National Bike Challenge

Kansas Drops to #40 in 2013 Bike Friendly States Ranking

The League of American Bicyclists has just released the 2013 edition of their Bicycle Friendly State rankings, and Kansas has dropped all the way to #40, a precipitous fall from just three years ago, when Kansas was ranked #13 in the nation. It’s our lowest ranking ever! How can we reverse this disturbing trend? [link]

Judge Denies Restitution For Paola Bicyclist’s Death

The family of Johnna Feugate was seeking restitution from the driver, Autumn Bassett, who killed the 9-year-old bicyclist in Paola last September. “Judge Sheila Schultz ruled that the driver involved in a fatal accident last fall must pay fines for her traffic law violations, but she won’t be required to pay restitution to the victim’s family. Schultz ruled that Bassett will have to pay $115 for going 43 mph in a 30 mph zone. She also assessed a fine of $100 for inattentive driving. For the driving without insurance offense, Schultz assessed a fine of $500 and a 90-day jail sentence. The sentence was then suspended, and Bassett was placed on probation for 365 days.” [link]

First Designated Bike Lanes Open in Salina

New bike lanes have been marked along a section of North Ohio Street in Saline County, just north of the city of Salina. Here’s a first look at the new lanes, pavement markings, and signage. [link]

This is, hopefully, a first step towards a larger network of bike lanes and bike routes in the 10th-largest city in Kansas!

Community invited to dine with Dirty Kanza riders

“The Emporia Farmers Market is hosting this year’s Pasta Palooza for the riders of the Dirty Kanza 200 bike race from 4 to 7:30 p.m. May 31 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. Community members who would like to dine with the Dirty Kanza Riders are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. ‘We’ve really enjoyed partnering with the organizers of the Dirty Kanza race to be a part of this fantastic event that brings so many people from all over the nation to Emporia.’” [link]

Topeka Bike Month Proclamation May 7th

From Topeka Bikeways: “Join us May 7th at the city council meeting for the Bike Month proclamation and official logo unveiling. Party at Celtic Fox afterward with the presentation of prize money at 7:15. Come get an official logo t-shirt.” [link]

Bikes Mean Business in Miami County Kansas

According the ride organizer for the recent Tour de Vino (MiCoVelo), the wineries along the route of the ride — Middle Creek Winery, Somerset Ridge Winery, and Nighthawk Winery — had their biggest retail sales days ever.

I can believe it. There were only about 120 or so riders on the tour, but there were a large number of bottles of wine sold (see pics and story here). Cyclists are lushes, apparently… (Also, the wines were really good.)

It’s great to see cycling provide a significant economic impact to these small rural mom-and-pop agribusinesses. Bikes Mean Business, indeed! Even in rural areas.

K-68 Open Houses in Miami County

The Kansas Department of Transportation is hosting two public open houses for the Miami County K-68 Expansion Project. KDOT is planning to expand K-68 to a 4-lane expressway between US-169 and US-69. The meetings are in Louisburg (May 6, 5-7pm at the American Legion) and Paola (May 7, 5-7pm at the Paola Community Center). Bicyclists frequently ride along K-68, and cross K-68 at several points. The new $12 million dollar highway will need to support bicycle traffic with bicycle-friendly shoulders, safe bridge crossings, and safe intersection designs. Cyclists, please attend the open houses and speak up. The K-68 expansion is part of the K-68 Corridor Management Plan. [link]

Residents Support Bike Lanes in Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas City, Kansas is adding bike lanes and sidewalks to Merriam Lane, the primary corridor into Kansas City. This is a development that is long overdue, and will improve safety and convenience for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. The city held an open house on April 30th to unveil the plans to residents, business owners, and people who travel the corridor, and many bicyclists took time out of their busy schedules to look over the plans and make comments. If you were unable to attend the open house, or have any additional comments, they can be sent to Project Engineer Troy Shaw at tshaw@wycokck.org

A few property owners along the route are apparently concerned that they may lose private parking space on the public right-of-way. Adding bike parking is a pretty easy way to mitigate that, since a large number of bikes can be parked in just one typical automobile space. During preliminary development of the plan, business owners along the corridor strongly supported adding bike lanes to the roadway. Let’s hope they’re not getting cold feet, and the businesses and city can work out a reasonable compromise that does not compromise on safety for everyone.

Regional Bicycling News

– Arkansas: Arkansas climbs ranks among bicycle-friendly states — “After being last in line in 2012 in terms of bicycle friendliness, Arkansas has made the second-largest leap in the country to accommodate those who put their pedals to the pavement, a news release from the state Highway and Transportation Department states. ‘The bicycling culture in Arkansas has grown more popular in recent years and we are responding,’ department Director Scott Bennett said in the release. ‘Arkansas has made great strides toward becoming a more bicycle friendly state, and we need to continue to build on this momentum.’” Great to see a DOT director making statements like that!

– Fort Collins, CO: After ticketing Fort Collins bicyclist, Larimer sheriff’s deputy under investigation over behavior — The deputy gave the cyclist a ticket for breaking an imaginary law, then broke the law himself when he passed the cyclist with inches to spare. “It’s unbelievably different when the car that’s stalking is you an officer who is supposed to serve and protect. It could have been an honest mistake, but I’m quite convinced he was making a point.”

– Des Moines, IA: Group offers bicycle, walking tours — “To show off downtown’s best, the Des Moines Bike Collective created walking and cycling tours that highlight everything from gardens and shopping to the Riverwalk. ‘We forget what treasures are around us. And I think this really prompts us to slow down, to stroll, to have a conversation and to see some of the most remarkable things you’ll find anywhere.’ The 10 walking and cycling routes will get you moving while enjoying the city.”

– Dutzow, MO: Bike Paths to Be Built on Route 47 — “The Missouri Department of Transportation has finalized plans to build pedestrian/bike paths along Highway 47, north of the Missouri River bridge, to connect Washington to the Katy Trail at Dutzow. The state agency plans to construct 8-foot-wide paved shoulders along both sides of Highway 47, from the bridge to Highway 94 at Dutzow. When the new Missouri River bridge is built, it will include a 10-foot-wide biking/pedestrian path on the west side of the span.”

– Kansas City, MO: Bicycle Parking Now Allowed At Kauffman Stadium — The Kansas City Royals have updated their bicycle parking policy, and while they still provide no official bike racks or other secured facilities, they now allow bicycles to be parked at the stadium, at no charge. This is a step in the right direction. Thank you, Royals!

– St. Louis, MO: Cyclists Hope to Revive St. Louis’ Velodrome, One of Only 27 Banked Tracks in U.S. — “In the 1960s cyclists from all over ventured to St. Louis to spin around the banked turns of the Penrose Park velodrome. Now, though, the track’s surface is nearly un-rideable as cracks and bumps in the track are not only annoying but also dangerous. St. Louis Alderman Scott Ogilvie (Ward 24), a cycling enthusiast and local racer himself, estimates that the velodrome in Penrose Park requires approximately $625,000 in repairs.”

– Lincoln, NE: UNL receives silver award from League of American Bicyclists — “Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln gathered on the Nebraska Union Plaza Wednesday to celebrate UNL’s designation as a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists. ‘We’re looking at it as a launch point. It gives us traction.’ The committee plans to pursue a gold award in the future.” [learn more]

– Stillwater, OK: City to install bike lanes — “Stillwater began the weeklong process of adding bicycle lanes to sections of 12th and Hall of Fame avenues on Monday, continuing to make the city more bicycle friendly. The department is looking to increase dedicated bike lanes throughout the community for cycling as a mode of transportation. ‘Culturally, we need to get people past the idea of thinking that bikes are only for recreation and that you can use a bicycle for transportation in this town. This is a very easy town to cycle in once you get comfortable on the streets and in traffic.’”

– Tulsa, OK: Bicycling for Transportation Not That Tough — “Two years ago I drove everywhere. I hadn’t ridden a bike in years and never even considered that it would be possible to get most places by bicycle. More than 6,000 miles later, I can say riding a bicycle for transportation is one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’m healthier than ever. My family was able to sell one of our cars. We’re saving a ton of money, and I feel more connected to my community. And it was way easier than I ever thought it would be.”

Event News

It’s National Bike Month, so lots of cycling events to choose from! Events this coming weekend in Kansas include:

– The Bull Creek Bike Bash is May 4th in Spring Hill, with 20, 30, 50, and 60-mile route options in rural Miami County.

– The Kansas Fat Tire Festival is a two-day mountain bike event at Lake Wilson, on some of the most picturesque bike trails in Kansas. It begins May 4th.

– The Rope ‘em Ride offers 5-100 mile routes showcasing the historical cathedrals in the Hays, Kansas area, on May 4th.

– Bike and Hike with the Birds is a May 4th gravel ride that explores the amazing natural beauty of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge near Stafford.

– BAMFAM on May 4th is part of a festival in McPherson which includes the ride, fun for kids, a picnic lunch, and drawings for bikes.

– Kids in Garden City can enjoy the annual Bike Rodeo on May 4th. The Miami County Bicycle Safety Rodeo is the same day in Paola.

– The Tallgrass Classic offers two days of competition against cyclists from around the country competing in a Criterium race and Road Race in Manhattan, starting May 4th

– The Sand Plum Bicycle Classic offers 12-mile, 25-mile, or 50-mile routes through Reno County (Hutchinson) on May 5th.

– Tour de Hope begins in Overland Park, in support of three local charities, with 15, 40, 62, and 69-mile route options on May 5th.

– The Tour of Topeka is a fun, free, and family-friendly ride to help introduce Topekans to their bike-friendly roads. May 5th.

Whew!

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Site News

I’ve begun the process of adding multi-sport (triathlons and duathlons) to Kansas Cyclist. I’ve resisted this in the past, since I’m not much of a runner or swimmer, but the biking portion of these events make them appropriate for the site. Watch for links and event listings in the coming weeks!

Bicycling Inspiration

I’m a big fan of night rides. With the lack of traffic, and a soundtrack provided by insects and nightbirds, it’s a totally different way to experience the world. And with good lights fore and aft, plus reflectivity, it often feels even safer than during the day. Cars and trucks at night usually give wide berth.

But night-time photography is hard!

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

Here’s how the League graded the state:

• Legislation and Enforcement: 2
• Policies and Programs: 2
• Infrastructure and Funding: 1
• Education & Encouragement: 2
• Evaluation & Planning: 1

All grades are on a 5-point scale (1=low, 5=high).

If a teacher were grading Kansas, an average of 1.6 out of 5 would be a 32%, far below even an “F” on the standard grading scale.

If grading on a curve, Kansas would perhaps earn a “D-”, if the teacher were feeling charitable…

Not an Encouraging Trend

In 2008, Kansas was ranked #25. In 2009, we dropped to #33. In 2010, we jumped way up to #13. In 2011, we slipped to #23. 2012 saw a big drop to #34. Now we sink even further to #40.

Here is the trend, visually:

Kansas Bicycle Friendly State Rankings 2008-2013

It’s ugly. It’s embarrassing.

Why Has Our Bicycle Friendly Ranking Dropped?

The biggest part of the explanation is that other states are continuing to improve, but progress has stalled in Kansas.

After the excitement and momentum gained by passage of the 2011 safe-passing law, and the opening of some excellent bicycling facilities in a few places in the state, nothing much happened in 2012, in terms of policy or projects.

However, 2012 saw the states’s first silver-level Bicycle Friendly Business, and a new Bicycle Friendly Community in Manhattan.

But 2013 hasn’t been much better, on the state level. We have a new state bike/ped plan in progress, but otherwise, no legislation in this session. And no big bike projects in progress.

We’ve seen some encouraging progress in the cities, with new bike plans in Wichita, Hays, and (soon) Valley Center, and positive developments in Iola, Pittsburg, and Kansas City. And the trails network is ever-expanding.

So there is some progress, but we still have a state Department of Transportation (KDOT) that too often talks a better game than it plays. We hear the right things about improving bike/ped transportation, but there is not a lot of concrete progress to show for it yet. Streets, roads, and highways are still routinely built with little consideration given to non-motorized transportation.

Of course, improving the bicycle friendliness of the state hasn’t been a priority for the Kansas legislative or executive branches, either. (And you’d hope that it would, given the extremely low costs and high return-on-investment for bike/ped projects, compared to most other transportation infrastructure.)

The State Legislature and Governor’s Office adopted the current transportation plan, T-LINK, and construction program, T-WORKS, which was developed by KDOT. The plan places no priority on bicycle and pedestrian transportation, and consequently, T-WORKS does not include any state funding for bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects.

Any money spent on bicycling and pedestrian transportation projects in Kansas is either pass-through dollars from the federal government, or local funds — Kansas has never invested any state transportation funds to build any of the few critical safety facilities we currently have.

Historically, money spent on bicycling and pedestrian transportation projects in Kansas is either pass-through dollars from the federal government, or local funds — not state funds — for critical safety facilities.

Kansas still has no silver, gold, or platinum-level bicycle friendly communities, and the number of bicycle friendly businesses is still rather small. None of our colleges have made the Bicycle Friendly University list.

How Can Kansas Improve?

The LAB’s Kansas BFS Report Card offers these suggestions for improvement:

• Adopt a vulnerable road user law that increases penaltiesfor a motorist that injures or kills a bicyclist or pedestrian.
• Repeal the state’s mandatory sidepath law. Most sidepaths are designed for recreational use and are not convenient for transportation purposes.
• Adopt a statewide, all-ages cell phone ban to combat distracted driving and increase safety for everyone.
• Adopt performance measures,such as mode shift or a low percentage of exempted projects, to better track and support Complete Streets/Bike Accommodation Policy compliance.
• Adopt a statewide policy that requires bicycle accommodations on all bridge and tunnel projects.
• The state is spending a low amount of federal funding on bicyclists and pedestrians. Adopt federal funding project rating criteria that incentivize bicycle projects and accommodations Dedicate state funding for bicycle projects and programs, especially those focused on safety and eliminating gaps and increasing access for bicycle networks.
• Add language to the driver’s license manual, classes, and tests that addresses the interaction between vehicles and bicycles.
• Adopt performance measures to decrease bicycle fatalities.
• Adopt a mode share goal for biking to encourage the integration of bicycle transportation needs into all transportation and land use policy and project decisions.

How Are Our Neighbors Doing?

Here’s what happened with the Bike Friendly States rankings in nearby states:

• Arkansas: #37 (#50 in 2012)
• Colorado: #2 (#4 in 2012)
• Iowa: #21 (#16 in 2012)
• Missouri: #30 (#28 in 2012)
• Nebraska: #41 (#43 in 2012)
• Oklahoma: #35 (#43 in 2012)

Other than Colorado, and to a lesser extent Iowa, Kansas is in a pretty low-ranked region.

That doesn’t help. When Kansas legislators look at our peers and see them stuck in the same rut and same regressive thinking, they must think of that as “normal”. It’s not. It’s failing.

Why Should Kansas Become Bicycle-Friendly?

This blurb from the Bicycle Friendly America brochure sums it up pretty well:

New businesses and potential residents aren’t just looking at tax rates and school districts anymore; they want to settle in a state with rich outdoor opportunities and safe transportation options for their entire family or workforce. The Bicycle Friendly States program helps government officials and advocates improve bicycling conditions and enhance quality of life.

Bicycling means business: Bicycle tourism can be a major driver of economic development, and corporations can capitalize on reduced healthcare costs. By making streets comfortable and accessible for cyclists, bicycle friendly states increase the afety of all road users and give residents transportation choices that save money and improve health.

Any thoughts on how Kansas can move forward, rather than falling further and further behind?

See also: Bicycle Friendly States Ranking Announced!, 2013 state grades by category.

For those of you participating in the “warm-up period” prior to the official start of the challenge, you did well.

As of April 30th, Kansas had 122 riders registered, and during the warm-up period, they rode 8,850 miles, placing Kansas #8 on the state charts. The top community was Oakley. The top team, the Kansas Cyclist team, logged nearly 2000 miles in the warm-up period.

Let’s keep on riding, keep on logging those miles, and keep on enjoying the ride!

The state and community rankings are not based on total mileage, but on the number of trips and the number of miles per participant. So smaller states and smaller communities have just as much of an opportunity to win the Bike Challenge as larger locales.

With all the committed cyclists in the Sunflower State, Kansas has a great chance to be a top-ranked state!

The formula for calculating “points” in the Challenge is really simple: it’s 20 points for each day you ride at least 1 mile, plus 1 point for each mile.

But most of all, have fun!

Alps Mystique 1.5 Tent

I’ve been using a Eureka Pinnacle Pass 2XTA tent for the last half-dozen years, and though it’s served me well, I’ve been on the lookout for something lighter than the Eureka’s 6+ pounds, and smaller to carry. I’ve also recently tried a Magellen Scout Tent, but while it’s 2.5-pound weight is excellent, it’s a single-wall tent, so condensation is quite bad.

After a great deal of shopping and deliberation, I finally purchased a Mystique 1.5 from Alps Mountaineering:

The Mystique 1.5 is a single-person tent with a carry weight of just over 4 pounds, which is not super lightweight, but the price was right (especially with my REI dividend), and Alps seemed to be a well-respected tent manufacturer. The Mystique 1.5 has a bit more internal space than many solo tents (hence the “1.5″ name), and has two doors and two small vestibules, both of which are pluses compared to some competitors. It has lots of mesh, so there should be good ventilation, even on sweltering summer nights.

The only downside with the Mystique is that it’s not free-standing; it must be staked down, and cannot be set up on a concrete pad, for instance. I decided I could live with that. And buying from REI, I knew that I could take it back at any time if it didn’t work out, or failed.

I’ve slept in the tent one night, and so far so good. It went up very quickly and easily, and the inner space was adequate for one person, with room to change clothes and store gear. The vestibules, though not large, are handy for tucking away dirty shoes and gear not needed inside the tent.

As a pleasant surprise, I found that the tent poles are short enough to fit inside my panniers, which is a nice bonus, compared to my old Eureka. Rolled up, the tent plus fly is a little bulkier that I’d hoped, but I think I can address that with a compression sack, albeit at extra cost and weight.

I hope to use this tent many times this year, and come back with a fuller review at a later time.

Hoboroll

The Hoboroll is a unique product that caught my eye as soon as it came out. It’s billed as “the first luggage organizer that provides compression of items as well as multiple storage compartments”. It’s essentially a tube with five equal-sized pockets (like slices of a grapefruit), with a drawstring at each end, and two compression straps around the circumference.

Here, I have it pretty well stuffed with a fleece jacket, fleece vest, a pair of pants, and four t-shirts. Once cinched down, it takes up approximately one-half to two-thirds the volume. (This, obviously, depends on the compressability of the contents.)

While I first noticed the Hoboroll being used by backpackers, I’m interested in trying it for bicycle touring (bikepacking). The combination of organization and compression, as well as a relatively light weight, should work out well for touring. It’s obviously not waterproof, so that may prove to be a negative, since I don’t have waterproof panniers.

So far, I’ve used it on one business trip, one car-camping trip, and one bike-camping trip, and have been duly impressed with both it’s utility and flexibility. Again, I’m planning a more in-depth review after I’ve used it for a few more outings.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Hoboroll for free from Gobi Gear as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations in consideration for review publication.

Panaracer Pasela Tires

My vintage 10-speed Puch bicycle has 27″ wheels, which limits the choice of tires. Previously, I’d used CST C637 “Super HP” tires, which at the time I purchased them in 2011, were less than $10 each. They were very good tires — I rode about 3400 miles on them — but I wanted to give the Panaracer Pasela, of which I’d read very positive reviews, a try.

I purchased the Panaracer Pasela 27″ x 1-1/4″ Gumwall Tire, at around $15 each. Weight, at about 390 grams, is competitive. I opted for the non-TourGuard version (i.e. without puncture protection), since this is primarily a fair-weather road machine, and I wanted the liveliest possible feel.

The tires went on easily, and I think the gumwall looks good on the old Puch:

I didn’t expect much of a difference in ride quality compared to the CSTs, but I have been pleasantly surprised to discern at least a bit of an improvement. I’ve noticed that the Paselas roll well, and offer a comfortable ride. I’m running them far below their 95 PSI rating, at about 50 on the front, and 55 on the rear, since I often ride on gravel roads.

With only about 300 miles on them, it’s too early to say much, but they look like a good tire choice.

I rolled into town about 7pm, after cycling about 30 miles, and stopped at the police station downtown to purchase my camping permit ($10), then set up in the park.

There didn’t seem to be a designated tent camping area, nor any areas where camping was prohibited, so I opted for the north end of the central part of the park. There was no picnic table, but there was a trash can nearby and a water hydrant within an easy walk. Level ground was hard to come by. Some folks were using the shelter house as I pulled in, so I set up away from that. They left just before dark, I was alone in the park, and it was a clear, quiet night.

I was using a new tent for the first time, an Alps Mystique 1.5. Here it is set up without the rain fly.

Here is the tent set up covered by the fly.

(Please forgive the inconsistent look to these photos; my camera was giving me fits.)

It was about 50°F near dusk, so I used my alcohol stove to boil up some water for a hot cup of (instant) coffee.

The temperature dropped overnight to around freezing. There was frost on the tent in the morning, as well as on the grass in low-lying areas. I had a heavyweight sleeping bag, so I was quite comfy during the night.

(And yes, I had turned the tent around after finding that there was a slight downward slope foot-to-head.)

After packing up my gear and breaking camp, I rode into town and had breakfast at the Whistle Stop Cafe, then headed east about 10 miles to the start of the ride.

The Tour de Vino was great fun, with over 100 riders touring the wineries of Miami County. It was a chilly start, but some nice sun and vigorous exercise helped the day warm up quickly. Great to see so many cyclists not afraid of a little gravel!

Thirsty cyclists sampled some award-winning wines at Middle Creek Winery, as well as at Somerset Ridge Winery and Nighthawk Winery.

The tour wrapped up at Nighthawk Winery with food, more wine, and live music into the night.

The black bags on the table are bottles of wine that cyclists purchased at the other wineries, and had delivered to the end of the ride. And this was after lots of bags had already been picked up, and doesn’t include the bottles sold at Nighthawk. The wineries sold quite a lot of wine! It’s great to see cycling provide a significant economic impact to these small agribusinesses.

Thanks, MiCoVelo, for putting together such a smoothly-run and well-organized event!

I suspect that the Tour de Vino is going to become a really popular ride in the coming years. Bikes, gravel roads, rural hospitality, and wine … it’s hard to go wrong with that combination.

Construction began this week on Phase 1 of the Southwest Blvd, Merriam Drive Complete Streets project by the Kansas City Kansas//Unified Government. Phase 1 rebuilds Southwest Blvd from Iowa St (Holy Name Church) west to S 10th Street (the curve at top of the hill where Merriam Drive begins). Bike lanes will be added along with new sidewalks, street lighting, curbs and storm drainage, including through the I-35/Mission Rd interchange area. Construction is planned for a Fall 2013 completion. Please ride and walk carefully through this area as, take extra caution in congested areas. [via KanBikeWalk]

Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin in 2014, and there is a public meeting scheduled for April 30th:

A Public Meeting/Open House for Phase 2 of the Southwest Blvd/Merriam Drive corridor improvements (S 10th St west to S 24th St -Lamar) has been announced to discuss the continuation of the Compete Street design now underway in Phase 1.

Phase 2 will include the section along the Boulevard Drive-in Theatre, home of the Bike Week’s Bike-In Movie sponsored by the Rosedale Development Association being held on Thursday, May 16.

All bicyclists and pedestrians who ride and walk this corridor and those who would after the improvements are complete need to attend to speak up for the progressive design being undertaken by the Unified Government of Kansas City Kansas/Wyandotte County.

The project is proposed to include new bike lanes, sidewalks, street lighting, curbs and storm drainage. Some local businesses along the corridor have raised concerns to the project, as it will affect their current unrestricted use of the public right-of-way for parking and drive entrances. This unrestricted use of the public right-of-way has resulted in increased risks to bicyclists and pedestrians who need or want to use the roadway and a rather unsightly streetscape. [via KanBikeWalk]

The April 30th public meeting will take place at Rosedale Development Association, 1403 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66103. The public meeting is open from 5pm to 7pm.

Rosedale Development Association was the very first silver-level Bicycle Friendly Business in Kansas, earning that designation from the League of American Bicyclists in 2012.

The public meeting is open to everyone, whether you’re a business owner or resident, or if you work in the area, or travel through the Southwest Boulevard / Merriam Drive corridor.

The Unified Government adopted a Complete Streets resolution in 2011 “as part of ongoing efforts to develop an effective policy that supports the goals of designing, constructing, and maintaining an infrastructure that encourages active living within the City of Kansas City, Kansas.”

The Southwest Boulevard / Merriam Drive corridor project is one of the first in the city to use Complete Streets principles to help ensure that the new roadway is safe, attractive, and more livable and accessible to all users.

The public meeting is a good chance to speak up in support of Complete Street principles, and the planned bike lanes on Merriam Drive.

BikeWalkKC has additional info: Attend KCK public meeting to support bike lanes on Merriam Lane

The Royals recently contacted me via their official Twitter account (@Royals) to let me know that the bicycle parking policy has changed at Kauffman Stadium:

“Bikes are permitted during Royals games. Ride over to Lot B to lock up your bike on the media fence. No charge. We checked with our parking/fan experience group and that is the current policy.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like there are any official bike racks or other secured facilities provided. The parking page on the team’s web site doesn’t show the new policy, and indeed makes no mention of bicycles at all.

So apparently it’s an official policy, but one they are not keen to publicize, for whatever reason.

Still, this is good news. You can now ride your bicycle to a Kansas City Royals game, and can park it onsite, at no cost and without risking impoundment.

Thank you, Royals!

Hopefully, they’re considering investing in some actual bicycle racks or other facilities that would allow their fans to ride to the game and park their bicycles securely and safely. That would be a smart move!

The new bike lanes have now been installed. Here’s a first look at the new lanes, pavement markings, and signage:

(Photo courtesy of Salina resident Mike Redmond. Thanks, Mike!)

What was previously a wide shoulder is now a designated bike lane, and hence, part of the roadway. As part of the roadway, the city and county will be responsible for maintaining the bike lanes, clearing them of snow and ice, and sweeping them of debris.

Within the city of Salina, there are currently narrow multi-use pathways being built along Pacific Avenue and Ohio south of Pacific, which can be used by bicyclists to connect to the new bike lanes. Bicyclists can also, of course, continue to use the roadways.

Learn more about the bike lanes.

Well done, Salina and Saline County. This is, hopefully, a first step towards a larger network of bike lanes and bike routes in the 10th-largest city in Kansas!

The purpose of the Sunflower Trails program is to promote healthy living by providing safe and accessible places for physical activity as well as connecting Kansans to each other and the great outdoors.

“The Sunflower Foundation is excited to invest in these communities and provide Kansans the environment to be physically active while enjoying our state’s natural beauty,” Billie Hall, President and CEO of the Sunflower Foundation, said. “For many cities, building a trail is the first step in launching its community’s overall healthy living initiative. We also are pleased to award, for the first time, grants for specific improvements on existing trails, and grants intended to build connectors between trails.”

New Trails

• Eureka Lions Club, Eureka, will build the first walking path in its community. This halfmile long, 5′ wide path will loop around Lions Park and be part of the town’s Walk Across Kansas program.
• The City of Lyndon will develop a 4,100′ long, 6′ wide trail to encircle a city park. The ADA-compliant path will include two loops to accommodate different fitness levels.
• Pawnee County will continue to revitalize a former Girl Scout camp near Larned by constructing a 4,321′ long, 6′ wide expansion to an existing multi-use path.
• The Ottawa County Health Planning Commission, Minneapolis, will create a half-mile long, 5′ wide trail that meanders through the trees of Markley Grove Park.
• The City of Valley Center will build a 1.2-mile long, 5′ wide, ADA-compliant walking path around eight soccer fields near the community’s new recreation center.
• The City of Goodland plans to develop a half-mile long, 6′ wide trail within a popular city park, one of the first steps in the city’s overall plan to improve walking opportunities.
• The City of Eudora will construct a 2,692′ long, 8′ wide multi-use trail, also part of the city’s master plan to increase walkability and bikability.

Improvements to Existing Trails

• Prairie Travelers Inc., Wichita, will add distance signage to increase safety and usability along the eight-mile Prairie Sunset Trail between Garden Plain and Goddard.

“Trail Connectors”

• The City of Hutchinson plans to partner with Dillons Food Stores to build a trailhead and 1,200′ long, 12′ wide trail connector that links to a city trail.
• The City of Ottawa will increase cycling opportunities by constructing a 1,200′ long, 8′ wide trail connector that safely links the Flint Hills Nature Trail and the Prairie Spirit Trail.
• The City of Colwich plans to complete a walking and cycling loop around a nine-acre lake in its city park by building a 1,405′ long, 6′ wide trail connector.

May 1 Grant Application Deadline

The Sunflower Foundation is accepting proposals for their next round of trail funding. Grants are accepted in the following areas:

• Community-Based New Trails or Trail Expansions
• Community-Based Existing Trail Enhancements/Improvements
• Community-Based Trail Connectors
• School-Based New Trails

Click here to view the open RFPs and learn more about applying for a grant from the Sunflower Foundation. All proposals must be submitted online by Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. CST. Funding announcements are anticipated by Friday, June 21st, 2013.

If you have questions about the process, please contact the Sunflower Foundation.

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Sign Up For the National Bike Challenge

The National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st through September 30th. Last year, Kansas had some of the top individuals and teams in the entire country. Do your state proud by riding your bike and logging your miles in 2013! Get started at nationalbikechallenge.org and join the Kansas Cyclist Team.

We’re currently in the “warm-up period”, and so far 53 cyclists in Kansas have ridden over 5,000 miles. Join them and do your part!

How One Kansas Bicyclist’s Idea Has Transformed the Nation

The League of American Bicyclists introduces us to the Kansan responsible for inspiring the Bicycle Friendly Community program:

For Wayne Byrd, the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) concept was a combination of his two passions. Byrd had his second date with wife, Anne, on a bike and worked as a public servant and elected official in Overland Park, Kan., for more than 16 years. In 1993, he was inspired by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City program. “As an avid bicyclist,” he says, “I wondered why there wasn’t a similar program to encourage safer bicycling in urban and suburban areas.” So Byrd set out to create that program — an initiative that would recognize communities that were making strides for bicyclists and create clear criteria for others looking to get on the path to better biking.

Read more: How One Member’s Idea Has Transformed the Nation

City of Shawnee is Silver Bicycle Friendly Business

The City of Shawnee has earned a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Business designation, the second silver in the state! Shawnee is also a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community. [link]

Manhattan K-18 / K-113 Interchange Project

The City of Manhattan is planning improvements at the K-18 and K-113 interchange, and is asking for public input. It’s important that bicycle and pedestrian access be part of this project from the very beginning. You can learn more about the project here, view a map here, and provide your input here. Takes just a few seconds! The preliminary public input period runs through May 10, and a public open house is planned for the summer.

Bicyclist struck by car in Leavenworth

“A 12-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after her bicycle was struck by a vehicle” on April 16th in Leavenworth. “The girl was traveling north in the southbound lane, according to Leavenworth Police Lt. Kevin Crim. Crim said the driver indicated she didn’t see the girl. The girl was transported by Leavenworth County EMS to Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., where she was treated and released.” [link]

Bicycle X-Change Celebrates 40th Anniversary

This April, the Bicycle X-Change Shops in Wichita are celebrating 40 years of providing bicycles and cycling gear to the Wichita area. The family owned-and-operated business has been a Wichita institution since 1973. Congrats and thank you, Bicycle X-Change! [learn more]

Marysville Residents Want the Blue River Rail Trail Downtown

During a visioning session in Marysville, residents “expressed hope that the Blue River Rail Trail north of Marysville could be connected soon to downtown Marysville’s bike and pedestrian trail.” The trail currently ends just north of town, and many residents must drive to the trailhead to ride or walk the trail. [link]

Scary Larry Bike Polo Club Highlighted

The Scary Larry Bike Polo Club was recently featured in a Lawrence Journal-World article: “Bike polo is a workout, and it’s not too difficult to get into. The game is a lot like traditional polo, but bikes are substituted for horses and the field is a basketball court. The club typically plays numerous three-on-three games, which last about eight minutes each.”

Speak Up For Bicycling in Louisburg

Louisburg Mayor Travis Thompson recently presented his vision for the city, which includes “improving pedestrian and bicycle traffic”. Cyclists in Louisburg have a chance to speak up in support of that vision at a town hall meeting set for 3:30 p.m., April 27 at the Louisburg Library. [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– Little Rock, AR: Highway Department talks widening Highway 10, adding lanes — “There are not sidewalks along the whole Highway 10 corridor and people cannot walk there as recreation. People who want to commute by bike have no ability to do so because they have to take their lives in their hands.”

– Boulder, CO: Boulder County trails plan seeks to avoid needing to drive to a trailhead — “Would-be trail users in the Denver area too often are limited now to a bunch of islands that people have to drive to, to get to. The planning effort presents an opportunity for Boulder County residents to use a trail network they could use to cycle from their homes the foothills and mountains and back, without having to drive their bikes to trailheads.”

– Iowa City, IA: Iowa Corridor’s bike shops turn a lifestyle into a business — “‘Cycling used to be a recreation, for people in Iowa City especially,’ said Ryan Baker, owner of World of Bikes in Iowa City. ‘Now it’s more of a lifestyle.’ His customers, he said, are riding their bikes to work, to the grocery store and out to dinner in the evening.”

– Kansas City, MO: Swope Trails Donation from BikeSource — “BikeSource (already a financial supporter of Swope) has made a cash donation of $5000 for the continuing development of the trail system. Additionally, BikeSource has agreed to make this an annual donation we can count on for the next 5 years! This donation will help us move forward at a quicker pace and give us more of the dirt we love!” Congrats, Swope Trails, and well done, BikeSource!

– Rolla, MO: CHIEF CHAT: Sharing the road — Rolla Police Chief Mark Kearse writes: “Please remember by Missouri law, bicyclists are allowed to use the road. By law, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as other vehicle drivers. When passing cyclists, common sense and standard traffic law says that ‘drivers shall pass at a safe distance.’ Squeezing past is simply unsafe and illegal!”

– Omaha, NE: City maps out upgrades for Omaha’s 124-year-old boulevard system — “After years of development and wear and tear — not to mention the construction of highways that sliced through several neighborhoods — the boulevards are in need of some extra care. Among the more specific plans suggested by the city: Adding bike lanes by removing some on-street parking, and transforming parking spaces back into green space along Fontenelle Boulevard.”

– Oklahoma: The next Oklahoma Bike Summit is scheduled to begin on January 18, 2014 in Tulsa.

Event News

– Events this weekend: Osage Prairie Tour, Spring Classic, Bruce Michael Edwards Memorial Time Trial, Manhattan Helmet Fair, Joseph Sheehan Road Race, Tour de Cyclone Country, Riley County Police Department Community Bike Ride

– The Scary Larry Bike Polo Club in Lawrence is holding a Social Ride on April 26th, and a Bike Polo Cook Out and Newbie Night on Sunday the 28th.

– The Tour of Topeka is a fun, free, and family-friendly community bicycle ride to help introduce Topekans to their bike-friendly roads and bikeways. It rolls on May 5th.

– The Ozsome Bike Fest is a family-friendly festival that takes place in Wichita on May 18th, and offers both bike rides and related activities.

– The Cottonwood 200 still has a few slots open for their 200-mile, three-day bicycle tour through the Flint Hills that begins on May 25th. They’re also looking for volunteers to help with the event. [link]

– Miles for Mikal is a ride in Claflin, Kansas on June 1st, to raise funds to benefit Mikal Bond, a young girl who was severely injured in a car/bike collision in 2011.

– A note for Manhattan area cyclists: “At The Pathfinder in Manhattan, we are getting ready to kick-start our weekly women’s ride and have created a survey to set the best dates/times. If you’re near Manhattan and want to be involved in a women’s ride, shoot us an e-mail or a Facebook message. sales@thepathfinder.net”

– Trans Iowa is happening this weekend, with nearly 100 endurance cyclists attempting to cover over 300 miles of rugged Iowa gravel and dirt roads. It is one of the nation’s oldest, and toughest, gravel grinders. You can listen to live updates, from both the race organizer and participants, on Trans Iowa Radio.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

The Latest Bicycling Resources at Kansas Cyclist

– Where To Donate Bicycles in Kansas: If you have old bicycles that you no longer need or want, consider donating them to a worthy cause. This is a list of organizations in Kansas that will accept your donated bicycle and give it a good home.

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

The City of Shawnee had previously been designated as an “honorable mention” Bicycle Friendly Business, in 2010, so it’s nice to see them take the big jump up to silver.

Shawnee is also a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, a designation that it first earned in 2003.

The list of Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Kansas:

• Anderson Rentals, Inc., Lawrence, KS — Bronze, 2011
• Big Poppi Bicycle Company, Manhattan, KS — Bronze, Spring 2012
• City of Shawnee, Shawnee, KS — Silver, Spring 2013
• Foth IE, Overland Park, KS — Bronze, 2010
• Rosedale Development Association, Kansas City, KS — Silver, Fall 2012

Honorable Mention Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Kansas:

• City of Leawood City Hall, Leawood, KS — Honorable Mention, Spring 2012
• City of Mission, Mission, KS — Honorable Mention, 2010
• Sprint Nextel, Overland Park, KS — Honorable Mention, 2010

Congratulations, and well done!

Other businesses in our region that received awards in this cycle include:

• Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Conway, AR — Bronze
• Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO — Bronze
• Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa City, IA — Bronze
• The Broken Spoke, Iowa City, IA — Bronze
• Bike America, Lee’s Summit, MO — Bronze

No new businesses in Nebraska or Oklahoma made the cut this time.

For more information, you can view the full Spring 2013 Bicycle Friendly Business List.

Bicycle-friendly businesses “encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere for employees and customers.” Being bicycle-friendly is not only good for people, but good for business as well!

If you own, work at, or are aware of, a bicycle-friendly business that has not yet been officially recognized, check out details of the Bicycle Friendly Business program. The program provides technical assistance and information to help companies and organizations become even better for bicyclists.

People want to see their used bikes and gear go to a good home, and not a landfill. In many cases, there’s still plenty of life left in those old bikes or components, they just need to be matched up with someone who can use and appreciate them.

Thankfully, there are a number of organizations around the state that will accept your used bicycles, components, and related gear, and find them a new home.

I’ve put together a list of Where To Donate Bicycles in Kansas.

Most of these organizations are non-profits who do this as a public service, or as a way to help support their mission. Many of these are in the larger cities, but there are some in small towns as well.

Since the organizations are non-profits, you may be able to deduct the value of your donation from your federal and state income taxes.

Depending on the condition of the bicycle, it may be refurbished, or its components may be removed and used to help repair other bikes. Any parts of the bike that cannot be refurbed or reused will be responsibly recycled.

In addition to the programs listed in the article, many community organizations, such as the American Legion, Elks Club, Goodwill, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Ruritans, Salvation Army, VFW, and many more will either accept bicycles donations, or be able to advise you about where to drop off. Your local bike shop, if you have one, should also be able to offer some suggestions for donating your bicycle.

The article also provides links to bicycle donation options in our neighboring states of Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

So, don’t throw that old bike and gear away! Help it find a new home and a new purpose.

If you are aware of a bicycle donation option not on the list, please let me know!

Where To Donate Bicycles in Kansas

Last year, about 25,000 cyclists logged more than 10 million miles in the challenge, and this year the goal is 50,000 riders and 20 million miles!

Kansas had an outstanding showing in last year’s challenge, featuring both a top team — Topeka’s Kaw Valley Bicycle Club: Meet the #1 Team in the National Bike Challenge — and top individual rider — Michael Lemuel: Meet the #1 Rider in the National Bike Challenge, and we’re hoping for great things again in 2013.

It’s really easy to get involved. There’s a writeup from KanBikeWalk, the statewide coordinator for the National Bike Challenge, that explains the process:

Ride solo, create a team, or pedal as part of a workplace to get healthier, have fun and become part of a national online community. Plus, every month you’ll be eligible to win great raffle prizes!

It’s easy, and it’s free. The National Bike Challenge is hosted by Endomondo, a web service that makes it really easy to participate.

There are several ways to log your trips:

– If you have a GPS device (such as the popular Edge series of cyclocomputers from our friends at Garmin), simply plug in your device after each ride, and upload your ride data to Endomondo with just a few clicks.

– If you carry a smartphone, download the free Endomondo app for your device. The app will let you record your ride and easily upload it to the web. Available for Android, iOS, and other popular platforms.

– You can also log your rides manually. Just go to nationalbikechallenge.org and click the “Log Miles” button.

The National Bike Challenge runs from May through September, but you can go ahead and get set up and start logging your miles. When you sign up, you have the option of joining a team or workplace or school.

Every time you get on your bike the miles count. Whether they are for fitness, fun, or transportation make sure to join and log them on nationalbikechallenge.org. Miles pedaled on a stationary bike or trainer do not count.

Everyone who participates is automatically entered into the prize program. Points are accumulated each day you ride at least 1 mile, and the more you ride, the more prizes you’re legible to win each month. There will be over 300 prizes distributed throughout the challenge period. [read more]

To join the challenge, head on over to nationalbikechallenge.org and create an account, if you don’t have one from last year.

Feel free to join an existing team (such as the Kansas Cyclist team), or start a new one. Then just ride your bike and log your miles all summer long.

Kansas won’t have it easy this year. The competition will be fierce, even regionally.

Lincoln, Nebraska has already thrown down the gauntlet: Challenge Issued to Lincoln Cyclists to Finish 1st in 2013 National Bike Challenge — “Lincoln’s goal is to finish first as a community, help Nebraska finish first as a state, and to have two or more workplaces and teams finish in the top 10 of their categories.”

Kansan, we can’t let ourselves be whupped by Nebraskans, can we?

Get out and ride, and encourage your family, friends, schoolmates, co-workers, and teammates to do the same. Let’s roll!

Looks like Spring, feels like Winter.

Here it is, mid-April, and the temp on this ride was 36°F, with a 21 MPH wind, for a comfy wind chill of about 26°F. Good thing I hadn’t put all my cold-weather gear away yet.

At least the grass and trees are beginning to think that Spring is imminent…

The family owned-and-operated business has been a Wichita institution since 1973, and is still pleasing customers every year. In 2012, it was voted Wichita’s Best Bike Shop by readers of the Wichita Eagle.

Here’s a promotional video that the shop put together to explain their philosophy:

“We’re a mom-and-pop store that’s been here 40 years. It was all in the family with my dad, myself, my two older brothers, and now my sons. The bicycle industry has changed over 40 years, but the Bicycle X-Change is constantly changing. We try to ride our product, we try to test all our product. We started a lot of races and events, work with sponsors here in town. We love what we do, and thank you for the last 40 years. We want to continue with another 40 years. We are Bicycle X-Change.”

In addition to selling bikes, the Bicycle X-Change makes it a priority to give back to the community. Each year, they donate over $20,000 in bicycles, service, and accessories to charitable organizations in the community, and donate bicycles to the deserving children of Wichita through the “Little Wheels for Big Deals” drive.

Here are some photos from the shop:

This is the entrance to the shop, and even just peeking in the window gives you an idea of how jam-packed the store is with bikes of all kinds.

Love the old signs. Peugeot!

This exterior shot shows what a large building Bicycle X-Change has … and it’s all bikes!

Once inside, it’s bicycles, bicycles, bicycles everywhere you look. Many of the ones on display are antiques and classic vintage bikes. The shop is practically a bicycle museum.

Nearly an entire wall is dedicated to old photographs.

Loved this shot of Bikeman from way back.

The Bicycle X-Change is very proud of their new 7,000+ square foot expansion. It’s been sealed off from public view until now, but Bikeman was kind enough to give me a glimpse when I was in town. Thanks for the tour, Bikeman!

Friday, April 19th is the big 40th Anniversary Celebration, with tons of swag, giveaways, and great deals to celebrate their big day.

Congrats and thank you, Bicycle X-Change!

After the 2011 wreck, Mikal was taken by Life Star helicopter to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where she was in critical condition for some time.

A number of fundraisers have been held to help Mikal in her recovery, including one in Lawrence in July 2011, in Topeka in January 2012, and Hays in May 2012.

Here’s some information about Mikal:

Mikal Bond is a beautiful thirteen year old girl who was critically injured on July 10, 2011 when her bicycle collided with a moving vehicle. Mikal and her family were participating in the “Lizard Under The Skillet” bicycle ride near Lawrence. Mikal suffered a severe head injury and continues medical treatment both at home and at Children’s Mercy. She is beginning the long rehabilitation stage of her recovery.

Mikal is a unique individual who excels at sports, music, and academics. She is a kind, compassionate soul with a keen sense of humor and a biting sarcasm. She is a child who knows who she is and accepts all individuals for who they are.

Mikal has been receiving various forms of intense therapy since her accident. She responds very well when in water. Her family is currently in the process of building a therapy pool to enhance her progress. Your support is much appreciated!

The “Miles for Mikal” benefit ride takes place on Saturday, June 1st at Central Plains High School in Claflin, which is located in central Kansas, just northeast of Great Bend. Registration and check-in begins at 7am, and the ride rolls at 8am, with 14, 30, and 50-mile route options.

There is a $25 entry fee for the ride.

Donations may also be mailed to:
Mikal Bond Fund
c/o Community National Bank
5431 SW 29th St
Topeka, KS 66614

For more information about the event, contact Rhiannon Becker at rhiannonbecker@hotmail.com or 785-737-3726.

Friends of the family have also set up a crowdfunding page called Mikal’s Miracle:

The July 10, 2011 accident left Mikal, a Maple Hill, Kansas teenager, gravely injured and clinging to life. Among her injuries Mikal suffered broken collar bones, three broken ribs and a lacerated spleen- but the worst by far was a traumatic brain injury. She spent the first two months after the accident in a coma while enduring multiple major surgeries. Over a year later and with her family’s love and care, Mikal is learning to walk again and do many of the simple tasks of everyday life.

The journey to Mikal’s full recovery has been long and expensive… and it’s nowhere near over yet. Any donation amount will greatly help Mikal’s family as they continue her recovery.

Donate at gofundme.com

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Bike Rodeos Gives Children Head Start on Safety

“It was a serious message delivered with a big dose of fun. Thousands of kids and their parents came to receive free bike helmets at Sunday’s Helmet Head Bike Rodeo in Olathe, but they were also treated to music, food and plenty of child-friendly activities. But it wasn’t just a matter of handing out helmets. Volunteers made sure kids got helmets that were properly fitted. Participants also got hands-on instruction on the rules of the road and their very own Helmet Head Bike Rodeo child driver’s license.” [link] (image courtesy of The Kansas City Star)

‘Tis the season! Upcoming bike rodeos in Kansas include the Manhattan Helmet Fair on April 27th, the Garden City Bike Rodeo and Miami County Bicycle Safety Rodeo on May 4th, and the Kiwanis West Bike Rodeo in Kansas City on May 18th. See the entire list of Kansas Bicycle Rodeos (and the bike rodeo calendar).

Trego Uses Grant to Fund Bicycle Rodeo

The Heartland Community Foundation has awarded Healthy Living and Area Action grants, including a $600 grant to purchase bicycles and safety helmets for an upcoming children’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo in Trego. [link]

Indian Creek Trail in Overland Park to remain closed until at least November

Warren writes: “I was able to call the KDOT construction office in Olathe and was told the new estimate for completion is now ‘November of this year.’ If you’ll look back to my post from August 5, 2011, the original time frame for the closure was July 18, 2011 to March 2012. On May 17, 2012 I reported that the date had been pushed back to November 2012. In December I was told ‘Spring 2013′. Here’s hoping that it will be open some time in 2013.” [link]

Editor’s note: The closure of this incredibly popular path has been a fiasco since the beginning, with delay after delay, despite excellent construction weather for long periods of time. The provided “detour” takes trail users on a long, hilly route that includes either a stretch on a high-speed arterial roadway, or on a narrow sidewalk that was closed for several months. Not surprisingly, few people use the official detour, opting either to poach the construction site, or cut their ride short. This closure has been a great hardship for commuters who used the route daily for transportation. Very poor planning, and a lack of consideration for bike/ped traffic.

Wichita Area Trail News

Trail news from Wichita and south-central Kansas, courtesy of the Kansas Singletrack Society, including tidbits on Miller’s Meadow, Fall River, and Air Capital Memorial Park Singletrack. [link]

Midwest Bicycle Swapmeet April 21 in Haysville

The 4th annual Midwest Bicycle Swapmeet is Sunday, April 21st, 2013, 8:00am till whenever, at the Haysville Hometown Market in Haysville, Kansas (just south of Wichita). This is a great chance to pick up a used bike, apparel, accessories, bike parts, etc. on the cheap. It’s also a wonderful opportunity just to mingle with fellow bike lovers and admire the vintage rigs on display.

The event is free for buyers, $5 for vendors.

Dirty Kanza 200 Needs Volunteers

“The 2013 Dirty Kanza bicycle race will be held June 1 in Emporia, and volunteers are needed to staff the event from Thursday through Sunday that week. Slots from one to 4-1/2 hours are available, from early morning through late evening.” [link]

Bicycle Recycling in Shawnee April 20

“The city of Shawnee will host a community shredding, e-waste and bicycle collection event from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at at the Jim Allen Aquatic Center, 5800 King St. The city will be collecting bicycles, which will be refurbished and redistributed through various community service organizations.” [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– Bentonville, AR: Bentonville Parents Lead “Bike Trains” to School — “Bike Bentonville’s director Alan Ley says the goal is to teach kids healthy habits, while reducing morning traffic around schools. Hopefully by the end of next year it will be more of a habit. They’re less hyper when they get to school, and I think they have a very good sense of accomplishment when they do something like this.”

– Denver, CO: Denver City Council sets pedestrian/bicycle safety as top priority for the coming budget — “Recent high-profile hit-and-run crashes that have killed pedestrians and increasing interest in creating a more walkable and bike-able Denver prompted the council to order the budget office focus on improving the city’s pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure. ‘We need to figure out a way to help people get around and not use cars as much.’”

– Des Moines, IA: 2013 Mayor’s Annual Ride for Trails — Des Moines Mayor Mayor Cownie hosts a ride to support recreational trails in the city. “Over the last 10 years this ride has raised over $100,000 for improvements to Des Moines trails!” It’s always great to see a mayor actually riding a bike!

– Oskaloosa, IA: Volunteers Enhance Trail Site — A local service club is making improvements to a facility along the Mahaska Community Recreation Trail: “The Rotary club joined together at the new gazebo trailhead just off of highway 92 to make additions. The gazebo already serves as a charming rest area however Rotary wanted to make it even more inviting with the additions of benches under the gazebo and a bike rack for parking a bicycle.”

– Jefferson City, MO: The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation held its annual “Bicycle and Pedestrian Day at the Capitol” on April 8th. In addition to meeting with legislators, the group presented awards to “honor a number of Missourians who have done amazing work to promote bicycling and walking in their communities, across the state of Missouri, and nationwide.” See photos.

– Joplin, MO: City manager announces trails, street projects — “Completion of Joplin’s walking and bike trail system and work to begin repairing damaged streets were announced Monday night by City Manager Mark Rohr. Joplin’s trails system will be extended, with plans calling for construction of nearly 20 more miles connecting the south and central sections of the city to the north. The trails expansion is important, Rohr said, because it will improve the city’s quality of life.”

– Lincoln, NE: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln earned a silver-level Bicycle Friendly University designation from the League of American Bicyclists. No Kansas universities have made the grade yet. [link]

– Omaha, NE: Talking with: Omaha bike coordinator — “The big picture is to make and connect trails, bike lanes and all facilities to make our streets safer for everyone. We all live in this great city, and we all need to do our part. Although it seems like progress takes forever, we have a ton going on and a ton more in the works. Our transit system is improving, our trails are getting connected, and more bike facilities are beginning to pop up. Watch out, Portland.”

– Lawson, OK: Students introduced to biking adventure — “Park Lane Elementary School physical education teacher Ken Gray is introducing his students to off-road, two-wheeled adventure with a unit on mountain biking. Fourth- and fifth-graders at Park Lane are participating in the program, which teaches them to safely ride mountain bikes on trails. Last week, the kids took to a bike trail behind the school to practice their riding skills. Gray said the bike bath was scraped for them by the City of Lawton. It’s a loop, around four-tenths of a mile long, that goes around a pond. It includes some good bumps, a culvert, and plenty of steering practice on some switchbacks. After some rare rains, the trail was also slightly muddy.”

– Stillwater, OK: Oklahoma State University program takes students for a ride — “Before she starts her day, Gradney visits the Multimodal Transportation Facility on Hall of Fame Avenue and checks out a heavy-duty Worksman Cruiser, one of a fleet of 30 bicycles now available for rent as part of the Orange Ride program at Oklahoma State. Bikes rent for $2 per day, $8 per week or $30 per semester. The rental fee includes a bike lock that renters can use to secure the bike while on campus. The Orange Ride program is not just for OSU students. Anyone interested in renting a bike can visit the Multimodal Transportation Facility and fill out a registration and waiver form or call 405-744-2453.”

– Tulsa, OK: Putting Disadvantaged Tulsans On Wheels — “If you don’t have a car in Tulsa, you’re in a lot of trouble. Everything from working to seeing a doctor becomes very difficult. But there’s a unique group that’s working to help disadvantaged people with another option. Transportation experts estimate that 17% of the people in Tulsa, don’t have access to an auto. So, the Tulsa Hub is giving them a chance to earn bicycle transportation with volunteer work. Those who take part, earn bikes by working in the Hub’s shop and by taking a bike safety class.”

Event News

– April 20th is the Camp Alexander MTB Race at Emporia’s Camp Alexander Trails, with a 5K walk or run and 10K and 20K bike races.

– The Osage Prairie Bicycle Tour is April 27th, and raises funds for youth organizations in Parsons, Kansas. 15, 40, and 70 mile options.

– The Riley County Police Department is hosting a Community Bike Ride on April 28th in Manhattan. “Come meet representatives of the Riley County Police Department and enjoy an afternoon of exercise while celebrating Bike Month in Manhattan.”

– The Garden City Bike Rodeo is May 4th in Garden City, with a Bike Rodeo and Obstacle Course conducted by the Garden City Police Department, and free Bike Helmet Giveaways from the Garden City Recreation Commission.

– The Kansas State Mountain Bike Championships are May 19th at Fancy Creek State Park north of Manhattan: Dirty Little Secret.

– The Cottonwood 200 is offering special hotel rates for out-of-towners prior to the start of the 3-day tour on May 25th.

– The 5th Annual 2013 Tour of Lawrence is June 28-29-30 in Lawrence, Kansas.

– The date for the 2013 Amelia Earhart Century has been announced: June 30th in Atchison, Kansas, with 35, 62, and 100-mile routes through the rolling farmland of northeast Kansas.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Site News

I’ve begun to post up reviews of some of the gear I’ve used over the years, including:

– Eureka Pinnacle Pass 2XTA Tent
– Magellan Scout Technical Tent
– Bell 15-Function Wireless Cyclocomputer
– Nashbar Deluxe Rack Trunk Bag

I have a few more items I’m currently testing, and of course have a lot more I plan to do in the future. Hope folks find these useful.

Bicycling Scene

It feels like I’ve taken this same photo nearly every day this month … seems like we’ve been stuck in a loop of cool, dreary, overcast days. I’m ready for some warm sun.

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

So The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Pittsburg State University, Fort Hays State University, and so on … keep trying (or start trying, if you haven’t already)!

Although Kansas was shut out, other universities in the region were, or have been, honored:

– Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO — Silver
– University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE — Silver
– University of Denver, Denver, CO — Bronze

The League had this to say about UNL’s designation:

In the Midwest, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was awarded with a Silver, as well. The campus’s new Outdoor Adventure Center is just one of the reasons the Lincoln, Neb., university received the award. It provides bicycle repair opportunities, access to 24-hour end-of-commute shower facilities and bike locker storage. The University is also working on a new master plan, which will include multi-modal transportation priorities and projections for new bike infrastructure.

“The Bicycle Transportation Committee has worked diligently to evaluate, assess and execute a number of initiatives to support the university’s goal of becoming a Bicycle Friendly University,” says Steve Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln spokesman. “Bicycling is on the rise at UNL, and is increasingly seen as a healthy, supportable method of getting to, from and around campus. We’re pleased that UNL’s new designation will bring renewed attention to the university’s as well as the City of Lincoln’s progress in this important area.”

There are currently 58 colleges in 30 states that have been designated as “Bicycle Friendly” by the League.

Making a university more bicycle friendly is not just about earning an award, it’s about making the college safer for everyone, and making it more affordable for students (and faculty and staff). Having more people biking and walking on campus makes for a better education environment, which should be the bottom line for any institution of higher learning.

Come on, Kansas (and Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma) … get with the program!

See also: Bicycle Friendly Kansas for a summary of bicycle-friendly communities and businesses in the state.

I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know about several projects KSS has been involved over the past few months. This is how we spend your membership dues.

– Miller’s Meadow: The trail was expanded to just over 5 miles last November. It is still rough and needs ridden in.

– Fall River: Terry and some volunteers have also expanded this trail as recently as last month.

– Air Cap Park: This new west side trail is a joint venture between Lee’s Bike Shop, KSS, and the Wichita Park Dept. The trail has been cut and is currently being ridden, but has not been marked yet. The official opening ceremony is just a few weeks away. The trail is located at Seville and West Kellogg Drive, near Kellogg and Maize. Do not ride south of the trail into Pawnee Prairie Park

As a reminder, if you are interested in renewing your dues, April-May is when all memberships expire. Renewal information can be found here. For online, only the renewal option works.

The KSS has Facebook pages for the Air Capital Memorial Park Singletrack, Badger Creek Mountain Bike Trail, Camp Horizon Mountain Bike Trail, and Miller’s Meadow, as well as the main Facebook page for the Kansas Singletrack Society.

It’s great to see such an active trail-building club. If you live in the area, be sure to support them with your membership and your volunteer time!

I’ve been travelling too much for my taste recently, and was on the road again Thursday and Friday, but found time to take a bit of a break while passing through Independence, Missouri. While my wife did some shopping, I took the opportunity to ride a bit of the Little Blue Trace Trail, which runs for about 14 miles along the Little Blue River in Independence (see map).

The trail itself is fine riding, but what I found interesting was that it connects residential areas to shopping and entertainment areas, passing within sight of the Independence Events Center, restaurants, strip malls, and the Independence Center Shopping Mall. It’s great to see a trail that actually goes places, that can be a much shorter, quicker, and less stressful way to run errands than driving on busy roads. Nice!

The trail surface is mixed. Some sections are concrete, others are natural surface (very fine chat). It appears that they paved the elevation changes to reduce rutting, and left the flat areas graveled, which is a pretty nifty way to stretch limited funds. Even after recent rains, all the sections I rode were in excellent shape, and I saw folks in skinny-tired road bikes on the trail, so the graveled surface didn’t appear to be an issue for them.

Here, the trail passes beneath I-70, which was pretty well packed with the evening rush hour traffic (and I’d been part of that throng myself just minutes before). This is not the most scenic or pleasant part of the trail, but it’s a pretty good feeling to simply roll on by, and not be troubled by, all that traffic.

I only had time to ride an out-and-back on about 4 miles of the 14-mile trail, starting at Lee’s Summit Road, so I’ll need to go back to ride the rest of it some time. There are plans to extend the trail at both ends — taking it north to the Missouri River at Fort Osage, and south to Longview Lake, making for about 36 miles of trail in total. Looking forward to that.

As I said, I didn’t ride the whole thing (yet), but the only part of the trail that I found wanting was the far western end, where the trail ran between the river and residential areas. This was actually great, and I found myself envying the people who lived in those houses and apartments with such easy access to the trail.

But I felt bad for the people who lived on the other side of the river. They could see the trail from their back doors, could watch folks walking or riding by and enjoying the outdoors, but had no easy way to actually get to the trail themselves, short of loading up the bikes and hauling them to a trailhead with their car. That must be incredibly frustrating. The city needs to build some bike/ped bridges across the river!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Exploring Wichita By Bike

Late last week, I was in Wichita for the Navigating MAP-21 Workshop, and took the opportunity to explore a bit of the city by bike. Here are a bunch of photos and stories from my trip. [link]

I Biked ICT!

Center Bike Lane Planned for Lawrence

“Over the next four summers, KU will be reconstructing Jayhawk Boulevard piece by piece. The end result could include not just new, smooth pavement and sidewalks, but also restoration of a historic tree canopy mostly absent for the last 40 years and a bicycle lane down the center of the road.” [link]

Note: Although the article describes it as “one bike lane down the middle of the road”, presumably it will actually consist of two side-by-side lanes, one in each direction, such as the cycletrack on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C.

Lawrence Trail Network

“Over the last two decades, the City of Lawrence has built several attractive recreational paths in the community. Now it is time to link these separate paths to form an interconnected trail system, thereby multiplying their value. With a little more work, an outstanding trail network can be established that will be enjoyed by many generations to come. The fact is people love trails and trails are good for the community.” [link]

KS Congressional Delegation Fails to Support Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

“From their lack of action, neither Senator Moran nor Senator Roberts think bicycle and pedestrian safety is as important as motorist safety. And our Representatives Huelskamp, Jenkins, Yoder or Pompeo do not think bicycle and pedestrian safety is as important as motorist safety even though bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists are all legal users of the roadway. We’ve always known we were not equal on the roadway by shear physics. But the value of every life on the roadway should be equal no matter what ones mode of using the pubic roadway.” [link]

As of late March, 69 Representatives — including both Republicans and Democrats, from all over the nation — had signed a letter of support to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a national goal to reduce bicyclist deaths. None of the Kansas Representatives — not Tim Huelskamp, not Lynn Jenkins, not Kevin Yoder, Mike Pompeo — signed the letter of support, even though many of them have expressed support for biking and walking in the past. Neither Kansas Senator — Jerry Moran or Pat Roberts — has signed a similar letter of support in the Senate.

Feel free to write to your Senators and Representative to ask them to support establishing national standards for bike/ped safety, just as the Federal Highway Administration has established for all other modes of transportation.

The Beginnings of Scary Larry KBP

A history of Scary Larry Kansas Bike Polo in Lawrence: “Scary Larry Kansas Bike Polo began in October, 2009 with just four friends playing around on their commuters. Scary Larry has gone on to hold friendlies and tournaments at the SLKBP Hardcourt at Edgewood Park and continues to upgrade the court.” [link]

Volunteers Needed for the Tallgrass Classic

Volunteers are being sought for the Tallgrass Classic on May 4-5 in Manhattan, which features two days of competition against cyclists from around the country competing in a Criterium race and Road Race. Volunteer positions include corner marshals, water bottle handlers, start/finish support, and vehicle drivers. [link]

Bicyclist Sideswiped on Highway in Leavenworth County

“A bicyclist was taken to the hospital after he was sideswiped by a vehicle Monday on U.S. 73, a police spokesman said. The vehicle and bicyclist were traveling south. The cyclist, a 50-year-old man, was on the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle’s driver, a 46-year-old woman, said she had been watching the vehicle in front of her and apparently didn’t see the cyclist. She was cited for an allegation of inattentive driving.” [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– Denver, CO: Bike repair event helps unite Denver neighborhood — “Kelly has organized the Bike Fix It Day for the past five years. The event, which served more than 500 children last year, has provided hundreds of bikes to children and helps keep those bikes in working condition. Children watched their bikes intently as volunteers made fixes. In most cases, the tires had barely touched the pavement before riders climbed onto their bikes and pedaled away in a burst of two-wheeled freedom.”

– Fort Collins, CO: Fort Collins plucks new Bikes Program manager from Seattle — “It took more than a year and a competitive nationwide search, but Fort Collins has named a new FC Bikes Program manager to take Fort Collins to the next level as a bicycling community. Tessa Greegor, 30, comes from Seattle where, for the past five years, she has been the principal planner for the Cascade Bicycle Club, the largest bicycle advocacy organization in the country. She will assume her new role May 13.”

– Kalona, IA: A group in Iowa is appealing to the Iowa Department of Transportation to add wide paved shoulders as part of a resurfacing project on Highway 1, to improve safety for bicyclists and Amish buggies.

– Muscatine, IA: Cyclists get the hang of new bike racks — “The welded iron racks hang on the exterior walls of those buildings, where riders can hang up their bikes, rather than take up sidewalk space. Members of Muscatine’s Melon City Bike Club decided to bring the racks to their hometown after using some at the It’s On The River restaurant in Port Byron, Ill., while on a group ride.” Cool-looking vertical bike racks! Might be challenging to use for riders with heavy loaded bikes, though…

– Kansas City, MO: City becomes more bicycle-friendly by adding 352 lane miles of bikeway signage — “The city has begun installation of 352 lane miles of bike routes and ‘share the road’ signs throughout the city. Located primarily on quiet residential streets, the signs provide the beginning for a 600-mile bikeway system in Kansas City. The signage will not only help guide cyclists as they travel, but they also will help cyclists identify which streets are bicycle-friendly for travel. The City is committed to becoming a platinum-designated bicycle-friendly community by 2020.”

– Kansas City, MO: Five die-hard cyclists: Why they ride — “They’re everywhere: riding to work, school, dinner, the grocery store and the dentist’s office. In other words, they’re doing just what Kansas Citians in cars are: getting where they need to go. Meet a few of these dedicated cyclists, covering 5 to 30 miles each week on their bikes. They explain why overcoming obstacles to bike in KC is well worth the effort and encourage everyone to give biking a shot.”

– Nebraska: Psycowpath Opening Weekend — A report from the season’s first mountain bike races, the Jewell Jam TT & Swanson Short Track, and the Swanson Shoot Out XC in Bellevue, part of the Psycowpath Mountain Bike Series: “It was good to see a lot of old friends that I hadn’t seen all winter, and felt great to get out on the singletrack again. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped put on this and all the races.”

– Oklahoma City, OK: OKC Bicyclist Determined To Find Hit-And-Run Driver — “Last Thursday, Aavery Ross was riding his bike southbound on Penn. north of Hefner. When he crossed the entrance to the Buy for Less parking lot, he says the driver of a black Mercedes pulled out and hit him. Now, working the intersection just a few feet from the scene of the accident. Ross is watching every car that comes by very closely for the Black Mercedes that hit him. Police say even though the driver stopped, it’s still illegal to leave an accident without giving any information.”

Event News

– The Spring Hill Ruritans have announced the date for their annual Bull Creek Bike Bash, which takes place May 4th in rural Johnson and Miami counties, with 20-, 30-, 50- or 60-mile routes.

– Pub Pedal for Earth Day is an annual Kansas City, Missouri event in which participants enjoy a simple leisurely ride from bar to bar to have a good time and help raise awareness for bicycling as transportation. It takes place on April 20th.

– BAMFAM (Bike Around McPherson for Families) has announced its 2013 date: May 4th. The event is a fundraiser for McPherson Family Life Center.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Bike Shop News

– Bicycle X-Change is holding a TrekFest Spring Sale April 11-15 in Wichita: “Hurry in for the best Trek deals of the year.”

– BikeSource in Overland Park is running two big sales: “The Spring Sale and the Specialized Spring Classics Sale going on now through April 21″.

– Bike America in Overland Park is holding a Bicycle Swap Meet on April 13th (8am – 5pm) and April 14th (11am -4pm). This is free to public, where everyone can buy, sell, and trade.

Personal Notes

I’m participating in this year’s 30 Days of Biking challenge, and so far it’s going well. I’m 10 out of 10, for a total of about 126 miles, approximately 2/3 for errands and the others just for fun.

Weather has been moderately challenging — a few windy days, some coolness, some rain, some warm and humid, and some cloudy days, as in this picture from April 1st.

Haven’t done any big rides yet, but I certainly hope to before long!

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

Here’s my report from the trip … feel free to ride along!

The Workshop

The workshop was led by Brighid O’Keane of the Alliance for Biking and Walking and Darren Flusche, Policy Director for the League of American Bicyclists. Peter Lagerwey, who spent over 27 years managing bike/ped projects and programs for Seattle, and who now works as private consultant, was the featured speaker. Peter consulted with the city of Wichita on their recently-approved Bicycle Master Plan.

It was a packed room at the Downtown YMCA, with over 50 participants, including city staff from Wichita and surrounding communities (and from around the state), KDOT staff, including Kansas Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Becky Pepper, staff from WAMPO (the Wichita Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization), and advocates from around the area and the state, including Bike Walk Wichita, Prairie Travelers, and KanBikeWalk. Three Wichita City Council members, Pete Meitzner, Janet Miller, and LaVonta Williams, were also in attendance. Council Member Williams was the keynote speaker, and shared her vision for making Wichita more bicycle-friendly, and how the Bicycle Master Plan fits into that.

There was a great deal of information provided during the workshop, much of it very technical regarding securing funding through the various mechanisms in the federal transportation law. I’m still digesting the wealth of details, but my takeaway was this: While the merging of the former “Transportation Enhancements” and “Safe Routes to School” programs into a single “Transportation Alternatives” program has meant a reduction in the amount of funding for bike/ped projects, there is some increased flexibility on the state and local level, and there is additional funding available through related programs such as the “Highway Safety Improvement Program” (HSIP), the “Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program” (CMAQ), and the “Surface Transportation Program” (STP). All told, there are still numerous funding avenues for worthy bike/ped projects, though the competition among communities can be fierce.

I didn’t take a lot of photos at the workshop, but I thought this one was interesting. Participants were asked their vision for their community or their objective in attending the workshop, and it was an encouraging list: “more bike lanes”, “trail building”, “safety”, “connecting communities”, “better walkability”, “increased bike commuting”, and so on.

And remember, most of the people who said these things probably wouldn’t describe themselves as “advocates” — they’re city staff, planners, bureaucrats, politicians — yet they see the desire for biking and walking in their communities, and they recognize the need for building a transportation system that serves everyone.

Sometimes the people who advocate for biking and walking feel like their small voice can’t possibly be heard or make a difference, that they’re pushing against the immovable object of an auto-centric system that cares only about moving motorized traffic at the highest possible speed. And sometimes that’s true.

But this list, produced primarily by non-advocates, indicates that the message is beginning to get through, that cities really are interested in active transportation (and recreation), and, just like us, are struggling to find a way to get it done.

I find that encouraging.

Exploring Downtown Wichita By Bike

It was late afternoon by the time the workshop wrapped up, and I had just a couple hours of light. I’d brought my bike, of course, so I took off for a little ramble through the downtown core (this was my route).

Big-city downtowns can sometimes be intimidating places to ride a bike, but I didn’t find that to be the case in downtown Wichita. OK, it was after 5pm, so I missed the height of rush hour, but I had no trouble at all in getting around on any street. There was plenty of space, and traffic was not aggressive. It was quite easy.

I rode down Broadway, which is one of the main corridors though the city. Traffic was slow, there was ample room, and it felt quite safe to ride on the street.

(Of course, not everyone agreed. I saw a number of sidewalk cyclists in downtown, even though riding bikes is prohibited sidewalks in the central business district.)

This is the 1st Street bike lane, headed east. There is one shared lane (or two, depending) and a bike lane that is wide and well-marked. It successfully avoids the gutter pan joint (unlike some, say, Olathe bike lanes).

There are several intersections like this along the route, and their design is troubling.

In general, it’s not a great idea to put a thru lane to the right of a right-turning shared lane. That’s just asking for conflict. The trouble is easy enough to avoid (basically don’t pull up alongside a vehicle, where you may be in the driver’s blind spot, even if the bike lane leads you there), but it’s a potential trap for inexperienced bicyclists.

It would be better if the facilities design didn’t manufacture this potential conflict…

I saw a surprising number of joggers using the bike lanes, despite nearby traffic-free sidewalks. I even saw a cyclist riding the wrong way within the bike lane. Not sure what’s up with that…

It’s obvious that Wichita motorists are not driving in the bike lane, which is, of course, good, but it does leave some debris that can become a hazard to bicycle traffic. (sorry for the sun glare and blur)

This is a multiuse path that winds beneath I-135. I didn’t have a chance to follow it, but it’s a good use of space (if not terribly attractive).

Downtown Wichita has a good number of high-quality on-street bike racks, on nearly every street. This one is on the Rotary Time Tower and Centennial Plaza.

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, home of the Wichita Wingnuts baseball team, has a bike rack right in front of the ticket windows. The wheel-bender is not the greatest design, but it’s far better than the non-existent bicycle parking facilities at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, for instance.

A much better (if less locationally secure) bike rack is available at the bus stop adjacent to the stadium. This rack features a sticker that says it was funded by a Tiger Grant via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (i.e. “stimulus funds”). Nice!

The historic Delano district of Wichita features bike racks that use the same basic design as the racks in downtown, yet are distinctive. An elegant touch!

These bikes were part of a group from the Coasters Bicycle Club, headed to their weekly Thursday Night Pub Pedal. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to ride with you!

My bike tour of downtown Wichita ended near dusk on the multi-use path along the Arkansas River, and the iconic Keeper of the Plains statue at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. What a beautiful place to contemplate.

I wasn’t the only cyclist enjoying the evening, with these two crossing the lovely bike/ped bridges as I set up my shots.

Camping at Santa Fe Lake

My plan was to camp overnight at Santa Fe Lake, just east of Wichita, near the town of Augusta.

It was well after dark when I arrived at the lake, and I was pleased to find the camp office still open, and I paid the modest cost for a permit ($5 vehicle fee + $4 primitive camping fee), found a likely spot along the western shore of the lake, and set up my tent in the dark.

It was a cool night, but peaceful, and I was up just before dawn. This is my little tent, set up in the grass near an old dock landing.

Sunrise over the lake was quite magnificent, with vapor rising off the water, and waterfowl swimming and hunting in the reeds. In this photo, the rising sun is just beginning to peek through the treeline.

The Santa Fe Lake Trail is located on the eastern shore, adjacent to the lake dam. It was still a bit too wet to ride the trail, though I walked a few hundred yards of it, and found it promising.

More Exploring

Once daylight broke, and I scrounged up some breakfast in Andover, I drove around until I found the local park, and a road that crossed the Redbud Trail, which is a rail-to-trail project that runs from Wichita east through Andover and on to Augusta. The trail is a work in progress, though this segment looks very close to finished. I tried riding the trail, but found the rock just too loose to support my road bike tires (you can see where I sunk in the foreground).

Back in Wichita, I paid a visit to some local shops, including Bicycle Pedaler, Heartland Bicycle, The Bicycle X-Change Shops, and Lee’s Bike Shop.

It being Spring, the shops were quite busy with customers, and I appreciate the owners taking the time to talk with me and show me around their shops. It was interesting to see their setups and learn more about the scene. Next time I’m in town, I plan to hit up the other shops in Wichita!

This is a short bit of the Air Capital Memorial Park Singletrack on the west side of Wichita. There are about 2 miles of trail here, looks like a lot of smooth and flowy trail, as well as a bunch of challenging trail with rocks, roots, and short but steep elevation changes. I didn’t get a chance to ride the trails, but they look pretty sweet!

Driving north thru the town of Maize, I came across a road project, apparently turning a 2-lane road into a 5-lane Stroad, along with one of the least pleasant sidepaths I’ve ever encountered. There’s room for 5 lanes of traffic, but not room for bike lanes, or at least a sidepath with some separation and landscaping, a place where someone would actually want to walk or ride? Yuck!

(The word Stroad “describes a street, er, road, built for high speed, but with multiple access points. Excessive width is a common feature. A common feature in suburbia, especially along commercial strips. Unsafe at any speed, their extreme width and straightness paradoxically induces speeding. Somewhat more neutral than synonymous traffic sewer.”)

Wrapup

Back home (following a detour to Newton, that I hope to cover separately), I rocked the “I Bike ICT” shirt, courtesy of Patrick at The Bicycle X-Change Shops, on my local roads.

This is really the first time I’ve had a chance to bike much in Wichita (other than a short ride on the river trails a few years back), and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and appreciated the hospitality I found.

Wichita doesn’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to bicycle friendliness, but that’s not what I experienced. Downtown and the older parts of the city are pretty easy to traverse by bike, and I received no honks or shouts, even when controlling the lane.

The suburbs are, well, suburbs, and are likely not as bicycle-friendly, though I didn’t get a chance ride there to see for myself (though I drove through several areas on both the east and west sides of the city.

I think Wichita is moving in the right direction. The Bicycle Master Plan is a huge positive development, assuming it leads to actual implementation — and there is every indication that it will.

I was asked, by several local cyclists, what I’d heard at the workshop, whether the mood among local leaders was positive or defeatist, if there were attitudes that “Wichita will never by bicycle friendly” that “All this bike plan business is a waste of time and money”. I didn’t hear, or sense, any of that. I heard only positive attitudes from leaders.

I did notice a lack of on-road cyclists, both in downtown and in the suburbs. I saw far more cyclists riding on paths and sidewalks. I think that will change as new on-road facilities come online, as people realize that it’s possible (and safe! and easy! and fun! and healthy! and frugal!) to get around by bike. That sort of attitudinal change is a process, and takes time. But it’s coming…

Hope to make it back soon, and ride more of the city!

A Kansas Rail-Trail First: County To Manage New Southwind Rail Trail

Jane Tweedy with the Southwind Rail Trail group building the 6.5-mile Southwind Rail Trail between Iola and Humboldt reports that the Allen County Commission voted unanimously to partner with the group to manage and maintain the Southwind Rail Trail. This is the first time a county in Kansas has agreed to help maintain and manage a rail-trail. The County will also help build the trail. The rail-trail was railbanked by Sunflower Rail-Trail Conservancy in 2011. It is hoped that the trail will be completed by this summer and celebration will be held on National Trails Day (June 1) at Humboldt.

Armadillo Encountered On Trail Near Rantoul

Trail users recently encountered an armadillo on the Flint Hills Nature Trail near Rantoul. The critters are being sighted more often in Kansas as temperatures increase and winters are milder. It should be noted that it is best to leave them alone because they carry diseases which can be transmitted to humans.

Bike Lane For KU’s Jayhawk Blvd

Over the next four summers, KU is going to redesign and rebuild its famous Jayhawk Blvd. Parking will be removed and shade trees will be restored as they were 40 years ago. As part of the remake, a bike lane will be put in the middle of the street. This is because a bike lane along the curbs would result in bikes having to pass buses stopped. The whole project is $11 million provided by Kansas taxpayers.

Landon Trail At Overbrook

Karl Umscheid, Overbrook Division Superintendent with Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, reports that the two-mile section of the Landon Nature Trail going south from Overbrook should be completed this spring. He and his crew are just about done with grading the former railroad bed. Next, crushed limestone screenings suitable for walkers, bicyclists and wheelchair users and a large, wooden trailhead sign will be installed. The trail will pass near the Overbrook Cemetery where Santa Fe Trail ruts or swales may still be seen. “We hope the Overbrook community will now rally behind the project,” offered Umscheid. With their help we can build the recreational trail to Pomona Lake and on to the 117-mile Flint Hills Nature Trail.”

National Trails Day June 1

There will be several National Trails Day celebrations on rail-trails on June 1. One celebration will be held at 9:00 am in Overbrook at the new Landon Nature Trail trailhead. The public is invited to bike or hike on the new two-mile section in celebration of its opening. Details of other celebrations will posted in the May issue of Kansas Trails News.

Article About FHNT In Kansas Outdoors Magazine

The new Kansas Outdoors magazine (2013) published by KDWPT has an excellent article about the Flint Hills Nature Trail. The article, written by Kimberly Winter Stern, quotes former president Doug Walker is quoted extensively. Below are some quotations:

“It’s a picturesque and serene journey for hikers, runners, bicyclists and horseback riders, smack in the middle of the fabled prairie deemed one of Kansas’ many assets.”

“The Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy’s mission is to have the FHNT connect population centers and historic Kansas sites and landscapes. ‘This truly is a natural for Kansas,” says Walker. ‘There aren’t many places in the country with all of the pieces necessary for a true rail-trail experience.”

“Imagine the Flint Hills Nature Trail as a patchwork quilt that stitches together diverse scenery, including sweeping vistas of unbroken countryside, abundant indigenous fauna and flora, lush farmland, rushing creeks and burbling streams and canopies of ancient oak, sycamore and hickory trees.”

“The trail is still under development; sections are completed incrementally as the KRTC receives donations and volunteer assistance. Walker assures an uncluttered, almost spiritual, experience on the 60-plus miles currently open for us.”

“It’s indescribable to participate in the Flint Hills this way,” says Walker. “People who walk or bike the trail or explore it on horseback are blown away.”

Path Lawrence – Partners In Active Transportation And Health

A new organization has formed in Lawrence to promote an interconnected trails system. Currently Lawrence has several separate recreational paths that don’t connect. A co-founder, architect Mike Myers, reports that he would like to see a dedicated funding source so that every year another trail segment is built. A new website is up but is a work-in-progress: pathlawrence.org.

Little Free Library Along Boise Bike Path

Last summer, Jordan Liebich, 11, transformed an abandoned newspaper rack into a Little Free Library and parked it outside Riverstone International School in Boise, Idaho. Jordan painted the box bright blue and stenciled the school’s otter mascot on the side. The sixth-grader says the Little Free Library, situated on a popular bike path, makes it “free and easy” for kids to grab a book, especially in the summertime. “Reading opens up more of the world and opportunities,” says the book-a-day reader. “It makes you think more imaginatively. It makes you smarter. It makes you take in situations differently.”

Right Of Public Access In Sweden

“The Right of Public Access is an ancient Swedish custom (common law) that allows everyone to roam freely in the countryside, even on private property, as long as you behave responsibly and remain out of view and earshot of residential buildings.” (Sweden 2013, www.visitsweden.com).

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that people of Kansas don’t even have the right to float on the state’s rivers and streams even though the water is owned by the public. This is contrary to Missouri where one can float on all of the streams and even camp or picnic on gravel or sandbars.

Transmission Line May Threaten Rail-Trails

A trails advocate sent the following: I wanted to alert you about a transmission wire project that will impact all five of Kansas’ National Historic Trails (Santa Fe, Oregon, California, Pony Express, and Lewis & Clark) plus unknown recreational trails. My organization is especially watching this project because of possible impacts at Alcove Spring between Blue Rapids & Marysville. Here are the relevant links: salina.com, grainbeltexpresscleanline.com.

Kansas Trail News is published by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc. and Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 44-2043, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-3458. Reprinted with permission. If you have any trail news you’d like to share, please contact us.

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Bicycling the Route 66 Historic Byway

Kansas is moving forward on creating it’s first official segment of the U.S. Bicycle Route System, on the Route 66 Historic Byway in southeastern Kansas. Here is a photo tour of the route as it stands today. [link]

The Joplin Globe did a follow-up story about the US Bicycle Route 66 concept: Cycling advocates seeking Route 66 map designation, with some great quotes from the Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition, KDOT, and Galena Mayor Dale Oglesby, who “said that should such a designation become reality, the City Council likely would consider making Galena attractive to cyclists with amenities such as places to take a break, bike racks in front of businesses downtown and signs.”

Wichita cyclist critically injured after being hit by car

“Police said a woman driving an SUV was heading south on Oliver, when it hit a man on a bicycle traveling east on 12th Street. The victim, a 21-year-old man, was taken to Wesley Medical Center in extremely critical condition. Police are interviewing two witnesses and the driver about the accident. It is unknown at this time if the bicycle rider failed to yield at the stop sign at the intersection.” The collision occured on Wednesday, March 27th. [link]

Ed. Note: If the cause of the collision is unknown, why speculate that the cyclist was at fault?

Wichita Seeking Volunteers to Serve on Advisory Board

“The city of Wichita is launching a new advisory volunteer board for issues related to bicycling and walking. The board will provide recommendations to the City Council, participate in planning and project development, evaluate policies; and make recommendations to City departments. It will also play an influential role in implementing Wichita’s Bicycle Master Plan. Board members will serve a two-year term, with the potential to serve four consecutive terms. Cyclists of all skill levels can apply, from casual weekend riders to year-round commuters.” [link]

Paola Pathways Fundraising

“The Paola Pathways task force recently announced it is launching a communitywide campaign to enhance fundraising efforts to start building the first phase of a pedestrian/bicycle trail system in Paola. The first section of trail will loop around Rock Stadium and the soccer fields south of the Miami County Fairgrounds in Wallace Park.” [link]

Bike Challenges Begin

The 30 Days of Biking challenge runs from April 1-30, and the goal is simple: just ride your bike every day, no matter how little or how much, how slow or how fast. It’s about building good habits, and making positive changes through day-by-day repetition. Oh, and it’s about having fun!

Also starting up is the National Bike Challenge, in which participants log their miles for bragging rights for themselves, their workplaces, their teams, their communities, and their states. The goal this year is a big one: 50,000 cyclists and 20 million miles! The challenge officially runs May-September, but you can go ahead and register (it’s free!), and practice logging your miles.

Walkability Expert Visits Crawford County

I was in Pittsburg and Girard last week to attend a visit to Crawford County by Mark Fenton a nationally-recognized public health, planning, and transportation consultant, known as “America’s Walking Guru”. Fenton performed walkability audits in Girard and Pittsburg, and spoke to to community leaders about how to make their cities more walkable, bikeable, and liveable. His visit to Crawford County was coordinated by Live Well Crawford County, and made possible by a healthy community initiative grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.

A few of the bike-related ideas that came out of this visit include a possible hostel in Girard for cyclotourists passing through on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, new bike racks in downtown Pittsburg, and a proposed bicycle route network for Pittsburg, including on-street bike lanes and sharrows on a number of streets, as well as expanded trails and paths.

Regional Bicycling News

– Denver, CO: New Denver bike path changes lanes — “15th Street project includes a number of unique characteristics. Phase one includes a patterned, plastic material that separates the bike lane from the car lanes, as well as green pavement markings that will define where a car and bike share space. There will also be a bike box on Cleveland at 15th Street. But perhaps most interesting is a queue jump, which is a signal specific for bikes, allowing them a head start to go in front of traffic.”

– Fort Collins, CO: Making Fort Collins and Colo. State even friendlier bike communities — “The city of Fort Collins and CSU both have ambitious plans in store for a greener community. ASCSU, CSU and the city are in discussions for the incorporation of an extensive bike-sharing network in the city. Fort Collins is still working out the logistics of the project, which is loosely based on Denver’s sharing system.”

– Greeley, CO: Greeley police seek public’s help finding driver who hit bicyclist — “Police say the driver was headed south on 58th Avenue in west Greeley about 6:40 a.m. Thursday and turned east onto 18th Street, where the vehicle collided with Dick Ziegler, 62. Police and family say Ziegler was on his way to work at Frontier Academy, where he is a middle school math tutor.”

– Sioux City, IA: Trails seen as key to Blue Zones success — “The Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council, a group of area government officials, is exploring options to create a walking and bike trail to link the communities of Sioux City and Le Mars, which are about 24 miles apart. ‘Cycling is a very healthy lifestyle. Recreation trails are one way for us to encourage our citizens to become more healthy.’”

– Kansas City, MO: City installs 200 miles of bike route signs — “In recent weeks the City has been installing new bike route signs on 180 miles of streets, a huge step forward in implementing the 2002 Bike KC master plan. These signs include arrows to point the direction of bike-friendly streets and designated bike routes linking neighborhoods to businesses, shops, schools, and other services. They help people find safe bike routes through the city, and they give motorists another reminder to share the road safely.”

– Norman, OK: Artists create colorful bike racks for Norman — “Norman soon will have bike racks with personality. A competition, sponsored by Norman Arts Council Public Arts Board, attracted 200 designs from artists throughout the state. The project will begin with five winning designs. ‘Bike racks don’t have to be ugly. This project demonstrates how something utilitarian becomes a work of art.’”

– Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Advocates: Fix OUR Streets! — “The City of Tulsa has been rebuilding its streets under a capital improvements program called ‘Fix Our Streets’ since 2008, but rebuilding them the way they were over forty years ago before they deteriorated so badly, without adding bike lanes or any other accommodations. Local advocates are working hard to make sure that the proposed $800 million in road improvements include high-quality facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Event News

KC area road racers: Tuesday Night Worlds is a weekly Criterium Training Series organized by Life Balance Sports and Wellness. It takes place in Olathe each Tuesday evening, around 6pm. Life Balance also hosts the monthly Time Trial Series the second Thursday of each month (April thru September) in Gardner, Kansas.

The Wildcat Gran Prix is taking place this weekend at Kansas State University in Manhattan, with a road race, criterium, and team time trial.

Recreation riders, the first big group rides of the year are coming soon! April rides include the Cabin Fever Challenge in Wamego and the Santa Fe Trail Spring Bike Ride in Alta Vista on April 13th, the Cookie Wiebe Memorial Bicycle Ride in Newton, the Pasta 58 Road & Gravel Ride in Junction City, Operation Pedal Express out of El Dorado, and the Tour de Vino near Paola on April 20th, the Spring Classic in Lenexa on the 27th, and Tour de Cyclone Country in KCK on the 28th.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

The Latest Bicycling Resources at Kansas Cyclist

– Kansas Bicycle Advisory Committees: A directory of Bicycle Advisory Committees in Kansas, which help address bicycling-related issues in their communities, and plan bicycling facilities activities.
– Baxter Springs Riverside Park Photos — Baxter Springs Riverside Park

Bicycling Inspiration

I was recently in northwest Arkansas, and this photo was taken after I arrived. I managed to get out on the bike for a quick spin just before sunset, and was treated to a magnificent view over Table Rock Lake and the town of Beaver.

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

It doesn’t matter how far you ride, how fast you ride, or for what purpose you ride.

The tagline for the challenge is fitting: “A community of joyful cyclists“.

Think about that each time you ride. The challenge is less about accomplishing a particular number of miles, or improving your average speed, than about embracing the simple joy of riding a bike, and making that part of your day-to-day life.

Ride every day, just because, and consider all the other positives that go along with cycling — saving money, improving your mental and physical health, making your community a better place to, live, etc. — just a bonus.

I’ve done the 30 Days challenge in both 2011 and 2012, and plan to do it again this year.

Here’s what my April schedule looks like:

Feel free to follow along (and post your own rides) on the Kansas Cyclist Strava group, or on Facebook, or Google+, or Twitter, or whatever.

Hope you join me in the April 2013 30 Days of Biking Challenge!

I was in that part of the state recently, along with KanBikeWalk‘s Dale Crawford, and we had an afternoon free, so we decided to check out the Route 66 Historic Byway.

This recently-designated byway follows the famous Route 66 through Kansas. Route 66 begins in Chicago and ends in Los Angeles. It was traveled by hundreds of thousands of people in the 1930s, fleeing the dust bowl and the great depression for the promised land of the west.

Route 66 traversed Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California in its 2400+ miles, becoming known as “The Mother Road”, and entrenching itself into American popular culture.

Sadly, much of the original Route 66 has been lost, replaced by interstate highways and other higher-capacity roads. But there are still extant segments of the original route, and many of the communities celebrate their place along the route.

Kansas has the shortest slice of the entire route, with only about 13 miles cutting through the extreme southeastern corner of the state, passing through the communities of Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs.

Dale and I were coming down US-69, so we parked the car at Riverton High School, about halfway along the byway. We rode the bikes west and south to Baxter Springs and the Oklahoma state line, and then north and east to Galena and the Missouri state line.

Here are some photos to give you a flavor of the bicycling conditions along the route:

Bicycling along historic Route 66. The road here is two-lane, with very little traffic (though watch out for loose dogs!).

This Marsh Arch Bridge over Brush Creek on old US-66 was built in 1923, and is the only bridge of this type along the entire Route 66. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This is not really part of the historic Route 66, but this is an interesting story in its own right. The Baxter Springs “Field of Dreams” stadium is located along old US-66, just north of Baxter Springs. This impressive facility, which is used for both baseball and softball, is owned and managed by a non-profit, and the stadium was built entirely with donated funds and labor.

Baxter Springs (and Southeast Kansas as a whole) has a rich baseball heritage. Mickey Mantle played for the semi-pro Baxter Springs Whiz Kids as a teenager, where he was discovered and signed by the New York Yankees. Baxter Springs is also home to the Little League Baseball Museum, which houses memorabilia from local sports heroes who’ve played in the area.

The Route 66 Historic Byway and the Frontier Military Historic Byway (which begins in Leavenworth and basically follows US-69 south) run along the same route for a few miles, and end at the Oklahoma border just south of Baxter Springs.

You’ll note that there is an excellent wide shoulder from Baxter Springs to the state line.

We turned around at the Oklahoma border, though of course Route 66 continues on through the state, and Oklahoma is well on its way to designating the route as US Bicycle Route 66.

Heading back north to Baxter Springs, the shoulders narrow within town (and disappear on the north end of town). You’ll want to stay well away from the dangerous drop-offs at the edge of this roadway.

We stopped for a late lunch at the Red Ball Bar and Grill in Baxter Springs (at the suggestion of the nice folks at city hall). Can’t say that I’d ever had burgers grilled on a Chevrolet before, but they were good!

Heading back towards Riverton on old US 66, the road is two lanes, and passes farms and houses, but seems to carry little traffic (there is a higher-speed road that bypasses this old two-lane).

Leaving Riverton headed east, there’s a nice wide shoulder, but the speed limit changes from 45 MPH to 65 MPH. It’s difficult to make out in this photo, but as the highway passed over the Spring River, the shoulder disappears, and bicyclists need to merge with 65 MPH traffic to get over the bridge.

Continuing east towards Galena, there’s a nice wide shoulder, though it has a rather rough surface.

The route passes through Galena, and the byway ends at the Missouri state line.

(Biking Across Kansas will end in Galena this year, so this sign will be a popular photo opportunity come June 15th!)

Back in Galena, the shoulder disappears, and cyclists will need to control the lane through town.

Galena has restored their train depot, and it is now used as a museum, though it was closed when we passed by.

And finally, back in Riverton, the nice shoulder disappears, though thankfully the speed limit drops a bit.

US Bicycle Route 66 in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Transportation is working with the Adventure Cycling Association to officially designate the Route 66 Historic Byway as part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

As of early March, KDOT informed me that “Kansas is coordinating with Oklahoma so when Kansas moves forward with the USBR 66 we can tie into the Oklahoma plan.”

Dale and I spoke with City Hall in Baxter Springs, and the Galena Sentinel-Times newspaper in Galena, and no one seemed aware that Route 66 was about to become a bicycle route. So apparently KDOT hasn’t conferred with the local communities yet.

Missouri is also moving towards designating USBR 66, though I’m unsure where that effort stands. Oklahoma, as mentioned before on this site, is moving aggressively to designate their portion of the route.

Bicycling the Route 66 Historic Byway in Kansas

As shown in the photos above, the Route 66 Historic Byway is already completely bikeable. Most of the route is either on low-traffic two-lane roads, or on high-speed highways with wide shoulders. The shoulders tend to disappear within each of the three communities along the route, and it would be wise for cyclists to control the lane in these portions.

The only segment of the route that is a major safety concern is the lack of a shoulder eastbound over the Spring River. And that can be somewhat improved by changing the speed limit to 45 MPH over the bridge, and adding some signage, such as “Bikes May Use Full Lane“.

Other than the two-lane portion of the old road with the Marsh Arch Bridge, the route is not particularly scenic, though the segment over and east of the Spring River is very nice (we noticed many migratory birds along the river, including herons and white pelicans).

There are lots so things to see and do along the route, with shops and places to eat in all three communities, many with themes related to the Route 66 history and nostalgia.

I’m looking forward to an official designation of this byway as US Bicycle Route 66, with appropriate signage. Would love to see Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs embrace the cyclotourists, with bike racks within the towns and at the shops and attractions along the route!

(Ed. note: I’m posting this travelogue in lieu of my regular “Photo of the Week” feature.)

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Paola Driver Convicted in Death of 9-Year-Old Girl

Judge Sheila Schultz found Autumn Bassett, 34, of Paola guilty of speeding, inattentive driving and operating a motor vehicle without insurance. Bassett killed Johnna Feugate last September, while the girl and her sister were riding a bicycle. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 11. [link]

$700,000 Grant for Wichita Bike Plan

About $700,000 of a $2.4 million community transformation grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will go to the City of Wichita for planning and implementation of the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan, which was recently approved by the city council. [link]

Epic Start to the Brevet Season

The first event of the 2013 Kansas City Ultra Cycling Brevet Series was last weekend, and it was “definitely one for the books”. Riders on the “Princeton Roundabout” 200km (125 miles) route faced a freakish early-Spring snowstorm: “With high hopes, 18 brave randonneurs started the Princeton Roundabout route at 7:00am in Shawnee with cool temps and a steady NE wind, helping push riders nicely to the halfway point without incident. The rando-spirit saw its ultimate test around 2:00pm, with the onset of heavy sleet, then heavy snow. Road conditions worsened as afternoon became evening, creating a battle of wills amid a beautiful wintry landscape.” [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– Iowa: Three Foot Passing Bills Die in House and Senate — “In the Iowa Legislature, bills must pass through a committee by the first funnel date in order to remain ‘alive’ and eligible for debate. Despite the widespread support by both parties on three foot passing distances, the bills did not get subcommittee approval.”

– Iowa: “300 Miles Of Gravel” To Air On Iowa T.V. — A documentary about Trans Iowa called “300 Miles Of Gravel” will air April 22nd on Iowa Public TV, and is also available on DVD. This year’s non-stop, self-supported, solo competition along the gravel roads of rural Iowa rolls on April 27th.

– Hastings, NE: Safe Streets May Lead to a Healthy Lifestyle — A community group has launched a “Share our Streets” campaign “to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian injuries, by making Hastings’ streets safer and encouraging physical activity.” Part of the campaign will attempt to educate motorists and bicyclists about Nebraska’s 3-foot law, which was enacted in April 2012.

– Tulsa, OK: Lee’s Bicycles pedals into its 100th year — “Lee Aldridge started the store in 1914 in a downtown Tulsa alley, catering to a generation that used the bicycle as an everyday means of transportation right up there with horses.”

– Tulsa, OK: Tulsa advocates say, “Fix OUR Streets” — “Local advocates are working hard to make sure that the proposed $800 million in road improvements include high-quality facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians. For $30 million, Tulsa can widen one mile of Yale Street. Or build 100 miles of sidewalk, stripe 600 miles of bike lanes, fund 300 miles of protected bike lanes, 20 miles of high-end NYC-style cycle track, 120 miles of bicycle boulevard/neighborhood greenway, or 30 miles of multi-use trails.”

Event News

Upcoming April rides include the Cabin Fever Challenge in Wamego and the Santa Fe Trail Spring Bike Ride in Alta Vista on April 13th, the Pasta 58 Road & Gravel Ride in Junction City, Operation Pedal Express out of El Dorado, and the Tour de Vino near Paola on April 20th, the Spring Classic in Lenexa on the 27th, and Tour de Cyclone Country in KCK on the 28th.

A new Kansas bike tour has been announced: Kandango is a 3-day supported bicycle tour thru the Smoky Hills and Flint Hills regions of central Kansas. I’m pretty excited about this new tour. It begins on May 30th, slotted between the Cottonwood 200 and Biking Across Kansas tours. And it’s quite inexpensive. Thinking about doing this one myself!

The 30 Days of Biking challenge starts April 1st. There’s just one rule: “Bike somewhere every day for 30 days—around the block, 20 miles to work, whatever suits you—then share your adventures online.” I’ve done this the last two years, with the added challenge of publishing a photo every day (see my 2012 30 Days of Biking Photos). I hope to do the biking challenge this year, but probably won’t attempt the photos again — riding every day is easy, but finding a new, non-cliche, non-lame photo every day is tough!

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Bicycling Inspiration

Dirt Road Ride

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

I received a blue ribbon for my ride … amazing the things that can be found along the side of the road!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

~450,000 adults in Kansas Ride a Mountain Bike?

“A study reports that more than 20% of adults mountain bike, and that adventure tourism is the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry. Mountain biking is big business. Yes, even in Kansas.” [link]

KanBikeWalk Reports from the National Bike Summit

“A look back at this year's National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., with photos, and highlights from the nation's largest gather of bicycling and pedestrian advocates.” [link]

Safe Routes to School Project in Leavenworth

“Project work includes new and replacement sidewalks and modifying sidewalks to meet ADA standards as well as new curbs and gutters, crosswalks and signing and installation of fence and bicycle racks. At its heart, the SRTS Program empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity once again.” [link]

Free Helmets For Kids in Baldwin City

“The 12th annual Community Wellness Festival, sponsored by the Baldwin City Recreation Commission and Baker University, will be from 9 a.m. to noon April 6 at the Collins Center on the Baker campus in Baldwin City. There will be drawings for prizes, including adult and children’s bicycles. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 250 attendees. All children will receive a free bicycle helmet as long as supplies last.” [link]

New Bike Racks in El Dorado

“Members of the El Dorado Rotary Club installed new bike racks around El Dorado on Sunday. The bike racks are an artistic rendition of the old fashioned Victor bikes popular in the late 1800s, featuring a large front wheel and tiny rear wheel.” [link] (image courtesy El Dorado Times)

Wichita St. Patrick’s Day Parade Photos

“Whoa what a day yesterday. We always have too much fun at the St Patrick’s Parade and Party that follows. 7 years now for this parade and our bike club has participated every year.” [link]

Colby Bike-to-School Day

The city of Colby held a Walk/Bike To School Day on March 6th, with students, parents, teachers, and administrators encouraged to find an active way to get to class. [link]

Serve on The Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

“The City of Wichita is accepting applications for members of the new Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. The volunteer board will advise the City on issues related to bicycling and walking in Wichita. The board will provide advice directly to the City Council; participate in planning and project development; evaluate policies; and make recommendations to City departments. It will play an influential role in implementing Wichita’s Bicycle Master Plan.” [learn more]

Civic Groups Sought for Bike Across Kansas

“Arkansas City will be host to 940 participants of Bike Across Kansas on June 12. Many of the participants enjoy spending their meal and snack funds in supporting local civic groups. This is a great money-making opportunity for the right civic group or groups.” [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– North Little Rock, AR: Arkansas 3-Foot Passing Law Educational Campaign — The city of North Little Rock, Arkansas has launched a media campaign to raise public awareness about their bicycle passing law, becoming the first community in their state to take the initiative to educate motorists and cyclists about this critical safety law.

– Denver, CO: Denver B-cycle expands from 53 to 83 Bike Stations — “30 new stations will be installed in the coming months, expanding its service to new neighborhoods beyond its current base and nearly doubling the square miles covered by the shared bicycle system. The Denver B-cycle fleet will grow to over 700.”

– Cañon City, CO: Wheels are in motion for pump track — “The pump track, that is planned to be installed in the open space north of the Arkansas River and east of the Centennial Park pedestrian bridge near the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, will be an asset to the community and will offer families a way to be active while having fun.”

– Coralville, IA: Cyclist Awarded $1.2 Million for Fall — “Ruden fell off her bike after riding through a thick mud patch on the North Ridge Trail. She was wearing a helmet, but suffered brain injuries that put her in a coma and left her disabled. She’s since become a motivational speaker. Her lawsuit contended that flaws in the trail’s design, construction and maintenance allowed mud to accumulate and created a danger for cyclists.”

– Independence, MO: Jackson County settles in accident that left bicyclist paralyzed — “Jackson County is paying $300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by an Independence man badly hurt in a bicycle crash four years ago on the Little Blue Trace Trail. He was riding slowly and at a curve tried to miss a tree but spun out on a slick spot and was thrown from the bike, coming down hard and hitting his face on gravel. He suffered a spinal injury.”

– Missouri: “Same Roads-Same Rights” License Plates — “Believe it or not, we first started working on the Bicycle Missouri plates in 2005. It’s great to see them finally become a reality!”

–Lincoln, NE: Lincoln’s First Protected Bikeway — “Very soon the city of Lincoln will be putting in a two way protected bike lane on N St. connecting the Antelope trail on the east of downtown and the new Arena trail to the west. This east to west connection will be Lincoln’s first protected bike way, or ‘green lane’. A green way is an on street bike lane physically protected from motor vehicles and separated from sidewalks. These lanes can be visually divided from vehicular traffic by parked cars along the bikeway, plastic posts, curbs, planters, or painted barriers.”

– Nebraska City, NE: Free bikes in Nebraska City — “Nebraska City officials are making it easier for residents and visitors, alike, to get around the city’s main business district. By a 4-to-0 vote, the Nebraska City City Council Monday night approved a plan to provide free bikes for shoppers along Central Avenue. City Administrator Joe Johnson tells KMA News bike racks will be placed at City Hall, 11th and Central and 6th and Central for individuals wishing to use the bikes. Johnson says certain precautions will be taken to prevent bike thefts. ‘The bikes will be painted an odd color to, hopefully, persuade people not to steal these bikes.’”

– Broken Arrow, OK: Police seek driver in hit-and-run with bicyclist — “The cyclist, Brendan Simmons, 24, of Tulsa, was riding on the shoulder of eastbound Oklahoma 51 when he was struck from behind about 4:30 a.m. near the intersection of Nashville Street. He was thrown from the bicycle and landed in the ditch. Simmons is a specialist in the Army and was en route to work at the Broken Arrow Armed Forces Reserve Center, police said. Police said he was wearing a high-visibility reflective jacket when he was struck.”

– Oklahoma City, OK: Car hits man biking in dark — “The driver of the car said he simply didn’t see the biker who wasn’t wearing any reflective gear. He pulled over, called 911 and waited until help arrived. The cyclist has minor injuries.” There is no legal requirement to wear reflective gear (though it’s always a good idea), and there’s no reason not to bike in the dark. However, bicyclists are required to use a headline and tail light (or rear reflector) at night, yet the newspaper article didn’t report these salient facts. Why such biased and/or sloppy reporting?

Event News

A reminder: The Santa Fe Trail Bicycle Trek is scheduled to begin in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 8th, and travels through Kansas on an 1100-mile route following the old Santa Fe Trail. The total number of riders is capped at 50, and they need at least 30 deposits by the end of March, or the tour won’t happen in 2013. So if you’re interested in this tour, sign up now! (Also, from the same event organizer, is the 28th annual Santa Fe Century on May 19th in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There’s some beautiful cycling country there!)

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Notable Quote

“Adventure tourism is the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry, with mountain biking topping the list.”
International Mountain Bicycling Association

Bicycling Inspiration

Pausing beneath a layer of dark puffy clouds…

Today’s the First Day of Spring, so all will soon be green!

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and Shimano released a study in 2008 titled “The Economics and Benefits of Mountain Biking”.

I was unable to find the full report, but here’s a brochure that summarizes the study (view PDF):

Highlights From The Study

Some notable quotes that jump out:

– “More than 1 in 5 Americans 16 and over mountain bike.” If those numbers hold true in Kansas, that’s something like 450,000 adults in Kansas who ride a mountain bike!

– “By number of outings, biking is the favorite outdoor activity of American kids age 6-17.” Kids love to ride bikes! (Big kids do, too. )

– “Mountain Biking pumps $26 Billion into the American economy in direct expenditures alone.” That doesn’t count the substantial and long-term indirect impacts, such as improved mental and physical health, and the improved productivity that comes with an active lifestyle.

– “Sport/adventure tourism is the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry. Mountain biking is one of the top ranked adventure activities.”

– “Every $1 investment in trails leads to almost $3 in direct benefit.” It’s a well-known phenomenon that investments in bicycling infrastructure, whether on-road or off-road, has a very high return-on-investment, and is a huge job creator. It is one of the very lowest-cost and highest-impact investments that communities can make in themselves.

Kansas Mountain Biking

Unfortunately, no one has commissioned an economic impact study of mountain biking in Kansas, but even here, a state with no mountains, mountain biking is a big deal!

Just look at the wide variety of mountain bike trails and rail-trails throughout the state. Look at the tremendous popularity of recreational trail rides, gravel grinding, and mountain bike and cyclocross racing in Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism touts mountain biking on Kansas Trails in their 2013 Kansas Travel Guide: “There is this myth that Kansas is flat. Tell that to the mountain bikers who hit the many trails of the state, county, and city parks. Flat? No way. If you want roller-coaster, zip-line-fun-without-the-line, rocky-trail challenges, then look no more.”

Most state parks offer biking trails, and more and more Kansas communities are creating trails for their residents, and feature bicycling prominently in their tourism marketing.

The Travel Industry Association of Kansas has made bicycling a major part of their strategic vision, suggesting adding “biking trails to every scenic and historic byway, and each historic trail through the state”. All these new trails would have an huge impact on Kansas tourism, and make Kansas a major destination for people looking for an active adventure.

So yeah, mountain biking is big business — and getting bigger every year!

Finally, someone is stepping up to attempt to change that. The city of North Little Rock is launching a media campaign to raise public awareness about the bicycle passing law.

The city’s Fit 2 Live health initiative and its Bicycle Friendly Community Committee recently held a public kick-off event, with aldermen, police, firemen and MEMS personnel on hand to unveil a billboard, yard sign and bumper sticker designs to be used in the campaign.

According to a press release:

Arkansas’ 3-foot passing law requires motorists to leave at least 3 feet of space between their vehicle and the cyclist they are passing. While new drivers are informed about the law on their drivers’ test, most seasoned drivers are not aware of the law. Adequate passing distance is essential to cyclists’ safety, as is the recognition by drivers that cyclists have a right to — and are required to — bike on the roadways.

“Bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles,” says Bernadette Gunn Rhodes, North Little Rock’s Fit 2 Live Coordinator. “This campaign will emphasize to drivers that bikes belong on the roads as much as motorists do, and that there is a simple way to coexist safely with cyclists, which is to give them at least three feet passing distance.”

“Our goal with the Bicycle Friendly Community Committee is to provide both facilities and education in North Little Rock that make bicycling a safe, attractive and regular activity for our residents — for recreation as well as everyday transportation,” adds Charlie Hight, Ward 4 Alderman and co-chair of the Bicycle Friendly Community Committee.

The 3-foot passing campaign is being communicated via billboards, yard signs, and bumper stickers on police cars and City vehicles. The billboard campaign will run in locations across North Little Rock from January 14-March 10, 2013.

Sounds like a great campaign!

Here are some of the images being used for the campaign:

Arkansas 3-Foot Passing Law Billboard

Arkansas 3-Foot Passing Law Bumper Sticker

Arkansas 3-Foot Passing Law Yard Sign

Can This Campaign Be Replicated in Kansas?

Kansas passed a very similar 3-Foot Passing Law in 2011, but the state has done almost nothing to promote the law or to educate the public.

Harvey County, Kansas recently erected road signs to inform motorists about the 3-foot passing law (and they’re awesome!), but wouldn’t it be great if more Kansas communities took the hint? I’m sure North Little Rock would be happy to share their experiences with Kansas communities.

Why are we waiting for more cyclists to be endangered, injured, or killed due to unsafe passes, before being proactive about educating the public, and enforcing the law?

If you know someone in your local government, pass them a link to this story, and suggest that they consider implementing a similar campaign to educate both motorists and bicyclists about this critical safety law.

Inspire them to do good.

Sunlight and shadows play across the roadway beneath dramatic late-winter clouds.

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

Building Trails To Support Kansas Tourism

The Travel Industry Association of Kansas has issued a report that challenges the Governor to add biking trails to every scenic and historic byway, and each historic trail through the state, which could have an huge impact on Kansas tourism. Tourism is already one of the largest industries in Kansas, and focusing on bicycle tourism should be a natural for the Sunflower State. [link]

High School Mountain Biking Club in Peabody

Peabody, Kansas is a very small town located in a rural east central Kansas, but its high school, Peabody-Burns High School, boasts something that no other school in the state can claim: a mountain biking club. Cool story! Wouldn’t it be great is other schools in the state could follow Peabody’s lead? [link]

Gunn Park Trail Volunteers Receive Award

Fort Scott Mayor Jim Adams presented the Mayor’s Citizenship Award to the Gunn Park Trail Volunteers, in recognition of their “outstanding contributions made to the citizens of Fort Scott” (see photo). I visited the Gunn Park Trails last summer, and found them quite excellent (you can read my review here). Check them out if you haven’t already!

Leavenworth County Trail Map Draft Complete

“The map is the culmination of the efforts of a committee of volunteers working to produce a document that includes the entire system of pedestrian and bicycle paths through the county. Terry Andrews, the chairman of the Port Authority, said he thought the finished product could benefit the county as a whole, especially as a lot of other area communities work to both strengthen and promote their own trail systems. ‘This goes a long way in improving quality of life.’” [link]

Bike Polo in Topeka

We’ve looked at the phenomenon of bike polo before, but an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal takes a new look at a group there: “A grassroots group of bicycle enthusiasts looking for a new way to stretch their wheels inadvertently have saved a couple of Topeka tennis courts. The courts at Washburn Park were slated for demolition because no one was using them. But rather than tearing down the courts, Shawnee County parks and recreation spent less than $200 to transform the dilapidated facility into the city’s first bike polo court.”

Bicycle Maintenance Classes in Wichita

The Bike Cave in Wichita is holding a series of bicycle maintenance training classes, beginning the first week of April. This is a great opportunity to learn to work on your own bikes! [link]

Beware of Road Work on US-169 in Allen County

A heads-up to any cyclists who may be planning to travel on US-169 south of Iola: the Kansas Department of Transportation will be doing roadwork from now until September, and there will be one-lane traffic and a pilot car at times. Old 169 highway may be a good alternate route, though will likely see heavier traffic levels than normal. The good news: The Southwind Rail Trail will soon be open, and will provide an idyllic route between Iola and Humboldt. [link]

Regional Bicycling News

– Boulder, CO: Dump-Truck Driver Convicted In Bicyclist’s Death — “A dump-truck driver accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist near Boulder has been convicted of careless driving resulting in death.” This after the driver had previously been convicted in a road rage incident against a bicyclist in 2009…

– Thornton, CO: Bicyclist killed, driver arrested in Thornton — “The accident happened about 10:30 p.m. when the cyclist, heading eastbound in the westbound lanes of East 100th Avenue, failed to stop at a red light at Colorado Boulevard, Thornton police spokesman Officer Matt Barnes said. The bicyclist was then struck by a northbound 1998 GMC pickup, whose driver sped away but immediately called police from home upon seeing the damage to his truck. Barnes said the driver was unaware he had struck a person.”

– Iowa: Iowa considers three foot passing law: “Iowa legislators have introduced three bills for the 2013 session, each of which amends Iowa vehicle code to require at least three feet of space when a motorist passes a cyclist.”

– Kansas City, MO: Man turns to YouTube after hit-and-run — “Coffman said he was heading home from work Wednesday night and was stopped at Armour Boulevard and Gillham Road when a driver right behind him took road rage to a whole other level. ‘He slowly started pushing his car into the back of my bike.’ He said he was able to jump out of the way, but Coffman’s bike wasn’t so lucky. The back tire is destroyed and the gear shaft will have to be replaced.”

– Kansas City, MO: BikeWalkKC kicks off second-annual bike-sharing program — “Kansas City’s bike-sharing program, B-cycle, is set to reopen for its second season on Friday. It includes 90 bicycles at 12 downtown docking stations, and the bikes are available seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight. Last year, users rode the bikes more than 13,000 miles throughout the city after the program was launched in July.”

– Springfield, MO: Greenway Path Marks Trail of Tears — “Volunteers are clearing an overgrown railroad bed in southwest Springfield that traces a portion of the infamous 1830s Trail of Tears. By the end of the year, the nonprofit Ozark Greenways hopes to transform the rail bed into a hiking/biking trail — the Ozark Greenways Trail of Tears — with signs explaining the historic nature of the path through southwest Springfield and Greene County.”

– Lincoln, NE: Lincoln business ‘family’ to marry beer, biking on Saturday tour — “Come for the food, stay for the beer, dance to some polka and leave on your bike. A group of Lincoln businesses is holding a bicycle tour of Lincoln’s local breweries called ‘Beer to There.’”

– Edmond, OK: Mayoral candidates differ on bike lane plan — Some opinions about the city’s Bicycle Master Plan from candidates for mayor in Edmond. Most sound supportive, to one degree or another.

– Shawnee, OK: City approves bike route 4-3 — “Before crowded chambers, the Shawnee City Commission voted in 4-3 split to approve the Bike Route plan, which was put together by the Engineering Department. Several citizens spoke in favor of approving the trails, including Shawna Turner, president of Sustainable Shawnee and chairwoman of the Shawnee Planning Commission. ‘I can tell you that the community has supported it,’ she said.”

Event News

The road racers in the Spring Fling Criterium Series and the Perry Road Race Series have been going at it for a few weeks now, but there are finally some recreational cycling events on the horizon, including the Cabin Fever Challenge in Wamego on April 13th, the Santa Fe Trail Spring Bike Ride in Alta Vista, also on April 13th, Operation Pedal Express in El Dorado on April 20th, and the Tour de Vino in Paola, also on April 20th. And, of course, there are lots of events in our neighboring states, including both races and recreational rides.

St. Patricks Day is this coming weekend, and you can ride in parades with the Coasters Bicycle Club in Wichita, with the Topeka Community Cycle Project in Topeka, or the BikeWalkKC in Kansas City. Ride green!

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Shop News

– Bicycle X-Change Shops in Wichita is offering March Madness Gear, with cycling jerseys for KSU, KU, and WSU.
– Capp’s Bike Shop in Topeka is holding a Winter Sale on Clothing, Tights and Trainers thru March 30th.
– Lee’s Bike Shop in Wichita is running a winter apparel sale until March 16th, with big markdowns on cold-weather gear.

* Note: This section is an experiment; if you own or work for a bike shop in Kansas, feel free to contact me with any news on sales or special events, and I’ll post it up! Or, even better, consider advertising on Kansas Cyclist.

Site News

I’m expecting to be traveling quite a bit in the coming week or two, and am planning to try to keep up from the road. But if updates are sparse for a little while, that’s why … will catch up when I can!

Bicycling Inspiration

I LOVE this campaign from Los Angeles: “Every Lane is a Bike Lane … Bicyclists may need a full lane; Please share the road.”

The image is also on city buses. What a great way to spread the good word and help people (both motorists and bicyclists) understand this simple but very powerful concept.

Images courtesy of cyclelicio.us: here and here.

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.

Here’s the “Adventure Club” story from the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin:

Three years ago, Gene Green wanted to give Peabody-Burns High School students an exercise alternative to traditional sports — not every student is athlete — and Adventure Club was born.

With the days getting longer and warmer, 16 PBHS students are looking forward to hitting mountain bike trails at the beginning of March. Three Adventure Club favorites are Miller’s Meadow south of Andover, a trail near Harvey County Lake East, and a trail near Bethel College in Newton.

“It doesn’t matter what ability you have,” Green said. “Anybody can bike.”

Weather permitting, the group likes to ride as often as possible usually on Sunday afternoons and school in-service days. They usually meet to discuss riding, fundraising, and other activities during school hours, Green said.

Green said Adventure Club is the only high school mountain biking club in the state of Kansas. He was unsure how the students would respond to the idea. The reaction has been undoubtedly favorable. Adventure Club has doubled in size since the 2010-11 school year.

Although the club uses a school vehicle for travel, it is otherwise largely self-sufficient and independent. Unlike more traditional sports, club equipment is not provided by the school, so they’ve had to get creative. The club has been fortunate enough to receive small grants from the Kansas Health Foundation and the Peabody Community Foundation, and Heartland Bicycle in Wichita has given the club a discount at the shop, which has allowed the club to procure 8 bikes for the students, though they’re hoping to acquire more.

Although the Peabody Adventure Club is unique in Kansas, there are other high school mountain bike clubs in other states. In Colorado, for instance, the Colorado High School Cycling League, was formed in 2009, and by 2011 had teams with 325 student athletes, from 33 public and private high schools, participating in a series of races designed for high school aged riders.

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association is the “governing body for mountain biking in grades 9-12. NICA provides leadership, governance and program support to promote the development of interscholastic mountain biking leagues throughout the United States.” Their vision is to have “high school mountain biking coast to coast by 2020″.

Gene Green is the Media Specialist at the school, and is the Team Leader for the Adventure Club. Asked about the potential for the concept to spread to other schools in Kansas, he said “One of our goals is to involve other schools in MTB. We have schools around us that I want to approach to see if they would have an interest in starting up their own club, and we can all work together in building a bigger and better biking program. It is part of our plan. There is an opportunity here which could bring a whole new healthy lifestyle to our school districts. That is cool!”

Most of the riding the club does is on trails, but unfortunately, Peabody doesn’t have any trails in town, and the club must travel to different areas to do trail rides. As with any activity, the club “has had its share of spills and thrills and blood. Parents fill out a form allowing their child to participate and acknowledge the possibility of injuries, cuts, bruises, or broken bones, etc. Parents carry insurance on their child. We carry a copy of their insurance and a signed form allowing us to get treatment for the student if necessary.”

Here are some photos of the club, provided by Gene:

This photo shows members of the club on their mountain biking trip to Colorado last year.

The club often rides at Millers Meadow near Wichita (the fat bike shown here was a demo bike courtesy of Heartland Bicycle in Wichita.)

Here, member of the Adventure Club prepare to ride on the Bethel Trails in Newton.

Gene says that although some of the kids in the club have expressed an interest in riding competitively in some of the many mountain biking events around the state, the club hasn’t been able to provide that opportunity for them, yet. “I have some kids who are quite aggressive and ride well. They would enjoy the opportunity to compete. This is something we hope to develop.”

Well done, Peabody Adventure Club! Let’s hope that you can serve as a model for other Kansas schools.

Although some areas of Kansas have a dearth of mountain bike trails, there are certainly numerous trails in most of the central and eastern parts of the state. We just need some school leaders with vision, such as PBHS’s Gene Green.

– Basic Bicycle Maintenance: “In this course you will learn the correct bicycle terms, knowledge of basic hand tools, how to adjust brakes and derailleurs properly, emergency repairs, and routine maintenance. This class is geared towards people with very little to no knowledge of basic bicycle maintenance. Begins April 2nd and ends May 7th. This class is every Tuesday 6:00pm to 7:00pm. $30 for the course plus you will get a patch kit and tire levers. Must be registered by March 21st. This class is limited to 15 people so register early.”

– Intermediate Bicycle Repair: “In this course you will learn how to remove a drive train, bearing adjustment, wheel truing, how to install cables for brakes and derailleurs. At the end of the course you will be able to give any a tune up. This class begins Wednesday April 3, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This class is $60 for six weeks and you will be receiving a complimentary Park Tools 2nd Edition Big Book of Bike Repair.”

– Advanced Bicycle Repair: “In this course you will learn how to remove overhaul bearing systems and index shifters. At the end of the course you will be able to overhaul a bike. This class begins Thursday April 4, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This class is $60 for six weeks and you will be receiving a complimentary tool kit with the completion of the course.”

– Wheel Building Class: “April 1st will be the very first Wheel Building Class. This class will be offered monthly on the first Monday of every month. $20.”

This is a great opportunity to learn to work on your own bikes!

Learn more at Bike Cave ICT.

In December of 2011, the Travel Industry Association of Kansas issued a “Governor’s Challenge” report that highlighted five “product development opportunities upon which Kansas tourism professionals believe Kansas should focus”.

Of the five “solutions” presented in the report, two were directly focused on bicycling!

I think these are quite exciting and important proposals, so I’m going to reprint them in full.

Here’s the first:

PROJECT SOLUTION #1: OBTAIN DEDICATED RIGHT OF WAY AND CONSTRUCT HIKING/BIKING TRAILS ADJACENT TO EACH KANSAS BYWAY.

Background: The Kansas Byways are home to some of the great natural landscapes in the United States. They were formed to identify and designate scenic roadways for the enjoyment of the traveling public to Kansas. Currently, 10 byways serve to educate travelers about our nation’s environment and our state’s history and culture. They are aligned with the National Scenic Byways Program, a project of the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Some of the nation’s most scenic experiences include: the largest interior marsh in the United States, significant wetlands for migrating birds, 100 foot bluffs, sandstone canyons, limestone quarries, diverse landscapes, glacial deposits, Native American and Western history, and natural beauty unique to Kansas.

Goal: Create a five-year plan to obtain right-of-way trails adjacent to each byway. Install the appropriate environmentally aligned surface to accommodate safe hiking/biking experiences. Obtain state support (legislative & departmental staff) to create the framework which will solidify public/private/federal partnerships ensuring all byways will be completed by the end of the five-year period (2012-2017).

Benefit: This project solution could place Kansas in the top five states in the nation for outdoor educational recreation. Such advancement would increase tourism, resulting in economic recovery to local communities along the byways as well as the entire state. Nationally, Kansas could become recognized as the healthy state, counter to obesity that is growing throughout the nation. Local communities would experience a renewed vitality as they each improve their product development along the byway. Such would enhance the current healthy partnership message the state is promoting with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It would also strengthen the positioning of the state and national parks located within the designated byway area.

And the second:

PROJECT SOLUTION #4: OBTAIN DEDICATED RIGHT OF WAY AND CONSTRUCT HIKING/BIKING/RIDING TRAILS ADJACENT TO EACH OF THE FIVE MAJOR TRAILS IN KANSAS AND DEVELOP A PLAN TO INTERPRET THE HISTORY OF THE TRAILS.

Background: Several Native American Tribes ruled the western prairies and eastern woodlands that would later become the Sunflower State. As settlers moved westward, significant historical trails emerged that were instrumental in shaping the future of Kansas as well as for the entire nation. Whether by river, or by horseback, or by foot, or by rail, the westward movement of the nation’s settlers was significantly influenced by the land that would become Kansas. The state is fortunate to have had such a historical influence portrayed by the following trails:

• Lewis and Clark Trail
• Santa Fe Trail
• Oregon Trail
• Chisholm Trail
• Western Cattle Trail

Many of America’s most significant events and historical movements were impacted by Kansas and continue to be so today.

Goal: Create a ten-year plan to obtain right-of-way trails adjacent to each trail. Install the appropriate environmentally aligned surface to accommodate safe hiking/biking/horseback riding experiences. Obtain state support (legislative & departmental staff) to create the framework which will solidify public/private/federal partnerships ensuring all trails will be completed by the end of the ten-year period (2012-2022). In addition, work with appropriate historians to develop a plan to interpret the history and significance of the trails.

Benefit: Kansas could become a national leader in providing hiking/biking/horseback riding experiences adjacent to five major historical national trails. This development could provide stimulus to communities to improve travel/tourism product in their local communities for local, national and international travel. Such would provide the potential for economic recovery.

In addition an interpretative plan, which highlights the historical and significance importance of the trails, will enhance the trail experience and bring an educational component for the user.

I think we probably all agree that implementing these two ideas would have a tremendous impact on Kansas tourism.

I’ve provided Bicycling Guides for all these byways and historic trails, but this concept takes the idea to a completely different level.

Can you imagine? Being able to bike each scenic and historic byway, and each historic trail, on a dedicated off-road trail, free from traffic concerns … it’s an amazing concept.

It’s also difficult to envision actually happening, given Kansas’s historic reluctance to spend any state money on trail development, and the tremendous expense and political will necessary to complete these projects.

Still, if nothing else, these two ideas can hopefully spur state leaders, and ultimately voters, to move forward with trail development in the state of Kansas.

These are exciting ideas!

Bicycle Tourism is Big Business

In Kansas, tourism is already one of the top economic engines in the state, with a $5.83 billion economic impact, employing about 10% of the population, and provides nearly 15% of all state and local tax receipts. Each visitor to the state spent an average of $236 in 2011, and 73% of each tourism dollar spent in Kansas is retained in the state. (These numbers are from the Kansas Tourism 2011 report commissioned by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.)

The report does not break down the tourism contributions of different activities, such as bicycling, but many other states have done the research.

For instance, in Wisconsin, bicycling annually brings in $535 million in tourism from out of state visitors, and contributes $1.5 billion to the state’s economy each year.

In Iowa, bicycling generates $364.8 million in direct and indirect benefits to the state of Iowa every year.

An Oregon study found that “bicycle tourism injects a whopping $325 million into the Oregon economy” and “an overnight bike tourist had 19 times the economic impact of a day tourist.”

The League of American Bicyclists created this infographic that summarizes some of the impressive numbers from around the country.

We need to get Kansas on that map!

Two years ago, I camped here at Middle Creek Lake near Louisburg, Kansas.

I visited the lake again over the weekend, and found a peaceful scene — warm sun, quiet solitude, lovely blue water — but somehow, no one had taken advantage of it, and alas, I wasn’t set up for bike camping.

Soon, though. Can hardly wait!

The following is a recap of recent bicycling news from the region, as well as a look ahead to upcoming rides, races, and bicycling events coming up.

Bicycling News from Kansas

3-Foot Passing Law Education in Harvey County

Local cyclists in Harvey County, Kansas (Newton) have recently taken the initiative to have 70 signs erected around the county, educating motorists about the Kansas 3-Foot Passing Law. This is probably the first city in the state that has made any effort to spread the work about the new law. [link]

Topeka Hires Bikeways Coordinator

Topeka has a hired Julie Anderson as their bikeways coordinator. “She coordinates implementation of the Topeka Bikeways Master Plan that the city’s governing body approved in May. The plan is targeted at establishing a network of bikeways, which consist of bike lanes and routes on city streets. Anderson will coordinate the activities of the city’s bikeways advisory committee to assist the implementation of the master plan.” [link]

Kansas Moving Forward with U.S. Bicycle Route 66

While Oklahoma has recently claimed to be “out in front of the other efforts of the other eight Route 66 states leading efforts to establish the new designation” for U.S. Bicycle Route 66″, Kansas is apparently not far behind. While the official Kansas status is “there is interest“, according to KDOT, “Kansas is coordinating with Oklahoma so when Kansas moves forward with the USBR 66 we can tie into the Oklahoma plan.” Looking forward to officially designated and signed U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBR 66 and USBR 76) in Kansas!

Award To Be Used To Promote Bicycling in Wichita

The Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita has won a $2,500 “BlueCHIP Award” from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. The coalition says it will use the money to “help a local committee promote bicycling in the community”. [link]

Free MAP-21 Training in Wichita April 4th

This Wichita workshop is a great opportunity to learn about how to navigate the new Transportation Alternatives program that provides funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects through the federal MAP-21 transportation bill. Learn More

Bicycle-Friendly Candidate in Gardner

My friend Randy Gregorcyck is running for re-election to the Gardner City Council. He’s been involved in mountain biking and trail-building in both the Wichita and Kansas City areas. Here, he demonstrates his stair-riding technique in Osawatomie. Randy’s web site is gregorcykforgardner.com.

Cross Country Skiing with a Bicycle

Bill Poindexter of Car-Free American writes from Kansas City: “I have been going to the gym a lot, but prefer being outside walking or cycling. Now with all the snow I am able to do my favorite winter sport, Cross Country Skiing. I love being able to use my bicycle as a ski holder while I ride to Loose Park and other trail heads around the City for some quality Ski time.”

Promoting Biking in Russell County

Unfortunately, it’s the motorized kind: “Russell County Economic Development and Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced the development of a motorcycle club brochure promoting Russell County. Research shows that motorcycle clubs enjoy a day trip or weekend trip to smaller communities with local owned stores and eateries. They also enjoy historic attractions and scenery that they can ride through.” Hey, Russell County, bicycles mean business, too! [link]

Looking Forward to Biking Across Kansas

Matt Nowak writes in Looking forward to long bike ride across Kansas: “I have crossed Kansas many times in a car and several times on a bike and I can say for certain that there is no better way to experience Kansas than on a slow ride on a bicycle through small towns. Even the larger cities are fun to cross on a bike; especially when you take the time to stop in at places that you probably would not even slow down for if you were in a car.” Amen, Matt!

Kansans Advocating for Bicycling in Washington D.C.

A delegation from KanBikeWalk is in Washington D.C. this week at the National Bike Summit to meet with our Senators and Representatives to deliver the message that ‘Bicycling Means Business’. Thank you for your time and commitment!

Regional Bicycling News

– Fayetteville, AR: “A network of hiking and biking trails wind through some of the privately owned property. Built and maintained by Ozark Off-road Cyclists, the 8 miles of trails are open to the public after registration with Mt. Kessler Greenways, an advocacy group created in 2004. For those looking for more information, the group has a website at mtkesslergreenways.com.” The group is proposing that the University of Arkansas purchase some of the land for an environmental reserve.

– Boulder, CO: Trial for driver in Boulder County truck vs. bike fatal accident to begin — “Christopher Loven, 47, of Boulder, is facing one count of careless driving resulting in death — a Class 1 traffic offense — after prosecutors say an investigation showed his lack of ‘due regard’ caused the accident that killed Eugene ‘Phil’ Howrey, 73, of Boulder, nearly two years ago. If convicted, Loven could face a possible sentence of up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.”

– Fort Collins, CO: Fort Collins’ bike-share efforts getting a boost from EPA — “The EPA named Fort Collins as one of 43 communities in 27 states awarded free assistance to expand its bike-share program. The EPA will help by providing workshops held by EPA staff and national experts on using bike sharing to create additional commuting options.” The EPA program is called Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities.

– Iowa: Iowans’ bicycles stolen in San Diego before 3,000-mile ride — A group of six Iowans planning a cross-country bicycle tour had their bikes stolen in San Diego just before embarking on their trip. They are planning to replace their bikes and gear, and soldier on. You can follow their story on their blog at Southern Tier Comfort Ride.

– Carthage, MO: Bike trail progressing — “The city and representatives of bicycle riding groups will meet to plan the next steps in putting a single-track bicycle trail in the wooded area along Spring River. It’s a project that the city has been discussing for the past several months as a relatively inexpensive way to improve the quality of life in Carthage by giving bicyclists a place to practice their hobby where they won’t come into conflict with cars and trucks.”

– Dutzow, MO: MoDOT Favors Wide Shoulders Along Route 47 — “The Missouri Department of Transportation is taking a strong look at building 10-foot-wide paved shoulders along both sides of Highway 47 in Warren County to connect Franklin County to the Katy Trail at Dutzow”. MoDOT is using an interesting rationalization for their support of the wide shoulders: they “would serve as a multi-use path to accommodate wider farm equipment during crop seasons”. Whatever gets them to do what’s right…

– Missouri: In Virginia, a proposed law that would have made opening car doors into traffic (i.e. “dooring”) against the law was criticized as “stupid” and “asinine” in the local media (despite it being law in the majority of the states, and despite many cyclists being injured or killed by dooring). In Missouri, the Ozarks Sentinel calls bicycle ban bill HB672 “just plain silly”. Couldn’t agree more. Feels a bit like progress.

– Springfield, MO: New Greenway Trail Section Opens — A new section of trail, which was once part of the historic Butterfield Overland Mail Stage route, opened last Saturday in Springfield, MO: “From 1858-1861, this famous stagecoach carried mail, freight and passengers between St. Louis and San Francisco, passing through what’s now Springfield’s Park Central Square.”

– Omaha, NE: B-cycle bike-sharing system rolls out in Omaha — “People can rent a bike from one of five stations in central Omaha, ride it and return it to any station for a fee. It’s designed for short commutes, though it can be used for longer trips and recreational use, too. More than 1,000 people used the system during the nine months it was available last year. They took 1,282 rides.” They held a Launch Party on March 1st.

– Stillwater, OK: OSU faculty member seriously injured after bike-motor vehicle collision — “An Oklahoma State University faculty member was hospitalized with serious head injuries after a motor vehicle collided with the bike he was riding.” The 20-year-old driver “said he was looking at a vehicle behind him” when he turned in front of the bicyclist, knocking him down and then running him over. The driver “was issued a citation for failure to yield while turning.”

– Tulsa, OK: Suspected DUI driver arrested in August wreck involving bicyclist — “A man accused of driving under the influence of several prescription and street drugs faces felony charges after striking a bicyclist in August. Prosecutors allege that Highers was under the influence of methamphetamine, methadone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, pseudoephedrine, amphetamine and alprazolam.”

Event News

– There is a Prairie Spirit Rail Trail State Park Open House scheduled on March 9th, from 8am to noon in Iola, with speakers from Thrive Allen County, the Franklin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Garnett Chamber of Commerce, and the Iola Chamber of Commerce, along with free snacks provided by the Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail. The 17th Annual Trail Celebration is March 27th in Garnett, which is an annual fund raiser for trail projects, with a silent auction and a buffet dinner. Learn more about these and other upcoming Prairie Spirit Trail events from the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail News.

– The Miami County Velo Cycling Club (MiCoVelo) has announced the first annual Tour de Vino, a bicycle wine tour of wineries in Miami County, Kansas, with free wine tastings, and a commemorative shirt and wine glass for pre-registered riders. 14, 20, and 32-mile gravel route options. The Tour de Vino is April 20th near Paola.

See also: Kansas Ride Calendar, Regional Ride Calendar

Bicycling Inspiration

Felt good to get back on a dry road after all the snow in the last two weeks. It was nice in the sunshine, but chilly in the shadows!

If you have a news item or upcoming event you’d like to share, please contact Kansas Cyclist with details.