Bicycle Colorado is introducing a new education campaign for safer roads – the 3-2-1 Courtesy Code:
The three precepts are:
3 feet to pass 2 abreast when clear 1 single file to allow passing
Courtesy. It’s a really simple concept. Just treat others as you’d have them treat you.
If you’re [...]
Earlier this year, the De Soto, Kansas city council agreed to lift the bicycle ban on 83rd Street east of De Soto.
Shortly thereafter, they changed their minds, and voted to keep the ban in place, but to reconsider the issue after 83rd Street was repaved.
Well, repaving is now [...]
Baldwin City, Kansas is proposing to build a multi-use trail on the north side of the community, starting at County Road 400, running through the Signal Ridge subdivision and into the FireTree Estates subdivision (see [...]
Barnyard Cross takes place December 12th at the Manhattan Area Technical College, 3136 Dickens Ave in Manhattan, Kansas. The course will offer technical challenges and lots of speed, and racing will begin at 11 am. There will be mud.
Barnyard Cross is presented by [...]
Wildcats On Two Wheels: Biking Issues on KSU’s Campus
Learn about the current status of biking on the Kansas State University campus, and suggestions for environmental, policy and programs to make KSU more bikeable.
When: December 10th, 4pm
Where: KSU Student Union room 213
Presented by' [...]
This photo shows a group of men posed with their high-wheel bicycles, circa 1885, in Wichita, Kansas.
Presumably, the men were members of the Wichita Bicycle Club, which was organized in the 1880s, to be succeeded by the Wichita Wheelmen in 1896. Articles from the Wichita [...]
Here’s an interesting look at two stories of people riding bikes well into their retirement years.
The photo on the left is Rita and Joe Spradlin of Lawrence, Kansas, who were recently profiled in [...]
For episode 14 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, we’re pleased to talk with Kim West of the Kim West Radio [...]
Episode 13 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features an interview with Joel Terry, a Shawnee, Kansas chiropractor known as “Doctor Jet”, who runs JET Performance Chiropractic.
JET Performance Chiropractic provides affordable state-of-the-art [...]
The League of American Bicyclists just announced their Fall 2009 honorees for Bicycle Friendly Communities, and a few new cities from our region have earned a coveted place on this prestigious list:
North Little Rock, Arkansas – Bronze
Breckenridge, Colorado – Silver
KanBikeWalk, a non-profit, statewide organization whose mission is to promote a safe bicycling and walking environment for Kansans through education and advocacy, is holding their second annual meeting on October 31st.
As a 100% volunteer organization, KanBikeWalk is reaching out to the bicycle and walking [...]
Episode 12 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features an interview with two Kansas City area cyclocross promoters, Chris Locke and Mark Thomas, who [...]
The League of American Bicyclists has announced their Fall 2009 Bicycle Friendly Business awards, and once again, Kansas has been shut out.
We’re still looking for our first Bicycle Friendly Business, but some of our neighbors are already on the list. Colorado has 7 Bicycle Friendly Businesses, [...]
Brian Holdsworth recently posted a nice review of the trails at Barton County Lake near Great Bend, Kansas, on the member forums of the Central Kansas Mountain Bike Club, and he graciously allowed me to reprint it here:
I recently posted on Facebook my pleasure at riding the [...]
The city of Emporia, Kansas is sponsoring a design competition for the new bicycle racks they plan to install on downtown Commercial Street:
The City of Emporia, in partnership with the Multi-Use Path Planning Board, Emporia Main Street, and Flint Hills Technical College, is sponsoring a bicycle rack design competition for [...]
The 2009 edition of the Diamond Blackfan Cyclocross Challenge cyclocross races take place September 27th in Lenexa, Kansas.
This is the first event in the De Stad Cyclocross Van Kansas Series presented by Paceline Products, which will feature five cyclocross races in the 2009 season.
This fun-filled, action-packed cycling race [...]
The Santa Fe Trail Bicycle Trek rolled out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 13th, heading northeast along roughly the same route as the old Santa Fe Trail.
The riders rode through New Mexico and Colorado, and entered Kansas on September 20th. [...]
The 5th annual Midwest Bicycle Fest is Sunday, September 27th from 10:00am – 4:00pm at Riggs Park in Haysville, KS. Come show, talk, view and ride bicycles of all kinds including antiques, customs, cruisers, choppers and the rare and unusual.
Some of the events are…
$1 [...]
Do you have a more-than-healthy appetite? Can you eat and eat and eat and never get enough? Want to win a mountain bike for your efforts?
The Kansas State Fair is for you!
This year, along with Ferris wheels and Whirligigs, tractor pulls and pig races, goat milking and text [...]
The Wichita River Cross cyclocross races takes place over two days in Wichita, Kansas at Sim Park, near the Botanica Gardens.
Wichita River Cross is organized by Specs Racing. I’m assuming that this is an annual event, but their web site is not too helpful in providing much information [...]
This coming weekend, September 19-20, 2009 is the KC Cup Cross Country Race and Festival, presented by Heartland Sports Promotions, and taking place in Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri.
This two-day festival includes a cross country mountain bike race, a cyclocross race, and a trail run. The races [...]
Episode 11 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast focuses on the recently-completed Tour of Missouri, with a recap of the race, some on-the-scene interviews and sound bites from the races themselves, and an in-depth look at [...]
In two separate accidents, two prominent Topeka residents were injured while riding their bicycles over the weekend:
From WIBW – WIBW GM Injured In Bicycle Accident:
WIBW Channels General Manager Jim Ogle was injured in a bicycle accident Saturday.
Many of Jim’s friends know him as a biking [...]
From the League of American Bicyclists:
Transportation Enhancements are the largest federal source of bicycle and pedestrian funding and they are under attack.
We need your help – TODAY!
Senator Coburn (R-OK) is offering two amendments to the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that will strike funding for [...]
The city of Winfield, Kansas is hosting their annual Bike Rodeo on September 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Winfield Fairgrounds.
The Bike Rodeo includes tutorials on bicycle safety and basic bike repair. There will also be a used bike sale and [...]
This Sunday, September 13th, is the annual Tour de Lizard Fat Tire Classic, a mountain bike race that takes place at Camp Horizon in Arkansas City, Kansas.
The race course is approximately 9 miles long, with over 1000 feet of climbing, and is 90% [...]
Dear Olathe:
I appreciate your putting in this bike lane. I’d appreciate it even more if I could use it:
P.S. You might also want to fix that “Bike Lane/No Parking” sign so that people can actually read it…
Note: This is on Dennis Avenue looking [...]
Police in Wichita, Kansas are asking for help in identifying the vehicle that struck and injured 54-year-old Albert Pete as he was riding his bicycle in Wichita early Sunday morning.
Pete was riding along South Hydraulic when an SUV crashed into him and then drove off without stopping. He is listed [...]
Recent weeks have been particularly brutal for bicyclists in Kansas and neighboring states, with a number of hit-and-run collisions leaving dead and wounded in their wake.
Topeka, KS, August 13, 2009: A minivan hit a 9-year-old boy riding his bicycle. The driver exited the vehicle briefly, then returned to the van [...]
From Pedal Omaha:
Within the past couple of weeks, news of two new programs offering bike rental and bike sharing in Omaha has caused a buzz.
Starting with a soft launch a few weeks ago, the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau began renting six Trek Lime bikes and four kid’s Trek M200 [...]
Went for a ride today, and somehow got away without my mirror, and felt like I was riding blind the whole ride. It was a disconcerting feeling.
The mirror I use is the Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror. As the [...]
Episode 10 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features a look ahead at the upcoming Tour of Missouri, with interviews with some of the folks preparing for this high-profile professional bicycle race.
We talk with Brad Schrock, Chair of [...]
As recently reported by Sunflower Recreational Trails (see Kansas Trail News), the Flint Hills Nature Trail has again been damaged:
Doug Walker, superintendent of the Osawatomie Division of Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy reports the following: The bridge on the Flint Hills Nature Trail which had the railing burned by vandals last [...]
Clark Coan of Sunflower Recreational Trails sent over the following news on Kansas trails:
Osawatomie To Ottawa Trail Section Nearing Completion
Doug Walker, superintendent of the Osawatomie Division of Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy reports the following: The bridge on the Flint Hills Nature Trail which had the railing burned by vandals [...]
In my area of Kansas, gravel roads seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate, being paved over and bringing more traffic traveling at higher speeds. Is this a good thing or bad?
The following is a photo of a newly-paved road in eastern Kansas. Up until a few days ago, [...]
Police in Prairie Village, Kansas recently launched an offensive against bicyclists who don’t stop at stop signs in their community:
A group of 17 bicyclists were written tickets for failing to stop at a stop sign, all at the same time.
Prairie Village police have cracked [...]
On a recent ride, I came across the following sign in downtown Overbrook, KS:
At first glance, the sign would seem to say that no bicycles are allowed. Period.
Later, looking the issue up on the town’s web site, I found an [...]
Though our society and our communities are undeniably car-centric, there is perhaps some hope that things can change. From the Kansas City Star:
Residents living in the Kansas suburbs are distinctly unhappy with their lack of alternatives to driving, according to a new poll.
The poll conducted by regional transportation planners found [...]
Welcome to episode number 9 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast.
This edition features an interview with Julie Cirlincuina, author of Kansas Outdoor Treasures: A Guide to Over 60 Natural Destinations. [...]
The railroad bridge over the Missouri River at Boonville, Missouri, which was slated for demolition and salvage, may yet be saved, according to a story from the Columbia Daily Tribune (Stimulus may save Katy bridge):
History buffs and bicyclists who have long sought to save a rusty old railroad bridge [...]
Cyclists in the Kansas City area have the opportunity to improve their bicycling skills with a number of upcoming courses:
Bike MS Riding Skills Clinic: This clinic is designed to teach key techniques for cyclists in group riding settings. Communication, dodging obstacles, riding in proximity and emergency stopping techniques are covered. [...]James Peppers found out the hard way that Topeka has an ordinance requiring bicycle registration, after being ticketed by Topeka Police:
Peppers says he rides his bike wherever he goes, and wonders if every person riding a bike gets stopped and ticketed for no registration. “I mean that means that every [...]
From the El Dorado Times:
The El Dorado Police Department will host a Free Bicycle Day on Aug. 15.
The event will start at 9 a.m. and go until noon at the Prairie Port Building (behind Water Plant), 300 Block E. Central.
“We have numerous found bicycles in the property storage at [...]
Alan Apel, who we interviewed for episode 3 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified by the League of American Bicyclists.
On August 12th, Alan is leading a “Cycling 101″ class, [...]
With Federal stimulus funds available, Kansas City, Missouri has a chance to transform itself and move toward its stated goal of becoming a bicycle-friendly community. But they have a long way to go, and its not clear whether city leaders have the vision and strength of will to make it [...]
On August 5th, a new law went into effect in Colorado. The Bicycle Safety Act was a hard-won victory for Colorado bicyclists, and this common-sense bill should do much to improve bicycling on Colorado roadways. Here’s a quick summary of the bill:
The law requires [...]Welcome to episode number 8 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, which features a look behind the scenes at a large bicycling event, with interviews of a ride leader and a communications support expert. We also talk about the recently-completed RAGBRAI tour, plus bicycling news, [...]
Lawrence, Kansas is planning its first-ever bike count. During the second week of September, volunteers will attempt to count the number of cyclists using streets, sidewalks and recreational paths. The data they gather will then will help paint an accurate picture of the current state of cycling in Lawrence, identify [...]
In Wichita, there is renewed optimism that the city could be moving toward a bicycle-friendlier future. According to the Wichita Eagle:
Douglas and other streets could be repainted in the future to include room for bicycle lanes.
Some Wichita City Council members are beginning to see bicycling not just as recreation but [...]
The 23rd Street Bike Park in Pittsburg, Kansas is now officially open. The Pittsburg City Commissioners officially made the area a public city park, and Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce opened it during a ribbon cutting ceremony by the on July 31st.
The park, [...]
Two of our neighboring states have recently seen disturbing initiatives to ban bicycles on some roads.
In Colorado, county commissioners in Jefferson County are asking the state legislature to draft a law that would allow counties to ban bicyclists from county roads. State law already gives cities [...]
Sorry I’m a bit late in posting this, but there’s still time to help with the important work of building the Flint Hills Nature Trail. From trail stewart Doug Walker:
July 20 thru Aug 1: Keep these dates in mind. During these two weeks we will be making a major [...]
Several bike shops in Kansas have recently relocated to new digs:
The Lawrence Re-Cyclery
For the second time in two years, the Lawrence Re-Cyclery has moved to a new and larger retail space, this time in downtown Lawrence at 731 New Hampshire [...]
Episode number 7 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast is focused on bicycle touring, which is an increasingly popular way for people to travel around the country (or the world).
First up, we have an interview with a group of young people bicycling across the [...]
It looks like the scare over possible cancellation of this year’s Tour of Missouri (Help Save the Tour of Missouri) is over, with Missouri deciding to live up to its obligations and fund the tour. According to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon:
Missouri currently [...]
From Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, Chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission:
By now, some of you may have heard rumors regarding Gov. Nixon freezing state funds for the 2009 Tour of Missouri. I would like to share with you the details that we [...]
Episode number 6 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features an interview with Gina Poertner, who runs LifeBALANCE Sports & Wellness and serves as president of KanBikeWalk, our statewide bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy organization.
We also talk with musician Mark Franzke, who’s graciously provided [...]
The Johnson County Sun is reporting that Leawood, Kansas is aiming to become a bicycle-friendly community:
Leawood officials would like it known that their community is a good and safe place to ride a bike.
Saying it, however, does not make it official. So steps are being taken that potentially could lead [...]
This sign on the right, located at 83rd Street and Kill Creek Road in De Soto, Kansas, will hopefully soon be nothing but a bad memory.
According to the De Soto Explorer:
The De Soto City Council agreed last Thursday that the ban of [...]
The inaugural edition of the Tour of Lawrence kicks off this weekend, with three days of racing in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. They’re expecting about 400 amateur and professional bicycle racers to participate. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect at the event:
Friday, [...]
Despite recent news of progress in making Arkansas more bicycle-friendly (Bicycling Picks Up Speed in Central Arkansas), two recent news stories from the state show there’s still a rather long way to go in regard to bicycles being accepted as a normal everyday way to get around.
From the [...]
Welcome to episode number 5 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, which features an interview with Kenneth Walker, and a preview of the Amelia Earhart Century from organizer Gary McGregor of Reynolds’ Bicycles.
You may remember Kenneth Walker from the profile we published of [...]
A bicyclist, perhaps riding with the Border Raiders tour, was killed yesterday near Hiawatha, Kansas. Earl Johnston, age 51, from Arizona, was struck by a vehicle driven by ElDeana Pearson, 23 of Falls City, Nebraska. The cyclist was hit head-on by a vehicle that crossed over into oncoming traffic on [...]
The Amazon Kindle is an innovative handheld electronic device for reading books, newspapers, magazines, and now blogs and web pages.
And now Kansas Cyclist is available for the Kindle.
The thing that makes the [...]
The Earth Riders Mountain Bike Club is holding a mountain biking skills training class on Saturday, June 20th, 9am–1pm at Landahl Park Mountain Bike Trails in Blue Springs, Missouri.
The “Mountain Bike 101″ class is intended to help beginner and intermediate [...]
Saturday June 20th is the annual Historic Gravel Road Ride in Baldwin City, Kansas. In previous years this was known as the “Mullet Ride”.
It “connects all of the famous historical markers in the Baldwin area. It follows Quantrill’s Trail and the Santa Fe Trail. It connects famous landmarks such [...]
From the Topeka Capital-Journal:
A bicyclist sustained fatal injuries Saturday night while riding along westbound US-24 highway near N.W. Goodyear Road, sheriff’s officials said.
Shawnee County sheriff’s Cpl. Eric Frey said deputies were called about 9:50 p.m. to an accident involving a sport utility vehicle and a bicycle in the 1900 block [...]
Episode number 4 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast is a big one!
We have lots of news and events to cover, as well as four interviews. We talk with Steve Douglas, one of the founders of VeloCal, and Martha Van Inwegen, founder and owner of [...]
Did a quick Twitter search, and found a number of Biking Across Kansas riders tweeting as they ride across the state. Here’s a live feed:
@finedaycoming: Thanks again for everything. – June 13th, 2009 # @bikingkansas: We finished at Louisburg today after some of the biggest hills of the [...]
Each year, the Kansas Cycling Association holds a series of State Championship events in locations around the state in various cycling disciplines.
The 2009 edition of the Kansas Cycling Association State Championships began this weekend in southeast Kansas, with the Category Road Race [...]
Sad news from Biking Across Kansas, the annual cross-state bicycle tour of the Sunflower State. According to a news report from Wichita’s KAKE:
Hamilton County authorities say one of the Bike Across Kansas riders may have suffered a medical condition Friday afternoon.
He collapsed about a mile from the Colorado [...]
Tomorrow, June 6th, is the official start date for Biking Across Kansas, the annual bicycle tour across the Sunflower State.
Today, more than 800 riders are converging on the town of Syracuse, only 17 miles from the Colorado border. People coming from Kansas City [...]
GMAC Insurance recently released the results of its “National Drivers Test”, which ranks all states by order of “most knowledgeable drivers”. Kansas, as it has for several years, ranks near the top of the list.
For 2009, Kansas was ranked #4, trailing Idaho, Wisconsin, and Montana. In 2008, Kansas was ranked [...]
The Ride of Silence is an annual ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. Join cyclists worldwide in a this silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph). It is a moving event as bicyclists slowly [...]
Carl Edwards is an elite NASCAR driver who hails from Columbia, Missouri. When he’s not flying around the track at upwards of 200 mph, he likes to kick back with the simple pleasures to be found in his hometown:
“I realized after being away, there just aren’t many places cooler than [...]
For years, it has seemed strange that Arkansas had no organized cross-state bicycle tour — something similar to Biking Across Kansas, the Oklahoma FreeWheel, or RAGBRAI.
Arkansas would seem to be a good fit for such a tour — it’s largely rural, with lots of low-traffic roads running [...]
After a long winter, when only the hardiest cyclists brave the cold, the warmth of Spring allows the fair-weather cyclist to ride the roads and streets once more.
It’s at this time of the year that motorists issue a collective groan, and begin to pitch hissy-fits in [...]
Since 1956, May has been recognized as National Bike Month. The third week in May is designated Bike to Work Week; and the third Friday of May is Bike to Work Day.
This annual celebration of bicycling is a great opportunity to not [...]
A Lincoln, Nebraska organization known as MAD DADs — Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder — is well-known in Lincoln for giving bikes to children in need. But recently the group came to the aid of a 91-year-old man when it gave him a brand new three-wheeled [...]
Off Track Events, which organizes multiple outdoor events every year, is presenting the Pedaler’s Jamboree on Memorial Day weekend in 2009. The event is Missouri’s first bike-powered music and camping festival.
The family-friendly event will be May 23-24 and will take participants on a leisurely' [...]
Alan Apel, a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified by the League of American Bicyclists, is preparing a proposal for updating Kansas statutes related to bicycling (see the current cycling laws here), and he’s looking for some input from the bicycling community.
Here are his proposed statutes:
A [...]
Big Poppi Bicycle Co. is a new bike shop in Manhattan, Kansas, home of Kansas State University, and affectionately known as “Aggieville”.
The goal of the shop is to “create an environment in which everyone is welcome to love bicycling. Fast or slow, young and old, a true pedaler’s paradise [...]
The League of American Bicyclists have announced their latest Bicycle Friendly Communities, and three cities in the region have earned a coveted place on this prestigious list:
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Columbia, Missouri
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Each of these cities have become the first communities in their states to earn the “Bicycle Friendly Community” [...]
May 2nd is the second annual Tour de Toad in Conway, Arkansas. The city is lobbying to become the first bicycle-friendly community in the state, and organizers are hoping the Tour de Toad can help raise awareness for the cause:
As Conway is on [...]
Episode number 2 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features an interview with Dale Crawford, longtime Advocacy Director of the Johnson County Bicycle Club, and current vice-president of KanBikeWalk. Dale, through his post at JCBC, as well as his work as a park [...]
Despite some still-challenging weather in many parts of the region, the race season is now in full swing. Here are some reports from around the area:
Bazaar Road Race – Took place April 18th in Bazaar, Kansas:
The Bonk Memoirs Volker Bicycles Team Colavita/ParisiAs roadways and bike trails become increasingly complex and congested, do you know all you need to know to safely ride a bicycle? Do you feel you know enough to teach your children how to ride cautiously and conspicuously while on their own? When you drive your car, are you [...]
Roy Dale Prewitt, 44, of Wellington, Kansas, died Wednesday, April 15, 2009 after being found unconscious in the street next to his bicycle. Police don’t know what happened for sure, but they suspect he ran into a parked truck, fell, and hit his head on the pavement. According to the [...]
Nebraska’s MoPac Trail, which will connect the cities of Lincoln and Omaha, has run into problems securing the right-of-way on a crucial 10-mile section of trail. Local landowners complain of losing land to the trail, and also say they’re afraid of bicyclists:
Since her husband died, Michelle Platt worries more [...]
From Norman, Oklahoma:
The city has released a new bicycle route map, showing updated routes and future route improvements. The map also comes with a colorful, pocket-sized guide to bicycling in Norman.
The new map highlights Norman’s long-range goals regarding safety of bicycles and pedestrians on the bridges crossing over Interstate 35, [...]
Sam Brownback, currently a US Senator and possibly a future Kansas Governor, is visiting communities throughout the state during the Senate’s two-week recess, and he recently stopped in Emporia, where he discussed the potential to expand tourism in the Flint Hills:
“I think we’ve got a real chance to expand the [...]
The Kansas Fat Tire Festival is an annual two-day mountain bike event on some of the most picturesque bike trails in Kansas. This year’s event takes place May 2-3 at Hell Creek State Park, Lake Wilson, Kansas.
From the official [...]
Researchers at Kansas State University recently conducted a survey looking at active commuting at the university and surrounding community. The results of the survey suggest that KSU could improve its bicycling friendliness by adding bicycle parking, racks and trails/lanes, improving facilities for showering and changing clothes, and adding amenities such [...]
Thanks to federal stimulus money, rehab work on Kansas City, Missouri’s Heart of America Bridge, which will include a promised bike/ped lane, will be able to be completed sooner than expected.
According to the Kansas City Star:
Bicyclists and pedestrians will get their lane across the Missouri River earlier than expected thanks [...]
Wichita, Kansas has dedicated a new multi-use pathway known as the Midtown Bike Path. In a ceremony at Otis Park, city council-member Sharon Fearey, who supported the project since its inception, spoke:
“This is a great amenity for Midtown residents, especially children who walk to Park Elementary and Horace Mann Middle [...]
The Ouachita Challenge is an early-spring mountain bike race that takes place in the Ouachita Mountains of Southwestern Arkansas. It is the largest mountain bike event in Arkansas, and draws hundreds of participants from all over.
This year’s race took place on April 4-5, and was once again a huge [...]
