Mountain - Plains - Shout out for Kansas

Hey all..
Wow...it got awfully silent for a while..

Does anybody know any good parks that have bike friendly paths (MUP types) in the KCK area? Pref over on the Kansas Side. Thanks!

The Mill Creek Streamway Path runs from Olathe to just north of Johnson Drive, several miles. It also adjoins Shawnee Mission Park which has several miles of paved roads and many miles of MTB trails. I am not familiar with the trails. The Earthriders are a good source for off-road trails, if that suits your riding style. They have a nice website of the same name. The Mill Creek thing has nice facilities along the route, pininc areas, playgrounds, parking lots, bathrooms and water fountains.

The only paved trail in KCK runs for a mile or two along a creekbed where Parallel enters downtown KCK. For real MUPS you have to go into Johnson County...the greenway that runs through Shawnee Mission Park runs north all the way to the Kansas River and south to 119th and beyond.

Wyandotte County lake has HUGE hills that I don't think would be very bike friendly and there isn't a dedicated paved path, but it is pretty out there.

From Downtown KCK, you can take the bike bridge under I-70 and the West Bottoms are fun to ride around in...

Anyone here doing the Lenexa Midnight Bike ride? I plan on coming in for it. http://www.midnightbikeride.org/

Anyone here doing the Lenexa Midnight Bike ride? I plan on coming in for it. http://www.midnightbikeride.org/

Wow, thanks for the link, that looks really cool! I'll do my best to be there.

The underground section of the course is really fun - 58 degrees year round - you swoop down this long hill then enter the caves - then just cruise in a big circle through the caves and come out again.

It is a fun ride to get a few people to do it with, just to hang out and ride.

The underground section of the course is really fun - 58 degrees year round - you swoop down this long hill then enter the caves - then just cruise in a big circle through the caves and come out again.

It is a fun ride to get a few people to do it with, just to hang out and ride.

Good to hear it Mcoons. I've only heard positive things as well. Hopefully I'll be able to get some friends of mine rolling before it's too late.

I'll be there on my fixie.

Are there any other events which are upcoming in the next few months around KC Metro area? I think I saw a ride done by JoCo Cycling club next month, can't recall though.

Check out the Johnson county Bike club website and their ride calendar. Lots of events are upcoming, and you can find a group ride about everyday somewhere.

Glad to see all the posts from Kansas. Graduated high school in Lyons (about 30 miles NE of Hutchinson) and then went off to Lawrence for college. Just came across this Kansas thread and saw the name of my home town,Hutchinson. There are a lot of displaced Kansan's here in So Cal. We can ride year long out here and there are plenty of mountains to train on. I do all of the mountainous rides arond here. The Planet Ultra KOM, A.C.100, etc, if there are any riders wanting to ride in the San Gabriel and the Santa Monica mountains you can usually find me on the Sol Cal Forum. This Saturday I'm doing Tour de Francis. Redlands at 700ft.to Onyck Summit in Big Bear at 8400 ft .
I love being from Kansas. Kansan's are the best. I have two Jerseys from Sunflower Bikes in Lawrence and usually get a few waves when wearing the one with the Jayhawks on it. :p

Kansas City Bikes & Trikes for Tykes must close its doors.
We're being evicted from our warehouse--it' s being razed next month.

JULY 14th 8 am to 5 pm....Total clearance!!!
1415 IRON Street North Kansas City Warehouse district. (go east off
Burlington approximately five blocks and north on Iron street about a
half a block).

We have more than 2,000 donated bikes in a variety of sizes and styles
to fit small children, adolescents, teens and adults. We have road
bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, you name it.

Prices on all bikes are dirt low and are sold as is.

Our board members will be on hand to help folks find a bike that fits
their needs and size. Please feel free to ask anyone wearing a Bikes
and Trikes for Tykes nametag for assistance.

Please feel free to bring your friends and buy as many bikes as you
can fit in you vehicles.

Huh, two others riding fixies -- perhaps a fixed team for one of the MS150 rides??

The underground section of the course is really fun - 58 degrees year round - you swoop down this long hill then enter the caves - then just cruise in a big circle through the caves and come out again.

It is a fun ride to get a few people to do it with, just to hang out and ride.

I'll be there, so will my blogger buddy, Warren (http://warren-t.blogspot.com).

I live a few miles from the start point, so I'll just ride there. Don't know which bike I'll have out there yet. I'm almost thinking of bringing the mountain bike, but I'll probably bring my nice, shiny trek instead.

So who made it to the Lenexa ride? I ended up with a few other priorities I had to take care of out here and was unable to attend. Photos anyone? :)

This post is a bit inactive!

Thought I'd post from my ride here in Manhattan from this morning.

Route to Tuttle Creek Dam.
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/1406/20070721tuttle0eb1.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3761/20070721tuttle1eq3.jpg

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/6438/20070721tuttle6ed5.jpg

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/3835/20070721tuttle7sr0.jpg

From the previous few photos.
http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/438/20070721tuttle5fo9.jpg

Kansas has hills!
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3782/20070721tuttle4ry6.jpg

You better believe this made me look twice. Displayed just before the drive over the dam.
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/2929/20070721tuttle2or3.jpg

My beaut again.
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/2055/20070721tuttle3pp1.jpg

Derek

Cool pics.

I didn't get into road cycling until after my time in Manhattan, bet there are some nice rides around there.

I liked riding @ and around Manhattan. The that is where I got into riding off-road. I used a road bike for some longer rides with crew mates, but really enjoyed the trails. ( I left Manhattan about 1994)

ChiefCatchacold, What years were you at Manhattan?

I'm from Kansas. Check out the Avatar. Ive been stranded 4 miles into Missouri since 2001. I work in Kansas M-F

I kissed my wife for the first time a the spot this photo was taken from. I think those of you familiar with Manhattan know what I am talking about. ;)
http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/438/20070721tuttle5fo9.jpg

I liked riding @ and around Manhattan. The that is where I got into riding off-road. I used a road bike for some longer rides with crew mates, but really enjoyed the trails. ( I left Manhattan about 1994)

ChiefCatchacold, What years were you at Manhattan?

I was there from 97-2000. Saw some good football teams. :D

Chiefcatchacold,
I guess the roads into KSU changed quite abit between out times. I ask because I live in Gardner also. Maybe I will see you out on the road

I'm from Kansas. Check out the Avatar. Ive been stranded 4 miles into Missouri since 2001. I work in Kansas M-F

I kissed my wife for the first time a the spot this photo was taken from. I think those of you familiar with Manhattan know what I am talking about. ;)


Haha awesome. The hill, as you know, which leads to that point I consider my half-way point for my short ride. It's a fitting challenge for sure. Sure glad someone recognized it! Glad you have good memories of that place.

Derek

You guys ever use mapmyride.com to post your routes? Pretty cool site. Here's one of my recent long ones.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ks/overland-park/202328774

So how many people do we have here from the greatest state in the nation? :D I myself am from Newton, apx. 20 minutes north of wichita.

What about you guys?

Add me to the Kansas list! (But I don't know about the whole "greatest state in the nation" thing....)

I'm from STL originally, but have relocated to go to school in KC.

Welcome rcm3! What are you riding?

Welcome rcm3! What are you riding?

I picked up a 2006 Scattante R550 from a guy on craigslist. Its way better than anything I was shopping for and the seller threw in a ton of extra goodies (pedals, shoes, computer w/ HR, jerseys, shorts ( :shifty), a hand pump, a CO2 pump.... More than I'll be using right away for sure!

Before I picked this up I was riding my uncle's classic Campy Ciocc. It was great but way too small. Before that it was all mountain bikes (I sold my mountain bike yesterday to fund the road bike purchase).

TONIGHT, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23rd 2007
Battle of Westport Alleycat/Ride
Meet at 7, start at 7:30
Westport and Pennsylvania in KCMO
10ish miles - the first 12 checkpoints on this auto-tour battlefield map. Bring a pencil.

http://tinyurl.com/2kcmjb

will I be chastised if i ride my geared road bike?

I started riding road bikes again (after a 22 year hiatus) and live in Lawrence. I am getting a little bored of: 1) the bike path and doing circles around the dam 2) Lawrence to Lonestar lake and back. Anyone have other interesting routes to suggest? Would be great if there was a coffee shop stop midway.

One of my favorite rides when I lived in Lawrence - even without a road bike- was to ride out to lakeview road - where there is an old oxbow of the Kansas River and I've seen cranes out there. I would take Michigan all the way North, then turn left on River Ridge (where it ends) then right on N Iowa (until it ends) then left to 1200 I think, but there is a bunch of cabins out on the lake - I think it is called the River Club.

Pretty scenic, and fairly close to town, but not huge hills and not a lot of traffic.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.005312,-95.297127&spn=0.03575,0.068665&z=14&om=1

I started riding road bikes again (after a 22 year hiatus) and live in Lawrence. I am getting a little bored of: 1) the bike path and doing circles around the dam 2) Lawrence to Lonestar lake and back. Anyone have other interesting routes to suggest? Would be great if there was a coffee shop stop midway.

You can take the 'scenic river route'
I forget the names of the road.. I believe it's called Route 438 or something. Head toward the Westar powerplant... keep on the same road and head west toward Lecompton... there will be a sign that reads "Scenic River Route" make a right turn, and keep going...

Hope that helps.

Rockchalk~

I used to live in Lawrence.

In addition to Lawrence to Lonestar (I could probably still ride it in my sleep...), I liked:

- Lawrence to Baldwin, past Vinland
- Lawrence to Oskaloosa, up the Wellman road.
- Also, put your bike in your car and go up to Oskaloosa, McLouth or Perry and take loops around Jefferson County.

Don't laugh, but I just bought a winter home in Conway Springs, southwest of Wichita.

I'm in Wellington Kansas. I rode to within a mile of Conway Springs today.

You're in Wellington!!!!! What exact route did you take to Conway Springs? Wellington will be my first long ride when I get down there in March.

Go east from Conway to Anson road, south through Anson, a mile or two south of Anson turn east,
turn south at the T intersection several miles later. Sorry, I don't know the names of all the roads.
About 42 miles round trip, I only went 40 today. There is also a nice loop from Conway to Viola and
Clearwater and back into Conway from the southeast.

OK! I drive that way a lot, and was thinking that was going to be my route, but I wasn't sure.

I rode today! So proud of myself to be out there in what started out as high 30's, dropping to around 32 as I headed back home after an hour on the rode.

We need more activity in Kansas!

I heard it was a perfect day down there today.

I live in Olathe and commute to KC (Westport). The cold is manageable with the right equipment, but the snowy conditions have kept me on the bus a few days. I logged 6,600 miles in ’07 and hope to break 7,000 this year.

It was 7 degrees in the late afternoon here in MN. If I were in KS today, it would have been 47 degrees in Conway Springs. I think I'd die of heat exhaustion.

It would be hard to ride down there in the winter. You'd have to have 2 bikes, one with studs. Up here I am riding a "snow" bike until I get back to KS.

Ray you are so the man! I'd love to be able to ride to work. Unfortunately, where I work it's too difficult to get to by bike, so I take mine with me and ride on lunch.

If I log half as many miles as you do this year I'll be very happy.

I'll be in KS about March 15th....

Is there more than one bike shop in Wichita? I like the one I found (can't remember the name of it right now) but I'd like to check out all of them....

Bicycle Pedaler, Heartland Bicycles, Continental Cyclery, Bicycle Exchange, L&M Schwinn, and Tom Sawyer Bicycle Shop are in Wichita. Spoke-N-Things in Arkansas City is another one I like.

I envy Kansas folk for having Mt. Sunflower and the largest hand-dug well in the World. That, and you have a really good state wide bike map your Governor sent me for free.

Anybody going for BAK 2008???

Jan. 27 Sunday - anyone riding in the Lawrence area today? Temp. to reach around 50.

New to road biking. Anyone near Ft Scott interested in riding 2-3 days/week?

Anybody going for BAK 2008???

I am wanting to do the BAK with my daughter, she will be 10. Are there many younger children riding?

I'm near McLains (ghost town, intersection of SE36 and Woodlawn), half-way between Newton and Whitewater.
Someone asked about trails around here. They aren't paved, but with a suitable bike the farm roads to the south and east aren't bad riding at all. Richland Township actually has some scenery.

Hedgeapple, I used to be in Newton, and rode your direcction once ina while. Yellow Lightning P-38 or LWB Linear. However I stayed on the blacktop...down to the outlet Mall.
Others;; I'm not doing BAK but hope you can...you will find friends