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06-26-07, 09:16 AM
If so, you should join some of us for our weekly commute to downtown. Every Monday, I'll meet up with fellow cyclists in Shawnee, KS (easy to get to from Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, etc) and ride downtown with them. The meet-up point is at Skate World just off Shawnee Mission Parkway and Mastin.
This is the planned route from skate world. It's a little vague on
the map, but we'll exit the parking lot at the northeast corner, cut
through some grass, cross Turkey Creek on the MUP bridge, then hop on
Merriam Lane and head northeast from there:
http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=1704
If you need help finding a good, bike-friendly route to the meetup location, let me know or sign up for the KC Bike Commuters mailing list and ask. We'll get you squared away :)
http://groups.google.com/group/kc-bike-commuters
Yesterday morning it was just myself and one other bike commuter. Today I talked to another multi-mode bike/bus commuter and he's interested as well. My goal is to help people gain confidence on the road while discovering how fun and easy bike commuting can be. It will also help new bike commuters learn the route.
Merriam Lane / Southwest Boulevard is a pretty easy road to ride on -- arguably the friendliest way to get downtown from northern JoCo. Motorists are for the most part courteous. The ones who are actually in a hurry will eschew this road and stay on Interstate 35.
Basically, all you need is a way to carry the essentials to work, enough water for the ride, and it's handy to have a flat tire repair kit of some variety. I recommend a helmet and a blinking tail light as well, but those are up to you. The stuff can go in a duffel bag strapped to a rack, in a backpack, or in a set of panniers. If you're new to bicycle commuting, the Commuting Forum (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=20) is another great resource for figuring out what you need in order to make the trip.
I believe from Skate World to where SW Blvd ends is about 7-8 miles. Departing from Skate World at 6:15 or so, you can get pretty much anywhere downtown before 7:00 AM.
Any takers?
This is the planned route from skate world. It's a little vague on
the map, but we'll exit the parking lot at the northeast corner, cut
through some grass, cross Turkey Creek on the MUP bridge, then hop on
Merriam Lane and head northeast from there:
http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=1704
If you need help finding a good, bike-friendly route to the meetup location, let me know or sign up for the KC Bike Commuters mailing list and ask. We'll get you squared away :)
http://groups.google.com/group/kc-bike-commuters
Yesterday morning it was just myself and one other bike commuter. Today I talked to another multi-mode bike/bus commuter and he's interested as well. My goal is to help people gain confidence on the road while discovering how fun and easy bike commuting can be. It will also help new bike commuters learn the route.
Merriam Lane / Southwest Boulevard is a pretty easy road to ride on -- arguably the friendliest way to get downtown from northern JoCo. Motorists are for the most part courteous. The ones who are actually in a hurry will eschew this road and stay on Interstate 35.
Basically, all you need is a way to carry the essentials to work, enough water for the ride, and it's handy to have a flat tire repair kit of some variety. I recommend a helmet and a blinking tail light as well, but those are up to you. The stuff can go in a duffel bag strapped to a rack, in a backpack, or in a set of panniers. If you're new to bicycle commuting, the Commuting Forum (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=20) is another great resource for figuring out what you need in order to make the trip.
I believe from Skate World to where SW Blvd ends is about 7-8 miles. Departing from Skate World at 6:15 or so, you can get pretty much anywhere downtown before 7:00 AM.
Any takers?