solveg

I'm back in KS now, and I had forgotten how you people have NO SHOULDERS on your roads!!!!!

agave802003

Welcome back. Even with no shoulders we have plenty of good riding on the back roads....ride and enjoy.

Floyd

Agreed, there are plenty of roads here in Kansas that do not have that much traffic...therefore good for two wheel vehicles with pedals. You can enjoy...i hope.

solveg

I have an Atlantis, with Big Apple tires, so I'm able to ride on these deep gravel/dirt roads pretty dang well. It's just that I'm not used to them, and they're a really good workout! Lots of dogs on them, too. You can see the dogs from a long distance, just patrolling the roads...

hedgeapple

Hey Floyd - No BAK for me this year or next. Haven't ridden in decades, overweight, outtashape, hypertensive, ad nauseum. My goals for this year are to START riding (done) and to commute irregularly 11 miles one way to work via mostly farm roads on my Rockhopper. In '09, given sufficient upgrades to both me and my 72 Raleigh GP (back from the shop today with alloy 700 wheels and 7spd cassette), I will do the RAGBRAI with my brother (a regular). I'd planned that for this year but then I got real.
After that? BAK maybe.
I've already mention the local farm roads. Someone mentioned dogs, but my breath is worse and they stay away. Other hazards: nails/screws, especially in the soft/loose stuff and after grading. And mud, but sand roads dry in a day or so if they can drain. Bike trails are a nice idea but unless they're hard-surfaced (i.e. asphalt), who needs 'em when there are so many lightly-traveled farm roads? There's a nice cafe in Whitewater, about 8 miles by a variety of quiet, rolling routes. By May I'll be ready for it.

fixedvolvo

come on wheres all my south kansas city people or just kansas city riders in general
im in overland park and always lookin for riders

Chains

Wichita has roughly 12 miles of paved bike path along the river plus a great ride along K96, another path down I-135 and the railbed from K96 west at about 17th street. The railbed has loose gravel so not suitable for narrow tires, but it is a good workout.

solveg

is the 12 miles of bike path in old town, or whatever it's called? I have really only seen the far west side of Wichita so far. Where are the areas of town I don't want to bike through? I heard on the news last week that there were cars* being set on fire somewhere in Wichita.

bcshKC

only two wichita riders? doesn't sound right for being the biggest city in KS. i'm from wichita but at school in KC right now. and why the hell doesn't wichita participate in critical mass. we need to take care of that.

agave802003

Wichita has enough bike path to make about a 45 mile loop. You have to ride roads some to
connect all of the paths. https://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/P...ycle_paths.htm

Floyd

Hedgeapple...good to hear that you are getting into it. I do the riiding for exercize. I say anyting above forty degrees but in reality my temp limit is a little higher when it comes to enjoying the ride. Although on the other hand, after I have finished the ride I can say that I did enjoy.
peace

Chains

The 12 miles of trail are along the river, which is west of "Old Town". It is easy to park at the public garage next to Gander Mountain which you can see from Kellogg. From there you will have six miles northwest to I 235 or a little less than six miles to the south. I am new to the area and just started riding last fall. There is an active club called Oz, but I have not been to one of their rides yet. I can't tell you anything about burning cars.

bmanpoo

right here. but you must be prone to stopping at bars throughout, ragbrai style.

Mike B.

Dodge City checking in. Don't have a bike yet, still looking for a decent one without having to take out a second morgage on the house. No bike shops in Dodge, but there are a couple guys around who ride alot and are willing to help me out. (I hope)

Any suggestions, for a newbie, on what kind of bike for a commuter? 5 miles one way, a coulple of hills, nothing big out here in Dodge.

prehall

Former SEK runner here (Girard, a shade north of Pittsburg) checking in!
Now Colorado Cyclist! Rocky Mountain National Park, represent. Saw someone was from near Pittsburg before? Maybe when I can afford to go home, we can get together for a ride.

mcoons

I went to Parsons for Spring Break during college (from Baker) and we went to Girard- as one of my teachers mentioned that it was the anarchist capital of Kansas...really interesting book called Talkin' Socialism about the early 20th century and Girard.

Also went to Big Brutus...

prehall

oh yeah. big time socialist/anarchist network in Girard. Upton Sinclair (the Jungle) worked a lot on an underground paper there trying to push a socialism in America. that newspaper also happens to be the first place that the Jungle appeared, as a sort of mini-series on the working class.

hedgeapple

Mike B - what kind of roads are you riding? If there's any dirt/sand/gravel/farm roads, I'd suggest a mountain bike with tires that are suitable for pavement (less rolling resistance). Even if it's all pavement, that combo of bike and tires would be reasonably priced, rugged, and useable.

Mike B.

hedgeapple,

I'd be on asphalt. I'll be riding 1/2 mile then a stop sign, then 1 mile and another stop sign, then 1 mile another stop sign, then 1 mile and a stoplight, then 1/2 mile and another stop light, then 1 mile to work. Wth very few stops I was looking at this bike...

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...estore_ID=1586

What's your honest opinion?

hedgeapple

I think I like it. If the road is at all wet, you'll appreciate the fenders - I used them on my Raleigh in the UK and would not have been without them. Haven't seen a chainguard like that since I was a kid, should help keep laces out of the sprocket and grease off the jeans. You can get a bag that will strap onto the rack. You're on the high plains, you WILL have headwinds everyday, you may want to consider drop bars and a longer stem but I'd wait 'til after I'd spent some time on the bike. I more and more like the idea of adapting a mountain bike to the pavement for this sort of duty, but the tires on this bike (700's, I'm sure) will have less rolling resistance. They will also require a tire gauge and pump that are good for 120psi (mountain bike, 60 to 100 psi, and less sensitive to temperature changes). The tire tubes may have presta valves which aren't compatible with the air hose at the convenience store - most mountain bikes have regular schraeder valves, just like your car.
$400 seems like a great price to me. Don't forget to budget for helmet and lights.

Mike B.

headgeapple,

You're right on track about the winds...hopefully in the early mornings they won't be so bad, and in the evening, this time of year, they should be from the south. Which will suit me just fine as I'll be riding north.

I've budgeted abit over $500.00 hopefully that will get me some lights, helmet, a reflective vest and a mirror to attach to my helmet. At my age, a guy can't be to careful....LOL

Mike B.

And thanks for the heads up about the valves. I didn't know and was meaning to ask. If I do end up with presta can they be changed out for schraeder valves?

solveg

Kansas roads near Conway Springs:

hedgeapple

I don't know if presta- and schraeder- equipped tubes are interchangeable on the same rims, you'll have to discuss this with the dealer. The new 700 rims I had installed on my old Raleigh Gran Prix accepted the old 27 inch tubes with schraeders. I bought a 160psi hand pump to carry on the bike. Haven't used it yet. A foot pump would be easier but wouldn't be transportable.
I have a specialized rockhopper; I live on a farm so call it a plop hopper. I bought it 18 months ago and barely touched til a month ago. Didn't like it at first, not as fast as the old Raleigh. Bought it because I wanted something for the section line roads around here and it seemed a sensible choice. I'm now doing at least 8 miles, 5 days a week on it and I consider it a superior, durable bike. Will ride it to work (11 miles one-way) at least one day a week this summer. It will eventually lose the knobbies in favor of a more pavement-oriented compromise.
Riding a bike is WORK. You will tire quickly. Stay with it, you'll get better at it. Protect your knees: make sure the seat is high enough (you may find helpful info on that on this website, or I can share what I've learned) and try to spin the pedals at 90rpm (count on either left or right foot, not both).
And smile when you pass the filling station.

Floyd

A Presta will fit in a rim for Schreader but not the other way around cause the Presta is smaller... You can get an adapter that you put on the Presta so that you can fill with the 'gas station' filler...however you have to take the adapter off to loosen the Presta valve so the air can go in then put the adapter back on, then take it back off and tighten the Presta valve. I have one rim that was, i say was, a Presta but I drilled it out so the Schreader would fit in. that destroys the value of the rim, i think, but I got tired of messing with the Presta valve. I since have purchased a pump with the Presta 'hole' for filling so is not so bad. I still keep the adapter on my Presta valve as a makeshift lid....