Kansas Cyclist - Kansas Bicycle Guide and Reference

From Bike Manhattan comes news that a new bike club is starting up in the Manhattan, Kansas area:

Flint Hills Area Bike Club (FHAB Club) is holding its official kick-off Saturday, April 3, in Triangle Park, Aggieville. Members of the club will be on hand beginning at 10 a.m. to explain the club’s mission, answer questions, and help new members join. At 12:45 p.m., members will lead rides for every ability and rider. So bring your bike, your helmet, your kids, your friends – get to know other folks who bike in Manhattan, Fort Riley, St. George, Wamego, and the rest of the Flint Hills, have some fun, and get some exercise.

Read more at http://ci.manhattan.ks.us/index.aspx?NID=1070.

The Flint Hills Area Bike Club doesn’t appear to have a web site yet, but they do have a Facebook group, or you can learn more about the club by emailing them at fhabclub@gmail.com.

From the Coasters Bicycle Club, news of a bicycle swap meet on April 25th hear Wichita:

Where: Haysville Hometown Market @ S. Main and Grand, Haysville, Kansas.
When: Sunday, April 25th. 8:00am till whenever. Vendor setup 7:00am.
All types of bikes, parts, bicycle related clothing, memorabilia etc.
Music by Accent Mobile Music.

Bring a bike to ride, and enjoy the Haysville Hike and Bike Path. The Haysville Hometown Market is part of the Hay’s Village Historic Park.

Vendors:
This swap is open to vendors wanting to sell any kind of bicycles, parts, memorabilia etc… Antique, Road, BMX, MTB — it’s all welcome. Bring your own tables and chairs. Bring change. Pavilion Booths are $5 and have electricity, concrete floor and need to be reserved. All other spots are free and on a first come basis.

Learn more at midwestbicycleswap.com

Received the following message from a reader about a recent car/bike collision near Wichita:

Hey, all you drivers, please remember that there are others on the road who are on two wheels, whether it is a motorcycle or a bicycle… Please look out for us. A buddy of mine was struck by a car Saturday. It happened out in the country so no reason for not having seen the guy … he just turned left and T-Boned my friend Dave Wills.

Here’s what Dave had to say for himself:

For those who have not heard I was hit by a car yesterday. I was heading east on 21st, and the car was turning left onto Colwich Rd. He t-boned me, sent me sailing, and my flip should get me a 9.5 at the Olympics (deductions for not getting the landing right). I have a dislocated shoulder, compression fracture of the 3rd lumbar, cracked rib(s), and good ole’ road rash. The bike is toast obviously.

On Twitter, Dave (@dew68) said: “The Oklahoma race was a no go. Instead I decided to see what it is like to be hit by a car. I do not recommend it. It hurts way too much.”

As far as I know, the collision did not make the papers, and I have no information on any citations or charges against the driver…

Dave Wills races for the Specs Racing Cycling Team. You can learn more about Dave on his Hookit page. The photo of Dave is from the Overland Park Grand Prix Criterium, part of the annual Tour of Kansas City.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Dave!

According to the Augusta Gazette:

A truck and a bicycle collided in the 11000 block of SW 70th, outside Augusta, Saturday evening.
Sheriff’s deputies found Harvey M. Furlow, rural Augusta, was driver of a westbound truck on the roadway.

Furlow said he was driving the truck on SW 70th west of Santa Fe Lake Road against the sun around 5:14 p.m. when he observed the westbound bicyclist in front of him.

Katharine E. Wencel, Wichita, the bicyclist, suffered Code Red injuries and was taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for treatment of the life-threatening injuries.

According to a sheriff’s office report, Wencel was bleeding from the nose and the ears and also complained of pain in the rib area.

She was dismissed from the Wichita hospital on Sunday.

No word on any charges against the driver for apparently running the cyclist down from behind.

Get well soon, Katharine!

Topeka, Kansas will soon be home to a community bicycle workshop that will offer cyclists a place to work on their bikes, learn about bicycle repair and maintenance, and even earn a bike of their own:

Washburn law student Robert Fitzgerald has found many cities around the country that have bicycle projects to fit their needs. He, along with the help of many others, has now brought such a project to the city of Topeka.

The Topeka Community Cycle Project, 423 S. Kansas Ave., was designed as a place for people to learn how to maintain and prepare their own bicycle and provide them with a safe and alternative means of transportation.

It has already become home to numerous donated bicycles of all shapes, sizes and conditions. The group has agreed to a lease with Friends of the Free State Capitol Inc., which has allowed TCCP to use the building at a reduced rent. So far, the project has had two volunteer nights and will continue to have more. They are 5-7 p.m. every Thursday evening. Volunteers who want to help fix up bikes or donate bikes can do so at that time.

Read more from the Washburn Review: Law student creates bike co-op.

There was also an article on the TCCP in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Man helps form TCCP.

When the Topeka Community Cycle Project officially opens this spring, it will be, as far as I know, the only such community bike shop in the state of Kansas. A group called the Wichita Bicycle Collective is interested in starting a similar concept, but so far their web site is still just a placeholder, so they apparently haven’t gotten off the ground yet.

Community bike shops are an increasingly-popular idea, with organizations popping up all around the country. Here in our region, examples include:

• Bike Depot in Denver, CO
• Community Cycles in Boulder, CO
• Derailer Bicycle Collective in Denver, CO
• Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op in Fort Collins, CO
• Des Moines Bicycle Collective in Des Moines, IA
• The 816 Bicycle Collective in Kansas City, MO
• Saint Louis Bicycle Works in St. Louis, MO
• Community Bicycle Shop Omaha in Omaha, NE

The Topeka Community Cycle Project is accepting donations of bicycles, components, tires, tools, accessories — basically anything bicycle-related, they can find a use for.

TCCP has a web site at cycleproject.org and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can contact them via email at topeka@cycleproject.org .

Note: Kansas Cyclist Podcast Episode 17 features an interview with Robert Fitzgerald of the Topeka Community Cycle Project.

Kansas Trail News for March 4, 2010 from Sunflower Recreational Trails:

Supreme Court To Hear Rails-To-Trails Case

McPherson attorney Mike Mills reports that arguments will be heard before the Kansas Supreme Court on an appeal from the Miami County District Court on May 5, 2010, at 9:00 am. In this case, Miami County Commissioners v. Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, Inc et al (Case No. 101,811), the plaintiff attempted to set an unreasonable performance bond amount for Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy which is developing the Flint Hills Nature Trail. The bond is required under the so-called Kansas Recreational Trails Act pushed through the legislature in 1996 by the Kansas Farm Bureau. The farm bureau has filed amicus briefs in the case in support of the County. A decision is normally promulgated within 30 to 60 days after the oral argument. There is a good chance that the Court will find at least some of the more onerous provisions of the Kansas Recreational Trails Act preempted by the federal Rails to Trails Amendment to the National Trails Act.

Flint Hills Trail Is Trail Of The Month

The Flint Hills Nature Trail has been designated by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as the Trail of the Month. The Flint Hills Nature Trail has been designated as the “Trail of the Month” by the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on its website. The trail stretches 117 miles between Osawatomie and Herington.

“We appreciate the national recognition for this outstanding recreational trail,” said Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy President John Purvis. The Flint Hills Trail is not only a state resource, it is a national one. It is the seventh longest trail in America and forms a component of the American Discovery Trail, the nation’s first coast-to-coast trail.” For more information see: www.railstotrails.org and Congratulations to the Flint Hills Nature Trail!

Flint Hills Trail Longest Private Trail

Scott Allen with Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy reports that the 117-mile Flint Hills Nature Trail is the longest trail in the nation being built and maintained by a private entity. Most long-distance trails are constructed and maintained by governmental agencies. A few organizations do though. For example, the 63-mile Wabash Trace Nature Trail in southwest Iowa is maintained by the Southwest Iowa Nature Trails, Inc.

Bill Would Make Prairie Spirit Trail State Park

Kansas House Bill 2434, which would designate the Prairie Spirit Rail-Trail a state park, has passed the House and is now in the Senate Natural Resources Committee. The trail is operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) but doesn’t have state park status such as the famous Katy Trail in Missouri. “Having state park status will benefit the trail through a lot more advertising and recognition,” said trail manager Trent McCown. [ read more ]

Prairie Fire Festival April 9-10

The Prairie Fire Festival will be held April 9-10 in Cottonwood Falls. This is the time of the year when Flint Hills ranchers burn off the native tallgrass prairie to promote grass growth and eliminate woody plants. The fires at night are spectacular. There also are trails on the nearby Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve which now has a buffalo herd. For more information go to www.prairiefirefestival.com.

Trails At Bartlett Arboretum In Belle Plaine

According to the Spring issue of Kansas! Magazine, spring is a good time to walk the trails which wind through majestic trees in the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine. There are ten state champion trees in the century-old arboretum proposed for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information go to www.bartlettarboretum.com. The website states:

“Located 20 miles south of Wichita, the century-old, historic Bartlett Arboretum is home to massive cypress, oaks and champion Japanese maples. For nearly 100 years many generations of Kansans have enjoyed this unique sanctuary once touted as ‘the only mature arboretum between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.’”

Private Railbanking Upheld By Courts

On February 22, the US Supreme Court declined to review a decision (Moody v. Allegheny Valley Land Trust) by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholding private railbanking. Some relevant language of the original decision: (W)e hold that Conrail’s sale of the right-of-way to a qualified railbanking organization like AVLT, that filed a Declaration of Railbanking at the time the deed was recorded, did not result in abandonment of the right-of-way. Conrail owned a right-of-way; it sold that right of way to an organization that a) planned to use it as a right-of-way and b) planned to hold it subject to revitalization of rail lines in accordance with the requirements of Section 1247(d) of the National Act and consistent with the railbanking requirements established in Buffalo Township. 813 A.2d at 670.

It is unclear if this applies to Kansas but it could benefit efforts to railbank out-of-service rail corridors in Kansas. If for example, the facts indicate that consummation of abandonment has not occurred and the Surface Transportation Board has not issued a Notice of Interim Trail Use (NITU), the railroad and the railbanking entity can possibly enter into a private railbanking agreement. An Kansas Attorney General opinion is needed.

Dillon Nature Center Trails At Hutch

Kansas! Magazine also reports that there are three miles of hiking trails at the Dillon Nature Center in Hutchison. There are also gardens, two small lakes and a large visitors’ center. For more information go to: www.hutchrec.com/dnc/

Kansas Trail News is published monthly by Clark H. Coan, Public Information Specialist for Sunflower Recreational Trails, 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.

According to KMBC:

A 13-year-old boy riding a bicycle was hit by a pickup truck at 139th Street and Blackbob Road on Thursday morning.

The crash was reported at about 7:20 a.m. Police said the Frontier Trail Middle School student was riding his bike across busy Blackbob Road in the crosswalk when the driver of a red pickup truck, turning right from 139th Street, struck the boy.

The boy was taken to a hospital for cuts and bruises.

Police told KMBC’s Jana Corrie that the driver won’t be ticketed because it was an accident. The driver said he was unable to see the boy because the sun was in his eyes.

Read more: Teen On Bike Hit By Truck In Olathe (with video), Teen Hit By Pickup While Riding Bicycle, Teenager on bicycle suffers head injury after being struck by pickup.

But “the driver won’t be ticketed because it was an accident”? Yikes.

Of course it was an accident — most people don’t want to hit a child with their vehicle — but it seems like “failure to yield” or “failure to maintain a proper lookout” would apply to a vehicle hitting someone in a crosswalk, particularly if the driver made the decision to drive even if he or she couldn’t see properly…

Although the boy wasn’t wearing a helmet, and suffered a head injury, he was apparently conscious, and his injuries aren’t life-threatening. Thank goodness.

Last year’s inaugural Tour of Lawrence was one of the highlights of the year, bringing three days of amateur and professional bicycle racing to the Sunflower State. It was quite possibly the highest-profile road racing event ever to take place in Kansas.

But everyone knew it may never happen again. There was every intention of making this an annual event, but there were no guarantees.

But thankfully, the Tour of Lawrence is back for a second year:

The Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced that the second annual Tour of Lawrence cycling event will return to Lawrence July 2 – 4, 2010. This USA Cycling sanctioned Pro-AM event features three races during the weekend, and brings world-class cycling to town in a spectator-friendly format.

“We are thrilled to bring this event back in 2010,” said Bob Sanner, Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau sports marketing director. “The event was very successful in 2009, and we believe strongly that with the help of U.S. Bank and our other sponsors, it will continue to grow this year. We hope to attract additional riders and expand the event’s impact on the Lawrence economy.”

The Tour of Lawrence, presented by U.S. Bank, will again be a three-race event offering regional professional teams, as well as amateur riders, an opportunity to spend the holiday weekend in Lawrence while they compete for more than $20,000 in cash prizes. The 2010 event is expected to draw more than 400 riders per event to the community for the weekend.

“This event has developed into something very exciting,” said Brad Burnside, president of U.S. Bank in Lawrence. “The U.S. Bank team is very pleased to be the presenting sponsor for this year’s Tour of Lawrence and looks forward to being part of its success for the Lawrence community.”

The Tour of Lawrence kicks-off on Friday, July 2 with the Eldridge Hotel Street Sprint in downtown Lawrence. The Street Sprint is a 200-meter course that takes riders straight uphill on a short sprint. In conjunction with the Street Sprint, spectators will enjoy live music, food, beer and other beverages as well as a Kids’ Zone, sponsored by the Lawrence Central Rotary.

On Saturday, July 3 the Tour moves to the Kansas University campus for the Campus Circuit Race. The route takes riders on a 4.4-mile loop around the university campus that boasts a challenging 500 feet of vertical climb per loop, and less than a half-mile of level terrain. This campus course showcases the best of what northeast Kansas has to offer riders with beautiful scenery and demanding topography. There is plenty of space along and near the course to for spectators to watch the race.

On July 4, Sunday, the festivities begin with a Mass St. Mile run, sponsored by Garry Gribble’s and a Kids’ Bike Race. The Tour of Lawrence Criterium will follow these events and run throughout the evening. The Criterium is a one-mile course with six wide turns, where riders race a one-mile circuit for 70 minutes.

Here are the maps for the races:

You can learn more about the event from the flyer or at touroflawrence.com. The Lawrence Journal-World covered the announcement with Tour of Lawrence offers events for all ages, interests.

It’s good to see this high-quality event coming back for another year!

The Prairie Spirit Trail is celebrating it’s 14th anniversary with a Birthday Bash on March 10th in Garnett, Kansas:

Tickets went on sale February 1st for the 14th Annual Anniversary/Birthday Bash Celebration of the Prairie Spirit Trail. The gala will take place on Wednesday, March 10th at the Community Building located in Garnett’s North Lake Park.

Social time begins at 6:00 p.m. The buffet dinner featuring smoked meat, delicious salads, side dishes and birthday cake will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. A silent auction will be ongoing throughout the evening and includes some really nice items. Guest speakers, including Trail Manager, Trent McCown, will be on hand to give updates on trail happenings.

Don’t be left out! Tickets to the “birthday bash” are only $7 per person and are available for purchase at Garnett City Hall, Archer Insurance (Garnett), or can be purchased at the event.

CELEBRATE SPRING! Don’t miss your chance to enjoy an evening of fun and show your support for the Prairie Spirit Trail. Buy your tickets and mark your calendar. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, March 10th!

Learn more from prairiespirittrail.org or on the Facebook Event Page. Here’s the event flyer:

The first stretch of the Prairie Spirit Trail officially opened on March 30, 1996, with 17 miles of trail, and has since been lengthened, first to 33 miles, then to it’s current 51-mile length.

Interestingly, although the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks lists the Prairie Spirit Trail as a state park, it actually isn’t. It’s managed by the KDWP, but it’s never been officially designated a state park. That could be changing. According to the Wichita Eagle:

A bill that would declare the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail a state park has passed the Kansas House and is headed to the Senate committee on natural resources.

Chris Tymeson, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks lawyer, said including the hiking/biking trail in eastern Kansas within the state park system would allow it to use park fees. The change would also increase the trail’s chances of gaining federal grants.

The birthday bash isn’t the only event happening on the trail this year. According to the trail’s web site: “A charity bike ride is being planned for Saturday, June 12th. The ride is being coordinated through the Ottawa Recreation Commission and will benefit the Franklin County Cancer Society and the Prairie Spirit Trail. The ride will begin at the Kanza Park in Ottawa and participants will have the options of trekking 5, 10, 20 or 50 miles. More information to be released soon as final details of the ride are made.”

The ride will be posted on the Kansas Cyclist event calendar as soon as details are announced.

From Newton, Kansas comes news of an old bicycle business brought back to life:

For 12 years, since the fall of 1997 when John Hobbs and Carol Sue Stayrook Hobbs closed Great Plains Bicycles, their independent bicycle repair and retail shop, Newton residents have had to fix their own bikes or drive to Wichita for similar services. This fall, that changed.

Ever since Great Plains Bicycles closed, Hobbs would still be approached by folks who knew he and Carol Sue, who would ask, “Would you please fix my bike?” John Hobbs said, “I had four bikes in my shop at the time of my epiphany. I looked at those bikes and said to myself, ‘You know, I should be making money with this!’

“When I went back to my old records from the ‘90s of when we had the shop and looked at whether or not we could be profitable offering only parts and service, I was convinced this was indeed possible. So we are re-establishing Great Plains Bicycle Repair solely as a professional repair facility.”

There was “some excitement,” he said, when folks found out the Hobbses were once again getting back into the bicycle business. After Great Plains Bicycles closed, Newton never had another bicycle shop. Besides being inconvenient for Newton residents, “this has been a particular hardship for the many cross-country cycling tourists who come through Newton on the Trans-American Bicycle Trail,” Hobbs said, “as well as for the many young families with kids and the college students who had nowhere locally to service their bicycles.”

Eliminating the retail floor does some significant things, he said — such as cutting overhead costs (heating and cooling, insurance, purchasing and carrying an inventory of new bicycles). “What you find is that the floor space dedicated strictly to service and parts is very profitable floor space indeed. In the bicycle business, the floor space used for just retail is not very productive, simply because the gross margins on individual bicycles are, by history and competition, quite low. When you only can achieve a few decimal points of actual profit beyond your base margin, it may be time to think about doing something different.

“The fact that we have been working on people’s bikes without even being in the business is telling,” he said. “The fact that even with only word of mouth, we are getting folks who never even knew we existed is even more predictive.

“Our market is really quite simple,” he said. “Anyone who has ever bought a bicycle for any reason has an investment in that bicycle. When it doesn’t work, all they can see is that pile of money just sitting there. It’s sort of like the money you could have saved with Geico. As long as I can provide a repair for that bicycle that does not exceed the perceived value, I have a market.”

Great Plains Bicycle Repair re-opened last September.

It’s good to see that the cyclists of Newton now have someone close at hand to turn to for their bicycle repair needs, and this is another critical resource for people riding their bikes across the country on the Trans-America Trail, where quality parts and professional services can often be hard to find.

Read more from the Newton Kansan: After 12-year hiatus, bicycle repair shop returns to Newton

Photo courtesy Gregg Friesen of the Newton Kansan.