KCBike.Info

Ryan Jones and crew are bringing back Pub N’ Pedal 5 this Saturday. The pub crawl and photo scavenger hunt is a great way to explore the city on your bike, meet cool bikey people, and have a great time.

Check it out on Facebook.

KC is fortunate to have not one but two community bike shops providing low-cost transportation options and skills training for local residents. This weekend both shops celebrate big milestones.

The 816 Bicycle Collective has been at 31st and Troost for more than five years, providing Midtown and East Side residents with low cost bikes and an earn-a-bike programs that teach people bike repair skills and result in free bikes at the end of the program. The Collective has plans for a new home at 31st and Cherry, and local architects recently donated services to design the renovations of an old warehouse at that location.

Sunday evening at Californo’s in Westport the Collective unveil the designs for their new community bike shop at their 5th Annual Benefit Show, a fund raiser feature local music, great food, and a silent auction. Get all the details here.

Revolve is launching KC’s second community bike shop at 51st and Troost. They recently renovated an old gas station on the UMKC campus to provide bikes and bike education to UMKC and Rockhurst students and the adjacent neighborhood. Friday night is the shop’s grand opening, so stop by to check out the great renovation and the new services on offer.

Lots of touring cyclists come through the crossroads that is Kansas City. This week a tour with unique twist is stopping here for an evening of dinner, film, and conversation.

The Dinner Bikes Tour is traveling the US with a chef, a writer, and a filmmaker. Thursday evening they will serve a delicious vegan-friendly dinner, preview an upcoming documentary about bike culture, and lead a discussion about bike advocacy and bike culture around the country. BikeWalkKC is hosting this great event at their office in the Crossroads Arts District.

Dinner and Bikes
Thursday, September 22nd, 7:00 p.m.
EventPort in the Crossroads Arts District
208 West 19th Street, Kansas City, MO
Tickets on sale at www.bikewalkkc.org

The metro’s biggest farmer’s market is a popular destination for cyclists, but has always lacked bike parking. New racks now provide secure parking for people bicycling to the market for grocery shopping, lunch at market restaurants, or a cup of coffee.

New hoop-style racks at three locations around the market have capacity for 16 bikes: The main entrance to the circle drive at 5th and Walnut, the north service drive on 3rd Street, and the northwest entrance from City Market Park and 3rd Street. Please be sure to use these racks when you visit the market. Showing high usage of the new racks is the best way to encourage market officials to add more bike parking in the future. Find these and other bike racks on our metro bike parking map.

Kansas City has long had two strong bike clubs that organize a wide array of group rides, social activities, and tours. Now the Kansas City Bicycle Club and the Johnson County Bicycle Club are moving forward with a merger into one truly regional bike club.

The first step is for each club’s membership to vote on the merger.  KCBC members will vote this Sunday at their Summer Bike n’ Brunch event on the Little Blue Trace Trail in Independence.  JCBC members will vote August 29th at a special membership meeting.

Read more about the merger from JCBC’s perspective and from KCBC’s perspective.

Tonight there is an opportunity to lean about and support new bike lanes on Grand Boulevard from the Missouri River to Crown Center.

UMB Bank and the City are kicking off a big project to make Grand a truly grand street with new sidewalks, streetscape, natural stormwater retention, crosswalks, bike lanes, and maybe even bike sharing.  There is even talk of fancy separated bike lanes like ones popping up in Chicago, DC, and New York.

Tonight’s meeting at UMB Bank’s headquarters is your chance to learn about the project and support the creation of world-class bike route through Downtown. BikeWalkKC has all the details.

Limited Warren T reports that the Indian Creek Trail is closed, and that the posted detour is usable but not ideal.

The lack of connected side streets in southern Johnson County means that the busy 119th Street is the only alternative – either riding on street with traffic or on a very narrow sidewalk. Warren’s post includes a map of the detour.

This section of the Indian Creek Trail is scheduled to reopen in March of 2012.

The Riverfront Heritage Trail’s bridge over I-670 is closing on Friday for construction and will remain closed until the end of September.  A short on-street detour is available via the Summit Street overpass.

This old bridge linking the Westside with Quality Hill and the Downtown Loop is being renovated and getting a new public art installation as part of the ongoing development of the Riverfront Heritage trail.

Continue reading →

Please be on the lookout for this stolen bike. It’s a dark grey Dahon Ciao folding bike and there is a $150 reward for its return. Call 816-226-7958 or call KCPD and reference case #11-048300.

Details:

• 2006 Dahon Ciao 5 Speed
• Folding bike – pedals, frame, handlebars fold in
• 20″ wheels – noticeably smaller than the typical adult bike
• Super low step through frame

At the time of theft, included:

• Rear rack with attached bungee cords
• Rear light (needed the batteries replaced)
• Hub dynamo front light
• Chain guard
• Fenders with mud guards
• Serial #: B6-6186 9932437

Bike commuter extraordinaire Noah Dunker is planning a bike camping trip down in Miami County, KS later this month.  Be sure to check his blog for the details.