Episode number 6 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast features an interview with Gina Poertner, who runs LifeBALANCE Sports & Wellness and serves as president of KanBikeWalk, our statewide bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy organization.
We also talk with musician Mark Franzke, who’s graciously provided new music for the Kansas Cyclist Podcast. The name of the song is “Brush Creek Crossing” and you can find out more about Mark and his music and art by going to Banjodog.com. If you’d like to hear Mark live, he’s playing this weekend at the Byron Jones Bluegrass Festival in Lathrop, Missouri, and on August 28th at a Concert in the Park in Prairie Village, Kansas.
We also have an “on the scene” report from last weekend’s Tour of Lawrence, where we spoke with tour organizer Bob Sanner, racer and promoter Roger Harrison, and a very busy Curtis Martell.
Here’s a quick summary of the rest of the podcast, with links to more information:
Bicycling News:
- The De Soto city council agreed to lift a long-standing ban on bicycles on 83rd Street east of the city, then a few days later reversed that decision. So for now, the ban stands, although they plan to revisit the issue later in the year. [link]
- Leawood, Kansas is aiming to become a bicycle-friendly community, with plans to file an official application with the League of American Bicyclists. They’re hoping to become the third community in the state to earn this prestigious designation. [link]
- In Colorado, the city of Denver, already a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, has announced improvements to its bicycling infrastructure, with new bike lane installations at 11 locations around the city. [link]
- In Missouri, the field for September’s Tour of Missouri is nearly complete, with Colavita/Sutter Home, BISSELL Pro Cycling, and Team Type 1 joining the previously announced Astana, Garmin-Slipstream, Columbia-Highroad, and other top teams. Fourteen of the fifteen team slots are now filled. [link]
Upcoming Rides and Events:
- July 11th is the Firecracker 100, a fundraiser for the Kansas Jaycees Cerebral Palsy Ranch, out of Ottawa, Kansas.
- The Lenexa Midnight Bike Ride takes place the evening of July 11th at Shawnee Mission Park in Lenexa, Kansas.
- The Tornado Alley Bike Tour rolls out of Joplin, Missouri on the 11th, with a route that includes jaunts into Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
- The 11th is also the date for the Triple Bypass in Colorado, with 120 miles and more than 10,000 feet of climbing over three major mountain passes. And in Missouri, the Missouri State Mountain Bike Championship takes place in St. Charles on the 11th as well.
- The Lizard Under the Skillet ride takes place in Lawrence, Kansas on July 12th.
- The following weekend features the Mowbray Metric out of McPherson, Kansas, the Norman Conquest in Norman, Oklahoma, and the Sunflower State Games in Topeka. There’s also a gravel ride taking place on the 18th, with the Farmhouse Classic Gravel Century rolling out of Lathrop, Missouri, with 62 and 100-mile route options.
- RAGBRAI bills itself as the “longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world”, and on July 18th over 10,000 cyclist will start in Council Bluffs, Iowa and ride for a week across the state, with overnights in Red Oak, Greenfield, Indianola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Mt. Pleasant and Burlington.
There are many more ride opportunities available nearby, so please view the regional calendar for a complete list.
Trail News:
This episode we discuss the trails at Kill Creek Park in western Johnson County. The park features multi-use trails, equestian trails, and several miles of well-designed mountain bike trails. These are some of the best trails in the Kansas City area.
As always, we hope you’ll listen to the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, and consider subscribing to future episodes. We welcome your feedback, so please send in your comments or suggestions.
