Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Feb 6, 2012, 11:51 am
Olathe, Kansas is planning to expand 127th Street in Olathe, but has settled on a strange, and potentially dangerous design with a gutter seam running down the middle of the ‘bike lane’. Back in 2010, the city of Olathe, Kansas added some very nice bike lanes to 127th Street, between Mur-Len Ro...
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Randy R. posted an article on RecumBum - Feb 5, 2012, 4:57 pm
Late last year I sold my beloved Burley Django. Why? Two reasons: I had a friend who had injured his back, and was no longer able to ride his upright bike. So I let him try the Django, he liked it, and I let it go at a fair price. I was no longer riding it. I hadn’t ridden it in over a year, and...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Feb 4, 2012, 2:26 pm
On February 2nd I took advantage of the unseasonably mild temperatures to participate in the Free State Border Patrol, a 200+ kilometer “permanent” route created by Keith at CommuterDude.com for Kansas City Ultra Cycling, the local RUSA (Randonneurs USA) club. I did the ride with Keith and Terr...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jan 29, 2012, 8:59 am
Biking Across Kansas, the annual week-long supported tour across the Sunflower State, has announced their 2012 route: The tour leaves Tribune, near the Colorado border, on Saturday, June 9th, and arrives in Elwood, on the Missouri River, on June 16th. The route covers about 475 miles, with overnig...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Jan 28, 2012, 10:19 pm
I’ve been riding my Puch Cavette II quite a lot recently, and I have it pretty well dialed in, I think. So I thought I’d detail the modifications I’ve made to make it road-worthy. The changes have been relatively few, since the bike, as purchased, was in remarkably good shape for a 30+ year-...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Jan 21, 2012, 8:14 pm
... up a bit, don’t I? So how about this: riding to and from the event, making it a 5-day, 300-mile, mixed-surface, semi-self-supported tour … that’s more like it! Here’s the idea: Friday, May 25, ... another 65 or so miles home, on a mixture of paved and gravel roads. So it’d be a...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jan 18, 2012, 5:24 pm
Kansas Trail News for January 18, 2012 from Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy: Katy Trail Extension To KCMO Being Built The KC Star (1-13-12) reports that 3.2 miles of the Katy Trail extension trail called the Rock Island Trail being built to the Kansas City Metro Area is now complete. The trail w...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Dec 31, 2011, 9:27 am
Looking back on the year of 2011, here are the biggest memories for me, personally: Utility Cycling In 2011, I made a conscious effort to use my bike(s) for more than just recreation, but for everyday things like shopping, errands, and appointments. The Long Haul Trucker was the go-to-bike of cho...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Dec 29, 2011, 1:50 pm
Here’s a quick look back at some of the top bicycling-related stories in the state of Kansas, during 2011: 3-Foot Passing: It’s The Law in Kansas — On April 1st, the Kansas House and Senate approved a bill that requires motorists to pass bicyclists at a distance of not less than three feet. T...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Dec 27, 2011, 11:46 am
As anyone who follows Kansas Cyclist on Facebook knows, I love to take pictures as I bike around. I even did a “30 Days of Biking Photo Challenge” in April — riding the bike every day of the month, and posting a photo each day. Finding new and unique images was much harder than riding the bik...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Dec 22, 2011, 1:40 pm
I’m back from a long-planned road trip to the southwestern United States, visiting many places I’d never been before, and seeing some amazing sights. My wife and I drove some 4600 miles in all, which is a depressing total, but at least I got to take along my Dahon Vitesse folding bike, and was a...
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Randy R. posted an article on RSI Relief - Dec 20, 2011, 2:59 pm
Here are some of the most popular and well-regarded products for ergonomically using your computer and electronic devices, as of December 2011: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 Place your hands and arms naturally and comfortably, and enjoy the cutting-edge design and improved performance f...
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Randy R. posted an article on RSI Relief - Nov 27, 2011, 4:15 pm
Holiday shopping is all too often a stressful experience, whether you hit the Black Friday sales at the mall, brave the weekend crowds at the local big box store, or wait until the last minute. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Online shopping is comparatively mellow. You can take your time, c...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Nov 16, 2011, 10:51 am
Thought I’d share an inexpensive bicycle lighting solution you might want to consider. If you ride you bike at night, or even if you ride at dawn or dusk, a good headlight can literally be a lifesaver, and is required by Kansas law. Bicycle-specific lights (such as the products from NiteRider an...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Nov 14, 2011, 8:58 am
There are many beautiful places in this world, but autumn in Kansas is one of the very best. Hope you were able to get out and enjoy the fall colors! Here are some of my photos from Fall 2011: Autumnal equinox sunset. The crunch of fallen leaves beneath bicycle tires is one of the tactile pleasur...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Nov 9, 2011, 10:33 pm
Kansas Trail News for November 9, 2011 from Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy: Derby’s Outstanding Trail Network Family Circle magazine named Derby in 2007 as one of the Top 10 places to rear a family. With almost 20 miles of hike and bike paths that connect parks, schools, a recreation center, ...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Nov 6, 2011, 1:36 pm
My wife and I were in Kansas City, near the Plaza, for a family wedding this weekend, and I had a bit of time to spare between reception setup and the actual service. Naturally, I had stashed the Dahon in the trunk of the car against just such an eventuality, so I took off for a bit of urban explora...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Oct 26, 2011, 10:11 pm
My wife and I are planning a road trip later this year, and I’m planning on taking my Dahon Vitesse D7HG to do some exploring, and hopefully at least one overnight camping trip. I’m lucky, because the Dahon was pretty well configured for touring as I received it, with reasonable gearing and a r...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Oct 14, 2011, 2:40 pm
Kansas Trail News for October 10, 2011 from Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy: Kaw River State Park In Topeka The Kaw River State Park in Topeka is now one year old. It is the only urban state park and though it is relatively small at 76 acres, it provides a near-wilderness experience. The park is...
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Randy R. posted an article on RSI Relief - Oct 10, 2011, 1:34 pm
When we talk about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we’re usually most concerned about the physical symptoms and treatments, but there are other factors to consider as well, one’s we ignore at our peril. Robert Vignoli offers an interesting point of view in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pain Is Not Just Physic...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Oct 8, 2011, 4:36 pm
It seems like a simple enough project — bring an old bike up to date so that it can be ridden once more. And, if most of the parts on the old bike are still functional (or easily replaced), it is, or can be: Clean off the years of accumulate neglect, tune up the moving parts, and ride. That’s ...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Oct 3, 2011, 3:25 pm
Kansas Trail News for October 3, 2011 from Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy: Trails For Good Health Obesity is soaring among children which is causing a variety of health problems early in life. Trails promote good health because they entice children to exercise for health. Traveling on a trail b...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Sep 25, 2011, 10:24 pm
I’ve been thinking about looking for a folding bike for awhile now, something easier to travel with than a full-sized bike. Putting the Long Haul Trucker inside the car works OK, but it’s a bit of a PITA, and I haven’t invested in a trailer hitch and hitch-mounted bike rack yet. I stumbled ac...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Sep 22, 2011, 2:56 pm
I stumbled across an old 10-speed bike at a garage sale. It was brand I’d never heard of, and looked like it had been sitting in a basement for a couple decades, mostly unridden, in decent shape but not really pristine. But it was a bike store bike (Rick’s Bike Shop in Lawrence, KS), not a depa...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Sep 16, 2011, 10:51 am
The League of American Bicyclists just announced their Fall 2011 honorees for Bicycle Friendly Communities, and a few new cities from our region have earned a coveted place on this prestigious list: Conway, Arkansas – Bronze Omaha, Nebraska – Bronze In addition, Breckenridge, Colorado and Ste...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Sep 16, 2011, 10:21 am
Patti Gilliam, a bicyclist from New Strawn, Kansas was struck by lightning on Saturday, September 10th, while riding her bicycle across John Redmond Reservoir Dam. She died at a hospital on Wednesday. According to the Emporia Gazette: Patti Gilliam, a Spanish teacher at the high school for five ye...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Sep 15, 2011, 11:21 pm
By a 4-1 margin, the De Soto city council has voted to repeal the prohibition against non-motorized vehicles on 83rd Street east of the city, ending a painful and embarrassing episode in Kansas bicycling history. Here is the text of the ordinance, as approved by the council on September 15th, 2011:...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Sep 12, 2011, 9:49 pm
Not every bike camping trip needs to be a complicated excursion, involving high mileage and unfamiliar territory. Sometimes it’s just as fun, and more convenient, to camp close-in. That’s one of the advantages of bike camping — once you have things figured out, it takes no time at all to throw...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Sep 5, 2011, 9:51 pm
Kansas Trail News for September 2, 2011 from Sunflower Recreational Trails: Covered Bridge Nearing Completion Larry Ross with Prairie Travelers which manages the eight-mile-long Prairie Sunset Trail (www.prairietravelers.org) reports that the Cecile Kellenbarger Memorial Covered Bridge is nearing ...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Jul 30, 2011, 11:47 am
I’ve been remiss in my posting, so here are some photos from rides in the last couple months: Ripening wheat. These strange-looking plants are wild onions. And this is a wild onion a month or so later, ripe. The wild onion breaks apart into small cloves, rather good, though they have a sharper...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jul 28, 2011, 9:15 pm
Kansas Trail News for July 26, 2011 from Sunflower Recreational Trails: Sunflower To Hold Summer Meeting The Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy will be holding its summer meeting on Saturday, August 6 in downtown Chanute. All trails enthusiasts are invited to attend. Chanute recently completed its ...
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Randy R. posted an article on RSI Relief - Jul 27, 2011, 7:19 am
CNET has a preview of the new Comfort Curve 3000 Ergonomic Keyboard from Microsoft: The new model is curved along a more severe arc than Microsoft’s previous keyboard. Its uniformly sized keys should help minimize the initial awkwardness we felt with the older Comfort Curve designs. It also incor...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - Jul 26, 2011, 8:12 am
In August of 2010 I replaced the chain on my Long Haul Trucker, and chose at that time to use a new chain lube as well. I’d used Boeshield T9 on the previous two chains, and while I had no major issues with either the factory stock chain, or the SRAM PC-991 I replaced it with, and got decent life...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jul 18, 2011, 8:47 am
According to the KAKE-TV: A man riding his bicycle near Oxford has died after suffering from a possible heat stroke. According to the Sumner County Sheriff Office, just after Noon Saturday, a deputy drove up on a man lying in the middle of the road near 90th street and Oxford Road. Another car ha...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jul 1, 2011, 8:03 am
The new 3-foot passing law goes into effect today in the state of Kansas. The law requires that vehicle pass bicycle with at least three feet of clearance. Here’s the relevant portion of the statute, as passed by the legislature and signed by the governor: K.S.A. 8-1516 is hereby amended to rea...
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Randy R. posted an article on RSI Relief - Jun 29, 2011, 11:41 am
With the U.S. Independence Day weekend pending, Emily at Ergonomic Resources writes about “Enjoying Ergonomic Freedom with a Split Keyboard”: It’s almost the 4th of July, and we’re all thinking about freedom {and hamburgers and hotdogs and swimming}. Anyway, this Independence Day why not t...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 22, 2011, 6:02 pm
The Sunflower Foundation has announced a new Request for Proposals to build school or community-based walking or multi-use trails, which they call Sunflower Trails: Sunflower Trails (RFP 11-101) – Funding to improve the health of students, families and communities by offering support to build new...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 20, 2011, 8:36 pm
I came across an interesting, and potentially dangerous, traffic situation today, and thought I’d share what was going through my head as the situation played out. Here’s the scene: This is at 159th and Lone Elm Road in Olathe, KS. At this intersection, Lone Elm Road is a 4-lane arterial road,...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 16, 2011, 6:39 pm
Kansas Trail News for June 16, 2011 from Sunflower Recreational Trails: Chanute’s Katy Trail The City of Chanute has built a rail-trail on the old KATY line called the KATY Hike/Bike Trail. The Kansas-Missouri-Texas Railway (MK&T and affectionately called the KATY), built in 1870 utilizing a fed...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 13, 2011, 5:25 pm
An 8-year-old girl was killed by a semi this morning in Halstead, Kansas, a small town of about 2000 people northwest of Wichita. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Makiya M. Ritthale rode her bike into a crosswalk as a semi truck and trailer was making a right-hand turn. She hit the trailer a...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 9, 2011, 6:30 pm
The 2011 edition of the Dirty Kanza 200 happened on June 4th out of Emporia, KS. As always, it turned epic, with heat, wind, thunderstorms, hail, and a muddy course that did in many a rider (and bike). The DK had a huge field this year, with over 300 racers, only 65 of whom finished. The event was...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - Jun 7, 2011, 10:09 pm
Kansas Trail News for June 6, 2011 from Sunflower Recreational Trails: Investing In Trails Benefits KC Region The Star’s editorial | Investing in trails benefits Kansas City region Walkers, runners and bicyclists this spring are enjoying a newly opened, 2.5-mile stretch of the Little Blue Trace...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - May 24, 2011, 8:38 pm
Kansas Trail News for May 20, 2011 from Sunflower Recreational Trails: Flint Hills Nature Trail Progresses Karen DeOrnellas and Scott Allen, Flint Hills Nature Trail division superintendents with Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, report that crushed limestone screenings have been installed on the for...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - May 23, 2011, 6:51 pm
The League of American Bicyclists has just released the 2011 edition of their Bicycle Friendly State rankings, and Kansas has dropped from #13 to #23. Here’s how the League graded the state: Legislation: B Policies & Programs: F Infrastructure: F Education & Encouragement: C Evaluation & Plannin...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - May 23, 2011, 9:53 am
Some days, it can be fun to ride for speed, for the joy of seeming to fly with the wind. But for me, those days can’t compare to the rewards of riding slowly on a warm Spring afternoon, stopping at every bridge to listen to the water, taking pictures of roadside flowers, hearing birdsong, smelling...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - May 19, 2011, 5:50 pm
With rain in the forecast for the next week, I got away for a long ride, from my home hear Spring Hill, Kansas to Pleasant Hill, Missouri and back, via Peculiar, Missouri. It was a cool but sunny day, starting off in the 50′s and ending up about 65°F, with a light wind out of the east. Quite ple...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - May 13, 2011, 11:02 pm
Last weekend I got a chance to do my first bike camping of the year, riding to Leavenworth, Kansas with my friend Bill Poindexter (Carfree American) and camping along the Missouri River. Note: What I’m referring to here as “bike camping” is basically a self-supported overnight tour — ride s...
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - May 11, 2011, 2:32 pm
Kansas House Bill 2044, which toughens penalties for hit-and-run, has been approved by the legislature, and now moves on to the Governor for his signature. Here’s how Kansas.com describes the bill: The hit-and-run bill, House Bill 2044, increases the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident....
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Randy R. posted an article on Kansas Cycling News - Kansas Cyclist - May 6, 2011, 10:25 am
The Miami County Velo Cycling Club (MicoVelo) put together this handout which they are distributing to local schools to help educate motorists and cyclists in their communities about bicycle and pedestrian safety: Nice job! Check out the full PDF here. Visit Kansas Cyclist to learn more about bic...
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Randy R. posted an article on DirtBum - May 5, 2011, 12:00 pm
Coming home from last Saturday’s Kansas City Tweed Ride (an awesome event, by the way … you can see my photos from the ride here), which I rode to with Carfree American Bill Poindexter, Bill & I hooked up with Corinna West, who lives in Kansas City, KS, but rides around the entire metro area, an...
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