Today at the National Bike Summit, Google is announcing the long-awaited addition of bicycling directions to Google Maps.  KC coverage is really good.  They have most of the BikeKC network, even though it isn’t signed yet, plus all of the suburban trail systems. Google plotted this route from Swope Park to Downtown, which is pretty [...]

Winter Cyclist on Westport Road
Despite 24 hours of non-stop weather panic on the local TV news, most of the metro ended up with 3 inches or less.  Nevertheless, it’s definitely time to brush up on our cold weather routine.

Pedal Pushers: Cold Weather Riding.
Bike Winter.
Ice Bike.

The Wall Street Journal has a new feature of Joe Spear, founder of stadium and arena designers Populous architecture (formerly HOK Sport) in the River Market. The article describes how Joe got into cycling for weight loss and is now a regular bike commuter here in KC.
Wall Street Journal, 11/24/2009: For an Architect, the Bike’s [...]

Last week we mentioned a proposal to dramatically transform the local transportation system by spending a bit of the federal stimulus money on KC’s bike/ped program – bike lanes, trails, crosswalks, ADA, education, etc. This week local City Councilmembers and the local Congressional delegation are  negotiating over what to include in our region’s application for [...]

Beardsley Road in Downtown is re-opened after being closed for several weeks due to construction on the 12th Street Viaduct above the road.  Beardsley is a popular, low-traffic bicycle route between the Westside, River Market, and West Bottoms neighborhoods that skirts around the Downtown Loop and the bluff – so this is welcome new for [...]

Next Tuesday KCMO voters will decide whether or not to tax ourselves to build the first part of a regional light rail system. While not directly bicycle-related, anything that provides more transportation options is ultimately good for making the city more sustainable, livable, and competitive.  There area also many opportunities to integrate bikes with the [...]

The New York Times recently reported on the increasing trend of colleges and universities starting to provide students with free bicycles as a way to ease parking shortages and the environmental impacts of transportation. The University of Missouri-Kansas City is among that group, and one of the few in the Midwest. UMKC works with Bridging [...]

Where do you live?
Brookside
Where do you work?
Bernstein-Rein Advertising on the Plaza
Where do you commute?
To work, grocery store, to parks with my daughter. I also take my daughter to school on the way to work some days. Last month some buddies and I rode to Lawrence to go drinking. (We had people meet us there to [...]

Image by Derek Pearson
Autumn is one of those times of year when it’s especially important to think about visibility on your bicycle.  Shorter days and the impending time change mean more time riding at twilight or nighttime, and with sun glare on the horizon.
Night Lights
Take this opportunity to go replace the batteries in your lights. [...]

Jack Wilson has won the drawing for this month’s prize in the Car-Free KC Challenge, a gift certificate for Leawood Bicycles. Jack is even more famous, having recently been featured on the front page of the Star. September’s winner is coming up soon, have you been logging your miles this month?
Where do you live? Overland [...]