Archive for September, 2008

  • I came across another offroad motorcycle touring web site of interest, this one dedicated the Trans-America Trail, a (nearly) coast-to-coast, off-pavement route using dirt roads, gravel roads, jeep roads, forest roads and farm roads. Dropping down into dried-up creek beds. Riding atop abandoned railroad grades. Note that this is a...

    The Trans-America Dirt Trail

    I came across another offroad motorcycle touring web site of interest, this one dedicated the Trans-America Trail, a (nearly) coast-to-coast, off-pavement route using dirt roads, gravel roads, jeep roads, forest roads and farm roads. Dropping down into dried-up creek beds. Riding atop abandoned railroad grades. Note that this is a...

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  • Took the bike along for a short trip to visit my folks, and got a chance to take it out for a short gravel ride late one afternoon. My parents live on a farm in Lafayette County, MO, just south of the Missouri River in the west-central part of the...

    A Bit of Missouri Dirt

    Took the bike along for a short trip to visit my folks, and got a chance to take it out for a short gravel ride late one afternoon. My parents live on a farm in Lafayette County, MO, just south of the Missouri River in the west-central part of the...

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  • Last year, about this time, a friend and I did a little private, self-supported century I called the Loop Le Loup Century. This year, we decided to open the ride up to a select group of friends and acquaintances. We picked a route, picked the date — September 13th —...

    Tour de Detour

    Last year, about this time, a friend and I did a little private, self-supported century I called the Loop Le Loup Century. This year, we decided to open the ride up to a select group of friends and acquaintances. We picked a route, picked the date — September 13th —...

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  • Here’s a link to a great little site that’s rather similar to the idea behind DirtBum, except they’re focused on motorcycle touring on the backroads of Kansas, rather than bicycle touring. The name of the site is Backroads Touring – Kansas, and the screenshot from the site should give you...

    Backroads Touring – Kansas

    Here’s a link to a great little site that’s rather similar to the idea behind DirtBum, except they’re focused on motorcycle touring on the backroads of Kansas, rather than bicycle touring. The name of the site is Backroads Touring – Kansas, and the screenshot from the site should give you...

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  • With the weekend century plans kaput due to relentless rain (hoping to reschedule for next weekend), I took off for an afternoon ride in the rain, if for nothing else than to test some new gear. First, I wanted to check out the new rain jacket I bought (a Specialized...

    Crawdad Salute

    With the weekend century plans kaput due to relentless rain (hoping to reschedule for next weekend), I took off for an afternoon ride in the rain, if for nothing else than to test some new gear. First, I wanted to check out the new rain jacket I bought (a Specialized...

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  • With the weather forecast calling for rain the next two days, I headed out for a gravel ride, heading due west to Douglas State Fishing Lake, north a bit, then back pretty much straight east. It was an rather warm and humid day, but overcast with a wind form the...

    Hard Forty

    With the weather forecast calling for rain the next two days, I headed out for a gravel ride, heading due west to Douglas State Fishing Lake, north a bit, then back pretty much straight east. It was an rather warm and humid day, but overcast with a wind form the...

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  • Although I live only a few miles from Olathe’s Lone Elm Park, I’d never ridden there. I’d driven through the park, and new about the softball and soccer fields, as well as the handsome picnic shelter. I also knew there were some walking trails there. But I didn’t realize they...

    Lone Elm Park

    Although I live only a few miles from Olathe’s Lone Elm Park, I’d never ridden there. I’d driven through the park, and new about the softball and soccer fields, as well as the handsome picnic shelter. I also knew there were some walking trails there. But I didn’t realize they...

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  • With only a couple hours to ride before the wife had other plans for me, I took a quick 21-mile gravel spin. I’ve been on a bit of an eBay kick lately (a dangerous thing!), and most of the items alluded to in the title relate directly to that: The...

    Something Old, Some Things New, Something Broken, and Something Blue

    With only a couple hours to ride before the wife had other plans for me, I took a quick 21-mile gravel spin. I’ve been on a bit of an eBay kick lately (a dangerous thing!), and most of the items alluded to in the title relate directly to that: The...

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  • In what has already become a tradition, members of the Mid-Day/Mid-Week BikeSource Ride took their annual trip to Parkville to pre-ride the Kansas City Tour of Missouri route, and since the Tour Of Champions is the official pre-ride, that makes this, I guess, the pre-pre-ride. Anyway … six of us...

    Tour of Missouri Pre-Pre-Ride

    In what has already become a tradition, members of the Mid-Day/Mid-Week BikeSource Ride took their annual trip to Parkville to pre-ride the Kansas City Tour of Missouri route, and since the Tour Of Champions is the official pre-ride, that makes this, I guess, the pre-pre-ride. Anyway … six of us...

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  • The ride invitation from a local bike club was too much to resist: Awesome Gravel Road Ride — some pavement, lots of gravel, really great scenery, one abandoned road and a few hills. The route is about 40 miles, I expect to ride it at a moderate to easy pace...

    Running With The Big Dogs

    The ride invitation from a local bike club was too much to resist: Awesome Gravel Road Ride — some pavement, lots of gravel, really great scenery, one abandoned road and a few hills. The route is about 40 miles, I expect to ride it at a moderate to easy pace...

    Continue Reading...