Anyway, there’s a ride tonight. Meet at TCCP at 423 S. Kansas at 7pm, and we’ll head down 4th street to Potwin to enjoy the holiday lights. Skinny tires not recommended – Potwin has bumpy brick streets.

Join the Topeka Community Cycle Project as they welcome Elly Blue, Joshua Ploeg, and Joe Biel to our community. They’ll be sharing a gourment vegan dinner, short films about cycling, and a talk about the economics of bicycling – all for a suggested donation of five bucks.  No bikes required for this event – but bring your appetite!

Be sure to get your tickets in advance – Chef Ploeg would like to have an accurate headcount before he heads out to get supplies.

From TCCP:

Announcing the Dinner and Bikes Tour!

Buy tickets here:

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
7-9 p.m. at TCCP, 423 S. Kansas

The Dinner and Bikes Tour is an all-ages show comprised of three dynamic travelers: Elly Blue, one of the few professional bicycle bloggers worldwide; Joe Biel, a founder of Microcosm, one of the biggest publishers of independent literature; and Joshua Ploeg, a traveling gourmet vegan chef. Their goal is to create an interactive,
engaging event that brings together people with diverse interests and catalyzes new thinking and action around food and transportation. There will be a mobile book and zine shop, featuring transportation and food-related titles.

Tickets are available for a suggested $5 donation, and may be purchased in advance at Blue Planet Cafe (SE 8th & Kansas), Blackbird Espresso Bar (SW 10th & Gage), and the Topeka Natural Foods Co-op (SW 5th & Washburn). Tickets are also available at the TCCP shop during open hours (Thursdays 5-7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) and are available online for $5.25.

Proceeds from the event will go toward both The Dinner and Bikes Tour and TCCP. We’re hoping to raise enough funds through this event to purchase a trailer to use for shop demonstrations, mobile events, on-site repair workshops and parades.

There were a lot of things I loved about moving from Lawrence to Topeka, including being able to hang out at a nightspot after 8 p.m. without feeling like Kirk Douglas at a Justin Bieber concert.

But I never would have imagined that Topeka would become a bicyclist’s paradise.

Oh, I can hear the cycling snoots now.

“You stupeed leetle man, you call zees a paradise? Why, zhere are not even biceecle lanes on zee streets, just some trails zat zee cycleests must share weeth — ack! — walkairs and runnairs.”

What, you didn’t know that all cycling snoots had French accents? It’s true.

But I digress. Despite what hardcore cyclists might tell you, what Topeka has done with its trail system is nothing short of remarkable for regular-Joe bicycle riders like me. I went out Saturday to ride both the Shunga, Landon and Curtis trails, and I ended up being gone for about two hours.

If you haven’t been on the Landon Trail lately, you should know the paved portion now extends nearly to S.W. 37th Street. If you want to get a little adventurous and don’t mind riding on some bumpy surfaces, you can make it just south of S.W. 45th Street before coming to a bridge that, in my layman’s opinion, didn’t look safe to cross.

The Shunga Trail has been extended to east of S.E. Golden Avenue.

Quietly but persistently, the city of Topeka has created a community jewel with the trail system.

Granted, the fiscal hawks in the community probably see it as a testament to wasteful spending, but those of us who don’t mind directing tax dollars to projects that improve the quality of life will find a lot to like. Compared to some other recreational or infrastructure upgrades — aquatic centers, downtown clock towers and such — it seems like a pretty cheap way to make the community more attractive.

True, Topeka’s no Boulder, Colo., where there are bicycle lanes on practically every public street, and it’s not even Lawrence in that respect. I know there are proponents of adding a lot more bike lanes to the city’s roads, which was one of the key components of the Complete Streets push a couple of years ago.

I’m neither a strong opponent nor supporter of bike lanes. If they can be added with limited expense, I wouldn’t squawk. And by the way, I know that not everybody who supports bike lanes is a cycling snoot. I was exaggerating with the whole French accent thing.

But as a recreational cyclist, I’m more than happy with what we’ve got. There hasn’t been much fanfare, but the trail construction project has been a success worth celebrating.

Proceeds from the ride are donated to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for patient financial aid in the Topeka area. Come early to participate in the silent auction. Stay late for the pizza and raffle prizes!

When: September 10, 2011
Where: Lake Shawnee Shelter House #2 (west side of Lake Shawnee)
Registration: 8:00am
Mass Start: 8:30am
Options: 6.5 mile Family Fun, 25 miles, 50 miles

2010 Registration Information

$25 Early Bird without t-shirt
$30 Early Bird with t-shirt
$5 Additional t-shirts–only with Early Bird registration
$30 Late registration postmarked after Sept. 1st (without t-shirt)

Fee includes SAG stops and lunch following the ride
Silent auction at the Shelter House
Helmets are required

PDF Mail-in Registration Form

This Friday, June 3, is the First Friday Art Walk in Topeka – and we’ve planned a First Friday Art “Walk” bike ride. See who’s attending on Facebook – and keep track of Bike Topeka on Facebook for info about future events.

The meetup spot for every June ride is going to be the Southeast corner of 10th St. & Topeka Blvd. in the state parking lot. Try to arrive around 6pm, and once we’ve decided on a route together, we’ll get going!

A ghost bike is a bicycle stripped of all non-essential hardware that has been painted white, decorated and is bolted to a road sign near the accident. In addition, a sign is placed on the bike noting that a cyclist was struck at that location. The bike is meant to honor Tim’s memory, bring awareness and attention to motor vehicle drivers as they pass, and to remind them to share the road!

You can find more information about ghost bikes at ghostbikes.org.

See the original story about the accident here.

The Topeka Community Cycle Project invites you to Flat Tire — a night of bicycles, bands and entertainment.

Bosco’s Downtown, 435 S. Kansas Avenue.
Saturday, December 4th, 2010, 7 PM – 2 AM.

Performances from local bands, including indie bluegrass favorites That Damn Sasquatch, will fill the event with sounds and excitement. In addition, there will be a silent auction (featuring two very nice bicycles), competitive indoor bike races, and limited TCCP shop tours.

The event is open to all ages for just a $5 donation at the door. Contributions will support volunteer-based community activities at TCCP, like our Earn-a-Bike and Work Bike programs.

The Topeka Community Cycle Project (TCCP) is a not for profit community bicycle workshop that promotes self-reliance, sustainability, and healthful living in Topeka and is committed to the recycling, repurposing, and distribution of bicycles.

For more information, see the website: http://cycleproject.org or the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=100213973380607

“It’s an exercise in controlling your emotions because generally three times when I walk a couple of miles, I’m getting angry because I feel like I’m going to get hurt or the dog’s going to get hurt,” she said.

That’s because Maureen says cyclists aren’t following the rules. They’re riding too fast and don’t give pedestrians the right of way.

“It’s a dangerous situation,” she said.

Cyclist Bill Lucero agrees.

He says the trail is for recreational use and cyclists should not be riding faster than 12 miles per hour.

“Oftentimes they don’t tell pedestrians they’re approaching, which they need to do each time they go by someone, whether they’re on foot or on a bicycle,” Lucero said.

This conflict is why the city is working to create a bikeway plan that would allow cyclists to safely commute from different areas of the city.

As more and more people look to bikes as transportation, committee member and cyclist Alan Apel says a safe method of travel is necessary now more than ever.

Sidewalks aren’t wide enough for both walkers and cyclists and driveways create safety hazards.

“That’s one of the reasons for the bike routes,” he said. “You can use main streets that you’re actually riding with traffic and you’re part of the traffic. That’s one of the key things that a lot of people don’t realize bicyclist if they’re riding correctly they’re really a part of the traffic.”

A $96,000 federal grant will be used to develop the plan.

If you’d like to give input on the Bikeways Master Plan, this week is your chance.

A two-day planning workshop will be held at the Hillcrest Community Center.

The meeting on Thursday, October 7 begins at 5:30 p.m. and will serve as an informal open house for you to give suggestions.

At the meeting on Friday, October 8, the team will present their findings and concepts for discussion. That begins at 4 p.m.

A similar two-day workshop will also happen next week for those in the southwest part of Topeka. It will be on Thursday, October 14 at 5:30 p.m. and Friday, October 15 at 4 p.m. Both will be held at the Crestview Community Center.

Republished from KTKA. Click through for video.

Here are the remaining meetings & locations:

• Northeast:  Oakland Community Center, Sept. 23 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
• Southeast:  Hillcrest Community Center, Oct. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
• Southwest:  Crestview Community Center, Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 15 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The first night at each venue is seeking public input, while the second night is a presentation of preliminary findings for the area.  The latter includes a very interesting summary of the bike survey results–nearly 1,000 submissions.

Be sure to turn out for these meetings and make your voice heard.

Shawnee County sheriff’s deputies, Mission Township firefighters and American Medical Response personnel were called at 4:30 p.m. to the 5500 block of S.W. 53rd, Shawnee County sheriff’s Sgt. Danny Lotridge said.

First responders at the scene found the bicyclist in a ditch on the north side of S.W. 53rd Street. The man suffered head injuries despite wearing a helmet. Medical personnel provided CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bicyclist’s identity was withheld pending notification of his death to family members.

The man and a Chrysler Pacifica were westbound on 53rd street when the car struck the bicycle from behind, Lotridge said. The driver of the Pacifica was a Topeka man, and had a child as a passenger.

“We’re not sure what caused the accident,” Lotridge said.

The wreck occurred on a small hill along S.W. 53rd. As the sun was setting Sunday, officers continued to investigate the scene. The bicycle could be seen lying on its side on the north side of the street. Orange cones served as markers and were scattered around the bicycle.

A representative from the Shawnee County District Attorney’s office, along with a Shawnee County coroner and the Topeka Police Department mapping team were at the scene at 6:30 p.m.

Deputies closed S.W. 53rd Street from Fairlawn to Wanamaker. Sheriff’s vehicles were blocking S.W. 53rd at Wanamaker and Fairlawn. The street was reopened about 8:30 p.m.

The driver of the Pacifica and his passenger weren’t injured, Lotridge said.

The accident remains under investigation. Officers on Sunday didn’t release if charges are pending or if citations will be issued.

Republished from CJOnline.