WED, Dec 20, Morning (Dearborn) and Night (Brookside) Ride PLUS THURS, Dec 21 - Embassy Suites to River Market

FIRST - WEDNESDAY MORNING 

Embassy Suites to Dearborn

As of Sunday noon the conditions on Wednesday look good for a Dearborn Ride leaving Embassy Suites at 9:30.  Here is the map of a simple route there and back.  This is probably the flattest ride I lead in the Northland.

9:30 AM Start

The Weather Channel is calling for partly cloudy with an 10mph E to SE wind; high in the mid 40s.

SECOND - WEDNESDAY NIGHT

 Reprised Christmas Lights Ride - Charlie Hooper's

6:30 PM Start

Last Wednesday we did this around the Plaza to Loose Park then a tour of some great residential lights at the south end of the map below

:

Weather looks pretty good again!

AND - THURSDAY MORNING 

Embassy Suites to River Market

There is a Prairie Village group heading to Pho KC (menu - Vietnamese cuisine) just across the Heart of America bridge.  I plan to follow this route:

10:00 AM Start

The Weather Channel is calling for cloudy with a chance of rain, 7mph SE wind; high in the low 50s.

THURSDAY, December 14 - Embassy Suites to Riverside - 9:30 Start

FIRST - WEDNESDAY NIGHT (Dec. 13th)

You might want to consider the Christmas Lights Ride.  This is always great fun.

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THURSDAY NORTHLAND RIDE

I have a 25 mile ride mapped out for Thursday, 14.5 miles there and 11 miles back; brunch at the Corner Cafe in Riverside.

The weather is borderline for me.  I would like more (some) sunshine and warmer temps but I think this is do-able.  The wind speeds aren't very high so I'm willing to give this a try.

Any brave souls out there?

THURSDAY, December 7 - Too Cold

The temps are below my threshold for riding.  Maybe next Thursday.

You might want to consider the Christmas Lights Ride next Wednesday, December 13th.  This is always great fun (in spite of a cold forecast).

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THURSDAY, November 30 - Embassy Suites to Platte City - 9:00 AM Start

Riders,
  This week we will ride to Platte City (Breakfast/lunch at Roxanne's) via Camden Point following this route.  The trip there is 24+ miles this way but the return is shorter, a total distance of 38+.

Looks like a cool but sunny day with moderate winds - tailwinds for the return trip.

FRIDAY, November 24 - Embassy Suites to Riverside - 9:00 AM Start

Hope you are having/did have a Happy Thanksgiving indeed

As I had mentioned last Thursday I will have a ride Friday from Embassy Suites leaving at 9:00 AM for the Corner Cafe in Riverside (I know we hit the Corner in Liberty last week).  I will follow this route (approximately):

It looks a little windy but warm.

THURSDAY, November 16 - Embassy Suites to Liberty - 9:00 AM Start

This week I have chosen this route to Liberty, breakfast at the Corner Cafe.  The route is 16.7 miles there and roughly the same returning.

It will be a cool start but will warm to the mid to upper 40s for our return.

Hope to see you there!

THURSDAY, November 9 - Embassy Suites to Smithville - 9:00 AM Start

We didn't get to do this Smithville ride last week.  I thought we'd try again this week via this route.

This is about 20 miles to the Family Traditions Cafe and only 12 miles returning for 32 miles total.   Leaving at 9 we may not make it for the breakfast menu.

The weather is looking a little cool but sunny.

THURSDAY, November 2nd - Embassy Suites to Smithville - 9:00 AM Start

It's been a while since we rode to Smithville.  I thought we'd go there this week via this route.

This is about 20 miles to the Family Traditions Cafe and only 12 miles returning for 32 miles total.   Leaving at 9 we may not make it for the breakfast menu.

The weather is looking pretty good.  If this forecast holds we may have tailwinds going out and back.

THURSDAY, Oct 26th - Embassy Suites to West Bottoms - 9:00 AM Start

I'm back and Thursday looks like it might be good for a ride.

I have mapped this route.  I'm afraid this might be a little long for me so I may shorten this a little but this is a rough idea.  Brunch could be at the Lunch Box, EJ's Urban Eatery, The City Diner, or even First Watch. 

As mapped this would be a little under 20 miles to brunch and 38 total.

THURSDAYS, October 12 & 19 - Show & Go - 9:00 AM Start

Riders,
  I will be unable to lead rides for the next couple of Thursdays.  I am suggesting a Show & Go ride starting at Embassy Suites at 9AM for these dates.  The group assembled can select a route and destination for the day.

  If anyone has a specific ride they would like to lead, contact me and I will try to post that information on this site.

FREQUENT DESTINATIONS

Blue Bird Bistro 17th & Summit, KCMO 816-221-7559 City Diner 3rd&Grand, River Market 816-471-5121 Corner Cafe Liberty 816-415-0050 Corner Cafe Riverside               816-741-2570 Cracker Barrel KC North 816-880-9171 Dearborn Cafe Dearborn 816-992-0117 EJ’s Urban Eatery 1414 W 9th St – West Bottoms 816-491-8262 First Watch NKC   816-842-7300 Family Traditions Smithville 816-343-2177 Genessee Royale 1531 Genessee-West Bottoms 816-474-7070 Ginger Sue's Liberty 816-407-7707 Harmer's Cafe Edgerton 816-790-3621 Happy Gillis 549 Gillis, KCMO 816-471-3663 Haye's Hamburgers Vivion & N Antioch 816-453-5575 Hi Dive 1411 W 39th St 816-931-5800 Kate's Kitchen  80th & N Oak 816-436-7200 Lunch Box 1701 W 9th – West Bottoms 816-474-7526 Milwaukee Deli 9th & Baltimore 816-471-6900 Room 39 39th & Bell 816-753-3939 Roxanne's Platte City 816-858-7027 Spokes Café/Cyclery 1200 Washington – MidTown 816-307-2453 Wabash BBQ Excelsior Springs 816-630-7700

SATURDAY, October 14th

Another ride destination you may consider is PorchFest this coming Saturday, Oct. 14th.  In the past I have ridden to or just ridden around this event.  Musicians will be playing on neighborhood porches.

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Here is an option: PET PorchFest  Ride 11:30 AM From Browne's Irish Market

Map and Line-Up

PorchFest Web Site

ALSO

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Saturday, October 7th - Knuckleheads Ride to Kate's Kitchen - 9:00 AM Start

SATURDAY, OCT 7TH, 2017 RIDE

I still plan to be at Knuckleheads (with my fendered bike) by around 8:30 fir the 9:00 ride to Kate's.

(as of 7 AM Saturday)

On SATURDAY, Oct 7th I will lead another of  the (appoximately) monthly rides to Kate's Kitchen from Knuckleheads.  The idea here is to ride to brunch from Knuckleheads leaving at 9:00AM for Kate's Kitchen at 80th and North Oak. Kate's has been great about seating our group promptly upon arrival, serving us quickly and presenting us with a selection of great items from their menu.

  The route is about 12 miles to Kate's while the return to Knuckleheads is approximately 20 miles of mostly downhill and flat, a good half of which is on a beautiful trail. There could and likely will be a stop at the Velo Garage and Tap House in NKC 3 miles from Knuckleheads.

THURSDAY, Sept 28 - Embassy Suites to Platte City - 8:30 Start

This week I have a route to Platte City; breakfast at Roxanne's.  We will leave Embassy Suites at 8:30AM for the 17+ mile ride there.  The return is about the same distance - a total distance of 34.7 miles according to Map My Ride.  There are several hills along our way.

It looks like a cool start warming to about 70 while we ride.

THURSDAY, Sept 21, Morning Northland Bike Ride - Embassy Suites to Dearborn - 8:00 AM Start

PLEASE NOTE START TIME
8:00 AM START

  This week I'm going flat again to Dearborn for breakfast at the Dearborn Cafe. This is approximately 20 miles each way.

  Below is the map of a simple route there and back.  This is probably the flattest ride I lead in the Northland.

The weather forecast looks pretty good.  Temps warming from mid 70s to mid 80s.  Though not prohibitively strong there is a significant headwind for the return.

TWO OTHER ITEMS 

Wednesday, Sept 20 - Handlebar Happy Hour

Handlebar Happy Hour

Wednesday, Sept 20 at 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

BLVD Tours & Rec Center

2534 Madison Ave., Kansas City, Missouri 64108

Saturday, October 7th - Knuckleheads to Kate's Kitchen

Oct 7th, 2017 9:00 AM Start

THURSDAY, Sept 14 - Embassy Suites to Liberty - 8:00 AM Start

It has been a while since we crossed I-35 to go to breakfast at Ginger Sue's in Liberty.  The route I have mapped out is 19.5 miles there and about 17.7 returning for a total of 37.2 miles (according to Map My Ride which has over-measured by about 1/2 mile each way lately).

Weather looks sunny topping in the mid to upper 80s with 9 mph winds from the south.

See you there.

POST RIDE - Pic of the participants.

SATURDAY, Sept 9th - Velo Garage Loop before the Pint Path/Swift Mile in NKC - 10 AM start

In association with NKC's Swift Mile Street Festival Kathy West (below) has organized a 20 mile ride leaving the Velo Garage (14th and Swift) at 10 AM.  Automobile travel along Swift will be restricted.  I suggest parking in the Macken Park lot.

Upon returning from Kathy's ride the Pint Path event involving eating/drinking/games takes place in perfectly flat NKC from noon to 5 pm.

I plan to be there - Hope to see some of you.  Here is the route for the ride:

Much of this is similar to my Thursday ride of 9-7-17.

THURSDAY, Sept 7 - Embassy Suites to Claycomo (Maybe) - 8:30 AM Start

AWARENESS!  8:30 AM Start Time

This route will replace the original posting to El Sombrero.  We will go to the Lunch Box or to EJ's  (reviewed in the Star last week) in the West Bottoms for our breakfast stop this time.

The route I planned to El Sombrero in Claycomo was not going to work and I don't have time right now to investigate other possibilities. Road construction in addition to some nasty hills were the problem.  The route below is the updated choice to the West Bottoms.

Map-My-Ride shows the route to be a little over 21 miles there and 18 miles returning.

THURSDAY, August 31 : Embassy Suites to Smithville - 8:00 AM Start

This week's ride is to a new place at an old location in Smithville.  Family Traditions has replaced Cook's Corner at their former location in Smithville.  The route I have planned is just over 13 miles there and around 27 miles returning for a total of 40 miles.  Though kind of hilly this is one of my favorite routes.  I hope to see you there.

The weather is again nearly ideal!

THURSDAY, August 24th: Embassy Suites to Spokes - 8:00 AM Start

This week I plan on riding from Embassy Suites to 12th and Washington for breakfast at Spokes.  The trip there is 19.4 miles and will cross the New Fairfax bridge.  The 21 mile return crosses the Heart of America bridge.  The entire route is about 40.4 miles.

Weather looks ideal!

THURSDAY, August 17th - Embassy Suites to Dearborn - 8:00 AM Start

PLEASE NOTE START TIME
8:00 AM START

  This week I'm going flat again to Dearborn for breakfast at the Dearborn Cafe. This is approximately 20 miles each way.

  Below is the map of a simple route there and back.  This is probably the flattest ride I lead in the Northland.

Weather looks great