commuterDude: Our Flint Hills Friend

June 3, 2014

Our Flint Hills Friend

A quick addendum to the Aliceville Twister ride, I wasn't fast enough - nor do I have the right camera - to catch a decent shot of one of these little guys, so I went out and grabbed an open-license stock photo from the web instead. Upon entering the Flint Hills area, we started to see a LOT of these guys flitting about, hard at work searching out the day's catch. Fun to watch, colorful, clever, smart, and sorta curious about us... from a safe distance, of course. The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher is normally found a bit further south of here, but, we are indeed right on the northern fringes of their normal territory - and the hunting was good the day we rode. Along with the usual aviary fare of red-winged blackbirds, Meadowlarks, barn swallows, and buntings, I found this character to be the most entertaining of the day.

Again, not my photographic work here... This file is licensed under the Creative Commons

1 comment:

Monkeywrangler said...: We see a lot of Scissor tails around here. Bluebirds and Mocking birds too, and the ever-present turkey vultures.; June 05, 2014 1:53 PM

What is bicycle commuting?

Simply put, bicycle commuting is the act of travelling to a place of work or education by bicycle. In many areas it is common to combine bicycle commuting with public transport. Worldwide, the bicycle remains the most common commuter vehicle, and bicycle riding the second most common form of commuting, second only to walking. While the absolute number of bicycles in existence globally is unknown, it is clear that significantly more bicycles are manufactured than automobiles. In the United States about 40% of automobile trips are two miles or less; using a bicycle for these short trips can reduce your emissions and expenses. If you live within ten miles of work, you could save thousands of dollars in fuel, insurance and automotive maintenance costs each year. This webpage seeks to highlight bicycling as a viable transportation platform and a fun, exciting, healthful way to improve your life! Visit the commuting links below and get started today!

What is Randonneuring?

The French term "randonnée" loosely translates as a long tour or ramble along a defined route, and persons embarking as such are dubbed "randonneurs". In cycling, the term defines a hard-riding enthusiast attempting a long-distance randonnée (called a "brevet", usually 200 kilometers or greater) within a certain time allotment. Non-competitive by design, randonneuring encourages camaraderie: riders test themselves against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route - but not each other. Randonneuring's ethos embodies self-sufficiency and mental toughness; support vehicles are not allowed and brevets are held regardless of weather. Randonneurs USA (RUSA) organizes brevets in the United States under the auspices of the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and the Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM), and rider's results are recognized world-wide. This website seeks to highlight the excitement and challenge of long-distance bicycle riding by sharing personal ride accounts, with the hope of growing the sport. If this type of bicycle riding interests you and you'd like to find out more, visit the RUSA webpage to find rides in your area!

For ride announcements and discussions on randonneuring in the greater Kansas City area, visit KC Ultra Cycling, and join the KC Ultra-Cycling Email List:

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Courtesy Randonneurs USA

What is Ultra-Marathon Cycling?

Just as the 26.2-mile marathon represents a benchmark for runners, bicyclists generally consider the "century", riding 100-miles, a worthy endurance challenge. Ultra-marathon cycling involves exceeding that benchmark, often several times over, offering the long-distance challenge of randonnuering with a more competitive flavor. This is the world of 24-hour races, double-centuries, and beyond. Where randonneuring rewards all finishers equally and emphasizes self-sufficiency, ultra-racers compete for time and placing, maximizing speed by utilizing support crews for hand-ups and fast repairs. Event courses can be long and scenic, but may take the form of many laps of a looped course. Winning ultra-distance events requires the rare combination of endurance and a high average speed. Randonneuring and Ultra-Marathon often complement one another: brevets can offer base-training to prepare for racing, and fast randonneurs often enter ultra events for a new challenge. Visit the World Ultra Cycling Association's website for more information.

Courtesy World Ultra Cycling Association

June 3, 2014

Our Flint Hills Friend

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