This year’s Kandango features two rides. The 6th annual K2r (pronounced K Tour) is our classic road ride through the Flint Hills. The Kandango G2 (Gravel Grinder) takes the dirt roads less traveled. Both rides come together at the designated meeting towns, for fun, food and entertainment. The fun doesn’t end at the city limits sign. All three nights feature fun-filled festivities.
We return to the Flint Hills to visit some of our favorite destinations. Friday’s ride “Return to the Yonderosa” features the most miles of secondary blacktop, to date. Over 70 miles of the ride do not touch the highway. Saturday’s ride (The Life of Riley) returns the Kandango Nation to Olsburg, on a scenic tour of Riley County. We finish things off with a new and improved finale to Alta Vista on Sunday (Alma Ho). Say adios to the highway miles on K-177 and hello to a kinder and gentler ride into Alta Vista, en route to Alma.
Our gravel grinder ride covers the same ground the K2r travels, only on gravel. Riders experience the same meeting towns and fun with the K2r riders. Parallel play in the prairie.
We use a system of school buses to transport you and your bike between towns and past busy highways. Our shuttle system gets you past busy I-70 and back onto beautiful backroads. It also returns riders and bikes to Manhattan from Junction City after Friday’s ride.
Two breweries from Iowa join Martin City Brewery.
In order for this to work, we introduce “K2r way stations and shuttles”. We use school buses and trucks to transport riders and bikes past problematic areas.
We have two way stations on Friday. The first one is at the intersection of I-70 and McDowell Creek Road, 11 miles into the ride. This shuttle takes riders and bikes west 3.8 miles to Humboldt Creek Road, where the blacktop continues.
The 2nd shuttle is the return from the Courtyard by Marriott, in Junction City, to Blue Earth Plaza.
One of the biggest attractions of this ride is the absence of highways. The only section of highway travel is a 10.7 mile stretch of Highway 4, between Dwight and White City. Riders can elect to avoid this entirely, by boarding a bus in Dwight for a ride to White City. This turns the ride into a 70-mile road ride with no highways.
Planned social stops are Dwight, White City and Woodbine. We can do the same thing in White City that we did this year. Next year, Dwight will become a more important stop, because it will be the first town after leaving Manhattan.
We add Woodbine, via scenic blacktop straight west out of White City, and return to Junction City, via scenic Lyons Creek Road.
The road ride takes riders west to Riley and Leonardville before turning east to Olsburg. It is 16.2 miles from Olsburg to the Little Grill, and another 6.1 miles on back roads and streets to Blue Earth Plaza.
This sets up a breakfast stop in Riley and a pass-through stop in Leonardville, en route to Olsburg. It turns Olsburg into a significant stop before the return to Manhattan. This would be a good place for the Iowa beer bus, or a craft-beer centric stop of some kind.
The last stop on Saturday would be the Little Grill. This would be a great way to end the ride, before getting ready for the BBQ.
The map is not perfect. If you know the area, please feel free to suggest alternate roads if there are better roads to ride.
We return to Alma, via McDowell Creek Road and Alta Vista.
New for 2018, we have added a K2r shuttle to keep riders off of most of Highway 177 in Alta Vista. This shuttle takes riders from McDowell Creek Road to Humboldt Creek Road, via Schmedemann Road (3 miles) to connect blacktop.
The first stop will be at Saint Joseph’s Historic Church and Cemetery (13.2 miles from Manhattan).
12 PM to 5 PM Check-in at Blue Earth Plaza
Tours of Manhattan hosted by local Manhattan bike groups
5 PM to 10 PM Return to the Little Grill for food, cocktails and music
Shuttle bus runs between Blue Earth and the Little Grill between 5 and 10 PM
Free ride, public is invited.
The Ronderosa
Party at Ron’s Automotive, in Junction City. Use it as staging area and party for riders waiting for shuttle back to Manhattan.Need board volunteer to lead this effort, including staffing, restroom rentals, and clean-up
The #bikemhk Critical Mass ride in Aggieville
We tour Aggieville and participating businesses. We join the Critical Mass ride.
Post-ride meal and celebration.
K2r and G2 riders come together for one last party at the Volland Store, before the final leg into Alma.
$95.00 $115.00
Thursday, May 31 through Sunday, June 3, 2018
Manhattan, Kansas
Thursday, May 31 – The Pre2r
12 PM to 5 PM - Check-in at Blue Earth Plaza
Tours of Manhattan hosted by local Manhattan bike groups
5 PM to 10 PM - Return to the Little Grill for food, cocktails and music
Shuttle bus runs between Blue Earth and the Little Grill between 5 and 10 PM
Free ride, public is invited.
Friday, June 1 – Return to the Yonderosa
K2R Ride - 81.2 Miles
Planned social stops along the way
Ending at the Courtyard Marriot and a shuttle back to Manhattan
Saturday, June 2 – K2r BBQ Extravaganza
New for 2018, the meal will be steak and all the trimmings.
Music
Kandango Sideroad Biker Beer
Overnight lodging & hotels
Return to Blue Earth Plaza.
