Origin of the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club

The Kaw Valley Bicycle Club is a bicycle touring organization of the Topeka, Kansas area.

During 1971, Karl Hummel was the manager of Stephens Cycle, the local Schwinn dealer at 21st and Western. Customers of the shop would ask him -- as well as owner Sarah Stephens -- if there were any sort of organized cycling in town. Gene Wansing, a young intern with the city parks department inquired with his boss, Topeka Parks Superintendent Joe Abrahams, who mentioned Phil Menninger's name. Meanwhile, Phil had been talking to Sarah. So, then Gene talked to Karl, and Karl in turn talked to Sarah, which led in turn to Karl getting Gene to hook up with Phil.

Gene set up a meeting at his apartment at 21st and MacVicar with Karl and Phil late on a spring evening to discuss forming a club. After only one hour, they decided to invite the public to a meeting the following week to join in creating a bicycle club. Phil wrote a news release for placement in the city newspapers (the morning Capital and the evening Journal). They also promoted the meeting with a flyer at Stephens Cycle and Harding Wheel.

On April 22, 1971, a handful of cyclists gathered at Crestview Recreation Center to formally organize. The result was a club to be known as the Topeka Wheelmen. Phil was elected president, Gene the vice president, and Karl the road captain. Also, Bob Hopkins was elected Secretary-treasurer. Other charter members were Bill Miller and Sarah Stephens. Dues were collected from those attending to get the club rolling. The club decided to meet on a monthly basis and its second meeting drew 60 people.

The first Sunday in May, 43 cyclists rode from the Statehouse to Gage Park on the first club ride. At the park, Karl gave the assembled riders a brief talk about common bicycle repairs.

By July, the club had quickly grown to 107 members. To promote the group, they ordered club patches, which arrived soon after, reading Topeka Wheelman (yes, singular). After selling out the initial order, the club changed its name to the more politically correct gender neutral Kaw Valley Bicycle Touring Club. Years later, Touring was dropped from the name to reflect the Club's embrace of all cycling.