This is the best way to experience the humble little town of Emporia, Kansas. This is the first way everyone should experience it. The Dirty Kanza 200 race is tomorrow and the town could not be more busy. Bikers from all over come in to town to bike this race and every single one I've spoken to over the years has nothing but great things to say about their time here and they are always the friendliest people. Most people outside of Kansas, and even some in Kansas, will ask you where Emporia State is and most students at Emporia State will have a list of reasons why the town is a hidden treasure and this event really showcases it. Last year, around 1,500 people had registered for the event. The best part is that after the race itself, the whole town and all the riders come out and celebrate in a block party. It's really quite the experience. I know I've been caught complaining about the lack of certain restaurants and the size of this town, but you know what? I've never had such a community focused event anywhere else.

The city is full of life everywhere you go. But, everyone is smiling and waving, the cyclist are riding in packs getting ready. They all wave and smile as you pass just happy to be around a bunch of people who love biking just as much as them. Living in Emporia, it's impossible to get away from the DK at this time of the year, so it's best to just embrace the whole spectacle. My favorite thing is getting a chance to talk to the people crazy enough to bike 200 miles. They always have the best stories and the most interesting reasons for getting into cycling or participating in the DK. At the end of so many of the conversations people usually ask me why I'm not out doing the race myself. When I say there is no way I could ever bike that much all of them tell me I'm wrong. The athetes in the race make the event as great as it is. It's just full of the best people. Takes a good person to bike 200 miles, I'm sure.

That's the other thing that's immensely amazing about this race. This is 200 miles, guys. 200 miles. The shorter races are 100 and 50 miles. I have trouble even driving for 100 miles without getting bored, sleepy or distracted and these people wanna bike half of that? No way, not for me. I'll be waiting at the finishing with a refreshing beverage ready to congratulate these riders on a job well done, but I am a long ways from even thinking about doing something this crazy. So, props to everyone crazy enough to even attempt to complete this thing.

The coolest part is the founding of the whole thing. In 2006, two guys, Jim Cummings and Joel Dyke, loved gravel riding and it was finally picking up some popularity. They knew that the Flint Hills had the best gravel routes to ride on and started the Dirty Kanza for the first year. In 2006, they had 34 riders and like I said before, 1,500 came out last year. These two guys just got together and wanted to create something where a bunch of bikers could come together and share a great, challenging ride. I'm sure they had no idea how big this event would become and how exciting it is for the whole city of Emporia.

I know that most of the students from the college are gone since it's the beginning of June, but if you're in the area and never got the chance to experience what the DK is all about, then why not find out this year?