Major Taylor Flaming Sprokets promotes bicycling in KC's African-American community

Kenneth Walker couldn’t have imagined a prouder moment.

As he gazed at the medal stand at the end of the 2005 Tour of Kansas City bike race in August, he saw something no one had seen in its 43-year history — a black rider standing on top. It was his 15-year-old son, Christian, who had just captured the 12- to 18-year-old junior division with a powerful burst of speed. . . .

More than a hundred years ago, in a sport historically dominated by whites, the fastest bicycle racer in the world was black.

When it came to raw speed, Marshall "Major" Taylor simply had no peer. In 1898, when bicycle races were so popular they filled Madison Square Garden, Taylor held seven world cycling records, and was the biggest draw the sport had ever seen. . . .

Every Saturday morning at 11:30, between one and two dozen riders in the Major Taylor bike group gather in front of Acme Bicycle at 412 E. 18th St. They ride six miles to Cliff Drive, then back — 12 miles round trip.

"I’ve lived in KC my entire life, and for more than half of it I’ve been riding a bicycle," Walker said. "And I can’t recollect a time when I have ever seen a group of African-Americans riding a bicycle together in my city. When we ride 10 or 12 strong, it’s absolutely amazing. We’ve actually seen accidents happen at least three times because (drivers) were watching us instead of watching the road." . . .

That’s fine with Walker. He didn’t start riding until he was 26 and then only out of necessity. Needing to go eight miles to his job in North Kansas City as a paint stirrer at Cook Paints, but with little money to buy a car, he hopped on a bike.

At first it was purely practical — free pedal-powered transportation. But as the miles rolled by, something happened. He began to like his bike. It not only made him strong and fit, but it also made him proud of his aerobic accomplishments.