Bike Walk Wichita invites you to "Not So Empty After All: Stories From The Great Plains Gravel Route" on November 2nd, 2026, at Chicken N Pickle.

The Great Plains are often dismissed as flat, empty, or simply somewhere to pass through. Beginning in early May, Hannah Glatter traveled roughly 3,300 miles by bicycle along the Great Plains Gravel Route, while biologist and educator Jacob Alexander joined portions of the journey to explore the landscapes, ecology, and communities along the way. Together, they’ll share what they found by moving slowly through the Great Plains, focusing on how the realities of a big adventure challenged their expectations of the landscape, the journey, and what it means to have a successful adventure.

Highlights of the Evening

Social Hour 5:30-6:00 PM

• Light Hors d'oeuvres with cash bar

Speaker Session 6:00-7:00 PM

• $30 per person for speaker event

• The Great Plains aren’t empty! Moving through the region at bicycle speed reveals an incredible amount of ecological, geographic, and human diversity.

• Slowing down and being curious about the places we travel through can fundamentally change our relationship with them. Adventure can be about understanding a place rather than simply crossing it.

• Big adventures rarely unfold exactly as imagined. Changed plans, setbacks, accepting help, and redefining success can be just as much a part of the experience as reaching the destination.

Seats are limited, so reserve yours today!

Speakers:

Hannah Glatter (she/her)
Co-founder & Organizer, The Sunday Chug
Ambassador, Otso Cycles

Bio
Hannah Glatter is an endurance cyclist and community organizer based in Lawrence, Kansas. She is the co-founder of The Sunday Chug, a weekly gravel ride that brings together cyclists from across the Kansas City area. Her own cycling has increasingly taken her toward ultra-endurance racing and long-distance adventures. She is drawn to the ways bicycles allow us to experience landscapes and communities at a different pace, and to the relationships, stories, and unexpected experiences that emerge along the way.

Jacob Alexander (he/him)
M.S. in Biology (emphasis in education) from Fort Hays State University
Science Ambassador: Rodeo Adventure Labs

Bio
Jacob Alexander has worked as a biologist and educator for the last decade for various private, state, and federal entities. While attending Fort Hays State University for his master’s degree, he fell in love with bikes, biking adventures, and all the places they take us. As a science ambassador for Rodeo Adventure Labs, Jacob travels around to share stories of the places he rides, the scientists he meets, and the creatures he finds in order to encourage people to conserve the natural world.

This event is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Wichita. Every dollar raised goes directly toward our mission of advocating for and building safe, accessible streets and inspiring active, healthy lifestyles in our community. Thank you for your support!