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About Sunflower Outdoor & Bike

Clothing, Equipment, Fuel, and Events for the Self-Propelled

Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop is one of the leading cycling and outdoor outfitters in the nation. Located in historic downtown Lawrence, Kansas, Sunflower has a long history (more than 50 years!) of helping people enjoy what we love—getting outside. If you've got an outdoor adventure planned for Northeast Kansas (or beyond), we've got you covered. From bikes to backpacks, clothing to car racks, trail running to tent camping, caffeine to liquid courage, and everything in between, you're sure to find the gear, fuel, and friendly advice that ensures an excellent experience for you in the great outdoors.

We’re extremely selective about the brands and products we offer. We only sell products from the best bike and outdoor brands in the world. We offer great value to our customers through competitive pricing, quality products, and superior customer service.

We provide service with a level of expertise and familiarity honed through our own adventures and testing of the products and brands we curate and carry. When you need to find someone who can direct you to the right gear and need to try out the options before you make a selection, Sunflower is the one of the best places to get what you need and shop local in Lawrence. We use the term "nerd" with great affection here at the shop, so when it comes time to plan your next adventure, seek out one of our "bike nerds" or "camping nerds" or "hiking nerds," and we'll get you set!

Ultimately, what we're selling here is fun: the happiness of a trail run, the relief of finishing a big endurance gravel event, or the simple bliss of seeing a sunrise from the door of your tent. We staff our team with friendly faces that are as excited about your next adventure as you are.

Our Story

Sunflower began as an Army-Navy surplus store in 1972. As the staffers’ outdoor interests grew, the store came to include outdoor clothing, equipment, and bicycles. Today we are proud to be recognized as one of the Nation’s Best Bike Shops, and we've been fortunate enough to be voted Lawrence's Best Bike Shop for the past 10 years.

Sunflower has endured challenges, evolved, and thrived over its 50-plus years in Lawrence. We continue to be inspired by the stories, adventures, and support of this community. Check out our 50-year timeline (including a presidential visit and two fires) here to get the full story of how Sunflower became the Lawrence landmark it is today.

Over the years, we have grown the number of ways we support the self-propelled community:

Our Values: Why Shop with Sunflower

As avid outdoor enthusiasts ourselves, we love getting more people outside more often. So we love to support our local outdoor clubs by participating in bike rodeos, outdoor clinics, film festivals, and more. 

As a locally owned business, we do more than provide excellent gear and service: We provide jobs, donations, and keep dollars circulating in our local economy. Every purchase made at Sunflower, including on our website’s extensive catalog, puts more dollars to work in our hometown. 

We know that our business can be an engine for change, giving back to the environment and community that supports us. One way we act on our business’s purpose is by funding youth education and youth sport, including as a supporter of the Kansas Chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) and helping found the Steve Tilford Foundation

Meet the Sunflower Team

Ultimately, what we're selling down here is fun. The happiness of a trail run, the relief of finishing a big endurance gravel event, or the simple bliss of seeing a sunrise from the door of your tent. So it makes sense that we would staff our team with friendly faces that are as excited about your next adventure as you are! Meet several of the Sunflower team members below:

The Bike Shop

Paul Heimbach

Bike Shop Manager
He/Him
Staffer since 2010
Adventure cred: Years of training to achieve Retül Level II Fit Technician to provide top-level bike fitting service. A member of the Sunflower team for over a decade, I've finished the Unbound 200 five times to date.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Riding my bike! I love road cycling and exploring on my gravel bike. and is a 5x finisher of the Unbound 200. 
Sunflower's special because: I love being a part of our great cycling community in Lawrence. 

Aaron Miller

Service Manager
He/Him
Staffer off and on since 2000
Adventure cred: A 24-year span in the bike industry developing skills in custom projects and wheel builds. 
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Riding bikes!
Sunflower's special because: Keeping up with fast-moving tech is challenging, but exciting to me. Whether it’s discussing the latest electronic shifting, a custom wheel build, or the virtues of internal cable routing, helping our customers enjoy the riding experience by keeping their bikes in tip-top shape is rewarding. 

Austin Elser

Service Technician
He/Him
Staffer since 2018 or so
Adventure cred: I used to ride and race bikes a lot, including for the local Tradewind Cycling Team. I camp frequently with my family.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Vacations in the mountains and camping are my favorites. Although, I’m a little nervous to camp in the mountains.
Sunflower's special because: I love all sorts of bicycles and riding.  It’s awesome how a common interest can foster friendships and community; Sunflower is the common ground where our people come together.

Connor Henrie

Mechanic
He/Him
Staffer since 2019
Adventure cred: 5 years of racing mountain bikes, 4 years of racing gravel, and more than 8 years of professional mechanic experience.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Anything that gets me in the outdoors with cool scenery, whether it's biking, hiking, canyoneering. Being on two wheels is my favorite, though!
Sunflower's special because: Sunflower is a rather unique gathering place for the outdoor community. It has a one-of-a-kind feel that I haven't quite found anywhere else.

Jack Tell

Mechanic
He/Him
Staffer since 2022
Adventure cred: I race varsity in the local youth NICA MTB league, and also love riding gravel all around Kansas. 
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: I love to be going as fast as possible downhill on my mountain bike. Preferably in the mountains. 
Sunflower's special because: I love the local feel of the shop. It’s nice that the shop can lead rides and host events that go beyond just cycling.  

The Outdoor Shop

Alix Carson

Outdoor Shop Manager & Buyer
She/Her
Staffer 1998-2006 + since 2022
Adventure cred:
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Paddle boarding, walking my dog, Floyd, and I can't get enough of my Scott e-bike!

Sunflower's special because: The people, all of them, staff and customers alike! The staff here is super special and some of us worked together in the late '90s, left to do other life things, and have returned. That's saying something! The customers come in eager to travel & adventure, then return to share their stories; it's just a very wonderful place to be!

Ian Pepin

Retail associate
He/Him
Staffer since 2017
Adventure cred: Hiking trips to multiple national parks, 10 years of multi-discipline biking and racing experience, barista training, a love for the outdoors, and pride in the history of the Sunflower brand.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: I love getting lost in nature, be it on a bike or on a hike. Being able to disconnect from society and reconnect with nature helps to keep me grounded. Spending time exploring and appreciating the small details of nature helps to keep my life in perspective.

Sunflower's special because: Sunflower has been my home base for many years now. It’s the place I go at the start and end of adventures either to prepare or recover from them. It’s also been the initial meeting place for many of my lifelong friends.

Ed French

Outdoor Shop Sales
He/Him
Staffer 20ish years ago + since 2023
Adventure cred: A longtime hiker and adventurer, also a certified arborist and co-owner of a local tree company
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: If I had three days to explore Kansas, I’d head straight to the Flint Hills to hike.

Sunflower's special because: I enjoy engaging with our amazing customers and seeing the shop evolve over the years.

The Sunflower Cafe & Pub

Jessie Morschhauser

Sunflower Cafe & Pub Barista, Shift Lead
She/Her
Staffer since 2022
Adventure cred: Outdoors, I’ve summited the South Teton, thru-hiked the whole Superior Hiking trail (310 miles!), raced a trail 50K, and I’ve led rock climbing trips to Arkansas. I was honored to be nominated for Best of Lawrence Barista in 2023.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: My favorite way to spend time outdoors is to go on bike rides with Logan (my partner) or to climb mountains.
Sunflower's special because: I started working at Sunflower right when I moved to Lawrence. I gained friends and a community faster than I could imagine. The cycling community here in Lawrence that I get to interact with every day is really inspiring and welcoming.

Amy Cloud

Sunflower Cafe & Pub Barista, Shift Lead
She/Her
Staffer since 2023
Adventure cred: For the past 19 years, all of my outdoor adventures have been with my children. One of the most important things I can pass on to them is a deep love and appreciation for nature and moving their bodies.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: I love hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking, and roller skating.

Sunflower's special because: My favorite part of every day is interacting with my co-workers and all the the extraordinary people that walk through the doors of Sunflower. Because everyone is coming in for things they love, the good vibes are super high.

Jennifer Nelson

Sunflower Cafe & Pub Bartender, Shift Lead 
She/Her
Staffer since 2023
Adventure cred: I am a yoga teacher at OmTree at Sunflower as well, and I have a special talent of never sitting down. I volunteer at a shelter, have four dogs, and work in a restaurant, so it’s safe to say my life revolves around being active. When I vacation, I’m always looking for adventure, most likely in the mountains.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Hiking with dogs, trail running, yoga, trail riding on my bike, and — if I have to sit — may it be around a campfire!
Sunflower's special because: I love the idea of providing health conscious food in a business that focuses on wellness and the outdoors. I’ve been in the service industry for three decades and have always hoped to be in this type of environment. It’s a dream come true, actually.

The OmTree @ Sunflower Wellness Studio

Sharyn Harley

Sunflower Wellness + Hospitality Manager
She/Her
Staffer since 2022
Adventure cred: Is an E-RYT 500 and trains other yoga instructors at the 200-hour level.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Hiking.
Sunflower's special because: Being part of a team of people who have chosen to work in fields they are passionate about. I love helping create opportunities for the community to connect through the cafe and events, and I am so grateful to have my yoga studio, OmTree, on the second floor Wellness Studio so that all of my work is in the same epic building. (Meet all the incredible instructors at the Studio here.)

Cole Cottin

Somatics Practitioner
She/They
Staffer since 2023
Adventure cred: Thousands of hours of training and experience in functional movement, biomechanics, structural alignment and myofascial release work.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Plant walks with my camera! I love being present and breathing deeply with place, learning through observation and dynamic movement in varied environments. Also, campfires!
Sunflower's special because: I am inspired to be part of a community of fellow movers, committed to connecting more with their own bodies and the outdoors. There is so much healing in our bodies that can take place through movement in connection with the land.

Operations

Laura Wagner

Director of Operations
She/Her
Staffer since 2023
Adventure cred: I have been part of opening and managing several award-winning food and beverage programs in KC. I am also a native Kansan who has been and remains committed to building a more diverse and inclusive outdoors community to empower more people to tackle challenges and take adventures in the outdoors.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: Mountain biking and long-distance adventure gravel rides. I also enjoy climbing/hiking, swimming in natures watering holes, kayaking, and cooking over a fire.
Sunflower's special because: I get to blend my nerdy passion for data analytics and work cultures with my maybe equally nerdy passion for bikes and the outdoors. It's dreamy.

Liam Inbody

Inventory Manager
He/Him
Staffer since 2018
Adventure cred: I am an Eagle Scout and worked at Philmont Scout Ranch for three summers.
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: My favorite way to spend time outdoors is with my friends and family. Growing up in a Scouting community, I spent every summer backpacking or canoeing, so I’m most comfortable as far from light pollution as I can get!
Sunflower's special because: The passion the staff have for outdoor adventures and our desire to build a community that shares our belief in the wonders of the outdoors is unique. Hands down, my favorite part of the job is gearing customers up for adventures and then sharing in their excitement when they come back to the shop to tell me their crazy trail stories!

Matt Gilhousen

Owner
He/Him

Since 2020
Adventure cred: I grew up on a small lake in eastern Kansas, so being outdoors is part of who I am. I grew up on my bike, including racing BMX, and over the last 20 years I have gravitated toward mountain, gravel and cyclocross. From a competition perspective, having completed multiple Leadville 100s and racing the 2013 Cyclocross Masters World Championships are what I am most proud of. Off the bike, the majority of my career has been spent as an entrepreneur, including co-founding of a larger renewable energy development company. I am a proud KU grad as well, with a degree in Civil Engineering.    
Favorite way to spend time outdoors: This one's easy: riding my bike and cross-country skiing!
Sunflower's special because: Sunflower has been a part of what makes this community so special and a place that I want to call home. As a long time customer, when the business needed someone to step in and carry it into the future, I felt is was something I needed to do, to give back to the business and community that had been so good to me over the years.

Quality & Value

We sell products from the best bike and outdoor brands in the world. We offer great value to our customers through competitive pricing, quality products, and superior customer service.

Friendly Staff

Ultimately, what we're selling down here is fun. The happiness of a trail run, the relief of finishing a big endurance gravel event, or the simple bliss of seeing a sunrise from the door of your tent. So it makes sense that we would staff our team with friendly faces that are as excited about your next adventure as you are!

Giving Back

As avid outdoor enthusiasts ourselves, we love getting more people outside more often. So we love to support our local outdoor clubs by participating in bike rodeos, outdoor clinics, film festivals, and more!

Browse Our Bike Selection

Find your dream bike today and visit us for a test ride. We'll ensure that you're on the right bike to meet your needs and the right frame size for a comfortable, safe cycling experience.