Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Trail closures in the St. Louis area

There are some trail closures you should be aware of if you live in the St. Louis area:


OLD CHAIN OF ROCKS BRIDGE: Because of icy conditions at the Missouri parking lot for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, Trailnet has decided to close access for the bridge for now. This time of year, the Mississippi River bridge is a favorite spot for watching bald eagles. No word on when the bridge may reopen. The historic old Route 66 bridge is owned by the city of Madison, Ill., and operated by Trailnet, an organization whose goal is to promote healthy living in the St. Louis area.

MCT NICKEL PLATE TRAIL: This isn't new news, but Madison County Transit's Nickel Plate Trail is closed at South Buchanan Street in Edwardsville and probably will remain closed until late year. MCT is constructing an underpass below the busy street to improve access to the Nickel Plate Trail, which continues east to Fruit Road northeast of Edwardsville, and the Quercus Grove Trail, which links Edwardsville, Hamel, Worden and Staunton. MCT also is building a park-and-ride lot at Buchanan Street. MCT has not posted an official detour for the trail.

RICHLAND CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL: The western terminus of Belleville's Richland Creek Greenway Trail at Third and Cleveland streets may be closed from time to time because of replacement of the Cleveland Street bridge. The six-mile trail connects South Side Park and Southwestern Illinois College.

Labels: Illinois, Missouri, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, trails

Roger 3 comments 12:25 PM

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Olney, Ill.: Known for white squirrels --- and bicycles?

If you've ever heard of Olney, Ill., you probably know it for its white squirrels -- albino squirrels that seemed to have found a permanent home in the Southern Illinois community.

But did you know the town's known for bicycle distribution? I didn't until I read a story in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News about the community, located about 150 miles east of St. Louis.

Here are at least six distributors that have operations in Olney:

• Pacific Cycle: The manufacturer of Schwinn, Mongoose, Roadmaster and Dyno bicycles.
• SKS USA: A manufacturer of tools, tire pumps, mudguard, chainguards and bags.
• Highway Two: A distributor of Brooks saddles, Continental tires and Crank Brothers pedals and wheelsets.
• Magura: A manufacturer of bicycle brakes and suspensions.
• KHS Bicycle Parts: A distributor of motorcycle and bicycle parts, including manufacturers Sapim and Pletscher.
• Joe Hunt and Associates: A distributor of USA Brand spokes and generators.

Olney's ties to the bicycle industry began in 1962, when AMF began manufacturing its Roadmaster bikes there. If you grew up in the 1960s or 1970s, there's a possibility you rode a Roadmaster at one.time. Also, the Roadmaster was immortalized in the classic 1979 movie "Breaking Away," in which racers in the Little 500 rode Roadmasters in Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

According to the article, the Roadmaster plant in Olney employed as many as 2,000 people as recently as 20 years ago. Alas, Roadmaster found it was cheaper to build bikes in Taiwan than in Olney, and manufacturing ceased there about 10 years ago. Pacific Cycle now uses the Roadmaster plant as its distribution center. Two German companies, Union Frondenberg and Weinmann, also opened bicycle parts plants there in the 1970s, but those have closed as well.

While Olney might not have the "cycling panache" of Portland, Ore., or Boulder, Colo., according to the article, Olney's industry lore is cemented because of Roadmaster. I was unable to find any bicycle trails in Olney, although I'm sure the roads of the town and surrounding Richland County provide lots of good cycling opportunities.

Just don't run over a white squirrel while you're in Olney. It will land you a $200 fine!

Labels: bicycles, Illinois

Roger 6 comments 3:06 AM

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Central Illinois race is qualifier for Nature Valley Grand Prix

Hillsboro, Ill., may not be Paris, but it does play host to a bicycle race called the Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race. The 9th annual edition of the race takes place April 10, and it's a qualifier for the Nature Valley Grand Prix, a June stage race taking place in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

So why would a small Central Illinois county seat town about 60 miles north of St. Louis have a race named after the Paris-Roubaix classic? This description from the race sponsors, the International Christian Cycling Club, gives you a clue:

"The racers will traverse the brick streets of Hillsboro while racing over a 28.75 mile loop that has all you want in a spring classic. Flat open back roads with no cover from the spring winds, rolling terrain, short but challenging climbs, twisty descents and village streets paved with bricks.  Sorry no pavé , but the bricks will have you diving for the smooth gutter!"

The additional incentive for amateur men (Cat 1) and women (Cat 1 and Cat 2) is to earn a spot in the Hidden Valley race. Five other races nationwide will serve as qualifiers for the event. Riders selected through these events will earn free entries to the June 16-20 event and receive generous travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite teams. They will also receive pro-level recognition before, during and after the events, including pre-race call-ups and participation in promotional and media appearances.

ICCC uses Hillsboro-Roubaix as a fundraiser for the Montgomery County Cancer Association, which helps county residents in need of financial or transportation help for cancer treatment.

Registration opens Feb. 1.

Labels: cycling, Illinois, racing

Roger 0 comments 4:43 PM

Monday, January 18, 2010

UPDATE: Matt Wilhelm's parents on Oprah

UPDATED (JAN. 18): The parents of Matt Wilhelm. the Champaign-Urbana area cyclist who was killed in 2006 when he was struck by a car driven by a woman downloading cell phone ring tones, appeared on today's episode of Oprah Winfrey's TV show.

Gloria and Chuck Wilhelm briefly described how their son died and how they worked to get Illinois laws changed, culminating in the texting ban that went into effect Jan. 1.

"If you get a ticket, you can blame it on us because we were the ones who went to Springfield to work with the senators," Gloria said on the show.

You can see the video of the Wilhelms and other families who lost loved ones in accidents involving distracted drivers at Oprah's Web site.

Oprah launched her "No Phone Zone" campaign on Monday's show. According to an Associated Press story last week, Oprah said she wants people to know "how absolutely stupid it is that we continue to text and drive." She's asking drivers to take a pledge to avoidt text-messaging or talking on cell phones while driving.

Oprah's show is aired at 4 p.m. CST on KSDK-TV, Channel 5, in St. Louis and WCIA-TV, Channel 3, in Champaign-Urbana. You can check where the show appears in your area here.

Matt Wilhelm's death prompted some changes, including better education about cyclists' right to the road and a task force that recommended more laws to protect users of Illinois highway. While progress has been made, more progress needs to be done, including laws that would make it a felony if a distracted driver kills or critically injuries a cyclist, pedestrian or motorist.

You can see a public service announcement about Matt at the News-Gazette.

Labels: advocacy, Illinois, safety, television

Roger 0 comments 1:30 PM

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Midwest Bicycle Expo & Swap Meet

Mark your calendars for Jan. 31! The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's annual Midwest Bicycle Expo & Swap Meet once again visits the Gateway Center, 1 Gateway Drive in Collinsville, Ill.

The show takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and free for children 15 and under and for Federation members. $2 coupons are available at participating St. Louis-area bicycle shops.

More than 100 vendors are expected at this year's show, and the entertainment includes a demonstration by the St. Louis Arches youth circus troupe, stationary bike races and a track stand contest. Also planned is a panel discussion featuring local and state bicycle advocates.

Once again, I'll be representing the Gateway Council of Hostelling International at a booth. I'll be handing out fliers for the Tour de Stooges on Saturday, May 1, in Highland, Ill., and other great rides the Council will be putting on in 2010. Also, I'll be selling leftover shirts from the 2009 Tour de Stooges at the greatly discounted price of $5!

The Federation is still seeking business, organization and individual vendors for the event. If you sign up through Jan. 18, a 10x10 space is available for $90. After Jan. 18, the price goes up to $120.

Hope to see you there!

Labels: Illinois, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 0 comments 2:54 PM

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Meetings on Route 66 Trail

Bicycle advocates in Macoupin and Montgomery counties are seeking your support of a proposal to convert a portion of an old alignment of historic Route 66 between Staunton and Litchfield, Ill., into a bicycle trail.

This particular alignment -- the final alignment of Route 66 used before the completion of Interstate 55 -- was a four-lane divided highway between the two communities and also skirted the community of Mount Olive. Today, only two of the lanes are being used. The other two lanes, which are paved with concrete, are partly covered with dirt and grass, which can be easily removed to reveal the concrete surface.

Trail advocates will be meeting Thursday (Jan. 14) with the Route 66 Trail Southern Region Committee to show their support for the bicycle trail. The meeting takes place at 10 a.m. in Room L104 of the Administration Building at the Lincoln Land Community Southern Region Education Center, 1 Lincoln Land Trail in Litchfield.

The Southern Region Committee is expected to bring its recommendation to the Route 66 Trail Executive Council meeting at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 at the Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington.

The advocates, led by Macoupin County native John Fritsche, is asking individuals, village boards and city councils, school districts, counties and chambers of commerce to support the bicycle trail. Here's a sample resolution that people can use to show their support:

"I or We, hereby endorse and support the development of a 17 mile Historic Route 66 Recreational Trail from Staunton through Mt Olive to Litchfield for the health and welfare of the citizenry in our region.  This unique trail would utilize the long abandoned and unused northbound lane of the Historic Route 66 “Mother Road” from Staunton, through Mt.Olive to Litchfield, Illinois."

If you can't make it to the meetings, you can express your support of the trail project by writing John at hroute66rectrail@gmail.com


The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is working with the Route 66 Trail Executive Council to develop programs and projects along Route 66 alignments between Chicago and St. Louis.


The roadway where the trail is proposed still belongs to the Illinois Department of Transportation. One thing that should work in the trail advocates favor is that the current IDOT director, Gary Hannig, was a longtime state representative who served Macoupin and Montgomery counties.

Labels: advocacy, Illinois, Route 66, trails

Roger 1 comments 2:50 PM

Friday, January 01, 2010

New laws that affect Illinois cyclists

With the start of the new year, there are at least three new laws that go in effect today in Illinois that affect bicyclists.

You're probably aware of two of the new laws -- a ban on text messaging while driving and a ban on cell phone usage in school and construction zones.

You're probably not aware of the other law. As of today, no one under the age of 16 may operate a gas- or electric-powered bicycle in Illinois. In addition, you can't ride a gas- or electric-powered bicycle on a sidewalk, and you can't ride those bikes any faster than 20 mph on Illinois roads.

As for the texting and cell phones. they are moving violations with fines up to $1,000 depending on the circumstances. Texting and cell phone usage during emergencies or if the car is stopped and placed in park or neutral are legal.

"Upon conviction, it would be a mark against your driving record. Three of those means a suspension of your driver's license," Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State, told WLS-TV in Chicago.

The texting and cell phone bans were prompted at least in part by the 2006 death of bicyclist Matt Wilhelm. Matt was riding on Illinois 130 east of Urbana when he struck by a car driven by a woman who was downloading a cell phone ring tone.

The News-Gazette reports that Matt's mother, Gloria Wilhelm, will appear on a January episode of Oprah Winfrey's TV show, but no date has been set for the segment to air.

"We finally have laws on the books that say it's wrong to be driving and texting and using a cell phone. We never had a law before that said it's wrong. The texting applies to all age groups, which is really great," Matt's father, Chuck Wilhelm, told the News-Gazette.

Labels: advocacy, bicycles, Illinois, safety

Roger 1 comments 2:28 PM

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Feel-good bicycle story

Here's a missing bicycle story with a happy ending out of Columbia, Ill.:

Garrett Betts was driving on Illinois Route 3 in the Columbia area when his Christmas gift -- a $400 bicycle -- flew out of the back end of his pickup truck.

Fortunately for Garrett, Steve Blosser saw the bike along the side of the highway on Christmas Eve.

"I'm so happy to find it, that the little boy is getting his Christmas present back," Steve said.

KTVI-TV, Channel 2, originally broadcast the story about the missing bike on Tuesday. The station put the boy's grandmother in with Steve, leading to the boy finally receiving his gift. KTVI broadcast the clip shown above earlier tonight.

Labels: bicycles, Illinois, videos

Roger 0 comments 11:43 PM

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Illinois Share the Road license plates

Once again, the League of Illinois Bicyclists will be offering "Share the Road" license plates in honor of National Bicycle Month. The plates can be legally displayed on licensed Illinois vehicles during April and May.

LIB is trying to take the concept one step further. LIB is pushing to make permanent, year-round "Share the Road" plates. Twelve already have the year-round plate, but LIB would have to convince Illinois lawmakers to pass a law allowing the plates and would have to sell a minimum of 1,000 plates to offer them.

If successful, customers could order the plates from the Secretary of State at a cost somewhat higher than the cost for their regular plates. From the incremental cost, the Secretary of State gets $15 the first year and $2 each year thereafter. The rest would go to LIB for statewide educational "Share the Road" campaigns.

Efforts to approve the plate this year were stalled because of financial concerns. LIB hopes to reintroduce the legislation in 2010.

LIB is taking a survey to determine interest in the "Share the Road" plate. Perhaps we in Illinois can join our friends in Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado and eight other states in displaying "Share the Road" plates all year long.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Illinois

Roger 1 comments 2:26 PM

Sunday, November 29, 2009

In support of Route 66 trail

I have had the honor of working with John Fritsche and others in organizing the Tour de Coal ride in the Benld-Gillespie, Ill., area the past four years. John, a native of Gillespie, and others are trying to build interest in bicycling in Macoupin County, which is located between St. Louis and Springfield.

He recently wrote a letter to the editor to several Macoupin County papers, and he asked me to share it with you:

Letter to the Editor

Historic Route 66

Recreational Trail

Macoupin and Montgomery Counties

Recently, the League of Illinois Bicyclists had a promotional Route 66 Bike Ride from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, through Edwardsville, Staunton, Carlinville, Springfield and on to Chicago. The purpose was to promote a safe route from St. Louis to Chicago along the Historic Route 66 Corridor.

For a number of years now, various individuals, organizations and groups have discussed an Historic Route 66 Trail from Staunton, through Mount Olive to Litchfield utilizing the northbound lane of Old Route 66, which has been abandoned and unused for many years.

Our government officials and medical professionals are all encouraging people to exercise more and this section of pavement could be the place for many citizens to start on a path to better health. Moreover, trails encourage business development that could certainly benefit this region of Illinois.

The roadway belongs to the State of Illinois is still in place, so there is no right of way cost. All that must to be done is to remove some guardrail and dirt, repair any defects in the pavement and mark the alignment. This type of work can be done by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Trail, which would be almost 17 miles long, would benefit the region, each community along the way, as well as new businesses moving into this area.  When this trail segment becomes a reality, a rider could safely travel from Litchfield, Ill,m to the St.Louis Arch by utilizing the Madison County and St Louis trail systems from Staunton south.

Right now this valuable section of what was once the "Mother Road" is abandoned and lying idle, providing no benefit to its owner, the citizens of the State of Illinois.

If you would like to have this section of abandoned history developed into a trail for all of us, talk to your family, friends and neighbors.  Let them know how you feel and encourage them to call or write their elected officials for their support.

Please, no more excuses!  Let’s get it done this time!

John Fritsche

Glen Carbon, IL

I fully agree with John on this one. Let's get it done!

Labels: Illinois, Route 66

Roger 1 comments 11:40 PM

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Capital city cycling controversy

At first glance, the fact that Springfield -- the capital city of Illinois -- has formed a Bicycle Advisory Council sounds like a major victory for cyclists in the city.

In September, Mayor Tim Davlin named nine people to the advisory panel, which will "act as an advisory body on bicyclist issues; analyze routing, operation and the safety of bicycles and their riders. Members will also evaluate and make recommendations for signed shared roadways, the use of and installation of bicycle racks and signalization."

But the appointment of David Sykuta as the panel's chairman has raised the ire of the Sangamon County Organization for Reform of Cycling Habitat, according to an article this week in the Illinois Times. SCORCH describes itself as "the radical wing of Springfield area bicyclists, propagandists and participants of local Critical Mass rides and other cycling events."

Sykuta is a member of the long-established Springfield Bicycle Club, but what concerns SCORCH is that Sykuta also is the executive director of the Illinois Petroleum Council. SCORCH sees of conflict of interest having someone promoting the interests of the petroleum industry serving as the head of a cycling advisory board.

“Because of his position as a lobbyist for big oil, I can only assume that he is interested in promoting biking as a form of recreation and not as a means of transportation," SCORCH member Wes King told the Illinois Times.

Sykuta, who told the Illinois Times that he's a recreational rider, said his goal is for the advisory panel to look beyond politics and work on improving bicycling facilities in Springfield.

“The real challenge is that bicycling is everyone’s third or fourth most important thing,” Sykuta told the newspaper. “It’s not the top of anyone’s agenda. Everyone likes it, but our job will be to move it up there so it is a more important choice for more people.”

The Springfield area has 13 miles of trails, the 5-mile Interurban Trail that links Springfield and Chatham, the 5-mile Lost Bridge Trail that links Springfield and Rochester, and the 3-mile Wabash Trail in the southwestern part of Springfield. The League of Illinois Bicyclists also has developed a map of local road cycling routes (PDF file) based upon the recommendations of Springfield-area cyclists.

SCORCH members are advocating more official bicycle routes that would allow people to easily commute to state government offices, more bicycle racks in the city and bike racks on city buses. Advisory board members are seeking many of the same things, including a route that would link the city's Abraham Lincoln attractions.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Illinois, Springfield IL

Roger 4 comments 11:47 AM

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Effingham County wants bicycle trails

Effingham County, Ill., has two of the nation's best high school nicknames. Why shouldn't it have a first-class bicycle trail system as well?

In recent days, I've written about St. Louis' efforts to become a more bicycle-friendly, but as a small-town boy myself, I like to give credit to smaller communities that are trying to provide more opportunities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Today, I turn your attention to the efforts of Trail Recreation Effingham County (TREC) to develop a system of trails in the Central Illinois county.

Besides being the home of the Effingham High School Flaming Hearts, the city of Effingham is probably best known to travelers on Interstates 57 and 70 for its truck stops and its 198-foot-high cross. TREC is trying to make the city and county known for its bicycle trails.

Work already has started on the Calico Trail on the western edge of Effingham.. Future phases of the system would connect Effingham with Lake Sara, located just west of the city. In the long term, the system is intended to connect Effingham with other communities such as Dieterich, Altamont, Beecher City, Mason and Teutopolis -- the home of the Teutopolis High School Wooden Shoes. You can see the proposed trail system on this PDF map.

To pay for the trail system, TREC hopes to obtain grants from the Federal Highway Administration and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and solicit local cash or in-kind contributions to be used as the 10 percent match for the grants.

TREC already has the backing of the Effingham County Board, the city of Effingham and several other towns, businesses and individuals. As with any other trails project, there are concerns. Some Kingwood subdivision residents, while they are in favor of the trail in general, are opposed to a potential route through the subdivision. According to the Effingham Daily News, the concerns are similar to those of trail opponents elsewhere:

• Fear of decreased property values.
• An increase in litter.
• Increased danger of property damage and theft.
• Traffic and parking concerns along their one-lane street.
• Danger to children exposed to criminal activity.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation has a nice summary of studies that debunk many of the concerns. Closer to Effingham, Madison County Transit has found trails have been an asset to subdivisions.

"There was a time when residents saw a trail as an invasion of privacy," Jerry Kane, the managing director of MCT, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2006. "Now people see it as a huge improvement in the quality of life. They want connections to trails. They want to live near trails."

If TREC succeeds in its goal to develop trails in Effingham County, perhaps it will inspire other smaller communities to attempt similar projects.

Labels: Illinois, trails

Roger 2 comments 1:07 AM

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

St. Louis earns the Bronze

Kudos to the city of St. Louis! The League of American Bicyclists has designated St. Louis as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community!

St. Louis earned its bronze for the city's bicycle education and enforcement efforts.

Two St. Louis-area businesses also earned honors. REI-St. Louis earned Gold as a Bicycle Friendly Business, while Velocity Cafe and Cyclery earned a Bronze.

Overall, Missouri ranks 17th among Bicycle Friendly States. Columbia once again is a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Illinois ranks 11th among the Bicycle Friendly States. Chicago was named a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community, while two of its suburbs, Naperville and Schaumburg, earned Bronze.

The Land of Lincoln had four Bicycle Friendly Businesses. REI-Lincoln Park and REI-Northbrook earned Silver designations, while Spin Doctor Cyclewerks in Barlett and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District earned Bronze.

While I'm sure the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is deserving of its award, it's my view that the Madison County Transit District has done more. Most cyclists in the St. Louis area know about MCT's extensive network of bicycle trails. In addition, MCT has bicycle racks on all its buses, and the district estimates it carries an average of 800 bikes each month.

Perhaps someone at MCT can be persuaded to fill out an application to earn a Bicycle Friendly Business designation.

Labels: Chicago, Illinois, League of American Bicyclists, Missouri, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 1:34 AM

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Lebanon, Ill., group looking for trailblazers

Do you want to be on the ground floor of planning a new bicycle trail?

A group of people from the Lebanon, Ill., area are forming a committee to study the possibility of a bicycle trail from Lebanon to O'Fallon, Ill. They also may consider another trail that would tie Lebanon to the Shiloh/Scott MetroLink station near Scott Air Force Base.

The committee will hold its first meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 24) in the basement of the Lebanon Visitor's Center, 211 W. St. Louis St. All people who are interested in bicycling in the Lebanon area are encouraged to attend.

In talking to Robert Wilhelm, who is spearheading the effort, he reminded me of something that I already knew from 10 years of holding the Tour de Stooges ride at McKendree University: There's only one safe way to get out of Lebanon.

Two major highways serve Lebanon: U.S. Route 50 and Illinois Route 4. Neither is particularly safe for cyclists because of almost non-existent shoulders and fast, heavy traffic. Although the Illinois Department of Transportation is resurfacing Route 4, I still wouldn't recommend it for cycling because the highway is a shortcut for truckers and other motorists between Interstate 55 and Interstate 64.

A cursory look at a map of the Lebanon area would tell you that Korte-Sewald Road heads southeast from the city. Well, that's not quite true. The railroad overpass on the southern edge of town has been closed for years.

That leaves one safe way out: Monroe Street/Widicus Road, the thoroughfare the Tour de Stooges used to get out and back into Lebanon during our time at McKendree. Monroe/Widicus takes you northwest of Lebanon to some wonderful cycling roads. The problem, though, is that you have to ride well out the way to get to nearby communities like O'Fallon, Shiloh and Mascoutah.

What Robert and other trail supporters are hoping to do is to start out with a trail from Lebanon to O'Fallon. One possibility is the old East St. Louis & Suburban Railway right-of-way, which provided Lebanon and O'Fallon with trolley service from 1903 until the late 1920s. Another possibility would involve College Road, which now heads west of Lebanon but ends at Silver Creek. At one time, it was a through road across the creek to Rieder Road.

Robert said the Metro-East Park and Recreation District has expressed interest in the project. If the district decides to pursue the money and obtain money, construction could begin in the next few years.

The other long-term trail proposal would go roughly along Rieder Road and take cyclists to the Shiloh/Scott MetroLink station. That would tie into a trail now on the drawing board that would link Shiloh, O'Fallon to the Madison County Transit Schoolhouse. The Metro-East Park and Recreation District and Madison County Transit has received money for the project, but they have hit a roadblock because much of the former railroad right-of-way that would be used for that trail now is in private hands, making it much more difficult and expensive to obtain the property.

St. Clair County is far behind neighboring Madison County in the number and miles of bicycle trails, and the Lebanon trail proposal would be a good way to start catching up. While I won't be at Thursday's meeting because of work, I encourage people interested in bicycling in Lebanon, O'Fallon and Shiloh to attend the meeting.

Labels: Illinois, trails

Roger 0 comments 12:40 AM

Monday, September 14, 2009

Tour de Coal set for Sept. 26

The good folks at the Coal County Chamber of Commerce are putting on the 4th annual Tour de Coal bicycle ride on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Benld, Ill.

The goals of the ride are to promote bicycling in Macoupin County and to raise money for community projects in Gillespie, Benld and other nearby communities.

Routes of 15, 30 and 63 miles are available. The routes go past the sites of many former coal mines that were the lifeblood of those communities. In addition, the 63-mile route uses parts of old alignments of Route 66 and passes the gravesite of Mother Jones, a major labor leader in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The cost of the ride is $15 a person ($20 day of ride) and includes a $40 family special ($50 day of ride), and registration takes place from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Benld Civic Center, 201 E. Center St. in Benld. The community is approximately halfway between St. Louis and Springfield.

The start site of the ride used to be at Benld Elementary School, but mine subsidence earlier this year forced the school to be closed permanently, so the start site was moved to the Benld Civic Center.

For more information about the ride, visit its Web site, and you can register online at Active.com.

Thanks to events like the Tour de Coal and the Tour de Donut in nearby Staunton and thanks to the recently completed extension of the Madison County Transit Quercus Grove Trail to Staunton, bicycling has received quite a boost in Macoupin County. Bicycle enthusiasts are hoping to garner support for more bicycle trails that would link the Madison County trails to a bike trail in the Springfield area.

As a native of Macoupin County, I'm always happy to help boost bicycling in that area.

Labels: bicycle rides, Illinois, Tour de Coal

Roger 0 comments 12:10 PM

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Biking to play horseshoes

I can't say that I know bicyclist Chuck Carter, although I've probably seen him around since he lives in nearby Cahokia, Ill. Nevertheless, Chuck tells an interesting tale.

The 58-year-old Chuck biked from Cahokia to Moline, Ill., to participate in this weekend's Illinois State Horseshoe Tournament.

A story in the Moline Dispatch says when Chuck was younger, he lost his toes to frostbite in a hunting trip in the mountains. He has an artificial knee and said his rib cage is held together with wires after he was stomped on by a bull when he worked in the rodeo.

"I've been everywhere," Chuck told the Dispatch, naming off Canada and states such as New York, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota and Washington.

Chuck has some good news for people who want to do long-distance cycling: 98 percent of the folks he encounters are good people!

Labels: bicycling, Illinois, touring

Roger 0 comments 2:03 PM

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Metro-east bicycling news

Here's a roundup of recent news involving bicycling in the Illinois counties of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, commonly known as the metro-east:

• Bicyclist dies while performing stunts: Jimmy Mullins of Red Bud, Ill., was killed Monday while performing stunts on his bicycle outside the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo. Mullins, 27, was known for performing jumps and tricks. Mullins had been performing tricks on a 20-inch Mongoose BMX bike on the lawn of the courthouse when he rode out at a high rate of speed in front of a parked sports utility vehicle and into traffic, Waterloo Police Chief Jim Trantham told the Belleville News-Democrat.

  No charges will be filed against the driver, a Missouri man who was in town on a fishing trip. He was not injured. "It was clearly not the driver's fault," Trantham said. "He could not avoid the bicycle, the way the bicyclist came out."

• Belleville to get new bicycle trail: It's not a very long trail -- one-quarter of a mile -- but the west end of Belleville is getting its first bicycle trail. Signal Hill Elementary School received a $250,000 grant to build the trail, which will link Foley Drive with Signal Hill Park. The trail is intended to give children safe access to walk or ride their bikes to Signal Hill Elementary and nearby Blessed Sacrament School, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.
  
  
• Work continues on Great River Road trail: The Illinois Department of Transportation is repaving Illinois Route 100 and the adjoining Sam Vadalabene Bicycle Trail between Alton and Grafton. The (Alton) Telegraph reports work will be continuing on the road and trail into October. Detours are being posted when necessary for the bike trail.
  
  
• Calhoun County pursues grant for bike trails: Calhoun County, nestled between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, is seeking a $20,000 grant for planning bicycle trails. Although the southern tip of the county only about 5 miles from St. Charles and St. Peters, Mo., as the crow flies, the county is relatively isolated because it is accessible from the rest of the St. Louis area only by one bridge across the Illinois River at Hardin and several ferries. Nevertheless, many cyclists have discovered the county because of its rural beauty. With about 5,100 residents, Calhoun County is the third-smallest county in Illinois.
  
  "We have bicyclists that already ride through the county, and our focus on biking/ hiking trails is on promoting health, economics, and safety of bicyclists and hikers in the county," Dale Hagen, a member of the county’s Calhoun Community Foundation, told The Telegraph. "While a bike trail might not bring in a lot of money from bicyclists right away, it might down the road, as people come to Calhoun County and see its beauty, and that might lead to other things."

Labels: fatal accidents, Illinois, trails

Roger 0 comments 12:10 PM

Sunday, July 12, 2009

MCT dedicates new portions of Quercus Grove Trail

As of this weekend, cyclists now can ride on bike trails or designated on-road bicycle routes all the way from downtown St. Louis to Staunton, Ill. -- a one-way trip of 44.8 miles.

On Friday and Saturday, Madison County Transit dedicated two sections of the MCT Quercus Grove Trail, a section between Staunton and Worden on Friday and a section between Worden and Hamel on Saturday. The two new sections tie into an existing section of the MCT Quercus Grove Trail between Edwardsville and Hamel. Click on the image of the map to see details of the new sections of the trail.

Here's how you can ride from St. Louis to Staunton, a Macoupin County community best known among St. Louis-area cyclists as being the host city of the Tour de Donut bicycle race:

• St. Louis Riverfront Trail, from the Laclede's Landing section of St. Louis to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Distance: 11 miles.
• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and Chain of Rocks Road to the MCT Confluence Trail. Distance: 2.8 miles.
• MCT Confluence Trail to the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site: 3.6 miles.
• New Poag Road from the Lewis and Clark site to the MCT Goshen Trail in Edwardsville: Distance: 6.9 miles.
• MCT Goshen Trail to the MCT Nickel Plate Trail. Distance: 1.25 miles.
  
• MCT Nickel Plate Trail to MCT Quercus Grove Trail. Distance: 1.6 miles.
• MCT Quercus Grove Trail to Staunton. Distance: 17.6 miles.

Generally speaking, it's an easy trek from St. Louis to Staunton. Using the route I plotted, the most significant hill is on New Poag Road on the northern edge of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. I don't think the hill is all that difficult, but if you want a more gradual climb with a few extra miles, you can turn south from New Poag Road onto the MCT Bluff Trail, turn east on the MCT Nature Trail, then turn north on the Nickel Plate Trail in Edwardsville to the Quercus Grove Trail.

North of Edwardsville, there's a hill on the Quercus Grove Trail after you cross Old Carpenter Road. After that, it's a pretty flat trek to Staunton.

The stretch between Hamel and Staunton has few trees, meaning there's little to block the wind. That's good if the wind's at your back. Not so good if that wind's in your face.

There are places near or or near the Quercus Grove Trail to grab a bite to eat or something to drink. The Springer's Creek Winery is located on the trail at Chapman Avenue in Edwardsville. Scotty's Route 66 Bar and Grill is along the trail in Hamel. The Yellow Dog Saloon is a couple of blocks west of the trail on Wall Street in Worden.

Just south of Staunton at Illinois Route 4 is Decamp Junction, which has the added attraction of a softball field that conjures up images of "Fields of Dreams" because the chain-link outfield fence is only a few feet away from farm fields.

Staunton has several bars and restaurants. The restaurants range from Hardee's to Italian and Chinese restaurants.

While the bicycle/pedestrian-only part of the trail ends at Sixth Street, the trail goes up Union Street to the Duda Garden. As I've written about before, a group of Staunton-area trail boosters are trying to develop the ITS Trail, which would start at Duda Garden and head up to Benld and tie into an existing short trail between Benld and Gillespie.

The long-term goal is to build trails through Macoupin and Sangamon counties that would link St. Louis and Springfield, Ill. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register recently wrote about the ITS Trail and its goal to boost economic and residential development in Staunton and nearby communities.

Madison County Transit, of course, deserves tons of credit for developing such an extensive system of trails on old railroad rights-of-way. But the people of the Staunton area also deserve credit. The community has embraced the Tour de Donut, and that has encouraged interest in bicycling in that community. On Saturday, more than 1,200 cyclists descended on Staunton for Tour de Donut, and people in that community know bicyclists can have a sizable economic impact on a community.

Labels: Illinois, MCT Trails, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 10:17 PM

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Cross-country bicyclist killed in accident

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that a 65-year-old man who was riding his bicycle from California to Washington, D.C., to protest government bailouts was killed Sunday by a suspected drunken driver in a hit-and-run crash on U.S. 50 near Carlyle, Ill.

Jim Gafney left his home in Chula Vista, Calif., on April 27 for his "Mad As Hell Bike Ride Across U.S." with the goal of hand-delivering a petition opposing government bailouts to lawmakers sometime in July. Gafney had completed about two-thirds of his 3,000-mile ride, and collected about 500 signatures, before he was killed about 12:40 a.m. Sunday.

The newspaper reported Gafney spent Saturday near Lebanon, and most likely was riding at night to avoid the heat. He was on U.S. 50 at Diamond Springs Road -- about 60 miles east of St. Louis -- when he was struck by a 1997 Nissan Altima driven by Leon K. Marcum, 27, of Centralia, according to Illinois State Police.

Marcum told police he was driving over a hill and saw Gafney, but was not able to stop. He left the scene and later was arrested near Sandoval.Marcum was charged with aggravated DUI, leaving the scene of a fatal crash and failure to reduce speed. He was being held Wednesday at the Clinton County Jail on $100,000 bail.

The San Diego Union-Tribune account of the accident also quoted Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Chris Trame as saying U.S. 50 in that area is just two lanes with no shoulder, Trame said. He described it as “pretty isolated” and “not well lit.”

“We were so worried. We begged him not to go But he had a mission and he was determined to make that dream come true," Gafney's daughter, Colleen Uhden of Temecula, Calif., told the Union-Tribune about her father's decision to ride in the middle of the night instead of throu

The Southwest Free Press, a publication that was supporting Gafney's ride, hopes to complete Gafney's goal of getting 500 to 1,000 bicyclists to ride to Washington and hand-deliver the petition against the bailout to lawmakers.

Here's the last video Gafney posted on YouTube before he died:

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, fatal accidents, Illinois

Roger 0 comments 9:57 AM

Monday, June 08, 2009

A small town's effort to promote cycling

I'm all supportive of the big efforts to promote bicycling such as Bike to Work Day, but I'm also supportive of the small efforts as well.

The ITS Trail Committee -- based in Staunton, Ill., the home of the original Tour de Donut bicycle race -- is starting an effort called Second Saturday Tour.

In a press release distributed by ITS Executive Director Jarid Ott, the group says the purpose of the Second Saturday Tour is to encourage everyone throughout the Staunton area to be outdoors between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon on the second Saturday of every month. There are no distance requirements or timetables. Just walk or ride your bike around your block, neighborhood, town or trail on the morning of the second Saturday of each month.

The idea was hatched last month when Jarid and a group of recumbent tricycle riders took what they called an adventure ride from Staunton to Worden on the Quercus Grove Trail. There were no timetables or schedules whatsoever, which made it all the more enjoyable. They visited the Yellow Dog in Worden for coffee and had brunch at the Staunton Family Restaurant upon their return.

Trail committee members want people to ride for health and environmental reasons, but there's more to the effort than that. "The Second Saturday Tour is all about you, so you are encouraged to smile and wave to your neighbors, meet and visit with those around you and enjoy walking or riding on your tour," says the group's press release. "Perhaps you will discover a new trail, an old coffee shop or an old friend along the way."

The first of the Second Saturday Tours is slated for this Saturday, June 13. A group will be leaving from Duda Garden, 205 N. Union St. in Staunton at 8 a.m., riding to Worden and back.
The next Second Saturday Tour happens to be July 11, which is the same day of this year's Tour de Donut.

Speaking of Tour de Donut, the deadline to register at lower rates -- $20 for solo riders and $40 for tandem teams -- is June 15. After that, the fees go up to $30 for solo riders and $50 for tandems. You can sign up for the ride at BikeReg.com. There is no day-of-ride registration, so you have to sign up online.

Labels: bicycling, Illinois, Tour de Donut

Roger 1 comments 12:06 PM