Monday, February 15, 2010

St. Louis Open Streets

Earlier today, Gene Bisbee at the Biking Bis blog wrote about how ciclova-style celebrations -- in which a thoroughfare or park is open only to bicyclists, pedestrians and skaters for one or more weekend days -- are catching on in the United States. Gene's post cited celebrations in Kansas City, Mo.; San Jose, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle.

The inspiration for many of those events has been Bogota, Colombia, which closes 70 miles of streets to motorists every Sunday and holiday and opens them up to cyclists, pedestrians and skater, hence the term ciclova.

St. Louis is getting in on the act.

This year, the city will present Open Streets 2010, which it bills as a "part bike tour, part block party, a great time for exercise, people watching, and just enjoying our region’s wonderful spring and fall mornings."

The Open Streets 2010 route consists of the Forest Park bicycle trails, Lindell Boulevard, Grand Boulevard and Locust Street. The on-street portion of the route goes from Skinker Boulevard at Forest Park to the Gateway Arch. Family, cultural and fitness rest stops are planned along the route.

The first of the events will be May 1, and will be tied into the St. Louis Cardinals-Cincinnati Reds game at Busch Stadium that afternoon. The above streets will be closed to motorists from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Metro-East Park and Recreation District and the Great Rivers Greenway District will have a pre-game party from 11 a.m. to noon at Clark Street and Broadway, and the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation will have free and secure parking available for bicyclists at Busch Stadium for those wanting to watch the 12:10 p.m. game.

More Open Streets 2010 events are slated for June 13, Sept. 19 and Oct. 9.

Labels: bicycling, St. Louis

Roger 3 comments 2:01 PM

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Bicycle battle of the sexes

Two of St. Louis’s top cyclists will go head-to-head Saturday in an indoor race for charity. The inaugural Rollin’ for Charity Indoor 100 Bike Race will pit man versus woman and mountain bike versus road bike in a race to raise cash and ride 100 miles on bicycle rollers at Alpine Shop’s Kirkwood store.

Chris Ploch, the reigning and four-time Missouri State NORBA Mountain Bike Champion, and Carrie Cash, the current Missouri State Cyclocross Champion, will be competing for more than four hours to raise funds for the ALS Association St. Louis Regional Chapter and the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

The event begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Kirkwood store, 440 N. Kirkwood Road. The challenge is part of the store's Outdoor Fitness Festival.

According to a press release, Alpine Shop will give $350 to the winner's charity and $150 to the other charity. Both cyclists -- who work for Alpine Shop -- are hoping people will donate to their causes, and you can find links to them at the Alpine Shop site.

Ploch will be riding a mountain bike, while Cash will be riding a road bike.

Labels: charities, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 9:07 PM

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Bike I-64 and don't forget your layers!

Your only chance to bike the new section of Interstate 64/Highway 40 between Kingshighway in St. Louis and Interstate 170 is Sunday. On Monday, the highway reopens to motorized traffic, and you won't be able to bike it again.

For those of you hardy enough to bike, dress in layers. The high temperature is only expected to hit 45 degrees tomorrow.

From noon to 4 p.m., the eastbound lanes of the highway will be open to bicyclists, while the westbound lanes are open to pedestrians.

From 7:30 to 10 a.m., Big Shark Bicycle Co. is sponsoring an individual time trial on the eastbound lanes. From 8 to 10 a.m., the St. Louis Track Club is sponsoring a 5K run on the westbound lanes.

The two-year project to rebuild I-64/Highway 40 between Kingshighway and I-270 is being completed several weeks ahead of schedule, so there's plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Labels: St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 1:37 PM

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Don't forget about Cranksgiving!

BicycleWORKS, in conjunction with Will Bike for Charity, Trailnet and Big Shark Bicycle Co., are putting on the 4th annual Cranksgiving ride this Sunday, Nov. 15.

The ride begins at noon outside the Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Road in St. Louis. The goal of the ride is to buy $10 to $25 worth of food to be used by the Food Outreach to help people dealing with cancer or HIV/AIDS.

Labels: bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 7:23 PM

Friday, November 06, 2009

Interstate 64/Highway 40 to open early

Good news is ahead for cyclists who travel along the Interstate 64/Highway 40 corridor -- and for the thousands of motorized commuters who use the road. The Missouri Department of Transportation announced today that the highway will reopen Dec. 7 -- 24 days ahead of schedule!

Last year, MoDOT allowed bicyclists and pedestrians on the rebuilt stretch of the Highway between Interstates 170 and 270 the day before it open, and MoDOT is planning a similar event for Dec. 6. Last year's event was conducted by the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, but MoDOT is going on its own this time.

From noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 6, bicyclists will be allowed on the eastbound lanes of the highway between Kingshighway and Hanley Road. You better enjoy it while you can; once the highway reopens to motorized traffic, bicycles won't be allowed on the road.

Big Shark Bicycle Co. is sponsoring a cycling time trial race on the highway from 7:30 to 10 a.m. that day, and you can sign up for the time trial through Big Shark.

The new section of the highway will be dedicated at 3 p.m. near the Tamm Avenue overpass. No doubt the highlight of the ceremony will be designation of  I-64/Highway 40 between McCausland and downtown St. Louis as the Jack Buck Memorial Highway as MoDOT honors the legendary St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, who died in 2002.

In a related item, cyclists who regularly ride Clayton Road in the city of Frontenac may want to have their voices heard in a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Frontenac City Hall about the future of the road.

Because of the I-64/Highway 40 construction, a two-lane road with wide shoulders used by cyclists became a three-lane road with a center-turn lane to accommodate additional vehicles on the road. The city is considering whether to keep the center-turn lane or go back to the original striping. If you have questions, you may call City Administrator Bob Shelton at 314-994-3200 or e-mail your comments to lross@cityoffrontenac.org before Thursday.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 4:11 PM

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Hitting the Donut Trail ... again

The Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's 2009 season came to an end today with a trip to St. Louis to take on the Donut Trail developed a few years back by member Thomas Carter. It was a good way to end our season!

Unlike the Tour de Donut, the Donut Trail Ride is not a competitive event. It's a ride of about 23 miles that starts at the Forest Park MetroLink station and passes by five donut shops as it snakes its way through South St. Louis.

More than 20 people started the trek. I showed up late because I missed the MetroLink train that would have gotten me there on time, but I was able to catch up with the group at our first donut stop, World's Fair Donuts at 1904 S. Vandeventer Blvd.

Upon reaching Tower Grove Park, five riders decided to do their own thing, but the rest of us headed to Eddie's Southtown Donuts at 4701 S. Kingshighway, only to find it was closed.

On to the next stop, St. Louis Hills Donut Shop, 6917 Hampton Ave. Fortunately for us, St. Louis Hills was open, and then we made our way to Drive-In Donuts, 6525 Chippewa St. and devoured some more donuts.

The fifth shop we pass on the Donut Trail, O'Fashion Donuts at 5120 Southwest Ave. in The Hill neighborhood, had never been open when we've passed it on previous Donut Trail Rides. Given that history, we were going to skip it and turn on Marconi Ave. to head back toward Forest Park. But I noticed there were cars parked by the shop, and urged Thomas to lead us to the shop.

Lo and behold, it was open! I enjoyed a custard-filled donut, and Thomas thorough enjoyed his cheesecake donut.

So, which shop has the best donuts? They're all were good, but an informal poll I took indicated World's Fair Donuts had the best!

Combine the tasty donuts with good company and some colorful trees, and you have a recipe for a enjoyable bicycle ride.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 3 comments 11:09 PM

Monday, October 26, 2009

St. Louis gets more national attention

St. Louis ' efforts to make its streets more friendly to modes of transportation other than cars and trucks are getting more national attention.

On top of its recognition last week by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, The Architect's Newspaper and Wired's Autopia have recognized efforts by Great Streets St. Louis  to bring the Complete Streets concept to the South Grand business district.

Great Streets St. Louis is an initiative by the East-West Council of Governments, a region planning agency that serves the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, to "trigger economic and social benefits by centering communities around interesting, lively and attractive streets that serve all modes of transportation."

Autopia reported that about $2.7 million in federal stimulus funds have been earmarked for the project. The new design reduces four traffic lanes to three, changes the timing of traffic lights, adds curb “bulb-outs” to reduce the amount of yardage pedestrians need to cross from 56 to 40 feet, and increases lighting and landscaping.

South Grand, the test site, is a busy street lined with restaurants and shops. But traffic, signage, and aging infrastructure have been a problem. Drivers routinely speed, and the street saw 80 accidents and one pedestrian death in the first eight months of 2009, according to The Architect's Newspaper

Although the city's Bike St. Louis routes do not use South Grand between Arsenal and Utah streets, where the work is taking place, it goes nearby. The changes especially are intended to help pedestrians in the business district, but I'm sure it will benefit cyclists as well.

After a test run of the new street configuration this year, Alderman Steve Conway says the feedback he's received has been running 10-to-1 in favor of the changes.

“I was concerned about getting 25,000 cars a day through at Grand and Arsenal,” Conway told The Architect's Newspaper.. “And now, we’re getting the cars through, and we’ve slowed the traffic.”

Labels: advocacy, safety, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 1:35 PM

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

So, how did St. Louis become bicycle friendly?

You may be wondering how St. Louis earned its designation as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community? Of course, there's the barebones explanation LAB provided: the city's education and enforcement efforts.

There's, of course, more to the story. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to tout the city's honor. On a flier inviting people to the news conference, here's how city officials described how it earned the designation:

"The Leagued recognized the City of St. Louis as a standout community for its initiative and progress to become more bicycle-friendly. The BFC's reviewer were impressed with the city's accomplishments. These included creating more than 70 miles of on-streets designated bicycle lanes throughout the city and expanding connections to Illinois by developing a 3,000-foot long cantilevered bicycle land separated from vehicular traffic with the McKinley Bridge Bikeway and Trestle."

There's more to the story than that. I obtained a copy of a printed version of the city's application -- the official application was filed online with LAB -- and here's some highlights:

Engineering:

• While the city doesn't have a written policy on accommodating bicycle on city streets, the city incorporates "Complete Streets" principles into public road projects.
• The city has 89 miles of designated bike routes.
• The city has worked with Great River Greenway to develop Bike St. Louis, which consists of 77 of the city's 89 miles of bike routes.
  

Education:

• Trailnet, Green Rivers and the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation have issued public service announcements educating motorists to share the road with cyclists.
• Advocacy groups and bike shops offer educational opportunities for adults.
• Some schools participate in a bicycle safety program.

Encouragement:

•  The city supported Trailnet with its Bike to Work Day festivities in an effort to promote commuting by bicycle.
• The city's role as a host city in the Tour of Missouri.
• Activities at the Penrose Park Veldrome.

Enforcement:

• The city give training to its bicycle officers.
• The city has a liason for planned cycling events.

Evaluation and Planning:

• The city had no bicycle/motor vehicle fatalities from 2004 to 2008, and it averaged about 130 cyclists/motor vehicle crashes a year during that same span.
• The city soon will be in the process of drafting a comprehensive bicycle plan.
• The city is developing several greenways as part of a bike trail network.

The Bicycle Federation, along with Trailnet, Great Rivers Greenway, Bike St. Louis and the Grace Hill Settlement House, assisted the city with its application.

Labels: League of American Bicyclists, St. Louis

Roger 1 comments 10:44 PM

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, October 07, 2009

Lance Armstrong inks deal with Michelob Ultra

A few years ago, when I found out Lance Armstrong was a fan of Shiner Bock, I decided to check it out. I figured that if Shiner was good enough for Lance, it was good enough for me!

I was not disappointed. It still remains one of my favorite beers.

Yesterday, I found out Lance has agreed to a three-year deal with St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch InBev to be the spokesman for Michelob Ultra.

As part of the agreement, Armstrong will appear in a new Michelob Ultra television commercial titled "Little Bumps," and he will make a cameo appearance in a second ad titled "Escalator," both which are scheduled to air in 2010. Michelob Ultra will use Armstrong's likeness on print, outdoor advertising, digital marketing programs, product packaging and point-of-sale advertising.

"I'm always making decisions that complement my active lifestyle, and this includes my beer choice when I want to enjoy a cold one with friends or when taking a break from training," Armstrong said in a press release. "I'm excited about my association with Michelob Ultra, a brand that supports cycling and running communities across the U.S. and is a favorite among active adults."

Over on his Twitter page, Armstrong briefly described his trip to St. Louis to speak before 5,000 Anheuser-Busch InBev distributors. He even posted photos of the Gateway Arch.

Michelob Ultra is a sponsor of cycling events such as the Tour of Missouri, the Hotter N Hell 100 and El Tour de Tucson, so it's natural that Anheuser-Busch InBev would want cycling's most popular figure as a spokesman.

Michelob Ultra has only 95 calories and 2.6g carbohydrates, 0.6g protein and 0.0g fat, per 12-ounce bottle. And that's what's wrong with it, in my humble view. I tried it -- once -- and found it lacking in flavor. If I wanted to drink something with that little flavor, I'd just assume drink a glass of water.

I do enjoy other Anheuser-Busch InBev products and I'm appreciative of the support the brewery has given to cycling. But I'm afraid, Lance, I won't be joining you in becoming a Michelob Ultra drinker.

Labels: advertising, beer, Lance Armstrong, St. Louis

Roger 1 comments 12:54 AM

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Tour of Missouri: Related events

If you're coming to St. Louis for the Tour ofMissouri, which begins Monday, or the Gateway Cup series of bicycle races, which begins Friday, you may be interested in a couple of events:

On Thursday night, the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation is presenting the movie "Veer," a look at the bicycle culture in Portland, Ore. The movie will be shown at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd. in University City. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the movie begins at 7. Admission is $10, and you can buy advance tickets through the Tivoli's online ticket site. You can watch the trailer below:



On Friday night, the Soulard Art Market hosts a reception for the "Spoked!" exhibition of bicycle-related art. The opening reception is from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Soulard Art Market, 2028 S. 12th St. in St. Louis. An encore viewing party takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

The gallery is near the Stage One course as it makes its way on Russell Street through the historic Soulard neighborhood, and it will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Labor Day so Tour of Missouri spectators can view the exhibit.

Don't forget your bicycle! On Sunday, Trailnet will be putting on the Giro and Tour of Missouri Bicycle Ride in St. Louis' Italian neighborhood, The Hill. Registration takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Shaw Visual and Performing Arts Community Education Center, 5329 Columbia Ave. Routes of 22, 30 or 43 miles will be available. After the ride, you can enjoy the Gateway Cup Giro Della Montagna, which also takes place on The Hill.

If you want to explore St. Louis on your own, check out the Bike St. Louis network on marked bike routes on city streets.

Of course, there are non-cycling events going on in the St. Louis area. Those include the Illinois-Missouri college football game Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome, the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Big Muddy Blues Festival at Laclede’s Landing. For information, visit www.explorestlouis.com.

Labels: St. Louis, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 9:44 AM

Sunday, August 16, 2009

World Naked Bike Ride photos!

No, sorry, they're not here. I had to work Saturday night and once again missed all the raw glory of St. Louis' second version of the World Naked Bike Ride.

However, you can find photos of the 2009 ride at the Riverfront Times. A word of caution: Many of the photos are not suitable for the workplace or children.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 10:00 AM

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Upcoming St. Louis-area rides a diverse lot

If you live in the St. Louis area and can't find a bicycle ride the next few weekends, you're not looking hard enough.

The most provocative of the rides will be Saturday, Aug. 15 -- St. Louis's second version of the World Naked Bike Ride. Cyclists will start gathering at Tower Grove Park's Stupp Plaza at 7 p.m. and take off at 9 p.m. for a route that ends at the Atomic Cowboy. Cyclists are encouraged to "bare as your dare," although it should be noted that publicly exposing certain parts of the anatomy is against the law in St. Louis. The goal of the ride is to protest oil dependency, promote a comfortable body image and to raise awareness of cyclists. A slideshow from the 2008 ride is available at the Riverfront Times. (Note: Images on the site may not be appropriate for children or the workplace.)

If you're into scavenger hunts, the Urban Assault Ride on Sunday, Aug. 16, is for you! New Belgium Brewing is behind the ride, which requires teams of cyclists to take on physical and mental obstacles at checkpoints along the route. The ride begins at 9 a.m. in Forest Park, and proceeds will be used to benefit Trailnet and BicycleWORKS.

Also, Trailnet is doing its I Scream for Ice Cream Ride on Aug. 16 out of The Cyclery and Fitness Center, 2572 Troy Road in Edwardsville. Registration is from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and the routes of 22, 34 or 43 miles include a stop at Annie's Frozen Custard in Edwardsville. And as we all know, ice cream is the rocket fuel of cycling!

The following weekend is a big one for charity rides. On Saturday, Aug. 22, the 15th Operational Weather Squadron at Scott Air Force Base is putting on Miles for Marty, a benefit in honor of Master Sgt. Edward Martin, who suffered a massive stroke while on duty in 2006. Money from the ride will go to the Disabled Amercan Veterans. Routes of 6.5 miles on the base that can be repeated and a 30-mile route from the base to Freeburg and back are available.

Also on Aug 22, the Missouri Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America will hold the WolfRide 2009 at Bolm-Schuhcraft Park in Columbia, Ill. Routes of 50 and 100 miles are available, and the $45 registration includes food, entertainment and free massages after the ride.

For those of you who want to start riding at the crack of dawn, the Illinois Center for Autism in Fairview Heights is planning the Bike at Dawn ride on Sunday, Aug. 23. Cyclists will start registering at 5 a.m. at the Illinois Center for Autism, near Longacre Park in Fairview Heights, and take off at 6 a.m. on routes of 8 and 15 miles.

Summer festivals are a big part of the lifeblood of Southwestern Illinois Catholics, and one of the region's biggest church festivals is the Kirchenfest, the annual celebration at St. Paul Catholic Church in Highland. This year's Kirchenfest will include the first-ever KirchenRide, which will include routes of 17 and 40 miles in the rural countryside around Highland. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Aug. 23 with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.

The climax -- at least in terms of numbers -- of the St. Louis cycling calendar is the 45th annual Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 28-29 in downtown St. Louis. The ride routinely draws more than 10,000 riders, who take off on the streets of St. Louis shortly after midnight Sunday. Proceeds from the ride benefit the Gateway Council of Hostelling International.

No excuses! Get out and ride!

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 1 comments 11:21 PM

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Section of St. Louis Riverfront Trail to close

A short segment of the Riverfront Trail at Maline Creek will be closed for repairs for about 45 days starting sometime in early August, requiring riders to find alternative routes around the construction, which includes city of St. Louis streets.

Click on the image to download a map from the Great Rivers Greenway District.

The Maline Creek location is about 7 miles north of Biddle Street parking lot for the Riverfront Trail and about 4 miles south from the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

The rest of the 11-mile Riverfront Trail remains open and is not affected by the construction. For questions or concerns about the closure, please call Grace Hill of AmeriCorps at 314-584-6703.

A tip of the helmet to St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation Executive Director Patty Vinyard for speading the word. Patty says the trail is open for the time being, but she says the closing is imminent as soon as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases a work order.

Labels: St. Louis, trails

Roger 0 comments 10:52 AM

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Speeding cyclists, beware!

If you're a cyclist who likes to ride fast on the 8-mile trail in Creve Coeur County Park in west St. Louis County near Maryland Heights, Mo., you may be facing a ticket and a fine.

KSDK-TV, Channel 5, in St. Louis reported today that starting next week, speeding cyclists could get a ticket, be fined up to $1,000 and may get time in the county jail.

"If I see you traveling at a high rate of speed and you're passing people, not being considerate of others and causing almost collisions, you can get a ticket and possibly go to jail for it," Park Ranger Keith Kaiser told KSDK.

A series of complaints and accidents have led to the crackdown, Kaiser said. This week, bicylists are receiving citizen complaint alerts about the fines for speeding.

Some bike trails have speed limits, but the KSDK report doesn't say whether the Creve Coeur trail has a speed limit.

One bicyclist, Ruth Marner, says there has been increasing resentment.

"People don't want us on the roads. They swear at us when we're on the roads and then they don't like us on the trails so I think we need to compromise and be courteous," she told KSDK.

Labels: advocacy, safety, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 7:29 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

Saturday, June 06, 2009

"Spoked!": An art show for bicycle fans

The Soulard Art Market and Contemporary Gallery is calling for submissions to “Spoked!” a juried exhibition of local artists. Exhibition runs from Sept., 4 through October 2. S.A.M. is looking to represent a select group of artists in our Contemporary Art Gallery, to exhibit alongside our 15 resident artists.

Here's what the gallery has to say about the event: "In conjunction with the Tour of Missouri, which is a world-class cycling event, we are proud to announce our exhibition “Spoked”. We are seeking artworks that feature bicycling as a theme for inclusion in our show. Our gallery is on the race route, and we have special hours and events planned that are sure to draw a crowd. The eyes of the world will be looking our way and we’re gearing up for the liveliest show this town has seen. Get crankin’!"

The gallery looking for any medium of artwork (painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry) that in any way features bikes or cycling. There is no submission fee, and full details can be found at the event's Web site.

Artists are being asked to consider donating bicycle-themed artwork to a charity silent auction. All proceeds will go directly to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi program which assists children of incarcerated parents. Each artist who donates an artwork valued greater than $100 to the auction will have his name entered into a drawing to receive 2 tickets (value $500) to the Tour of Missouri Gala, a black tie affair presenting the best 125 cyclists from around the world. The auction as well as the gala will be held on Sept. 6 at the City Museum.

The gallery is located 2028 S. 12th St. in St. Louis and is on the course for Stage 1 of the Tour of Missouri on Labor Day (Sept. 7).

At left is a piece I'm considering entering in the contest. It's called "Night Ride, Without Lights, in Southern Illinois." Click on the image to see a more detailed view! The inspiration for this piece is the piece "Midnight on the Ocean" featured in The Three Stooges film "Pop Goes the Easel."

I'm sure you can do better!

Labels: art, bicycling, St. Louis, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments 12:11 PM

Free ride ... and free food!

Very early in my journalism career, I learned the importance of the adage "free food is good food."

This Sunday, you can get free food and a free bicycle ride!

The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, in partnership with the Gateway Council of Hostelling International, will be putting on the Bike the Bridges ride. The ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at the top level of the Gateway Arch Parking Garage in downtown St. Louis.

You can do a 4.5-mile ride across the nearby Eads Bridge, a 8-mile ride across the McKinley Bridge or a 26-mile ride across the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Starting at 10 a.m., light refreshments will be served at the parking garage. You may be wondering who's paying for the ride and the free food. Well, it's the Great Rivers Greenway District, which provided a grant for the event.

At 8 a.m., a League of American Bicyclists instructor will be giving a Confident Bike Riding workshop at the parking garage.

Labels: bicycle rides, St. Louis, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 1 comments 11:54 AM

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Around the horn ... again

Here's a few items that might be of interest to St. Louis-area bicyclists:

Another bicycle-pedestrian crossing at Forest Park: As part of the reconstruction of Interstate 64-U.S. 40 in St. Louis, a new bicycle-pedestrian tunnel is linking linking Oakland Avenue to Forest Park. The tunnel replaces an older tunnel with sharp turns that had to be removed because of the reconstruction project.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the tunnel is not completely finished, but it's done enough that bicyclists and pedestrian can use the tunnel.

Bike trial proposal gets opposition: The Green Rivers Greenway District is seeking to build a $2 million, 2.6-mile trail from Greensfelder Park in University City to Shaw Park in Clayton. But it seems the project is being opposed by some people in the upscale suburb of Ladue.

The folks like the idea of bike paths, but they don't like the idea of the trail becoming a thoroughfare for bicyclists and pedestrians. You can see a video at KMOV-TV.

Before rejecting the trail out of hand, I would recommend opponents talk to people and businesses along the Katy Trail and the Madison County Trail system to get both sides of the story.

Tour of Missouri field gets a boost: Following the announcement of No. 1-ranked Quickstep’s participation recently, the current world No. 2-ranked team, Saxo Bank of Denmark, has been announced for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for Sept. 7-13, according to a press release from the Tour.

The addition of Saxo Bank, which is led by superstars Fabian Cancellara (Olympic and world champion time trialist) of Switzerland; brothers Frank and Andy Schleck (winner of last weekend’s Leige-Bastogne-Leige) of Luxembourg and Germany’s Jens Voigt, will mark the seventh entrant expected to line up at the 2009 Tour de France this summer. It will mark Saxo Bank’s first time racing at the Tour of Missouri.

Meanwhile, tour directors are seeking volunteers for the event. You can sign up for a wide range of jobs online.

Labels: St. Louis, Tour of Missouri, trails

Roger 1 comments 11:51 PM

Thursday, April 23, 2009

New Forest Park bike trail tunnel

For many, many years, cyclists and runners who used the 7.5-mile Forest Park Bike Trail in St. Louis had to navigate a hazardous intersection at Hampton Avenue to travel around the city's crown jewel park.

Those days are over. As part of the Interstate 64/U.S. 40 reconstruction project, a tunnel has been built so cyclists and runners can go beneath Hampton Avenue. The tunnel opened Tuesday, St. Louis Post-Dispatch transportation writer Elisa Crouch wrote in her Along for the Ride blog. You can see a photo of the tunnel there.

Labels: St. Louis, trails

Roger 1 comments 12:04 AM