Recap of Bike Education classes in Pagedale

Aug 11, 2014

Trailnet offers a variety of bike education programs, ranging from half-day Bike Smart classes that familiarize participants with bike handling and safe riding practices, to multi-session Earn-2-Bikes classes. Earn-2-Bikes participants learn about bike maintenance, how to ride safely, and leave the class with a brand new bike of their own. The most recent Earn-2-Bikes class was held on Saturday mornings at the Pink House in Pagedale. The class began with eight participants, ranging in age from fifteen to fifty-four; over the course of the four sessions, many other community members stopped in, eager to see what was happening in the classes. Taught by Trailnet’s Rachel Sleeman, the class began with an introduction to the parts of a bicycle and the proper use of basic bike tools. Thanks to this session, students learned bike maintenance skills (like how to change a flat tire) and also how to communicate problems to a professional bike mechanic.

Trailnet’s bicycle education programs emphasize bike safety and encourage the use of a bike as a mode of transportation. The Pink House participants became familiar with Missouri traffic laws that apply to cyclists, and learned techniques and skills essential for riding safely on roads. The classes also covered information useful for bike commuters, and gear and clothing that help to make bike commuting easier and more comfortable. The course also covered ways to combine cycling and public transit to get around town more easily.

Students received their own multitools and patch kits and were all individually fitted with a new bicycle helmet. On the last session of the class, each participant received a new bicycle and bike lock, purchased from the Ferguson Bicycle Shop. Gerry Noll, the owner of the shop, stopped by to meet the participants, confirmed measurements to make sure that all of the bikes fit properly, and explained the free tune-ups that he provides for bikes purchased from the shop.

Mr. Curtis Lomax, one of the class participants, has been supportive of the Pink House since it opened in 2011. In talking with Pink House’s Regina Martinez, Mr. Lomax described the Earn-2-Bikes class as “Amazing…I thought we would get used bikes. But they were brand new, measured to fit.”

Trailnet thanks Beyond Housing and the Trio Foundation for support of our bike education programs, and Rebuild Foundation’s support of the Pink House. Special thanks to Rebuild Foundation’s Regina Martinez for photos.

For more information about Trailnet’s bicycle education programs and upcoming class offerings, click here.

North of Old North Bicycle Tour

Tags: Bicycling, City of St. Louis, Community Rides

Jul 30, 2014

Fifty cyclists congregated on Saturday at the Old North St.

Harold describing one of the carefully restored houses in Old North St. Louis

Louis Restoration Group

in Crown Square (formerly the 14^th Street pedestrian mall) to take part in Trailnet’s North of Old North Bicycle Tour. The area was bustling with activity as local shops and cafes opened, a Girl Scout troop gathered for their meeting, and vendors set up for the North City Farmer’s Market.

The ten-mile bicycle tour was lead by local treasure Harold Karabell, who wound his way through the neighborhoods of Old North St. Louis, Hyde Park, and College Hill. At regular stops, Harold shared his wealth of knowledge about the rich historical heritage of the area and the many architectural gems that grace the neighborhoods. A number of the riders had grown up or had family connections in the area and added their own remembrances and stories.

One of Old North’s earliest homes

Some of the highlights of the tour included visits to the Bissell Mansion (St. Louis’ oldest house), Hyde Park, the interior of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and one of the iconic North Grand Water Towers. The tour also featured visits to some of St. Louis’ important commercial enterprises – the site of the Hyde Park Brewery and the old Krey meatpacking plant.

Matt LaBerta and sons to the rescue

Special thanks to Cornerstone Café and Sun Café and Market, who provided cold water to riders as the temperatures rose into the 90s, and to LaBerta and Sons Cycles for providing super sag support.

Harold will be leading Trailnet’s Old Frenchtown Bicycle Tour on August 23 that will ride through the Soulard and LaSalle Park neighborhoods – also sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway District. Don’t miss the chance to visit these lovely areas and learn about their fascinating histories and architecture.