Properly fitted helmets are strongly recommended and are required by law in some of the communities in which we ride. Please bring at least one full water bottle or hydration pack. Additional items that are helpful and easily stowed in a jersey pocket or seat bag are a spare tube, a set of tire levers, and a small pump or CO2 cartridge. Tire changing tools and a multi-tool that fits your bike come in handy and can get you back on the ride without waiting for a SAG vehicle. However, you may take our rides without any special equipment; just be sure your bike is in safe working order. Trailers and trail-a-bikes for kids are welcome, but please, no training wheels.
SAG
Trailnet SAG (Support and Gear) vans cruise the routes until 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Vans are equipped with basic first aid, hydration, nutrition, and tools for minor repairs. Phone 314.913.BIKE (2453) if you need assistance.
Maps and Arrows
Maps are offered at ride registration and show route options, towns, attractions, and rest stops. Look for the pink arrows and dots on the pavement to show you which way to go. Maps are not available ahead of time. Map preparation is time-intensive and our maps are created for an event experience. ROUTES BFC rides are predominantly on roads; prepare to share with motorized traffic. Most rides start on the short route and the longer routes branch out from there. The longest route is designed for experienced riders and may have more hills or be routed on more heavily trafficked roads.
Terrain
Flat – very few small hills
Rolling – frequent small hills
Moderate – a mix of hills, just a few steep
Big – some hills over 150 feet
Very hilly – many hills over 150 feet
Registration
Preregistration is available online at trailnet.org or you can register at the starting location on the day of most BFC rides (exceptions are noted). Online registration closes two days prior to the ride. Preregistered riders need to check in at the ride start to get their map and wrist band. Advanced registration for the Ride the Rivers Century Ride is recommended.
Wrist Bands
Wrist bands will be distributed to all registered riders and will be checked throughout the ride at rest stops and by SAG drivers. Riders without wristbands using the rest stop or seeking assistance during the ride will be charged $20.
Price
Online registration price for most rides is $8 for Trailnet members and $13 for nonmembers. Day of ride price for most rides is $10 for Trailnet members and $15 for nonmembers. Children under 10 riding with an adult are $3. Visit participating bike shop sponsors for a free coupon good for $3 off the ride. Coupons are limited, available beginning March 10 and while supplies last.
Group Rides
Before most BFC rides there is a “no-drop” group ride on the short route that starts at 8:30 a.m.
Thank you to all of our volunteers – the stars of this campaign.
[AFG_gallery id=’2′]
This campaign was made possible by funds from the Federal Highway Administration through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Bike Index Registry – St. Louis Pilot
The Bike Index was started in Chicago in 2013 by a group of bike shop employees and bicycle lovers frustrated by the prevalence of bike theft. They regularly saw people trying to sell stolen bikes, and would search for the bikes online—but it was too difficult to find definitive information about them because too few people save their serial numbers.
So they built the Bike Index platform, a voluntary, easy to use registration system that will eventually house bike serial numbers from across the nation. The team launched a successful Kickstarter to hire a full time programmer and connect with pilot cities.
After a year of work, the Bike Index now does what no other registry does: it provides a way to verify used bike sales, offers a comprehensive search, and reaches bicyclists who don’t know that registration is possible.
Trailnet applied for St. Louis to be a pilot city after discussions with Mayor Slay and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The Bike Index was impressed by the level of cooperation and selected St. Louis as the first pilot. From founder Seth Herr, “The fine leaders at Trailnet have made the process of connecting with the city as smooth as a finely-tuned bicycle.”
Trailnet is now an official Bike Index Partner which allows you to register your bike for free:
If you've been watching Trailnet’s Facebook posts you have seen that we have set our 2014 Ride the Rivers Century date. In 2014 the ride will be almost a full month earlier than it was in 2013. The date is Sunday, September 21, 2014.
The location of the ride has also changed. Beautiful Pere Marquette Park is our new start location. For those of you who may be interested in staying in a hotel room or cabin at Pere Marquette we have some information for you.
We were told on January 31 that all of their available rooms are booked for Friday, September 19 and Sunday, September 21. Obviously, their rooms sell out fast and far in advance. We were told that they had 61 available rooms (including cabin rooms) for Saturday, September 20. The rate is $149 per night. They told us they will “absolutely” sell that date out, probably within the next week.
Click here to go to Pere Marquette’s website. Their phone number is 618.786.2331. Camping may be an alternative there if you’d like to discuss that with them.
Other hotel options in the Grafton area are the Rubel Hotel, 618.786.2315 and the Grafton Inn, 618.786.2222.
Hotel options in the Alton area are the Super 8 Alton, 618.465.8885; the Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel, 618.433.9900; the Holiday Inn Alton, 800.465.4329; and the Comfort Inn, 618.465.9999.
Click here to see the event on our Ride the Rivers Century Facebook page.
If you haven't “liked” that page yet, you may want to so that you'll receive updates about the ride as soon as we post them.
Our 2014 Calendar of Rides will be available at our Beans, Bikes & Brews party on March 8 and in our members' mailboxes around March 10.
Please contact Steve at steve@trailnet.org or 314.436.1324 x 138 if you have any questions at all.
Shift Your Commute: Listen the Stories of Commuters
Complete Streets passed in St. Louis County last night, setting the vision to create connected streets that allow all people, regardless of age or ability, to travel safely to their destination.
The bill allows the County Departments of Planning, Parks and Recreation, and Health to have input into the transportation system that connects children to schools, people to parks, and neighborhoods to services. It also allows municipal leaders and stakeholder groups to participate in setting goals and priorities for the region.
To see a copy of the Complete Streets bill that was passed in St. Louis County on Tuesday, January 21, click here.
Trailnet staff put in countless hours (and a lot of blood, sweat and tears) to get this policy passed. This work is supported solely by member donations. Please donate now to help us continue this work to create a more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly St. Louis region.
Councilman Dolan was tireless in his pursuit of a bill that would work for all the stakeholder organizations, and deserves our thanks. Councilman Stenger co-sponsored the bill early on, putting his support behind Complete Streets. The final vote was six in favor and none against, with one Council member abstaining.
Thank you, as always, for your support. We can’t wait to see you out on the streets and trails in our great communities.
Ann Rivers Mack
Chief Executive Officer
2014 Bike Expo and Swap stats
We had about 1800 guests this year checking out the booths and gear of 95 vendors from 9 states. Fox 2 Now and KSDK were both on-site, covering the event. We awarded 24 attendance prizes including a $100 gift certificate from Bike Surgeon.
New this year were fashion shows, clinics, a Kids Corner and bounce house, a climbing wall, and shuttles to and from the closest MetroLink stop. All of these new additions were great successes. We rented the entire Gateway Center – 40,000 square feet – for the first time and are already planning on how to maximize the entire space again for the 2015 Bike Expo and Swap, next January 25.
Ferguson, Clayton, and St. Louis City all have Complete Streets policies in place, and are working to improve accessibility as opportunities present themselves – without additional funding.
St. Louis County’s 2013 Strategic Plan calls for a Complete Streets ordinance to be adopted as one part of a multi-prong approach to enhance mobility and connectivity.
In 2010, MoDOT public opinion polling found that 53% of Missourians agree with the statement, “Up to 25% of each project’s funds should be spent to add bicycle/pedestrian facilities at the expense of other projects. The newly released 2013 survey from the National Association of Realtors shows support of the general public as well:
A neighborhood with a mix of houses, stores and businesses that are easy to walk to is preferred over a neighborhood with houses only that requires driving to stores and businesses (60 percent to 35 percent).
There is a wider divide among those who have moved in the last three years or are planning to move in the next three years. Recent movers prefer the walkable community by 20 points (58 to 38 percent), almost identical to the walkable community preference expressed by those who plan to move in the next three years (+18 points, 57 to 39 percent).
Privacy from neighbors remains at the top (86 percent important), along with sidewalks and places to take walks (80 percent important) and high quality public schools (74 percent important).
There is also a need for more safe routes for riding bikes to work and shopping. Almost half (48 percent) say there is too little safe bike routes, compared to 41 percent who say there is the right amount.
We will keep you informed on the progress of this important legislation. Thank you for your interest and support in making St. Louis a better place to live, work, and play.
Bike Count Data
Thank you to our volunteers who helped us count cyclists and pedestrians at 103 locations throughout the St. Louis Metro region this past September. Collecting such extensive data can be a real challenge, and it would not have been possible without them. We have summited the data to the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project.
Despite the dangerously high temperatures, significant increases were observed at several locations.
