The community arts space known as “The Pink House” really is pink and is a hive of activity welcoming Pagedale residents of all ages to participate in a variety of activities. On five recent Friday evenings, it became the site of a Trailnet Spokes for Folks class. On each of those nights, bike parts and tools, air pumps and tubes could be found sprinkled on the lawn of the little house as fourteen class members learned about the anatomy of a bike, how to make basic repairs, rules of the road for bicyclists, and strategies for safely navigating city streets.
By successfully completing the class, each student received a brand new bicycle from the Ferguson Bicycle Shop, individually-fitted and with life-time free tune-ups courtesy of owner Gerry Noll. Participants also received a properly-fitted helmet, a bike lock, tools and patch kit, and front and rear blinking lights.
The new bicycles arrived on Friday, August 7, and most of the students hopped on and took a spin on the St. Vincent Greenway with a Trailnet instructor. Two novice cyclists stayed back with a Trailnet staff member and veteran resident cyclist Curtis Lomax, who helped the newcomers get a feel for rolling on two wheels.
Curtis Lomax is “looking forward to more adventures with Trailnet!”
When asked what plans they had for using their new bikes, participants, who ranged in age from 13 to 64, gave a variety of responses: “I want to bike with my kids, and use it to go to the grocery store – it will be more fun than taking the bus.” “I don’t have a car and I don’t see myself getting one soon. I’ll be going to college next year and can use it to ride to class.” “I need it to motivate me to move my body.” All of the new bike owners clearly look forward to the benefits of bicycling as a means of transportation, as a way of increasing fitness, and a source of sharing fun with friends and family. Participant Leonard Dixon summed it all up with his comment “Ride to live; live to ride!”
Trailnet thanks all of the “Spokes” folks for their enthusiastic participation and wishes them many miles of safe and fun riding. Thanks also to Gerry Noll of the Ferguson Bicycle Shop for custom fitting the bikes and to Gina Martinez, Director of the Pink House, for her weekly warm welcome. Trailnet’s adult bike education programs are funded by Beyond Housing, the Trio Foundation, and Cardinals Care. For information about the September 19 Spokes for Folks class, contact Taylor March at taylor@trailnet.org. To learn more about Trailnet’s bicycle education programs, click here.
Hitting the Trail – St. Louis Torchbearers Camp Sun Splash
Camp Sun Splash kids arrived at Fairground Park on a sunny July morning to find racks filled with bicycles waiting for eager riders. Each of the 39 campers were fitted with a bike helmet, and received a primer on bike safety. The smooth, level bike trail that circles the park lake was a perfect place for the novice riders to try out their bike handling skills.
Two days later, Trailnet met the group at the Whistle Stop Depot in Ferguson for an introduction to Great Rivers Greenway’s extensive trail system. Donning their helmets and safety vests, the riders wound their way through Ferguson’s business district to the start of the Ted Jones Trail. As they pedaled along the quiet, shady trail, the kids pointed out the many feathered residents of the woods lining the path. The group continued onto the St. Vincent Greenway, making their way through the gentle hills of UMSL’s campus to St. Vincent County Park where they enjoyed cooling off at the water park.
Trailnet’s Camp Sun Splash participation was supported by Great Rivers Greenway. St. Louis Bicycle Works loaned bicycles for the two-day adventure, and bicycle patrol officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department helped to shepherd the campers through Fairground Park. The Whistle Stop Depot provided restroom services for a long line of campers. Trailnet is grateful to all of these folks for their generosity and for helping to make a bicycling experience possible for the Sun Splash campers.
Gear up for the September Challenge!
Cool weather and fall colors will be coming soon and with them, the September Challenge. Ride your bike to work, walk, or take public transit and log your car-free miles on Shift Your Commute. This free, web-based program will automatically calculate calories burned and carbon emissions saved. Every trip makes a difference – for your health, for the environment, and for regional planning. Trailnet uses data generated from Shift Your Commute to plan projects that improve opportunities for active transportation throughout the region. Stay tuned for info about prizes awarded for individuals and teams who log the most car-free miles during the month of September.
Proudly sponsored by:
Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
Trailnet, with support from Great Rivers Greenway, is participating in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project for the fourth consecutive September. As we continue to collect data each year, we will be able to show changes in bicycling and pedestrian activity. This information is essential for planning and infrastructure projects that will help to make St. Louis a better place to live. With volunteer support last year, we counted over 4,000 bicyclists and pedestrians at 75 locations throughout the St. Louis region.
Want to help with this important project? Click here for details. To sign up, click here.
Volunteers will be eligible to win four Cardinals Tickets! They’re great seats too—in the home field box, section 151, row 10.
Lucky’s Ride: Registration Now Open!
Trailnet’s Lucky’s Ride puts you on some of the most scenic sections of the Katy Trail. The three-day cycling and camping adventure starts with a kickoff celebration at the Lucky’s in Ellisville. From there, participants hop on our bus to the Lucky’s Market in Columbia. From Columbia, we’re in for all sorts of fun, music, food, and camping.
If that’s not enough to get you in the saddle for a few days, this event is your opportunity to raise money for educating local youth on the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle. Sharing Trailnet’s devotion to building vibrant, healthy, and active communities, Lucky’s Market has committed to support Trailnet’s Youth Programming, matching rider contributions dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $10,000.
Let’s get this campaign rolling and see if we can make it to $10,000 before the start of the ride!
Click here for details about this great adventure.
Trailnet to offer League of American Bicyclists Instructor Seminar
The League of American Bicyclists is a national organization that advocates for bicyclists in a variety of ways. To further their work, they offer training seminars that certify individuals as League Cycling Instructors (LCIs). If you would like to learn more about Missouri bicycle laws, basic bike maintenance, and safe riding skills, this seminar can help to improve your own biking experience, and more importantly, make you a valuable resource for other bicyclists. Trailnet is hosting a League Cycling Instructor seminar on October 16-18. After completing this training and receiving your LCI certification, you will be eligible to teach bike education classes in your community. Click here for details about the seminar. E-mail or call Ginny McDonald at ginny@trailnet.org or 314-436-1324 ext.131 for more information.
Spring Earn A Bike Class
Richard Palk will use his new wheels to commute to work in downtown St. Louis
The Pink House, a Community Arts Space in Pagedale, was the site of our most recent Earn a Bike class. Six students, ranging in age from thirteen to twenty-nine, met on Friday evenings from March 20th through April 10th. During the five week program, they learned about bike tools and clothing, basic maintenance and Missouri bicycle laws. Students gained practical experience in shifting gears, using their brakes properly and riding safely and confidently on city streets. By going through the program, each student earned a brand new bicycle from the Ferguson Bicycle Shop, individually-fitted and with life-time free tune-ups. Students also received a lock, helmet, and a blinking rear light.
Prior to taking the class, all of the students relied upon public transit or walking to get where they needed to go. Three of the six students will be using their bicycles to get to school; the other three class members will be using their bicycles to commute to their jobs.
On the last evening of class, students and instructors rode on neighborhood streets to the St. Vincent Greenway, a great place to celebrate their new wheels. On the night he received his bicycle, class participant Jay Mitchell rode his bike from Pagedale through downtown to the riverfront and back. He said he was having such a great time that he completely lost track of time, and before he knew it the sun was starting to rise.
Pink House Director, Gina Martinez, reports that she often sees Earn a Bike graduates pass by on their bikes en route to work or school.Trailnet thanks all of the students for their enthusiastic participation and wishes them many miles of safe and fun riding. Thanks also to Gerry Noll of the Ferguson Bike Shop for custom fitting the bikes. Trailnet’s bike education programs are funded byBeyond Housing and the Trio Foundation. For more information about Trailnet’s bicycle education programs and upcoming class offerings, click here.
Safety is the priority for alternative transit in St. Louis
Trailnet, Missouri Department of Transportation, and Bi-State Development Agency advocate “Safe Roads for All” during National Bike to Work Day
Trailnet celebrated the St. Louis region’s 10th annual Bike to Work Day Friday, May 15. Sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway, Missouri American Water, and Saint Louis Bread Co., the event drew more than 560 cyclists dedicated to making biking a way of life in St. Louis. Sponsors, volunteers, and Trailnet staff hosted refueling stations throughout the area, offering coffee and bagels to all bike commuters. Bike to Work Day helps to build a sense of community, promotes environmentally-friendly modes of travel, and inspires people to maintain healthy, active lifestyles.
Maggie Crane, communications director for the Office of Mayor Francis Slay, drew applause from the audience when she announced St. Louis will include its first bike and pedestrian coordinator position in the city’s 2015-2016 budget. This is one step required to boost the region’s overall bike friendliness ranking, as evaluated by the League of American Bicyclists.
Ralph Pfremmer, Trailnet’s executive director, stressed the importance of installing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to improve the health of local communities as well as the environment. “For the future, it’s critical that the expansion of well-designed bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure continue,” Pfremmer said. “By increasing safe and pleasant opportunities for walking and biking, we will build the confidence of our users and improve public health and the environment. These assets of our community will most certainly attract and retain talented young people and entrepreneurs, adding to the vitality and economic prosperity of our region.
Five of Trailnet’s 2015 BFC rides included century routes. In addition, there were five opportunities for century routes on our non-profit partner rides. Below are lists of riders who completed centuries for each of these events:
For information about the Century Club, click here.
Forty tweed-clad bicyclists rode through the neighborhoods surrounding Tower Grove Park on Saturday morning, enjoying spring blooms and several of the architectural gems that grace the area.
The tour wound its way through Tower Grove Park, visiting the Christopher Columbus statue (one of few examples in the world of the explorer sporting a beard), and the stone ruins salvaged from the Lindell Hotel that sit at the edge of the park’s central pond.
The ride ended at The London Tea Room, where many members of the group enjoyed Afternoon Tea and lunch (don’t miss their tomato soup and croissants).
Many thanks to LaBerta and Sons Cycles for providing eco-SAG support, to Michael Allen for choosing our destinations and sharing his seemingly limitless knowledge of the area, and to Mark Axe and Peter Wollenberg for the great photographs. Trailnet thanks The London Tea Room not only for providing delicious food and a variety of fancy teas to riders, but also for donating part of the proceeds from their sales to Trailnet.
By successfully completing the class, each student received a brand new bicycle from the Ferguson Bicycle Shop, individually-fitted and with life-time free tune-ups courtesy of owner Gerry Noll. Participants also received a properly-fitted helmet, a bike lock, tools and patch kit, and front and rear blinking lights.
The new bicycles arrived on Friday, August 7, and most of the students hopped on and took a spin on the St. Vincent Greenway with a Trailnet instructor. Two novice cyclists stayed back with a Trailnet staff member and veteran resident cyclist Curtis Lomax, who helped the newcomers get a feel for rolling on two wheels.
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