On June 21, Trailnet hosted our first ever bicycle-powered bakery tour, “Bakeries on the Rise.” The day was slightly overcast, offering a reprieve from the hot summer sun, with a slight breeze all morning. Conditions were prime for a ride– and 94 people (!) of all ages came out for this 8-mile South City ride.
We began our quest for pastries at Whisk: A Sustainable Bake Shop. Owner and baker extraordinaire Kaylen Wissinger offered up some cookie samples, as well as a little history on her Cherokee Street storefront. We then made our way through Dutchtown, across Grand, and into the South Town neighborhood to visit the Companion Earlybird Outlet. Only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, this hidden gem is a great place for anyone on a budget who wants top-notch breads and pastries. From here we crested a great BIG hill (whew!) into the Tower Grove South neighborhood and then turned into Tower Grove East, where we visited the brand new Grove East Provisions and Red Fox Baking and Catering. Proprietor Barry Kinder told us all about the process behind building a wood-fired brick oven, and how Red Fox and Grove East Provisions came to enter a neighborhood cornershop partnership. Our final stop took us back to Cherokee Street, where we paid a visit to Black Bear Bakery, which is operated as a cooperative establishment.
Many riders said that we visited places they had either never heard of, or had been meaning to try for some time. We saw bike baskets and panniers filled with loaves of bread, bagels, and sweets to take home, and heard plenty of riders saying they will be back to visit these local businesses again soon!
Thank you to Great Rivers Greenway District and Enterprise Holdings Foundation who provided funding for this ride, and to everyone who came out, supported local business, and learned some new bicycling routes through the city. Special thanks also to the participating bakeries who welcomed our riders with great service and plenty of delicious treats to choose from. Life is sweet when you’re two-wheeled in St. Louis!
About 400 cyclists lucked out with a beautiful day for a bike ride. The temperature started off in the low 50s with clear blue skies and no wind. As a pre-ride warm-up, cyclists enjoyed Mississippi Mud coffee brewed and provided by Sacred Grounds in Edwardsville. Biking on roads that were once part of old Highway 66 and on sections of the Madison County Trails, cyclists viewed many original iconic Route 66 buildings. Cyclists on the long route had the opportunity to visit the Mother Jones Monument and a rest stop at the historic Soulsby’s Shell Station in Mount Olive. After the ride, the annual Route 66 Festival was just a short walk away in the Edwardsville City Park.
Funded, in part, by The Great Rivers Greenway District
Sunday, June 15, 2014
This year’s city tour was scheduled on Father’s Day at the request of our Bike Shop sponsor, South Side Cyclery. This year the updated route took riders on a bi-state sojourn crossing into Illinois on the Eads Bridge and back into Missouri on the McKinley Bridge. Of the 150+ cyclists, many had never ridden on either bridge. Once in Illinois cyclists were routed into the oldest African American incorporated town in the US, Brooklyn. Another new treat for this year’s Bike St. Louis City Tour was a private ride through Bellefontaine Cemetery. Cyclists entered the cemetery through the Amaranth Gate (closed to public) and were greeted by a group of volunteers who shared insider information on some of the highlights.
Leaving the cemetery, the first rest stop was at “Mr. Bumpy Face,” St. Louis’ velodrome. If desired, riders could do laps on the track. The rest stop was staffed with great snacks from our friends at Bike MS. From there, cyclists toured some of the beautiful old homes of North City, the commerce of Euclid Avenue, and a trip around the Cathedral Basilica. Cyclists continued on the routes as they split with the long and medium routes going through Forest Park, stopping at Parker’s Table for rest and recharge. The long route then continued south through Tower Grove and Carondelet Parks before finishing. The short route visited Lafayette Park while the medium cruised Cherokee before returning.
Returning cyclists were treated to flagship brews from Urban Chestnut- Zwickel and Winged Nut- along with Gus’ Pretzels and Roger’s Hot Diggity Dogs.
It was a great day for our second Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club Ride.
The day dawned clear and bright. It was just cool enough to start with a light jacket. Riders were lining up just a few minutes past 7:00 to register. The bike shop sponsor, Bike Stop Café was crowded with riders eating some of their delicious breakfast items.
Ride registration began at 7:25 and continued until about 9:45. After leaving St. Charles and heading into the country all routes were completely flat. Riders on the long and medium routes had their first stop at the South Shore Marina where volunteers from the American Diabetes Society (Tour de Cure) were on hand with snacks and drinks. South Shore gave riders a cool place to relax and watch the Mississippi roll by before continuing their journey. The next stop was at the Mississippi River Trading Post in Portage des Souix, which provided riders with food and beverages for purchase. The final stop and the first stop for the short route was the former town of Black Walnut. a former water stop on the Katy Railroad and now a trailhead for the Katy Trail. The stop was staffed by the great volunteers from Bike MS who had cold drinks and snacks in addition to the water and bananas and cookies supplied by Trailnet.
Riders finished their ride with a great party hosted by Bike Stop Café. They created a build your own chili dog station, had cold soft drinks and music by two bands.
Due to the fantastic weather, the flat course, and great after party, we had record turnout of 400+ riders! These riders were exposed to beautiful aspects of Missouri nature, potentially new local businesses, and a handful of our non-profit partners.
Padre’s Tent Service Available for JAM
If you’re taking the Journey Across Missouri and want to camp but don’t want the hassle of making and breaking camp every day, register with Padre’s Cycle Inn. After a long day of riding, Padre’s will provide and set up your tent, mattress, camp chair and towel service – all of the luxuries of home without any of the work. This option is available for all 3- and 6-day riders. Click here for more information and to sign up. Sign up NOW for a special deal: the first 10 tents that are reserved will get Monday night FREE! Sign up by May 30 and get $30 off Padre’s regular price. NOTE: Padre’s requires a minimum number of participants to provide this service – sign up now so that we can ensure that this option is available.
May 4 Bottom Out Bicycle Ride Parking
For the May 4 Bottom Out Bicycle Ride, there will be parking next to Bike Stop Cafe and on Riverside St. When that fills up there is plenty of parking in the Lewis and Clark Boathouse across Riverside. The entrance is just south of Bike Stop Cafe. This will also be convenient for the after ride party since that will be in Frontier Park at the south pavilion.
Trail Through Time Community Ride Recap
Forty-five cyclists and walkers participated in the April 26, 2014 “Trail Through Time Bicycle and Walking Tour of Father Dickson Cemetery.” The walk and ride began at the U.S. Grant National Historic Site on Grant’s Trail. Twenty-five cyclists headed north on the trail to the Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, where participants could view a display about Father Dickson’s Cemetery and also engage in an activity centered on learning more about your family history.
Twenty walkers, lead by GirlTrek National Field Director Faye Paige Edwards, walked the two-mile stretch from the U.S. Grant Site to Father Dickson’s Cemetery. The cyclists and walkers met at the cemetery at 11:00 a.m. for a rousing performance by the Community Gospel Choir. Participants sang along and clapped with the choir and were greeted personally by the singers who circulated through the crowd at the end of the performance, shaking hands.
Following the gospel performance, the focus shifted to Father Dickson’s Cemetery, a historic black cemetery that has been painstakingly restored by a group of dedicated volunteers. Ernest Jordan, President of the Friends of Father Dickson’s, was on hand to answer questions, and a number of volunteers lead walking tours through the cemetery. Participants were also invited to walk through the adjacent Sappington House Museum free of charge, and The Barn Restaurant offered a 10% discount for event participants. Approximately half of the participants enjoyed lunch and desserts at the restaurant.
Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the cyclists were new to Grant’s Trail and commented on how pleasant their riding experience was. Many of the event participants were happy to learn more about local history and to be exposed to sites that were new to them. As one cyclist remarked, “I love these community rides – you don’t just ride, you visit cool places that you didn’t even know existed.” GirlTrek’s leader sent the following e-mail after the walk: “My Trekkers loved the event.” Matt LaBerta (of LaBerta and Son’s Cycles) provided sag support for the cyclists and summed up the enthusiasm for the event in his e-mail “the gospel group…gave me goose bumps. We were having such a good time that we didn’t even make it back to open the shop.”
We kicked off our Bicycle Fun Club ride season with Spring Chicken this past Sunday, April 13th.
The weather was warm early on, but the wind made this flat ride more difficult for our 152 riders.
The wind was so strong that plates of bbq chicken flew right out of our hands!
Member Perk
Back again in 2014: we are offering a five BFC ride discount. Trailnet members have the opportunity to purchase a five-ride package that can be used to pay for any of five BFC rides for the special price of $35.00 – that’s a $5.00 savings off the cost of five rides at the already-discounted member rate. Click here to view the deal.
If you’d like to become a member to take advantage of this exclusive, members only deal, click here.
Breaking News about the 2014 Ride the Rivers Century and NEW Journey Across Missouri
**We have moved our Ride the Rivers Century into September.
We have changed the start location, AND we have added a metric century option.
2014 date: Sunday, September 21
2014 start: Pere Marquette State Park
Details, routes, and prices can be found here.
Registration can be found here.
**We have added a ride across Missouri!
Trailnet’s Journey Across Missouri (JAM) will run from Tuesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 5.
Details: This is a 6-day cycling and camping adventure for those who are all in – and there are lots of shorter options too. The adventure starts at the Missouri border in KC and crosses the state on some of our most beautiful byways. Transportation options and directions are TBA and will be available soon at trailnet.org.
Find out more details about the Journey Across Missouri and register today.
Contact Steve Schmidt, Trailnet Rides Manager, if you have any questions about either of these rides.
About 400 cyclists lucked out with a beautiful day for a bike ride. The temperature started off in the low 50s with clear blue skies and no wind. As a pre-ride warm-up, cyclists enjoyed Mississippi Mud coffee brewed and provided by Sacred Grounds in Edwardsville. Biking on roads that were once part of old Highway 66 and on sections of the Madison County Trails, cyclists viewed many original iconic Route 66 buildings. Cyclists on the long route had the opportunity to visit the Mother Jones Monument and a rest stop at the historic Soulsby’s Shell Station in Mount Olive. After the ride, the annual Route 66 Festival was just a short walk away in the Edwardsville City Park.
Leaving the cemetery, the first rest stop was at “Mr. Bumpy Face,” St. Louis’ velodrome. If desired, riders could do laps on the track. The rest stop was staffed with great snacks from our friends at Bike MS. From there, cyclists toured some of the beautiful old homes of North City, the commerce of Euclid Avenue, and a trip around the Cathedral Basilica. Cyclists continued on the routes as they split with the long and medium routes going through Forest Park, stopping at Parker’s Table for rest and recharge. The long route then continued south through Tower Grove and Carondelet Parks before finishing. The short route visited Lafayette Park while the medium cruised Cherokee before returning.
