Trailnet’s 2023 Ride the Rivers Presented by SSM Health is the most unique 100-mile ride in the Midwest. Challenge yourself on Trailnet’s flagship ride while experiencing some of the most amazing landscapes the area has to offer.
The route is the experience. Starting in the early hours of the morning, your adventure will take you all over the region. You’ll ride river ferries, rolling hills, and urban trails past orchards, prairies, small towns, and larger cityscapes. At your journey’s end, arrive at a block party at The Streets of St. Charles, featuring food, drinks, and a well-earned rest. This supported ride gives you a unique chance to crush 100 miles!
Want to join in on the century fun with fewer miles? The 100km Metric Century comes in at 64 miles! You’ll ride through many of the same landscapes as the 100-mile Century while enjoying the same benefits and support. The Metric Century isn’t lacking in beauty or difficulty.
What is included with my registration?
2023 limited edition Ride the Rivers socks
Chip timing
Professional photos
Rest stops and SAG support
Ferry rides
Goody bag with Trailnet stickers, local merchant coupons, and other fine swag
Post-event celebration including live music, award-winning food trucks, Urban Chestnut beer, and post-ride chiropractic adjustments by Logan University
Take advantage of early registration now, as prices will increase on August 1st.
Schedule
Check-in begins at 5:30 a.m.
Ride start time: 7:00 a.m. for full century | 7:15 for metric century
Start location: The Streets of St. Charles | 1520 S 5th St, St Charles, MO 63303
Routes Lengths: 104 miles, 65 miles (route may change slightly due to construction at the time of marking)
Terrain: flat, rolling hills | mixed pavement
A HUGE thank you to this year’s sponsors:
SSM Health, Streets of St. Charles, Logan University, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., Pickle Juice Co., Kaldi Coffee
There is still time to join us as a sponsor! Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
Don’t wait to sign up! The best pricing is early in registration. The cost will increase the closer we get to Sept. 30th.
Trailnet Members
Trailnet members receive a $15 discount on registration.* Members must claim their account in the Trailnet Members Club on Run Sign Up to receive the discount. Instructions here. Peloton Society members can register for 50% off. Check your email for a coupon code, or email memebrship@trailnet.org for assistance. Please note that free ride membership vouchers are not valid for the Century.
Thank you. We look forward to seeing you on Sept. 30th!
*Thank you for being a Trailnet member! Trailnet is a non-profit charity, so we rely on your generosity to give back to our community. Your membership comes with free ride vouchers, which can be used for any regularly-priced Trailnet Classics ride. Ride the Rivers is our premium fundraising ride, priced to provide a higher quality ride experience than our other Classics AND to generate critical funding for our mission.
Try the Boschert Greenway with us! Family-friendly, slow, and social, all ages and abilities are welcome on this ride. Our “Try the Greenways” series of rides are intended to introduce local Great Rivers Greenways trails to folks who don’t know about or use them.
The Boschert Greenway is in St. Charles County and links the Missouri River and Katy Trail, goes through Historic Downtown St. Charles, through Fox Hill Park, and up to New Town, a planned community within the city of St. Charles. You can also connect to St. Louis County and the Missouri Greenway: Earth City Levee via a new protected walking and biking path on the 370 Discovery Bridge.
FREE. No registration is required.
Email Trailnet Bicycle Educator Sarah at sarah.heyman@trailnet.org with questions.
Bike Maintenance Class | University City Public Library
Bike Maintenance Class | University City Public Library – Join us for a basic bike maintenance course! We’ll cover: how to fix a flat, brake adjustments, shifting adjustments, fitting a bicycle, and any related topics that come up in questions from participants. We will be specifically working from the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling curriculum. The clinic will take place at University City Public Library. It will last no longer than 2 hours. With questions or to reserve your spot email sarah.heyman@trailnet.org
Spire and Trailnet Collaborate on New Bike Path at Bayless Elementary
A team of Spire volunteers constructed an all new walking and biking path on the property of Bayless Elementary School this summer!
The project was the result of a collaboration between Trailnet, Spire and Bayless Schools, funded by Spire Serves and carried out by volunteers through Spire’s Day for Good program.
The trail will connect the surrounding neighborhood with the school and provide awesome opportunities for bike education and recreation for Bayless students.
“We love opportunities like this,” said George Godat, Vice President and General Manager MoEast at Spire. “We provide opportunities for our employees to do a day of good in the community each year, and we also have dollars that we put into the community. Trailnet was able to apply for some funds from our Spire Serves program. We gave them $10,000 to provide the materials and labor, then our team came out and got to work. It was the perfect partnership for us and something we’re really excited about.”
Thanks to the Spire Team for cranking out a beautiful path that will result in years of recreation and bike education for our young neighbors!
The Giro Della Montagna (“Tour of The Hill” in Italiano) is our showcase of the City of St. Louis. Giro is less forest green and more red brick, featuring unique, bike-friendly routes through neighborhoods like St. Louis Hills, Carondolet, and the Central West End. The Giro is the perfect complement to our rural rides but with more big-city charm.
Riders will be allowed to start anytime after 6:30 am check-in but must leave before 8:00 am. If we allow riders to start later than 8:00 am, we have to keep rest stops open much later in the day which puts a strain on our amazing volunteers who have given their time to keep you hydrated and fed. They appreciate your cooperation and so do we.
Fix-a-Flat – Join us for a Fix-a-Flat course—a condensed version of our basic Bike Maintenance Clinic that focuses specifically on… fixing a flat!
Our Bicycle Educator will walk you through removing and replacing a bike tire, patching and replacing an inner tube, and a handful of other tips and tricks to get you back on two (fully inflated) wheels in no time!
No registration is required. All ages, experience levels, and abilities are welcome!
Email Trailnet Bicycle Educator Sarah at sarah.heyman@trailnet.org with questions.
Family-friendly, slow, and social, all ages and abilities are welcome on this ride. Our “Try the Greenways” series of rides are intended to introduce local Great Rivers Greenways trails to folks who don’t know about or use them.
This section of the Dardenne Greenway parallels Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County, north of Highway 64.
While it extends through a residential area and is near some commercial development, it feels rural and offers lots of green, open space to explore and enjoy.
It is part of the surrounding 80-acre Barathaven Park. Part of the greenway winds around a 15-acre lake, and along the way, you will see new wetlands that have been created to enrich the habitat of native animals and plants.
You can enjoy quiet and calming views of Dardenne Creek, stop and have lunch at a picnic table or sit on a bench to relax and breathe in the fresh air. Be sure to pay attention to the lovely native Missouri plantings that were specially selected not only for their hardiness and beauty but also to provide privacy to neighboring homes.
FREE. No registration is required.
Email Trailnet Bicycle Educator Sarah at sarah.heyman@trailnet.org with questions.
The Jewish History Ride starts at the Missouri Historical Society Research Library—the old United Hebrew Temple on Skinker Blvd—Warren Rosenblum, Professor of History at Webster University, and guides from the Missouri Historical Society will take us on a tour of Jewish History in St. Louis.
Come for the synagogues, and stay for a good schvitz!
About Trailnet Community Rides
Trailnet Community Rides are guided, slow-paced, group bike rides that explore the history and culture of the St. Louis Community.
Community Rides generally last around 3 hours. There are no staffed rest stops on these rides, and we cannot guarantee access to restrooms or water. Please plan accordingly.
Community Rides registration is capped at 75 participants. A smaller group allows us to safely manage riders on open city streets; ensures our docents/guides can effectively deliver information; and guarantees that local stops (museums, churches, businesses, etc…) won’t be overwhelmed when we roll up.
Trailnet‘s Free Adult Learn-to-Ride courses are a grown-up companion to our popular Bike Rodeos—geared toward adults with little to no experience who want to build confidence on two wheels.
We’re limiting this course to a maximum of four participants, so our Bike Educator can give each student the individual attention they need to leave steady on two wheels.
For more information, contact sarah.heyman@trailnet.org.
Again, space is limited, so reserve your spot via email^ today! Once you reserve your spot, you’ll receive an email with a specific location and more detailed instructions.
A bike rodeo is a safe, controlled environment for kids (ages 3-12) to practice bike handling skills, build confidence, and help start good habits on the bike alongside their parents and guardians.
We encourage parents to join in and help lead the simple exercises to build skills for riding safely. Our Bike Educator will make sure bikes are checked for safety and children are fitted with bike helmets.
For more information and to register your child, contact sarah.heyman@trailnet.org.
