St. Louis plans Bike Month activities

Get Ready to Ride
May is National Bike Month


[This article lists activities in the St. Louis area. Activities from across Missouri can be found listed at BikeMonth.org]

Designated by the League of American Bicyclists, this May marks the 49th Annual National Bike MonthTM. For more on Bike Month, please contact the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation at 314-707-5001 or online www.stlbikefed.org or contact Trailnet at 314-416-9930 or online www.trailnet.org. Both organizations are working to make St. Louis and the region more bicycle-friendly. Events are listed below.

"National Bike Month is a time to bring awareness to motorists and cyclists of the rules of the road," says Bob Foster, chair of the Bike Fed. Cyclists and motorists need to understand the rules of the road and no one is exempt from this education. It's a slow process, but with the help of the media and other organizations, we hope to make progress. It's important to know that motorists and cyclists both have the same rights to the road, they're both should obey all traffic laws, stop signs, and traffic lights."

Events around St. Louis in May are

* All Month Bikers Wanted Challenge
Use your bike for transportation, even if its a short errand, keep track of your trips and miles during the month of May, then at the end of May, register online at www.trailnet.org to enter the drawing for a new bike from Sunset Cyclery.

* Sunday, May 1 Free Bike Parking at Earth Day Event, 10a.m. - 5p.m.
If you ride your bike to the Earth Day festivities in Forest Park at the Muny you'll be treated like royalty. While motorists are sitting in traffic jams and searching for parking spaces, cyclists will be able to ride up to the festival and park their bikes at the front of the Muny worry-and-cost-free courtesy of The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation (Bike Fed).

* Monday, May 16- Friday, May 20, Bike to Work Week.
Aren't ready to bike to work? How about just for a short errand to the corner grocer, to the library, or to meet a friend for lunch?

* Wednesday, May 18, Ride of Silence, 7p.m.
Meet in front of the Missouri History Museum. Forest Park. In more than 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. The ride aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or
injured.

* Friday, May 20, Bike to Work Day, 6- 8a.m.
History Museum in Forest Park and front entrance at Missouri Botanical Gardens. Cyclists can stop in either location for free bagels, juice and coffee and meet other cyclists. http

* Saturday, May 21, Road I Course, 9a.m. - 3p.m.
Jefferson Barracks. The six-hour Road I course led by League Cycling Instructor, Bill Carlson includes watching the video "Effective Cycling," instruction in the parking lot on how to check your bike and how to perform three emergency maneuvers, and a 10-mile bike ride. During the ride, which includes the Holly Hills bike lane, students will use the techniques taught in the video. The ride also includes a stop at Metro's Gravois/Hampton bus terminal to learn how to use the bike racks on the busses. Class fee is $30 for materials. Members of the Bike Fed can have the tuition fee reimbursed. Class size is limited to six and you must register by calling Marty Koch at 636-391-3474.

A non-profit, all-volunteer organization, St. Louis Regional Bike Federation shares a vision of a bike-friendly region that covers Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Louis Counties and St. Louis City. Its vision includes, but is not limited to the ideals ofbicyclists have a right to safe, well-planned roadways; proper equipment and training is important to safe riding; and education of cyclists and motorists is needed.

Radio/TV PSAs for Bike Month are at BikeMonth.com

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