Home

Headlines

How I Plan a Bikepacking Route - Justin Simoni

Thu, 11/14/2019 - 4:29pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Road and Trail Networks

Now that I know where I’m starting and finishing, the type of bike I want to ride and the type of surface I want to ride on, I can start breaking out a map, and drawing my route.

I have a pretty good idea on the design of my route – and I think that’s maybe the most important thing to have when building a narrative for others to follow: actual experience on the route!, but sometimes it’s fun to look and see what other opinions are. Sometimes they’re fantastic, and sometimes they’re terribly, terribly misguided.

I’ve used quite a variety of online route mapping systems, but I found that Strava’s is probably one of the best. So let’s look at our options. As an experiment, let’s have Strava design the entire route by putting the starting point at the bus stop in Golden where I want to start and the ending point at the Horsethief, near Pikes Peak.

MoBikefed comment: This is an excellent runthrough of how an experienced bikepacker and route planner will go about planning a new bikepacking route.

What he finds, as soon as he lets Strava plan the route for him, is that he has to change nearly everything about the Strava-suggested route before he is satisfied.

Planning routes in the mountains of Colorado is quite different in many ways than planning a trip in the Midwest.

Link: 
How I Plan a Bikepacking Route - Justin Simoni
Read more

The U.S. Bicycle Route System Expands to 27 States and 14,000 Miles | Adventure Cycling Association

Wed, 11/13/2019 - 8:32pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

With the designation of USBR 50, West Virginia becomes the 27th state to join the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). In Maine, USBR 501 connects cyclists to the far northern border with Canada. Together, the two new U.S. Bicycle Routes push the total mileage of the USBRS to over 14,000 miles. 

“AASHTO’s annual designations to the U.S. Bicycle Route System support local economies and tourism by giving cyclists greater access to communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the country,” said Jim Tymon, Executive Director of AASHTO. “This year, West Virginia joined a growing list of states that have designated a bike route, and I see no reason why this trend won’t continue as the popularity of cycling continues to grow."

The USBRS is a developing national network of officially recognized, numbered, and signed bicycle routes. All U.S. Bicycle Routes are designated by AASHTO. With the new designations, the USBRS now boasts 14,070 miles of routes in 27 states and Washington, DC. At least 40 states are currently developing U.S. Bicycle Routes. 

MoBikefed comment: It's worth reminding everyone that Missouri is in the middle of the U.S. Bicycle Route system in more ways than one.

USBR 76, the TransAmerica Trail, is designated through Missouri and has wayfinding signs.

USBR 66, Bicycle Route 66, is officially designated and we are seeking funding to install wayfinding signs on the route.

And . . .

Link: 
The U.S. Bicycle Route System Expands to 27 States and 14,000 Miles | Adventure Cycling Association
Read more

Ozark Trail connector hiking trail from Round Spring to Echo Bluff State Park is now finished! - Ozark Trail Association - https://www.ozarktrail.com/

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 6:16pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The trail from Round Spring to Echo Bluff State Park is now finished!

With this final link, an explorer can park at Round Spring, hike about eight miles to Current River State Park, and float down the Current River back to their car! This is beautiful country with an amazing, crystal clear river.

Tribute was paid to the the best group of Volunteers anywhere and the Red Jacket veterans were out in numbers to celebrate this huge accomplishment.

Many of our partners from various agencies, including DNR-MO State Parks, L-A-D Foundation and National Park Service were also on hand to cut the ribbon and were thanked for the support provided to get this new recreational resource completed for all Missourians.

Finally... Dave Tobey of the National Park Service, was recognized for his incredible work and legacy for the region.

Link: 
Ozark Trail connector hiking trail from Round Spring to Echo Bluff State Park is now finished! - Ozark Trail Association - https://www.ozarktrail.com/
MoBikeFed comment: The Ozark Trail Association has done an absolutely stellar job of building and maintaining hundreds of miles of singletrack trail across southern Missouri.

The connection between Echo Bluff State Park and the main part of the Ozark Trail is just another major connection in Missouri's largest connected network of singletrack trail.

The Echo Bluff-Round Spring section connects to the Blair Creek Section of the Ozark Trail. Maps here:

https://www.ozarktrail.com/planner/maps.php

If you are interested in bicycling the Ozark Trail, you should know that many sections of the Ozark Trail are open to mountain biking, but many are not.

Read more

Independence wants your input on 'Truman Connected' bike path

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 11:08pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Now is your chance to help leaders in Independence, Missouri, design a new bicycle and pedestrian trail.

The city will hold a forum at city hall Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to show concepts, routes and gather feedback.

The project is called Truman Connected because the roughly 8-mile long trail will connect the Truman Library with the Truman Sports Complex. The pathway will makes stops at Independence Square and the Englewood Arts District too.

City councilman John Perkins expects the trail to be mostly off road, but incorporate some bike lanes on regular streets too. He said the city has set aside a little more than $10 million for the project. Just under half of that total comes from a federal grant.

Link: 
Independence wants your input on 'Truman Connected' bike path
Read more

New Research Finds Public Investment in Trails, Walking and Biking Infrastructure Delivers a Huge Return on Investment - but Return could be 4X Greater | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Fri, 10/18/2019 - 12:02pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) today released findings from “Active Transportation Transforms America,” the nation’s most comprehensive analysis of the quantifiable impact of trails, walking and biking on the places we live.

The study, which aggregated data about the health cost savings, climate protection, mobility and direct economic value of trails and active transportation, found that currently active transportation infrastructure contributes more than $34.1 billion to the U.S. economy annually. As infrastructure connectivity improves, the economic contribution of active transportation infrastructure has the potential to be more than $138.5 billion each year, a return that’s nearly seven times greater every year than the cumulative investment of $20 billion that’s been made in trails and walking and biking projects via federal programs over the past three decades.

Link: 
New Research Finds Public Investment in Trails, Walking and Biking Infrastructure Delivers a Huge Return on Investment - but Return could be 4X Greater | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Read more

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies using two wheels instead of four in some neighborhoods | FOX2now.com

Mon, 10/14/2019 - 11:48pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Jefferson County sheriff`s deputies are taking a different approach to try and build better relationships with the citizens who they serve.

They are hitting the streets in Jefferson County neighborhoods on bicycles instead of patrol cars....

The deputies are biking through neighborhoods two or three times during the week and on Saturdays.

The goal to bridge the gap between police and the public.

Link: 
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies using two wheels instead of four in some neighborhoods | FOX2now.com
Read more

Video: Mountain Bike Commuting is Bliss - Bicycle2Work YouTube

Sun, 10/13/2019 - 9:56am

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

A few thoughts on commuting on a mountain bike. There are some great reasons to commute on a mountain bike, and really only one negative. Don't discount a mountain bikes ability to be a commuter.

Link: 
Video: Mountain Bike Commuting is Bliss - Bicycle2Work YouTube
MoBikeFed comment: What do you think? Using a mountain bike to commute to work a good idea or not?

Read more

Cyclists race the Santa Fe Trail starting near the trail's historic starting point in Franklin, Missouri- News - The Rolla Daily News

Sat, 10/12/2019 - 2:05pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

A lot of people ride their bikes through Boonville on the Katy Trail, headed to Pilot Grove, Sedalia, Rocheport or St. Charles.

Benjamin Colwill and Darren Gilmore didn’t look out of place Friday afternoon zipping through town, but their destination was more common for people who began a journey from the Boonslick almost 200 years ago — Santa Fe.

Colwill has been bikepacking for about a decade, and was looking for a new challenge, so he mapped out a 1,111-mile course from New Franklin through Kansas and the Rocky Mountains to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

He and Darren Gilmore are the only two entrants in the 2019 Santa Fe Trail Race, setting off from a marker on the Katy Trail that commemorates the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail.

The first traders on the 19th-century trade route connecting Missouri with the southwest started in September 1821 from Franklin.

The two left New Franklin at 2 p.m. Friday. By Monday afternoon, Colwill had completed more than half the distance, Gilmore about 25 miles behind.

Link: 
Cyclists race the Santa Fe Trail starting near the trail's historic starting point in Franklin, Missouri- News - The Rolla Daily News
Read more

Oct 15th: Second open house on Meramec River pedestrian bridge near Sunset Hills, Fenton, Kirkwood - Call Newspapers

Fri, 10/11/2019 - 6:02pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Residents can weigh in again on a pedestrian bridge proposed for the north side of the new westbound Interstate 44 bridge over the Meramec River after the project received a mix of positive and negative feedback from the 169 attendees at a previous open house.

The Missouri Department of Transportation, Great Rivers Greenway and the cities of Sunset Hills, Kirkwood and Fenton will host another open house next week about the more than $1 million bridge, which is funded by money from the St. Louis County Municipal Parks Grant and Great Rivers Greenway.

Project partners Great Rivers Greenway, MoDOT and the three cities welcome residents to a second open house about the project Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the RiverChase Recreation Center in Fenton, 990 Horan Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m. Like the first open house in Sunset Hills, the community is invited to provide feedback about the pedestrian bridge.

The pedestrian bridge project, which is still in the planning stages and won’t go out to bid for construction until the end of 2020, will connect Stoneywood Drive to the Meramec Greenway near Yarnell Road. This will make it possible for people to walk, ride a bike, push a stroller or use a wheelchair to connect to parks, businesses and neighborhoods on both sides of the river.

Link: 
Oct 15th: Second open house on Meramec River pedestrian bridge near Sunset Hills, Fenton, Kirkwood - Call Newspapers
Read more

St Charles to build largest BMX asphalt pump track in the U.S. - St. Charles County Parks

Wed, 10/09/2019 - 6:14pm

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

It’s official—the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department is getting ready to build the largest asphalt pump track in the country at the Youth Activity Park, 7801 Highway N in Dardenne Prairie! Designed by Progressive Bike Ramps in cooperation with Velosolutions, this monstrous track stands above the rest at 30,000-square feet and accommodate riders of all abilities while providing enough challenges to host national bike competitions in the park. Construction has been awarded to American Ramp Company and is expected to begin over the next couple weeks. For more information, call the park at 636-561-4964.

Link: 
St Charles to build largest BMX asphalt pump track in the U.S. - St. Charles County Parks
MoBikeFed comment: For those who don't know:

"A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders 'pumping'--generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling or pushing. It was originally designed for the mountain bike and BMX scene, and now, due to concrete constructions, is also used by skateboard and scooter riders, and accessible to wheelchairs."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pump_track

http://www.stcharlesparks.com/

Read more

St. Louis County Action Plan for Walking & Biking - 4 Public Meetings in Oct 2019 + online survey for residents

Sat, 10/05/2019 - 7:02am

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

ST. LOUIS COUNTY
Action Plan for Walking and Biking

We invite you to join County staff and your neighbors to help plan the future of walking and bicycling in St. Louis County. From the Summer of 2019 through the Spring of 2020, we are asking for the public’s input and inviting residents and visitors to help shape our plan in a variety of ways.

The Action Plan will be the county’s blueprint for improving safety, connectivity, and accessibility for people walking and bicycling. While the plan recommendations will focus on County-owned roadways, connections to municipal bikeways and sidewalks, as well as regional trail systems, will be vital to the success of the plan.

Throughout the planning process, the county will be seeking feedback from you and your fellow County residents through the online survey and interactive map, public meetings, and other events.

Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Public Meeting – Central
Brentwood Community Center
2505 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO 63144

Thursday, October 17, 2019 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Public Meeting – South
The Pavilion at Lemay
305 Gregg Rd, Lemay, MO 63125

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Public Meeting – West
Greensfelder Community Center-Queeny Park
550 Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011

Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Public Meeting – North
Ferguson Community Center
1050 Smith Ave, Ferguson, MO 63135

Link: 
St. Louis County Action Plan for Walking & Biking - 4 Public Meetings in Oct 2019 + online survey for residents
MoBikeFed comment: You can also take an online survey to give the County your feedback:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVP8J6P

Read more

Why I Ride My Bike to Work, by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands - EcoWatch

Fri, 10/04/2019 - 9:48am

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

With its sweeping views over the sparkling Hofvijver pond, the Binnenhof — the Gothic castle in the heart of The Hague that houses the States General of the Netherlands — is quite something.

It's little wonder Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte enjoys commuting to his office there. And recently he's made the journey by bike as often as possible.

"I didn't cycle a lot for 10 years. But for the past two years, I've had my own bike again and, when the weather allows, I travel into the office that way," he told the World Economic Forum.

Link: 
Why I Ride My Bike to Work, by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands - EcoWatch
Read more