With the sun out and the summer in full swing, it’s time to fasten your helmet and get out on your bike. Check out these five ideas to get you started on cycling through St. Louis.
1. Explore the city with free weekly rides.
Get on a group ride with Trailnet, which offers cycling events to all skill levels. Choose your pace, distance, and route type (road or recreational) by scrolling through the events on Trailnet’s calendar. Each ride is listed as either a “drop ride,” in which the pace is set by the group and slower riders can drop off, or a “no-drop ride,” in which the pace is adjusted as needed to include all riders.
2. Make your way through Old North.
Explore historically and architecturally significant sites on the North of “Old North” tour. You’ll ride north of Crown Candy through Hyde Park, College Hill, Holly Place, and O’Fallon Park, passing by often overlooked landmarks including water towers, churches, and the oldest house in St. Louis. The 10-mile ride through city streets is July 26, from 9 a.m. to noon, with preregistration accessible here.
3. Learn how to DIY.
Get off the road and into the classroom by taking a bicycle repair class. Big Shark Bicycle Company on Delmar Boulevard offers bicycle maintenance and repair classes. The basic repair class goes over how to understand bicycle parts, how to change a flat tire, and how to maintain your bike. The intermediate class goes over derailleur, brake and bearing adjustments. Reservations are required, and each class is $20, with sessions throughout the summer.
4. Pedal to work.
Save money on gas and avoid rush-hour traffic by cycling to work. Check out Shift Your Commute (SYC), a free tool for individuals and groups to keep track of their car-free trips between home and the office. It calculates calories burned based on your rides, and you can watch your progress on the site as your carbon-emission savings stack up. You can register a team of coworkers and keep each other motivated as you wheel into work each day.
5. Bike for baked goods.
The only thing that could make cycling in the summer sweeter is the Bakeries on the Rise bicycle tour this weekend. Start at Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop on Cherokee St. and wind through eight miles of city streets on this baked good bike tour. Check out St. Louis bakeries along the way, sampling treats and meeting the bakers. The ride is Saturday, June 21 at 9:30 a.m., with registration starting at 9 a.m. The ride is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under.
