The definitive cycling guide to St. Louis for road and mountain bikers.
From the Author
Compiling this book involved two unique challenges.
First, as both the author and publisher, I was not a native St. Louisan and, therefore, I had little familiarity with the area. I called upon local cyclists, who, not only willingly shared their favorite routes with me, but also, introduced me to other friends in this wonderful St. Louis cycling community. Most of these contributors are profiled throughout the guide and many are pictured on the cover. The publication of Guide To Cycling St. Louis was the combined effort of many dedicated cyclists.
The second challenge was the flood of '93 which made virtually all maps and many cycling routes obsolete. During the publication of the guide in the winter of 1993-94, many of the areas were being reconstructed, including the Katy Trail. We've attempted to designate where routes are still under repair. We intend for this guide to be effective for several seasons and, therefore, we ask you patience and your understanding.
While the popularity of bicycling is very much on the upswing in both St. Louis and the nation, the availability of "safe" country roads is being reduced by urban sprawl. Take the long popular St. Albans area as an example. It's become more and more difficult to use our bicycles as transportation because of increased distances between home and the workplace plus heavier rush hour traffic adds to the burden. This guide has attempted to be sensitive to this problem by noting the times when a route is less congested.
Since we are obliged to share the road with motorists, we ask two favors of our readers. Please always wear a helmet and encourage kids to do the same. And, when a motorist is rude and there's that temptation to express your anger negatively, just smile and wave back.
Guide To Cycling St. Louis is published solely for the enhancement of your cycling pleasure. While all routes have been cycled many times, the guide does not imply that all are safe. Safety is the responsibility of every cyclist. There are certain times of day and certain days of the week that are safer times to cycle a particular route. Please factor this into your plans.
There are a variety of things that attract us to cycling, including exercise, companionship, adventure, challenge, independence, and so on. In the decade that I've cycled I've realized many more benefits than I ever dreamed existed. Today, I use my experiences plus the friends I've made cycling, to act in the role as an advocate, as a positive voice for cycling. There are three developments I'd like to see happen in the future to improve our cycling way of life.
1. Stripe and sign existing "bicycle friendly" roads and bridge by using the Share-the-Road logo.
2. Consider all new road and bridge construction for bicycle use in the initial planning stages.
3. Incorporate bicycle programs into schools, starting early, to establish the right attitudes and behavior.
These are my hopes for the future. I always welcome those of others. Share you hopes and dreams with me, and together we can work to make St. Louis and even better place to ride a bicycle.
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