Let’s have a St. Louis Meet Up!

[Nathan Mattia]

Hello my fellow Riv-Heads of the Gateway City

 In the 3 years that I have been back into bikes, and aware of Rivendell, I have had the pleasure of running into 3 different Riv-Riders.  One, the venerable Jeff Smith, had enough time to stop and have a 1/2 hour conversation before my wife called and started yapping about missing dinner.

The point is, that conversation was lovely, and I need more of it.  I want to see other people’s rigs up close and personal. I want to know which local mechanics are worth their salt.  I want to know some insights on the local trails beyond my beloved Forest Park.

Let’s get together, shall we?  There has never been a time (since, perhaps college) when I have had more time to go for a ride and a get together.  I am literally free for at least a part of every day.

[Bill Schairer]

Nathan,

I no longer live in St. Louis so couldn’t be a part of any meet up, unless I happened to be visiting my son at the time. Many years ago I bike commuted from near Grants Farm to the CWE thru Forest Park. Are you aware of Grants Trail? My son seemed to think it might be closed due to CV. It was developed by Trailnet (https://trailnet.org/), formerly Gateway Trailnet. I was on the board of GT at the time and the powers that were in the community of Grantwood Village, of which I was a resident, spent our precious tax dollars appealing the trail all the way to the US Supreme Court, which declined to review the case preserving GT’s victory in district court. I believe it has become a much used community asset. You ought to check it out if you haven’t already. It would be another great place to ride with your kids and maybe work it into a visit to Grants Farm and Grant’s National Monument. I believe the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, also developed by Trailnet, connects riverfront trails on both sides of the Mississippi and makes for some nice riding.

Bill S

[Kevin M]

Yeah, great time for a meet up :-/

[Nathan Mattia]

Hello Bill,

When Samwise Hillborne was ready to roll last month, the FIRST ride I made was from here in Richmond Heights, down the River Des Peres Greenway, to Grant’s Trail.  By far, my least favorite part was Grant’s Trail.  I have discovered that if the route is going to be long and flat, it at least needs to be scenic.  Riding Grant’s Trail reminded me of driving on highways in Mississippi.  Lots of trees with no scenery for miles and miles.  Except with Grant’s Trail, there aren’t even any Cracker Barrel’s.  I DID note that even on the semi-blustery day I was riding it, there were a fair amount of people utilizing it, so that’s good.  

Touché,  Kevin.

Are you a man of the Lou?   Allow me to explain.  IT IS a great time for a meet up.  1) I can’t imagine there are more than 10 of us in the area here on the forum.  But if there are, I’ll be thrilled.  2) I don’t need to touch your bike, much less you.  I can tell everything I need to tell from a medically/ acceptable distance.  And more importantly, we can talk.  I’ll even don the mask and gloves.  3) I don’t know about your area, but with the reduced traffic, rides through the central corridor of the ‘Lou have never been more enjoyable.

[Benjamin L. Kelley]

I'm currently in NYC but will be moving back to KC next month so I'll be on the other side of the state from you soon.

I'd be down for a train trip over and ride later in the year perhaps, My work goes on so I'm as busy as ever during all this.

I also tend to agree with you, a small group ride/chat can be done safely.  You don't have to ride in a peloton or paceline to ride together. Can easily chat at 6ft distances. Not touch each others bikes. Wear masks. Etc...

--ben

On Thu, Apr 23, 2020 at 3:13 PM Nathan Mattia <nathan...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Bill,

When Samwise Hillborne was ready to roll last month, the FIRST ride I made was from here in Richmond Heights, down the River Des Peres Greenway, to Grant’s Trail.  By far, my least favorite part was Grant’s Trail.  I have discovered that if the route is going to be long and flat, it at least needs to be scenic.  Riding Grant’s Trail reminded me of driving on highways in Mississippi.  Lots of trees with no scenery for miles and miles.  Except with Grant’s Trail, there aren’t even any Cracker Barrel’s.  I DID note that even on the semi-blustery day I was riding it, there were a fair amount of people utilizing it, so that’s good.  

Touche`Are you a man of the Lou?  IT IS a great time for a meet up.  1) I can’t imagine there are more than 10 of us in the area here on the forum.  But if there are, I’ll be thrilled.  2) I don’t need to touch your bike, much less you.  I can tell everything I need to tell from a medically acceptable distance.

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[somervillebikes]

I don't think the 2 meter rule necessarily applies to cycling or running. There is a computer-simulated model out of Europe that suggests that for higher speed travel modes, like running and cycling, you might need far more than 6 feet.  Granted, it's a model, not peer-reviewed, and there's also scant data that points to viral transmission occurring outdoors, but then again very little is really known for sure about the transmission of this virus. My regular riding buddy and I decided to end our gentleman rides two weeks ago. I'd rather err on the safe side. 

Anton

velolumino.com

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[Benjamin L. Kelley]

Glad that someone is beginning to look at it at least. I hadn't heard any of that. It makes sense that velocity is going to affect distance.  Tho, this could cause concern for the increase number of people that are offset from public transit using the bike lanes.

I've been maintaining 100% masking wearing while outside the home, including when biking anyways.

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[Nathan Mattia]

Well, I’ve never done a group ride in my life, so I’m not suggesting that for the meet up.  

As far as I’m concerned, we can all agree to ride in from different points on the compass so that we don’t have to calculate our velocity and distance and radii of possible transmission under speed.

The point is, the conversation and comradery.  Could they be had on an online forum?  Sure, but it’s not the same.  Could we accomplish those safely?  I think so.

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[Jim S.]

I live in Clayton. I'm in. Let's meet at an appointed time under the Arch. Everyone can stay as far apart as they want.

[Steve Palincsar]

Keeping your distance, brushing up on your flag semaphoring,,,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_semaphore#Contemporary_semaphore_flag_system

On 4/23/20 3:02 PM, Kevin M wrote:

Yeah, great time for a meet up :-/

-- 
Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia 
USA

[Nathan Mattia]

That’s a good word Jim!.  Of course, my vote will always be for Forest Park.

Man, it was gorgeous today.

[Jim S.]

Ok. Forest park. How about Sunday at 2 by that statute of St Louis in front of the art museum? If we could get 5 Riv riders, I'd say great success. I'm in. Anybody else?

[Nathan Mattia]

I’m in!.  See you then, Jim.  2:00 at King Louis!

[ascpgh]

Sounds like fun. I lived in Florissant until I was 14, I bootlegged several rides to the Arch in the few years before moving to Arkansas. 

In April 2012 a group of us met in Cumberland, MD and rode the GAP north, overnighting in Confluence, PA stopping in Ohiopyle to tour Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. 

A N'or Easter shortened the ride for those facing travel back to and up the eastern seaboard as our shuttle company was based in Ohiopyle and amenable to the adjustment. My shuttle company (wife) was out of cell service, on the original plan, so I rode on in snow to West Newton to meet her as the rest rode back to their cars in Cumberland. Mark Irwin from Michigan remained in Ohiopyle at the state park campground. 

We had lots of conversations and comradery. The in-person experience and seeing everyones' bikes was worthwhile. I personally was smitten from then on by generator hubs and LED lights. My take-aways probably not appropriate in the post C-19 world. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/P47mQDqrze1dN5pc8

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Steve Palincsar]

On 4/25/20 7:57 AM, ascpgh wrote:

In April 2012 a group of us met in Cumberland, MD and rode the GAP north, overnighting in Confluence, PA stopping in Ohiopyle to tour Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. 

A N'or Easter shortened the ride for those facing travel back to and up the eastern seaboard as our shuttle company was based in Ohiopyle and amenable to the adjustment. My shuttle company (wife) was out of cell service, on the original plan, so I rode on in snow to West Newton to meet her as the rest rode back to their cars in Cumberland. Mark Irwin from Michigan remained in Ohiopyle at the state park campground. 

We had lots of conversations and comradery. The in-person experience and seeing everyones' bikes was worthwhile. I personally was smitten from then on by generator hubs and LED lights. My take-aways probably not appropriate in the post C-19 world. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/P47mQDqrze1dN5pc8

There's also a Flickr group of photos from that trip    https://www.flickr.com/groups/1923867@N25/ 

[Nathan Mattia]

SWEET LORD, that looks amazing.  That’s what I’m talking about when I say I need scenery. I NEED to ride the continental divide.  Whose Atlantis was that shiny gem?  I don’t think i could have ever brought myself to take it outside!

Andy!, whereabouts in the  Pittsburgh area are you now? My dad grew up in Aliquippa so we make it back there every once in a while.

Have you made it down to Kindred Cycles in the Strip?  

Wonderful people there.  Let me test ride several bikes a few years ago, knowing I was on vacation and wouldn’t buy one.  Helped move me several steps closer to knowing what I wanted and didn’t want in a a bike as I was getting back into riding.

[ascpgh]

Nathan, I'm in Highland Park of the East End, Kindred is my go-to. Aaron, Catherine and John have been my first reference for folks shopping bikes. They do a fantastic job of helping folks find their format based on use, intents and preferences. They recently build my Coast 650b rando. 

They're down the street from my work, up the block from my favorite shopping and close to downtown.

Andy Cheahtam

Pittsburgh

[Nathan Mattia]

Oh man, I love that place.  So great to hear you do to.  

They dug up a Fairdale Weekender, a Dr. Dew and a Breeze for me to tool around the District for a day, just because I said I was visiting from St. Louis where we don’t have a Fairdale dealer. Super patient with me and answered all my questions.

[Nathan Mattia]

Great times and unbeatable weather today in the shadow of King Louis!

Jim, Heidi, Dean and Myself had a great time talking life and all things Rivendell.

Here are a couple of pics of the bikes: Jim’s Atlantis (with a rare paint-job), Heidi’s Roadini, Dean’s Hunqua and my Samwise.  

I’m hopping the others post pics as well.

[Dean Drake]

I am across the river in Fairview Heights, Illinois. I have a Hunqapillar and a Bridgestone XO-1. I would like to meet and ride with other RBW owners in the St Louis area once the stay at home order is lifted and we can safely do so.  Madison county, Illinois  has over a hundred miles of beautiful paved trails which have now been extended into St. Clair county.

[Joe S]

Hi Andy,

I also lived in Florissant(Black Jack) from 6th grade through high school. I left in 1975, so it's been a while. 
I moved a lot for the first 30 or so years of my life. For the last several years I've been going back and riding in areas that I lived and have done several. I've ridden the Katy Trail a few times, but need to get back and ride closer to my old home sometime soon.

Joe S

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[Dean Drake]

    I enjoyed our St Louis Meet Up yesterday. The weather was perfect and Forest Park was more crowded than I expected. It took me almost ten minutes just to find a parking place. The best part was meeting Jim, Heidi and Nathan. Thanks ,Nathan, for setting this up. I hope that we can get together again sometime. I have attached a photo of our group.

On Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 11:23:06 AM UTC-5, Nathan Mattia wrote:

[Nathan Mattia]

Dean, great picture!  Those are some good-looking Riv-Riders there!  Paragons of fashion and style, every one!

[Tim Rogers]

I'm sorry I didn't see this until today. Sunday was a beautiful day ... I was out riding the Monarch Trail in Chesterfield. Had I known, "Clem" and I would have gladly joined you. If you ever organize another local ride and do so by building on this thread, I think the forum will ping me (and the others) now that we've responded.

On Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 11:23:06 AM UTC-5, Nathan Mattia wrote:

[Nathan Mattia]

Hey Tim!  Sorry you missed it.  We will do it again, soon, I hope.

-Nathan Mattia

“I saw a tiger.  Now I understand. I saw a tiger, and the tiger saw a man.” 

        -Abraham Lincoln

On Apr 28, 2020, at 9:04 PM, Tim Rogers <97r...@gmail.com> wrote:



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