If you haven’t had a chance to ride on the Riverfront Trail in a while, you should check it out.

The City of St. Louis and the Great Rivers Greenway District sprung for  $2.2 million in renovations, beautification  and improvements for the 11-mile asphalt trail that runs from Laclede’s Landing to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Twas money well spent.

Among the improvements:

–  a parking lot near the trailhead at Biddle Street and Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard

– clearly marked directional/informational signs on, and along, the trail. (Madison County Transit should take note).

–  installation of bollards to restrict motor vehicles.

– re-sealing of the pavement from the trailhead to North Riverfront Park.

The highlight of the improvements is the work completed at North Riverfront Park. The trail was completely rebuilt from the south end of the park to the north end of park, with a new section that bypasses the north parking lot. In addition, an impressive stone and brick plaza was added near the restrooms, complete with water fountains that actually work!

The park is a gem, as is the trail, which  is mostly flat, with good views of the Mississippi River all along the way. The trail has  a few risers where  it goes  atop the levee, and  the section across Riverview Boulevard from the water plant has a couple of hills but neither is insurmountable.

The big  payoff on the trail is the view from  the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which makes the Riverfront Trail a favorite route for 10 Speed in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes training program.  For cyclists just starting to go longer distances in training, being able to stand on the bridge and  see downtown 11 miles  away and know that they reached the bridge under their own power … well, it gives a great sense of accomplishment and opens the mind to going greater distances. One of 10 Speed’s favorite photos is of his son, standing on the bridge after his first ride there.

OK, we’re waxing poetic and nostalgic here, and 10 Speed would be remiss if he didn’t mention the parking lot issues at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Matt Hathaway has documented the problems in his “On Your Side” column. Long story short: Don’t park in the bridge’s parking lot if you value anything within your car. If you’re starting from downtown, that won’t be a problem. But if you’re starting at the north end of the trail, park  your car at North Riverfront Park instead.

The trail is quirky in places, but that just adds to its charm in  10 Speed’s view.  The first  few miles north of the Landing meander through a working  industrial zone (where else can you ride through an industrial zone with a river view?)  and atop the levee about 4 miles north of the Landing you have a river view on the right and an auto-salvage view on the left. (The salvage yard has a great selection,  tho, if you want to avoid paying  exorbitant prices for OEM parts from the dealership).

Also, the trail rolls through a city scape, so you may  see some interesting sights, such as the four chaps who were camping about a mile from the trailhead on Sunday morning, and the fishermen who routinely drive their cars on the trail to reach their favorite fishing spots.

The bollards were installed to restrict such traffic, but all but one of the bollards were horizontal (on the ground) Sunday morning when P-D Cycling rode the trail. Of course, the bollards being down creates a hazard for cyclists, but if you’re paying attention and pointing ‘em out to the riders behind you, you won’t have a problem. If you’re not paying attention and go over the handlebars, well, you should have been paying attention.

Some may take issue with 10 Speed on this. Yes, the bollards being down defeats the purpose of their installation in the first place, but 10 Speed believes in sharing the trail just as drivers share the road. If a fisherman needs to drive his car a half-mile on the trail to get to his favorite spot,  I say,  go for it. 10 Speed has encountered a few of these gentlemen over the years, and they’ve been respectful of the cyclists and the trail’s intended use. So, as the Aussies say, “No worries,” (but  pay attention in the areas where the levee opens just in case a car is pulling in).

For 10 Speed these are minor annoyances, which do little to detract from one of the city’s gems.      

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