Saint Louis

Harley Happiness 'Saint Louis Style'

Vigilant Walkers at a all night Cancer awareness fundraiser in Festus

 

Rollin On The River route

Handsome Canadian Goose that hasn't left for Canada yet

My little monster with 'Old Glory'

A mourning swim for some big birds

He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
                                                                                                    Psalm 23:3

Saint Louis has been a rougher go than I anticipated. Although the weather has been good, sunny warm days and rainless nights don't guarantee a good time. South of Festus, highway 61 turns from a 4-lane blacktop with shoulder, to a 2 lane cement road.  There is about a 4 inch shoulder to ride on. Then, there is a drop off to sloping gravel before it becomes a ditch. Extreme caution should be used when riding this shoulder. Not all drivers show the same amount of courtesy to cyclists. I feel that offensive motorists act rude by speeding, tailgating and multitasking behind the wheel. I unfortunately had a disheveling incident in this stretch where a 20 year old male almost hit me. There were no other cars around and I think this punk was trying to show off to his girlfriend by seeing how close he could get his speeding red pickup truck to me. After I made a reactionary gesture toward his distasteful driving, he slammed on his brakes, got out of his truck and screamed at me about his belief that I don't belong on the road. I don't know if I would categorize this as a road rage incident, or just a young aggressive driver trying to impress his girlfriend. Perhaps, it was a bit of' both. Maybe this fellow was high on drugs or something but I'm glad I got the chance to have a few words with him during his torrent. I did call the local Sheriffs department and reported this shortly after it happened. This is a tricky piece of road so cyclists beware.

I think I experience a bit of culture shock when I move into a major city from the country. The air quality, noise and traffic are all notable factors. Hopefully, I can keep an open mind about my role in lives of folks I encounter.  Having a map on me helps direct people's attention to what I'm trying to accomplish and assists in answering questions before they're even asked.

Obscure unconventional routing is my approach to most city streets. I'm not afraid to ride on the sidewalks if the roads are bad. I must say that the Saint Louis area has a long way to go toward becoming more bike friendly. The major roads flow heavy with traffic during rush hour and there isn't much shoulder on any of the roads I've ridden.

Today I met a great US ARMY veteran named Donald N. Humphries, he owns The Touring Cyclist bike shop at 11816 St. Charles Rock Rd in Bridgeton. Besides being a very nice gentleman, he stocks a full line of gear designed for touring.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
                                      Proverbs 3:5