Anywhere we can! Roads, trails, streets, alleys, lanes, highways, etc.
It’s great to go on tours and race, but what about rides closer to home? Do you have favorite areas you keep returning to or are you always looking for new haunts? I think we like both. If you’re interested in a history bike tour this week, NeighborWorks is leading a tour of the area that would have become the Northeast Radial had neighbors not rallied to lead the city in a direction that benefitted their community more. The bike tour leaders would like an RVSP if possible, click on the above link. Meet at 4442 Gladstone at 5:30.
Looking for other interesting ride ideas? History is currently in the making in regards to the MoPac trail gap. If you’ve been following the news, you know that the outcome is still undecided. Maybe you saw the Lincoln Journal Star opinion on June 8th:
“Trail takes a pair of hits
The proposed recreational trail that would connect the MoPac East Trail out of Lincoln with the Omaha trail network by crossing northern Cass County has taken a pair of hits in the past month or so.
First, the Cass County Board inexplicably declined to approve a route for the trail, effectively rescinding an approval made in November. Then, the Legislature took back $3.35 million from a trail development fund that was part of an $8.3 million earmark to build the 8-mile-long biking/hiking trail.
Neither of those hits is fatal for the project that’s been in the works for more than two decades. The $5 million left in the fund can be augmented by private donations, and, perhaps, revived state funds next year.
A committee of two Cass County board members is set to work with the trail’s developer, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, to find a route that will be financially feasible and acceptable to the board.
That is a considerable challenge. The difference in cost between the proposed route and a path that follows a highway is, at minimum, $10 million. But it needs to be met, with a route selected as soon as possible so the fundraising for and work on the trail, originally set to begin later this year, can move forward.”
I’d like to suggest getting to know the area between the end of the MoPac trail and the Platte River Bridge, where it reconnects to the MoPac trail. I attended some of the open houses put on by the LPSNRD and actually heard local residents say it “never gets used” because they don’t see a lot of riders on it (umm, the trail currently stops in Wabash.) Also, they can’t imagine it being a boon to their local economy. You can go exploring as well as prove them wrong by riding around this area, though there is not currently a connecting trail. The area sees little traffic on the gravel roads, and signs indicate the current connecting route. If you don’t want to ride from Lincoln, you can park and ride from Eagle, Wabash, or go further down the trail, there’s a parking lot near the Platte River Bridge. Stop by Grandpa’s Woods golf course (they’re bicycle friendly), Elmwood, (Pie Ride, folks?) Murdock, or other towns in the area for sustenance. Let them know we’re friendly, willing to spend money, and love to ride in their area. I participated in the City to City ride earlier this Spring, which staged out of Plattsmouth, and eastern Cass county is ready for more group rides and races. The people I talked to wanted more events, for all kinds of riders, but they’re still figuring out how to do that.
