I Love Vinita Park

I love Vinita Park. I know the word ‘love’ gets tossed around a lot these days, and some folks think it’s not appropriate to apply the word ‘love’ to a municipality that ‘can’t’ return it, but I stand by my statement and I’ll tell you why:

With a land area of just under one square mile, some people might miss the City of Vinita Park on their Saturday morning ride down Midland Blvd. But those who don’t pay attention to that one square mile are missing a lot – barbecues firing up in the park beside City Hall, the brand new, well-lit trail connecting Midland Blvd. to Page Ave., and Trailnet’s latest offering in Vinita Park – the Earn-2-Bikes class!

A partnership between Trailnet, St. Louis BicycleWORKS, and the City of Vinita Park, Earn-2-Bikes is quickly becoming a Saturday morning staple in the parking lot across from City Hall. The course is a six-week, bike maintenance and safety class, where students learn to work on brakes, tubes and tires, as well as develop on-road biking skills and safety knowledge. Students are encouraged to bring a friend/family member and participate together (hence the name ‘Earn-2-Bikes’), with the hope that they then will have someone to ride with when the course is complete. The class has a warm and encouraging atmosphere and seeks to develop students wherever they are in their bike experience.

Next time you’re riding down Midland or driving towards The Loop, think about stopping by and saying “Hi” to the next generation of bike lovers!

-Charles Johnson, Earn-2-Bikes Instructor

For more information on the Earn-2-Bikes program, e-mail Charles@trailnet.org. To learn about Trailnet’s continuing partnership with the City of Vinita Park, contact Jennifer Allen at Jennifer@trailnet.org or 314-436-1324 x 121.