The ninth annual Bottleneck Bridge Ride event on Aug. 11 drew a record 451 bicyclists who pedaled routes of varying lengths around southern Jefferson County, organizers said.
“It went fantastic,” said Andy Held, an event organizer. “We had good weather, good participation. It all went smoothly, no problems.”
Participants could choose from four routes – either 13 miles, 34 miles, 41 miles or 67 miles – and they stopped at wineries, restaurants and other spots of interest along the way.
All the routes started and ended on Festus Main Street, which was closed to vehicle traffic from morning to afternoon the day of the ride to allow for a safe start for the cyclists and to offer an after-party on the closed street for their return.
Held said participants told him they enjoyed the ride and the after-party.
“Bikers got to see the beautiful countryside, stop at the wineries and other rest stops,” he said. “People along the route were friendly to the riders.
“At the after-party, we had multiple vendors. We had live music, food and drink vendors.”
Held estimated that dozens of people joined the bike riders on Festus Main Street for the after-party and related activities.
“We probably had 100-plus spectators come down in addition to the riders,” he said. “We had people come just to see what it was all about, to see all the excitement on Main Street.
“We also had a helmet-fitting and a bike rodeo for the little ones. That was by the Twin City Area Optimist Club (which gave out the helmets for free and organized bike-riding lessons for the bike rodeo). Living Life on 2 Wheels did a kids’ race.”
Kids ages 0-4 race their way to the finish line.
The Bottleneck Bridge Ride kicked off with the mayors of Festus and Crystal City leading the way for the start of the ride for all routes.
“Festus Mayor Sam Richards drove his sports car, and Crystal City Mayor Mike Osher rode a bike on one of the routes,” Held said.
The Festus Tourism Commission, the city of Festus, the Jefferson County Growth Association (JCGA) and Trailnet, a St. Louis-area group that advocates for better walking, riding and transit, worked together to put on the Bottleneck Bridge Ride. The Festus Tourism Commission is the event’s presenting sponsor.
Gina Otto, the Trailnet special events manager, said she and other members of her organization are happy to take part in the event.
“Trailnet has been involved in the Bottleneck Bridge Ride from the beginning,” she said. “It’s a perfect example of how a community can come together to encourage active, healthy lifestyles through cycling events. It’s just a spectacular event and adds so much to the community.
“It’s part of our ‘Classic Season.’ That’s seven large rides we participate in around the St. Louis region.”
Otto said the community participation to put on the Bottleneck Bridge Ride impressed her.
“We had over 50 volunteers help with the event,” she said.
Held said he appreciates Trailnet’s contributions to the event.
“They pretty much do the logistics of all the routes,” he said.
He said a date for the 2025 Bottleneck Bridge Ride has not been determined yet, but it should be a similar date in August 2025.
“Next year will be our 10-year celebration,” he said. “It’s something all the riders look forward to.
“We’re excited how everything went this year. Mother Nature plays a big part in everybody coming out. The weather was just right.”
For information about future Bottleneck Bridge Rides and other county events, go to showmejeffco.com.