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Rides around St. Louis

mike m

New member
Strongly considering a job opportunity in St. Louis and I'm a longtime BMWMOA member so would like to learn about great day and weekend rides in the area.

I lived in Denver and was part of the Colorado Beemers club for years then moved to Florida---where the riding is flat and straight! :banghead

I see there's a great club based in St Louis---The Gateway Riders. Hoping some of you can chime in with some ride routes. If I relocate there, I'll be sure to connect with the club!
 
Hi Mike, Welcome to St. Louis. I'm not a member of the Gateway club yet, but kind of planning to join up at some point in the future. You will find Gateway BMW is great to work with; top notch mechanics and support staff, and lots of goodies to shop through...:). As far as rides, it depends on what type of bike your riding now.... Lots of great secondary roads located just down Hwy. 21 to Potosi, as many who have attended the Falling Leaf Rally can attest to, or for slab rides, great sights await you up the Mississippi river towards Alton, or a ride to Herman for some wine tasting maybe. I'm sure some of the members in the club will be more helpful for organized rides if that's what your looking for, as I seem to remember that they have an organized ride leaving from somewhere in Eureka on Saturdays....And also Grass Roots in Cape has organized rides that you may wish to accompany this summer.

So, if I can be of any help, let me know, and I hope you get settled in quickly so that you can enjoy the spring season in all it's nature birthing glory.....I'm located in DeSoto, so just a little Southwest of St. Louie......Walt E.
 
Get the Butler Ozark map

Strongly considering a job opportunity in St. Louis and I'm a longtime BMWMOA member so would like to learn about great day and weekend rides in the area.

I lived in Denver and was part of the Colorado Beemers club for years then moved to Florida---where the riding is flat and straight! :banghead

I see there's a great club based in St Louis---The Gateway Riders. Hoping some of you can chime in with some ride routes. If I relocate there, I'll be sure to connect with the club!

I do not belong to the Gateway club either, but I live South of St. Louis and ride the roads south and Southwest of STL all season. I noticed that you are planning on buying a GSW. Go see Bob Honz at Gateway and he will fix you up. I recommend the Butler map for the Ozarks - it covers the bottom half of MO and the top of Arkansas where the two lane blacktop has the most curves and elevation changes. We are blessed with another dealer on the east side of the state - Grassroots BMW in Cape Girardeau about one hour South of STL with excellent sales and service. A GS is a good thing for this area since the off the main track roads turn into gravel occasionally. You may want to live either West or South of the city for accesss to good roads and to avoid less desirable areas of STL. See this link http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2013/08/st_louis_deadliest_city_america.php
There are several BMW clubs in the state and several mixed brand clubs like the Euro Union with many activities and rides like Wednesday dinner rides and Sunday morning rides. We can usually ride 9 months of the year- some days in august are tough in the afternoons when we are over 100 degrees with high humidity.
Anyway that is my 2 cents!
 
There are quite a few good 100-200 mile day rides around the area. The area around Defiance and Augusta to the northwest of the city along the Missouri river goes through the heart of Missouri wine country. Lots of rolling hills and good roads through farmland and forest alike, with some decent areas for twisties in the Mark Twain national forest. You can cross the Missouri in historic Hermann and work your way back to St Louis through similar terrain, although its slightly more open south of Route 100. Route 100 has numerous Lettered routes that come off of it, some heading south towards Potosi, Basically any route you see with a letter is a good place to ride on either side of the Missouri.

More flat but just beautiful vistas is to ride the Mississippi from St Louis up to historic Hannibal (Mark Twain again) cross over to the Illinois side then do the Great River Run down back to St Louis. mostly flat but beautiful views of nature and the river. Coming back down the river you pass through Grafton, Illinois, where there are wineries and lots of bikes gather, then Alton, home to Fast Eddie's, which is a great bar/restaurant that caters to both the bike and weekend crowd.

For longer rides, its roughly 250 miles to Memphis, 200 to Louisville and the Bourbon Trail, 250 to Indianapolis, 200 to Kansas City, and you can reach the Great Smokies in Tennessee in about 300 if you want longer riding, or head down into the Ozarks in Arkansas.

Now this is all more road type riding (I have a 1200R), not sure about the more offroad/adventure type riding. Gateway BMW's facebook page might be a good place to post that kind of question,

They are a good dealer. Just dropped my bike yesterday for new tires and some additional lighting installed. Great bike selection and gear.
 
Thanks for the info...

I put a deposit on a GSAW at Gateway, you're right---a very good dealership. I'm living in an apartment temporarily so I picked a bike that should arrive in May when I get settled in with a house and garage. Like what I'm seeing of STL and surrounding areas---unlike my time in Florida which at best is a great place to go on vacation. :brow

Thanks for the tips on the Illinois side, I'll be sure to check them out.
 
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for being a member.

Good advice has already been given. S Missouri and N Arkansas have a lot of good twisty single and double letter roads. Well paved, lightly trafficked. Gateway Riders signature event, the Falling Leaf Rally, is held in October and draws a great crowd of friendly people.

I grew up in Denver so I miss the low humidity, but you have lived in FL so you know what our summers can be like: 100/100 heat and humidity.

Looking forward to a pic of that new ride.

BTW did you know David Adair from the Colorado Club?
 
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for being a member.

Good advice has already been given. S Missouri and N Arkansas have a lot of good twisty single and double letter roads. Well paved, lightly trafficked. Gateway Riders signature event, the Falling Leaf Rally, is held in October and draws a great crowd of friendly people.

I grew up in Denver so I miss the low humidity, but you have lived in FL so you know what our summers can be like: 100/100 heat and humidity.

Looking forward to a pic of that new ride.

BTW did you know David Adair from the Colorado Club?

Thanks Bud, heard about the Falling Leaf, looking forward to it. I don't think I know David, I wasn't as involved in the Colorado club as I would have liked but attended several Top O Rockies rallies in Paonia. That's a great rally too. I just Loved riding in the Rockies but after 4 years in Flat Florida I am looking forward to riding this area. The new rig is due in May at Gateway BMW. Can't wait!
 
Thanks for the info...

I put a deposit on a GSAW at Gateway, you're right---a very good dealership. I'm living in an apartment temporarily so I picked a bike that should arrive in May when I get settled in with a house and garage. Like what I'm seeing of STL and surrounding areas---unlike my time in Florida which at best is a great place to go on vacation. :brow

Thanks for the tips on the Illinois side, I'll be sure to check them out.


If I may ask? What is it that you disliked about Florida ? I ask because i am considering a move there from Ohio.
 
If I may ask? What is it that you disliked about Florida ? I ask because i am considering a move there from Ohio.

Florida is a mixed bag. I was in southeast Florida near Boca Raton. A beautiful place---tropical paradise but I hated the riding---crowded with traffic going stoplight to stoplight except in the center of the state. Roads are flat and straight and temps/humidity very high 8 months of the year. Average drivers age is about 80 and along with inability to drive, they're generally cranky & unfriendly.

That's what you find from West Palm Beach to south of Miami. I hear around the rest of the state it can be quite nice especially if you like boating and the ocean.

Of course YMMV. My tainted 2 cents.
 
Florida is a mixed bag. I was in southeast Florida near Boca Raton. A beautiful place---tropical paradise but I hated the riding---crowded with traffic going stoplight to stoplight except in the center of the state. Roads are flat and straight and temps/humidity very high 8 months of the year. Average drivers age is about 80 and along with inability to drive, they're generally cranky & unfriendly.

That's what you find from West Palm Beach to south of Miami. I hear around the rest of the state it can be quite nice especially if you like boating and the ocean.

Of course YMMV. My tainted 2 cents.


Appreciate it...I'm mostly looking around the St Augustine area.
 
Thanks Bud, heard about the Falling Leaf, looking forward to it. I don't think I know David, I wasn't as involved in the Colorado club as I would have liked but attended several Top O Rockies rallies in Paonia. That's a great rally too. I just Loved riding in the Rockies but after 4 years in Flat Florida I am looking forward to riding this area. The new rig is due in May at Gateway BMW. Can't wait!

David was Rally Master at the TOR for several years..

I know May seems like a long time away, especially now the weather is warming up. I know I would find it very hard to wait. :thumb

Looking forward to seeing pics of the new bike when you get it.
 
Gateway Riders has rides almost every weekend. See Gateway Riders.com/events for information. Nonmembers are welcome. Maybe you'll like it.
 
Gateway Riders has rides almost every weekend. See Gateway Riders.com/events for information. Nonmembers are welcome. Maybe you'll like it.

The events calendar hasn't been updated since June.... No riding events scheduled, or at least not posted as future events listed for August through the end of the year......
 
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