John M from Creve Coeur on 5/1/2009 8:43:59 AM:
I live in this area and ride the streets all the time. Take the bike trail across the Hwy 364 bridge to Creve Coeur Park. (3.4 mi). Go South (right) on the bike trail to Creve Coeur Mill Rd. (1.1 mi). Continue South (left) on Creve Coeur Mill to Olive Blvd. (.8 mi) This is a 2 lane road with traffic, use caution.
Go East on Olive Blvd. (left, up the hill) .4 miles in the bike lane. Olive is a busy 4 lane road, but it has a wide shoulder striped as a bike lane. It is not an elegant bike route, but I have never felt unsafe here. At the top of the hill, turn South (right) on Fernview Dr., which bends East and changes name to Bellerive Estates Dr. Continue to Mason Manor Rd. (1.4 mi) Turn East (left) on Mason Manor to Mason Rd. (.25 mi).
Turn South (right) on Mason. Stay on Mason as it bends left and right several times. Continue South on Mason at the Ladue Rd. intersection (1.34 mi). After another .5 mi. jog right then left at Conway Rd. and continue South on Mason. Cross I-64 and continue South to Clayton Rd. (1.47 mi).
Turn East (left) on Clayton. This is one of the most popular bike routes in the area. Cross I-270 and Ballas Rd. to Geyer Rd. (3.5 mi) Turn South (right) on Geyer, cross Manchester Rd. to W. Adams Ave. (3.6 mi, Kirkwood Park on right) Continue 2 blocks South to Argonne Dr. Turn East (left) on Argonne, go 4 blocks and you are there.
The route is complex, total distance is probably close to 20 mi., and there are typical Missouri rolling hills. So it is a significant addition to your ride. But if your heart is set on one final challenge at the end of your ride, it can be done. Once you deal with Creve Coeur Mill Rd. and Olive, you are on residential streets or secondary streets that are popular biking routes. This is the city, however, and you have to be comfortable sharing the road with cars.