January 27, 2021
Contact: Nancy Lee Gomer, Marketing Coordinator, 636-949-7535, or 636-795-1137, ngomer@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri – Soon cyclists will never be stranded with a flat tire while riding in a St. Charles County park—thanks to a donation from Trail Assist. Christian Hon, avid cyclist and founder of the nonprofit organization, is giving back to the community by installing weather-proof boxes that contain emergency bike repair supplies along various trails throughout the St. Charles County Parks system.
Dedicated to assisting stranded cyclists facing “ride-threatening situations” in the park, each red or green Trails Assist box contains a road or mountain bike tube and two carbon dioxide (C02) inflators for cyclists to use when in dire need of a flat tire repair. The boxes have been installed along the Great Plains Trail and Cannon Loop Trail at Indian Camp Creek Park, 2679 Dietrich Road in Foristell, and are coming soon to Broemmelsiek, Klondike, Matson Hill, and Quail Ridge parks.
“It’s simply a way to give back,” says Hon. “The cycling community, especially in the St. Charles and St. Louis area is a great one. I have been in many difficult situations on my bike and other cyclists offered me help. This is a way to extend that helping hand when we all need it.”
As more and more people are cycling these days, Hon feels it’s important to have a network of resources like Trail Assist to help in times of a bike failure. Riders can find Trail Assist boxes by using the “Bike Network Map” on their website at trailassist.org. This interactive mapping service uses Global Positioning System (GPS) to pinpoint where each box is located. Boxes #19 and #20 at Indian Camp Creek Park are just a few of the popular biking locations on the map. Additional park and residential locations are expected to be added soon!
How can you help grow the Trail Assist network? This 501(c)(3) organization relies on donations, grants and volunteers to build a platform for cyclists locally. To learn more about how to donate, request a box at your property or business, or register to become a box steward for St. Charles County Parks, visit trailassist.org. If you’d like to become a trail steward for the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department, call 636-949-7535 or visit stccparks.org.