Welcome!

Welcome to Trail Happy Cycling!                                           

My name is Katie and I love riding my bike - especially on trails! 

Here's my cycling origin story: I moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 2008 to start nursing school and I got a bike - a Giant hybrid (which I still have!). I rode a little bit here and there and over the years I did more and more riding, mostly on the greenway near my apartment. In 2014, I bought a second bike - a Giant Anyroad - and a bike rack for my car. In 2015, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to start graduate school. Grad school was just okay, but the cycling was amazing! I had a bike trail right outside my apartment and from my front door I could bike over 40 miles one-way in multiple directions, almost all on bike trails!

In 2018, I moved back to St. Louis but it took me about a year to get settled and back into a cycling routine. In early 2020 - prior to the COVID-19 pandemic - I was cycling at least weekly, even in chilly weather, which I greatly dislike! But cycling was just so much fun. Once the pandemic shut down most social gatherings, I started biking even more. Several times a week, I would bike on the trails near my house and then started visiting other trails in the region.

It was during these rides that I reflected on my love of bike trails. I love the safety and peacefulness of not having to worry about car traffic. I have the most fun on a bike when I feel relaxed and comfortable, and trails provide that feeling in a way roads can't. I also love the people and pets you see on trails and learning about history and culture from signage and trailside attractions. And finally, a lot of great food and drinks can be found near trails, especially ice cream :)