About Trail Assist
Trail Assist is a network of all-weather boxes that contain bikes supplies to save stranded riders facing a ride threatening situation
How it began
There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a ride only to have it interrupted due to a flat tire or calorie issue. While riding a local network of trails in St Louis, Mo. the founder saw riders walking their bikes back to the trailhead on 4 consecutive days. After giving the first rider his tube on day 1 and realizing he'd forgotten to replace it and had no tube himself, he thought "why aren't there tubes out here for folks in this situation?" What began as a few boxes in a local park has grown into a network of boxes in multiple areas for both mountain bikers and road cyclists.
Aren't you supposed to carry supplies for this situation?
Absolutely. But anyone that has ridden long enough had experienced the dreaded spare tube with a hole in it, a second flat tire, a CO2 inflator not working correctly, not having enough calories with them or a myriad of other problems that require us to call the sag wagon.
How does it work?
While constantly evolving, the gist of the program stays the same. Working with land stewards for mountain bikes and individuals for road bikes, Trail Assist is creating a network of all-weather boxes that are strategically placed in popular cycling areas to aid stranded cyclists. Using Google Maps, a stranded cyclist can pull up a map of their area to find the closest box, a picture of that box and the supplies it contains.
How is it maintained?
Trail Assist is a 501c3 non-profit organization that relies on donations, grants and volunteer work to sustain it. Box stewards are responsible for checking on and resupplying the inventory of the boxes on the trail or in front of their home. These supplies are provided to these stewards by Trail Assist. Stranded cyclists and people that support the program give tax-deductible donations of time and money to resupply boxes and purchase / install additional boxes to grow the network.
How can I be a part of Trail Assist?
So glad you asked! If you are interested in participating in any of the areas below, please use the associated link. Thank you!