The Raccoon River Valley Trail Association’s board of directors had its May meeting on Friday, May 28, at the offices of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in West Des Moines, where board member Jim Miller is a senior vice-president. Afterward, the board members went next door to the new building of Bike World, which is one of Iowa’s top bicycle shops and has long had the motto, “The store that supports the sport.” Owner Forrest Ridgway has been a particularly strong supporter of the RRVT through the years. The new store is a striking building that has lots of display and storage space, along with a huge repair area. In these photos, note the bicycle artwork included around the top of the building’s exterior. In another photo, you can see some of the fun paint jobs that are now available on some bicycles, especially the old-fashioned cruisers. Also, RRVT Association board members Miller (left) and Jon Doll show how light one of the new Trek bicycles is, easily lifting the carbon-framed bike with their index fingers. How much does the bike weigh? “Nothin’!” Doll answered. One feature of the store is a saying, painted high on one interior wall, that was a favorite of the late Dr. Bob Breedlove: “It’s Another Day In Paradise.” A globally-known bicycle marathon racer from Des Moines, and a close friend of Ridgway, Breedlove died at 53 years old in June, 2005, when the bicycle he was riding near Trinidad, Colorado, in the Race Across America, collided with a vehicle.

Submit your photos for placement