Bike to Work Week: A Dirty Business at Times in the STL

It's Bike to Work Week across the nation. And with prices for oil hitting record highs just last week, the bike commute seems more appealing than ever.

One problem: The pathways for cyclists aren't always in the best condition, according to a report put out by the Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc.

In fact, MoBikeFed just gave Missouri metro areas a "D" for the second year running.

"The overall grade for Missouri's walking and bicycling environment for 2007 was a D," said Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh in a statement. "We are quite frankly behind most other states in accommodating for safe walking and bicycling. With gas prices near $3.50 a gallon and rising, it's hitting us right in the pocketbook."

Read more of the report here: http://mobikefed.org

Check out a nasty bike-to-work photo from Forest Park after the jump.

As I discovered on my bike commute Monday morning, cycling to work in this town can be dirty business.

Below is the aftermath of the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, held in Forest Park over the weekend. Try pedaling through that and staying clean for that Monday-morning meeting.

-Keegan Hamilton

Note from Web editor -Nick Lucchesi: Got any tips for biking to work? Post them below. Otherwise, learn more about commuting by bike here.