Brothers Gabe, Alex and Eli Karabell like to ride their bicycles in

(l to r) Gabe, Alex and Eli Karabell

Forest Park. There's a new series of family bike rides that starts in May that will suit them perfectly.

The Great River Greenway District and Trailnet are joining to sponsor a Museum District Family Bicycle Ride series. The first event, "The Pedal Into History," will be Sunday, May 1, at the Missouri History Museum.

It will be one of the events during the Earth Day weekend in Forest Park. (To register for the Museum Pedal, call the Missouri Historical Society at (314) 361-9017.)

Each family ride includes a bike safety lesson and helmet fitting and a ride through Forest Park and Tower Grove Park. The rides will end at one of the major cultural institutions.

Other Pedal rides include Sunday, June 24, "Puffin Pedal" at the St. Louis Zoo; July 24, "Petal Pedal" at the Missouri Botanical Garden; Aug.12, "Planetary Pedal" at the St. Louis Science Center, and Sept. 11, "Picasso Pedal" at the St. Louis Art Museum.

(For complete details of these and other Trailnet rides, visit www.trailnet.org. Also, for more on other kids ride schedules, see this edition's Things to Do, Places to Go.)

The Karabell family became serious bikers about six years ago. That's when father Harold started to commute to his workplace on a bike, instead of a car.

Parents Karen and Harold Karabell

Mr. Karabell said, "I rode a lot when I was younger. Then, we started again when I found it easier to commute to work and to the synagogue on my bike,"

The family lives quite near Forest Park. That made the many trails through and around Forest Park a natural destination for family rides.

Nine-year-old Eli said, "I like to ride all the Forest Park trails. I've had my own bike about two years." He said he also likes to ride on riverfront bike trails.

Some of the family bike rides have combined a serious purpose with the pleasure. For instance, 16-year-old Gabe and his mother, Karen, last summer made a 90-mile ride in a fund-raiser for HAZON, a Jewish environmental group.

Gabe also has been riding for about six years. He said most of his riding is in and around the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County. "Whenever I want to go somewhere," he said.

Thirteen-year-old Alex admits he was the last of the family to take up biking.

His mother said, "When I came home one day and said that Eli was riding his bike, a look of chagrin came over Alex' face." She said Alex took up riding soon afterwards.

Actually Alex had an interesting bike outing even before he could ride on his own.

He said, "Two years ago, I rode on a tandem bike while sight-seeing in Montreal." He said he pedaled from the bike's rear seat while his dad was "captain" in front.

Mr. Karabell said Montreal is very "bike-friendly" with separate lanes for bikers, "not just a painted stripe at the side of the road."

Each of the family members has his or her own bike and rides with a protective helmet.

Alex said he witnessed a bike accident that could have resulted in serious injury without a protective helmet.

He said, "A kid was trying to ride fancy and he flipped right over the handlebars onto his head. The helmet took the hit for him. He was bloody but not seriously hurt."

The Karabell boys said they fall occasionally but haven't been seriously hurt.

Eli said his biggest problem when riding his bike happened on a ride in Forest Park. He said he stopped to look at some construction equipment being used to make park improvements.

"I was playing on a front-end loader when a park policeman came by and gave me a warning," Eli said.

The Karabells, (l to r) Alex, Gabe, Eli, Karen and Harold

The Karabells like the expanding biking opportunities in the metro St. Louis area.

The Great Rivers Greenway District is one of the largest districts of its kind in the country. The District is developing an interconnected system of greenways, parks and trails throughout the metro area. That includes both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

(For more information on the Greenway District, visit www.greatrivers.info.)

Trailnet is a not-for-profit organization that promotes bicycle and pedestrian activities.

Mrs. Karabell said, "Trailnet rides are very well done."

Like most Trailnet rides, the Museum District series features not only a bike ride suited for riders of all ages but will end at a free special event at the sponsoring institution.