Recreation Council - Ride to Unite

Since 1983, the Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis has assisted thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities access recreation and leisure programs of their choice, providing them with opportunities to have fun, be active, socialize and enhance their quality of life.  In 2021, Ride to Unite (RTU) became part of the Recreation Council with an ambition of  “cycling without limits”, which dovetails perfectly with the Recreation Council’s vision of “leisure without limits”.  RTU volunteers, together with local partners, work to create cycling opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in the St. Louis area. These efforts include providing access to adapted cycles, communications about a variety of cycling resources, and facilitating opportunities for individuals to participate in organized rides. 

2024 examples of our impact:

• 32 weekly tandem/adapted cycle rides with athletes with disabilities from Achilles St. Louis, impacting more than 300 individuals.  
• 3 Trailnet rides with 52 athletes with disabilities participating.
• More than 250 individuals of varying abilities (from elite racers to individuals using specially adapted wheelchair bikes) participated in our major annual awareness event, also called Ride to Unite (The Ride), which is part of the the Gateway Cup cycling races. This event embodies the inclusive focus of our efforts. 

The Ride to Unite program is 100% volunteer - every dollar donated goes directly to providing cycling opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 

Check out Cycle St. Louis at: www.cyclestl.org