Festus, Missouri, residents Chris and Rene Creed have made it their mission to nurture a strong cycling culture in Jefferson County through the nonprofit Living Life on Two Wheels. From developing athletes for the past 12 years through the Gateway Devo Cycling team, to hosting Strider camps for kids with Down syndrome, to advocating for bicycling to be taught as part of PE in area schools, to creating a bike park and connected trail network, the vision is to increase cycling awareness and education and make riding opportunities accessible to everyone.
The only problem? “We have all of these things going on, but we don’t have a bike shop in Festus,” said Chris. “A good bicycle shop gives a community the tools and resources to be successful in spreading the contagious love for the freedom and camaraderie that cycling emulates. The goal is inclusion and access to an opportunity we believe can be life altering.”
This passion, along with a love of good food and years of experience in retail sales, led the couple to open Pedal’n Pi in February. It’s a pizza place serving bicyclists smack dab in the middle of downtown Festus and Crystal City. “Jefferson County has some of the best and most challenging roads to ride on. Pedal’n Pi is in a great destination shop area that already has a brewery and a couple of bistros,” said Chris. “We want to be part of that scene that helps build up our downtown, and we believe a bike shop is core for a thriving community.”
Pedal’n Pi will serve classic Neapolitan-style pizza as well as beer, wine, and soda — plus fresh sourdough bread and other baked goods from its Mugnaini wood-fired oven. The floor plan calls for seating for about 30 people inside and another 20 on the front porch and in the back lot beer garden. The bike shop will also be in back, in a prefab building that will act as the repair and service space. Chris has signed on as a Trek dealer.
“The first piece of equipment we bought for our bike shop was a pizza oven,” he joked. “We knew we wanted the shop to be unique, and we wanted a food aspect.
“It could be a bicycle-themed pizza place for a while, but we’re committed to serving the needs of the cycling community through Living Life on Two Wheels,” Chris added. “We’re super excited. Bikes and food make people happy, and that’s what we love to do, make people smile and be happy.”
You can visit Pedal’n Pi at 514 Bailey Road in Crystal City and at pedalnpi.com.
Author: Brad Kovach is the editor/pubisher of Terrain Magazine.
Looking for people to ride with occasionally in Jeff. Co. – road only