Bike Across Missouri 2022 Starting in Joplin on Sunday, June 12

(Joplin, MO) –  The Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau (JCVB) is happy to announce that the Big BAM Ride, a six-day, cycling event across Missouri, will follow a 304-mile trek across historic Missouri along Route 66 from Joplin to Eureka, Missouri. Cyclists will depart from Joplin’s Landreth Park in the morning on Monday, June 13 and ride across the state finishing line on June 18.

There will be a kick-off event in Landreth Park, as race participants are scheduled to begin arriving in Landreth Park at 2:00 pm on Sunday, Jun 12. After registration, they will settle in for the evening’s events and then depart in the early morning the following day.

Planned events for the kick-off event will begin at 6:30 pm on the stage. Events include:

• Food trucks, including Smack Dabs, Fire on the Grill, and the Hershey’s Mobile Ice Cream Parlor
• Welcome by Mayor Doug Lawson
• Singing of the National Anthem
• Prayer for safe passage for the cyclists
• Rider Day One safety announcements
• A concert by Joplin music royalty Larry Smith and Karl Donner, The Smith Brothers, Zane Grimes.

The public is welcome to attend the Sunday concert and food trucks.

Safety

Motorists along Joplin’s Route 66 —Broadway Avenue to St. Louis and St. Louis all the way to north Highway 171 — are asked to use extra caution. On Sunday and Monday, the area will see increased bicycle traffic. Participants of the Big BAM Ride will camp overnight in Landreth Park on Sunday, then depart on Monday morning between 5:30 and 10:00 am.

Route:

The cyclists will leave Landreth Park on Pool Street, taking Landreth Avenue south to Broadway/Langston Hughes. Heading east, they will turn onto St. Louis, then stay on St. Louis north until they reach Highway 171. Crossing with the light at Highway 171, they will use the north shoulder of 171 east to Powell Drive in Webb City. Powell Drive becomes Broadway Street, which they will follow to downtown Webb City then on to Carterville. Cyclists will follow Route 66 to Carthage, then onto Red Oak II, and on to Willard to end their day one ride. The full route is available here.

Art and Excitement

Residence are encouraged to cheer the cyclists on as they ride out of Joplin. If you live along the cycling route, decorated bicycles are always a welcomed sight.

Reference:

Patrick Tuttle, Director
Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau
417.625.4789