Club to tour new bike trail connections

Jeff Frandsen, M3 student, and his 4-year-old son, Sawyer, want students, staff and faculty to start cycling.

The UNMC Cycling Club wants to promote new bike trail connections during its UNMC Spring Cycling Roundup on Friday.

Cyclists will register for the free ride at the UNMC Ice Rink at 5 p.m., where they can learn more about TravelSmart and also get advice on bike mechanics, said Jeff Frandsen, a third-year medical student and founder and president of the cycling club.

“We started this club two years ago to help promote the cycling culture on campus,” he said. Rides are announced on the club’s Facebook page.

Nate Hogenmiller, mechanic/general manager at The Bike Way in Omaha for nearly 10 years, will help people get rolling and answer bike repair and maintenance questions at the start. He is now in the UNMC accelerated nursing program.

Cyclists will leave the ice rink, cross Leavenworth Street at the 40th Street traffic signal and head south on the Field Club Trail to Vinton Street where it connects to the new South Omaha Trail. That trail goes to Karen Park at 62nd and H streets and connects to the Keystone Trail. Cyclists could then turn right to head north on the Keystone Trail to go to Stinson Park in Aksarben Village.

“This is a ride where people can go as far as you like,” Frandsen said. “The Field Club Trail is only 4.5 miles round trip and can be done easily within 20 minutes. We plan to continue on Keystone for a round trip of 15 miles. You can turn around wherever you chose.”

With the new South Omaha Trail completed, the UNMC campus is connected via the Field Club Trail to the Keystone Trail and the rest of the Papio Trail system enabling individuals to easily to pedal to UNMC, one of the TravelSmart options to parking on campus. A round trip ride to Karen Park, where the trail intersects Keystone, is about 12 miles.

“Parking on campus has become a significant problem, especially for students. We hope to decrease the congestion by reminding people of how easy, safe and fun it can be to commute to campus using the trail system in Omaha,” Frandsen said.

For more information, contact Peter Pellerito at 402-559-5253.