Public Service Announcement: Donut Trail Ride This Sunday

Last year Riverfront Times crowned BABES (Belleville Area Biking and Eating Society) St. Louis' Best Bike Club, giving a special shout-out to the annual Donut Trail Ride.

Which brings us to this week's public service announcement: The 2009 26-mile doughnut ride rolls this coming Sunday morning.

"Time to make the donuts...or better, time to sample the fruits of labor made possible by those who consistently sacrifice their early morning, unselfishly giving of themselves and their chance to sleep in," says an e-mail from BABES. "We must honor those who get up so early to make the donuts."

Not to be confused with the Tour de Donut, a Texas race where riders get points for each donut they consume, BABES' Donut Trail Ride takes a more leisurely approach. There are at least a handful of family-owned doughnut shops on the ride through south St. Louis, and participants can gorge on as many, or as few, Bismarcks, old-fashioneds or cheese flips as they like.

Interested stomachs should meet at the Forest Park MetroLink station at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Word to the wise: No spandex!