The recent decision by the state to tear up the old Milwaukee Road rail line between Rapid City and Caputa could be an opportunity to create a bicycle freeway to Rapid Valley, said Jerry Cole, director of the Rapid City Parks & Recreation Department.

"As we see gas prices rise, I think we'll see more bicycle commuters," he said.

The Milwaukee Road trail, he said, would "open a whole area to lateral trails that could connect (Rapid Valley) to downtown Rapid City."

Such a trail system could connect Western Dakota Technical Institute and the Rushmore Business Park, with more than 2,000 office workers, to the city's bike-path system. Neighborhoods such as Copperfield and Elks Country Estates could also have bike-path access to the rest of Rapid City.

A plan to extend a bike-path system east from the Rapid Creek area to the city limits recently ranked No. 3 on a priority list for $1.7 million in federal greenway funds, he said. Right now, Rapid City's limits extend to Elk Vale Road, but in the future, the path could extend farther.

In addition to his day job, Cole is also a bicyclist and trail advocate. He is involved in the South Dakota Bicycle Coalition, a new group created March 1 to lobby for bicycle trails statewide.

More than 30 bicyclists met March 1 at the Cedar Shores Resort in Oacoma. That same day, they decided to create the coalition. In the future, the group will create a Web site to share information about bicycling in South Dakota. The group will also lobby to create more bicycling opportunities.

In fact, the South Dakota Bicycle Coalition helped persuade the state Rail Board to seek bids to make minimal repairs to the Milwaukee Road railroad bridge over the Cheyenne River. The state had intended to tear it down, Cole said. "If you lose that bridge, its value as a trail would be gone," he said.

The Milwaukee right of way is being "railbanked" - cleared of track and ties but retained for future use - under the Rails To Trails Act. With the newly railbanked section of track, the state could someday create a hiking and biking trail from Rapid City through the Badlands to Kadoka.

Cole is also involved in another group, the West River Trails Foundation, which will lobby for hikers, bikers, equestrians and other outdoor enthusiasts in western South Dakota.

Meanwhile, Cole also sees an emerging bicycle and fitness culture in Rapid City. With the Cowboy Hill trail system in the works and other projects, Rapid City could become a center of that culture.

Tim Rangitsch, an avid bicyclist and owner of Acme Bicycles in Rapid City, sees that culture on his way to work. "I ride to work as much as I can," he said. With all the traffic in the Gap, he tries to find alternate routes to the main roads, as do other riders. "I see pretty much the same people every day, shortcutting through the Safeway parking lot and places like that," he said.

He has a large bicycle commuter trailer that is large enough to haul up to 200 pounds of packages from UPS to his shop. His dog also rides along occasionally. "People can replace cars with bikes when it's possible," he said.

In addition, Rangitsch and other members of the Black Hills Mountain Bike Association are working on a number of other projects, including a dirt jump park at the foot of Cowboy Hill and a trail near Buzzard's Roost in the Black Hills.

Even though plans are in the works to expand the urban bicycle trail system, Rangitsch said bike commuters sometimes have to simply take to the streets.

"Sometimes, you just have to suck it up, be a second-class citizen and ride your bike, where it works, to get you safely where you need to be," he said. "I appreciate when they build paths that get you somewhere, but there are times when you just want to be in the lane of traffic going a little faster and not having to stop all the time."

Meanwhile, another bike culture event is coming to Rapid City in May. From May 23 to 26, the city will host the second annual Fat Tire. Last year's inaugural festival attracted about 300 riders and volunteers.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com