By Randy Bell
A new bike repair work stand has been added at the Clinton Visitor Center. (Photo by Randy Bell).
Because of its proximity to the Natchez Trace, the Clinton Visitor Center has always been a popular rest stop for cyclists riding the Parkway. They could count on clean restrooms, a shady spot for a picnic lunch and an opportunity to learn more about Clinton and the Trace.
And, since last October, the Visitor Center has offered a way to help cyclists who run into a bit of bad luck during their ride.
“The bike area has an outdoor bottle filling station, water fountain, pet fountain, bike racks and the most recent addition—a bike repair work stand,” says the center’s manager, Marsha Barham.
The steel and aluminum self-service repair station includes a selection of tools, including Phillips and standard screwdrivers, two steel core tire levers, a headset/pedal wrench, a Torx T-25 tool and a hex key set, all connected to retractable steel cables which are organized to prevent tangling. There’s also a manual air pump.
The bike area located near the Visitor Center’s picnic tables had already been the beneficiary of an Eagle Scout service project in the fall of 2022. Carson Brinkmann raised money for the bottle filling station, poured the concrete pad and worked with other Scouts and Scout leaders to complete the addition.
The Visitor Center’s bike area now offers a bottle filling station, water fountain, pet fountain, pike racks and a new bike repair work stand.
The amenities at the Visitor Center have helped to make Clinton a favorite stop for large groups of cyclists who ride the Trace during the spring and fall. Barham notes that several tour groups come back year after year, including Lizard Head from Colorado, Adventure Cycling from Montana, Discovery Bike Tours from Vermont and Wilderness Voyageurs from Pennsylvania.
“Last year, we averaged around two hundred cyclists in groups,” she says.
But many people biking the Trace who pull in for a visit are riding solo or in small groups.
“We, throughout the year, have cyclists [who are] individuals, groups of friends, family [or] business partners,” Barham says. “They generally ride forty-plus miles a day, and Clinton enjoys being one of their stops.”
The Visitor Center was able to use money from its budget to purchase the repair station, and Barham says she’s open to the possibility of adding other bike amenities as needed.