Yesterday: best ride of the year!

I was heading out to meet Lee and the neighborhood tour, but got a flat around McCormick and Pratt. So by the time I took care of the flattened biz, I realized I was NOT going to make the ride. So I opted to head into the North Branch Trail and ride up to the Botanic Gardens. So between the eerie lack of SuperWinds and having FINALLY positioned my cleats properly, I was feeling astoundingly proper.

All in all: 50 or so miles, and I ran into a former co-worker on the tail-end of my ride through the NBT. Her husband commented on the old t-shirt I was wearing (Raw Power--an old Italian hardcore band), and that kinda made my day. Then I meandered through the neighborhoods around the trail to see if I could possibly hook up with the end of Lee's ride, but didn't see anyone.

But DAMN was yesterday a fine day to be on a bike. When I got home, I felt guilty for being back inside!

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Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 19, 2009 at 8:25am
YOU LIKE RAW POWER!?

You are more awesome than I previously thought Jason! It was a beautiful day for riding no doubt!


I want to talk with you about collaborating on finding eateries to follow our neighborhood rides if you are interested in such a venture....could be both fun and fattening! Yum!

Cheers - Lee
Permalink Reply by justJason on April 19, 2009 at 8:34am
Hell yeah, Lee. Let's make it happen!

P.S. I'm a old punk rock/metal/overall music lover kind of knucklehead that got sidelined by a bunch of idiot computer gigs and cycling stuff. ;-)
Permalink Reply by Vilda on April 19, 2009 at 8:40am
Yesterday was brilliant. Rode from my place (Southport between Belmont and Addison) Up Southport to Irving. Irving to Clark. Clark all the way to Division (enjoyed the Wrigley crowds for a bit) Divsion onto the Lakeshore Path. LSD up to Montrose. Montrose to Clark, Clark to Racine. Racine to Addison, Addison to Southport and home. Was a great ride.

Only downside was some spandex warrior drafting me for a long while on the path. If I don't know you then don't draft me. I pulled over at the totem without warning to get him off my ass.

Felt so bad about being home that I went back out for a 2nd ride in the afternoon. ;-) Great Day!
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 19, 2009 at 8:53am
hey jason...check out....

http://replicarepublic.com/

that's one of my bands...more post-punk but you and me must share some stories soon....oh my metal days...my punk days....ah yes...

riding///eating///aggro music.....nice
Permalink Reply by Glenn on April 19, 2009 at 9:05am
Hi, sounds great. I live south, but would really like to take a few friends on this loop. Does the trail start at Caldwell and Devon, and is that where you took it from? Is there any parking there? Lastly, is this a paved route all the way to Botanic Gardens from that starting point, as most all of us would be riding road bikes/tires? Thanks.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on April 19, 2009 at 10:03am
Also, a good day for sunburn when you forget to pack a short-sleeve jersey.

70 degrees is hotter than probably a lot of us remember after this bone-chilling winter.
Permalink Reply by Ammo on April 19, 2009 at 10:21am
Also a good night to get rained on after drinking half a bottle of Absolut. oops. =X
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on April 19, 2009 at 10:40am
Yeah. Tony, Hector and I got a bit wet on the LFP going home.

Ammo said:
Also a good night to get rained on after drinking half a bottle of Absolut. oops. =X
Permalink Reply by yaj 7.4 on April 19, 2009 at 10:50am
Glenn - yep, North branch is paved the whole way to the Botanic Gardens. And there is plenty of parking at Caldwell and Devon. Leslie and I did the whole thing yesterday, and Jason was right, it was a perfect day out there.

Glenn said:
Hi, sounds great. I live south, but would really like to take a few friends on this loop. Does the trail start at Caldwell and Devon, and is that where you took it from? Is there any parking there? Lastly, is this a paved route all the way to Botanic Gardens from that starting point, as most all of us would be riding road bikes/tires? Thanks.
Permalink Reply by joe on April 19, 2009 at 11:39am
yeah...great day...great band...but the ride from lincon square back to pilsen this morning was bullshit..haha and i got a flat...and i didnt have any of my levers...so i got to walk a couple miles...haha
Permalink Reply by Glenn on April 19, 2009 at 1:14pm
Thanks YAJ, sounds like a ride we will be doing. We ride something similiar down south, the Old Plank Trail, which is somewhere around 40 miles or so. This will give us a change of scenery. Does is get crowded on the weekends? OK if it does, just wondering. Thanks again.
Permalink Reply by yaj 7.4 on April 19, 2009 at 1:57pm
I just moved up from the midway area, so I'm familiar with Old Plank, I & M, etc. Generally, I think all the southside trails are less crowded than the northside trails. The earlier you can get out the better.

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