The Chainlink

100 Mile Routes/DIY Century

I want to try and do a DIY century. Any ideas for a 100 mile route? I am in Logan Square, and I was thinking of hitting the north channel trail up to wilmette, then maybe back down to indiana.

Has anyone done their own century?

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Deet 4.5mi on July 16, 2013 at 10:49am

Not a bad idea i would go south first to indiana, then to willmette and back.

 

I have been thinking about doing a home made tri state tour, downtown to the indiana border, up to the wisconsion border, back to downtown. I figure that would more like 130 or so, but would make for a great day , possibly in the fall.

Permalink Reply by JMinHP on July 16, 2013 at 10:55am

You must be a glutton for punishment!! That's basically 100 miles of urban riding and too many traffic signals for my tastes.  I would try to get away from the city.  How about ride to Kenosha and back?  Beautiful lakefront riding with decent country roads.

I am in Logan Square, and I was thinking of hitting the north channel trail up to wilmette, then maybe back down to indiana

Permalink Reply by Rob McKinney on July 16, 2013 at 11:01am

There is actually about 15 miles of trail going from avondale to wilmette. Someone mentioned that another trail picks up along the metra, but I don't beleive them...

The only urban part would really be getting to downtown from the north channel trail.

Kenosha is not a bad idea. It is almost exactly 50mi from my house. Thanks for the idea!

JM 6.5 said:

You must be a glutton for punishment!! That's basically 100 miles of urban riding and too many traffic signals for my tastes.  I would try to get away from the city.  How about ride to Kenosha and back?  Beautiful lakefront riding with decent country roads.

I am in Logan Square, and I was thinking of hitting the north channel trail up to wilmette, then maybe back down to indiana

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on July 16, 2013 at 11:06am

Yes - get out of town! If you can tolerate crushed limestone, you also might want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path and the Fox River Trail. From Logan Square if you make a triangle of those trails I think you'd be somewhere around a century. 

http://www.ipp.org/pdf/IPP-free-map-color.pdf

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on July 16, 2013 at 11:08am

I just got the new Active Trans Chicagoland Map and it seems to be a lot better than the old one with trails and good roads clearly marked and easy to see.  The reason it is easy to see is because the thing is HUGE.  Maybe get hold of one of those to plan the route and then find some way to put the route on  or in something manageable.  I would not want to take the map with me.

Permalink Reply by Rob McKinney on July 16, 2013 at 11:13am

How bad are the trails? I have a track bike that does not like rough stuff at all...

Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:

Yes - get out of town! If you can tolerate crushed limestone, you also might want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path and the Fox River Trail. From Logan Square if you make a triangle of those trails I think you'd be somewhere around a century. 

http://www.ipp.org/pdf/IPP-free-map-color.pdf

Permalink Reply by Deet 4.5mi on July 16, 2013 at 11:16am

Kenosha, and back would be nice. Pampered century going on this weekend is doing exactly that.
 
Rob McKinney said:

There is actually about 15 miles of trail going from avondale to wilmette. Someone mentioned that another trail picks up along the metra, but I don't beleive them...

The only urban part would really be getting to downtown from the north channel trail.

Kenosha is not a bad idea. It is almost exactly 50mi from my house. Thanks for the idea!

JM 6.5 said:

You must be a glutton for punishment!! That's basically 100 miles of urban riding and too many traffic signals for my tastes.  I would try to get away from the city.  How about ride to Kenosha and back?  Beautiful lakefront riding with decent country roads.

I am in Logan Square, and I was thinking of hitting the north channel trail up to wilmette, then maybe back down to indiana

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 16, 2013 at 11:22am

Ride into Indiana. You can ride trails all the way to Crown Point and Hobart and back. 100 miles or so, with less than 20 on roads.

Or go to Joliet, using the Centennial trail and return using the Old Plank trail/Burnham Greenway. Little more roads on this route, but still plenty of trails.

Start by using Google Maps. I've found from experience that their bike directions vary between good and great.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on July 16, 2013 at 11:26am

I have not ridden them this year (SIGH!) so I dunno about current conditions. In past years I would not call them rough. There are some rough rail crossings and ramps up onto the trail from the streets, stuff like that, but overall I would not call them rough. 

Can someone whose ridden them recently chime in? Are they recovered from the storm damage?

Rob McKinney said:

How bad are the trails? I have a track bike that does not like rough stuff at all...

Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:

Yes - get out of town! If you can tolerate crushed limestone, you also might want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path and the Fox River Trail. From Logan Square if you make a triangle of those trails I think you'd be somewhere around a century. 

http://www.ipp.org/pdf/IPP-free-map-color.pdf

Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on July 16, 2013 at 11:28am

+1 to Kenosha.  Once you're up to Wilmette, the route on the Green Bay trail, hopping off on Sheridan/St. Johns to avoid crushed gravel, up to the McClory, and then your choice of sticking with McClory north of 176, or taking North Shore W on 176 to St. Mary's and up.

Here's my route riding North Shore/St. Mary's.  The McClory gets to crushed gravel that's harder to avoid, so I tend to stick with roads.  The busiest part is Delaney thru Waukegan-ish.  That's kinda busy, but if you get through there early, it's not too bad.  Once you get north, though, it's much easier.  Pavement can be a bit broken at times, and hills get rolling for a good challenge.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42598872

You can cut over at something like Emerson in Evanston to head east to get into Wilmette, although I've ridden up McDaniel to Wilmette Ave, then east, and that should take you right to the trail head of the Green Bay Trail.


Deet 4.5mi said:

Kenosha, and back would be nice. Pampered century going on this weekend is doing exactly that.

Permalink Reply by WillG on July 16, 2013 at 12:00pm

Rob,

Batavia and back via the IL Prairie trail would be 100+ miles and is 100% paved. I rode it last month, it was a little sketch through Maywood but otherwise an awesome ride.

Rob McKinney said:

How bad are the trails? I have a track bike that does not like rough stuff at all...

Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:

Yes - get out of town! If you can tolerate crushed limestone, you also might want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path and the Fox River Trail. From Logan Square if you make a triangle of those trails I think you'd be somewhere around a century. 

http://www.ipp.org/pdf/IPP-free-map-color.pdf

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 16, 2013 at 12:14pm

Will,

Parts of it are on crushed lime-stone, especially west of approx. Villa Park.

Will G - 10mi said:

Rob,

Batavia and back via the IL Prairie trail would be 100+ miles and is 100% paved. I rode it last month, it was a little sketch through Maywood but otherwise an awesome ride.

Rob McKinney said:

How bad are the trails? I have a track bike that does not like rough stuff at all...

Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:

Yes - get out of town! If you can tolerate crushed limestone, you also might want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path and the Fox River Trail. From Logan Square if you make a triangle of those trails I think you'd be somewhere around a century. 

http://www.ipp.org/pdf/IPP-free-map-color.pdf

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