Best 2 day/1 night ride?

First thread, here goes:

I'm Stephen, 27 and lover of road bikes and trips for only 3-4 years.  The irony is I moved to Chicago 3ish years ago..

Commuting by bike in Chicago is many things: exciting, efficient, and encouraging.  Biking wakes you up, saves you money, and propels you to tomorrow.

Then there's long-distance.  Not racing nor training, but biking as travel.  I've biked to Southwest Michigan and Southeast Wisconsin - both trips similar in distance and difficulty.

 

Anyone have a good 2 day/1 night group trip model they recommend?

 

Be easy,

 

Stephen

Northside, Chicago

Smaiseloff@gmail.com

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by mindfrieze on January 28, 2010 at 9:09am
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.
Permalink Reply by dan brown on January 28, 2010 at 9:10am
I cannot say this if this one is the best...but it is a great one :

le Tour de Shore.
great scenery; two cookouts with beer, Friday off from work;
and it's a great fund raiser for a (disadvantaged) children's art and music program

I did it last year and will do it again this year.
It's June 18-19 if I remember correctly.

http://www.letourdeshore.com/


registration opens Feb 7 (super Bown Sunday)

DB
Permalink Reply by Glenn on January 28, 2010 at 9:46am
The I&M canal trail is a good ride, but for some reason I like Kenosha to Genoa more:
DPR Trail - IPP - Fox River Trail - Great Western Trail - north on 23 - west on 72 - camp for the night and turn around

Huzzah to big small adventures! :D
Permalink Reply by dan brown on January 29, 2010 at 6:00am
another one is GITAP - Jen from here (Y A J) is considering it...along with a few others.

a great source for rides of all distances is here :


http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/mwrides.htm


enjoy

DB
Permalink Reply by Glenn on January 29, 2010 at 7:28am
Oh... Chicago to Milwaukee and back :-)
Permalink Reply by Stephen Maiseloff on January 31, 2010 at 2:33am
Ya I'm looking to organize myself. That's been the routine with my group and just the overall attitude. Down the road, I'd like to design a ride and follow all steps towards stamping it as a feel-good ride with donations an a mission etc.

Thanks!

H3N3 said:
Stephen,
Are you looking for an organized/ supported ride, or looking to organize something yourself?
Are you thinking loaded touring or so-called "credit card touring."?
If you're thinking loaded touring, 60 miles is probably a reasonable max for one day. Some destinations within that range: Dunes state park in Indiana, Illinois Beach National Park in Zion . . .
Also look out for TC's Starved Rock ride in September:
http://starvedrockride.org/
Although it appears to be a 3-day event I think there's an easy 2-day option.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on January 31, 2010 at 12:00pm
I & M Canal Trail is "groomed trail". Does this mean it would be road bike friendly?

mindfrieze said:
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.
Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on February 1, 2010 at 6:24am
H3N3 said:
Probably means crushed limestone. Can do on a road bike if you don't mind getting your frame chipped up.
Liz W. Durham said:
I & M Canal Trail is "groomed trail". Does this mean it would be road bike friendly?

mindfrieze said:
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.

It is crushed limestone. Last time I rode it (only from Channahon to Starved Rock and back) I took my early 80's Trek 500. That bike does not have fenders and the paint on the frame did not suffer from it.
Permalink Reply by JeffB on February 1, 2010 at 8:03am
Do you have directions from the Joliet train station to the trailhead? Thanks.


mindfrieze said:
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on February 1, 2010 at 9:53am
Jeff, according to Mapquest - shortest distance, avoiding highways, toll roads and seasonally closed roads mind you - it's around 12 miles from the Joilet Metra station to US-6 and South McKinley Woods Road. It's probably a bit shorter than that because the closest trailhead is actually east of S McKinley and US-6.

Keep in mind I haven't actually ridden this myself. I just had Mapquest give me a point A to B, but it might help.

Best of luck!

Jeff said:
Do you have directions from the Joliet train station to the trailhead? Thanks.


mindfrieze said:
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on February 1, 2010 at 10:22am
I can do crushed limestone with my road bike.
When I commuted out to Wheaton on the Prairie Path I rode crushed limestone. My road bike did quite well and never got chips/nicks. The Starved Rock ride sounds great. My preferred bike though is a longtail and it isn't allowed on the train so I would have to use my road bike.

Tony Adams said:
H3N3 said:
Probably means crushed limestone. Can do on a road bike if you don't mind getting your frame chipped up.
Liz W. Durham said:
I & M Canal Trail is "groomed trail". Does this mean it would be road bike friendly?

mindfrieze said:
Take Metra to Joliet and bike the I&M Canal trail to Starved Rock and back. I think it's around 60 miles one way.

It is crushed limestone. Last time I rode it (only from Channahon to Starved Rock and back) I took my early 80's Trek 500. That bike does not have fenders and the paint on the frame did not suffer from it.
Permalink Reply by jen on February 1, 2010 at 2:59pm
I once journeyed to western Illinois with a friend.... We put ourselves and our bikes on the Metra headed to Harvard. Departed train once there, got foods in our bellies and headed west. He (friend) mapped out the route which ended up being a bit of a backroad adventure for awhile, so I can't give any specifics. Leaving later than expected and having quite a heedy headwind...we stopped short of the destination campground, but Lake Le-Aqua Na campground was actually more of a paradise after the long day in the saddles (hot showers, indoor plumbing). Got up next morning and peddled to Apple River Canyon campground. Spent the night there and rode the highways back to Harvard the next day. Boarded the Metra and glided our way back to mass civilization. Beautiful landscapes, nice people (not too many fingers flipped from passing cars) and fair/med difficulty of ride (some hills and cross winds).

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