Found a pretty good map of Lake County, IL

http://www.co.lake.il.us/dot/maps/Lake02_back_Final.pdf

Can anyone tell me if the bike trail that parallels Rockland Road (Rt. 176) is paved or crushed limestone? Now that spring is here I'm mapping out some new loops. I thought this might be another way to get over to St. Marys Road...

is limestone at St Marys and paved east of Rt 43. I can't recall where it makes the transition, but I believe it is closer to 43 than St Marys. If you are coming across from Sheridan, take Old Elm/Everett to St Marys.

TF

is limestone at St Marys and paved east of Rt 43. I can't recall where it makes the transition, but I believe it is closer to 43 than St Marys. If you are coming across from Sheridan, take Old Elm/Everett to St Marys.

TF

I'll typically use Old Elm/Everett on my rides just looking for some variety... (but not a fan of too many miles on dusty limestone paths)...

Thats a great map.

i wish i could say i've been riding enough to even consider my few recent ft sheridan rides a 'rut'.

I was also impressed with the loop south ride you posted. I used to shoot out archer and then south on western.. Are there folks here on this forum that ride with groups/clubs? I've been hesitant to show up and ride with people I don't know and yet I miss the group thing (catch 22, eh?)

Where are you and what kind of riding are you looking for? You can find anything from a century before lunch with the pros (Posties) to 8 miles and a restaurant. (Notice how food sneaks into all of my rides?)

TF

I kind of know what your talking about with the whole club thing...

I get most of my miles commuting to work (Lakeview up to Niles and back). I'd like to join a club but most of the group rides start around 8:00am - 9:00am which is a little too late for me. Due to the wife and kid I like to get home by noon on Saturdays. That means leaving the house from 6:30 - 7:00am to get in a long ride (usually with a stop for coffee).

I've been toying around with posting a notice for a group ride leaving Duncan Donuts (Addison & Lincoln in my hood) at 7:00am on Saturday mornings. I e-mailed some riding buddies (mostly single with no kids) but got no response... I'm not a racer so I can't really imagine joining XXX, Turin, or Higher Gear group rides...

I'm just south off Diversy. That Duncan Doughnuts shop is along my ravenswood running route :)

As for my type of riding... running has taken its toll on my 33 year old bad hip and this year I figured that getting back into riding would be less pounding. I rode a ton in college. We'd think nothing of late night rides to the Northbrook velodrome after class/work. I did a good bit of Mt biking at Palos and the Kettle over the years(still do), but only last year spent much time back on the road bike.

I usually ride to ft sheridan with a buddy or two. My wife actually got to be a pretty strong rider, but she's 5 months pregnant.

I suspect I'll be going north this weekend if you're going... I just got a fancy new ride and need to work on the engine ;)

-Bernie

I'm just south off Diversy. That Duncan Doughnuts shop is along my ravenswood running route :)

As for my type of riding... running has taken its toll on my 33 year old bad hip and this year I figured that getting back into riding would be less pounding. I rode a ton in college. We'd think nothing of late night rides to the Northbrook velodrome after class/work. I did a good bit of Mt biking at Palos and the Kettle over the years(still do), but only last year spent much time back on the road bike.

I usually ride to ft sheridan with a buddy or two. My wife actually got to be a pretty strong rider, but she's 5 months pregnant.

I suspect I'll be going north this weekend if you're going... I just got a fancy new ride and need to work on the engine ;)

-Bernie

I be heading north starting off around Ravenswood and Irving Park (construction zone) about 7:00am. If you see a guy on a Titanium Guru with a white helmet that would be me. I'd be happy to get some miles in with you... As you may have guessed from the start of this thread my plan was to ride up to Rt. 176 and head west to St. Marys Rd. then back south again... I'm no speed demon and usually average 16-17 mph on a solo ride of this length (depending on the wind) - Steve

St. Marys and 176 is limestone and currently its abit trashed because of last years construction. you can also go up on the des plaines river trail its pretty scenenic and fun trail again pretty much all limestone. I go to Libertyville H.S. and resident of Lake Forest so i go around that area just about every hour. On Tuesdays i ride the "Pizza Hut/Hanley ride." its a big group about 50 usually but in the summer it can swell to 80! they start at Dania Furniture store on Skokie blvd and Dundee at 5:30. they go up (St Marys and Everett) and turn around up on 137. the ride is fast and often with local pros. At 16 yrs of age its a challenge but its fun, i often ride on the weekends with Albertos Bike shop club, they are the friendiest to new riders.

The faster groups/rides have been mentioned (XXX, Turin, Higher Gear. Hanley Ride, Albertos). I'll add one more. I ride with VCR out of Deerfield on Sat and Lake forest on Sun. We get out into western and northern Lake Co. and up into WI.

For more recreational rides (not that they don't have riders that can blow me away) see the Chicago Cycle Club and the Evanston Cycle Club.

TF

Here's some info from a new group I rode with 2 summers ago called CC Riders. It's an informal group of cycling enthusiasts that includes triathaletes, racers, rec rider and newbies. From a new brochure:

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Do you live in Northern Cook, Lake, Or McHenry County? Are you interested in joining other cycling enthusiasts on a weekly training ride? Are you the type of person that likes Saturday morning group rides? If so, feel free to join us. Our Saturday morning ride started over 2 years ago with just a few riders and has slowly grown into a formidable group of avid cyclists, USTF triathletes, and USCF/ABR racers.

We’re a bunch of cyclists who enjoy training and riding safely on weekly group rides to complement your existing training or exercise program. We’ll socialize and attack and pace-line and converse and climb and sprint and descend. And we like to have fun doing all these things together on rural, country roads.

What We’re Not
We’re not a cycling team. We’re not a cycling club. We’re not about collecting dues or a membership fee. We don’t have matching jerseys. We don’t ask for a Membership Application.

Every Saturday morning from May until October, the CC Riders group leaves from the parking lot of Centre Club in Gurnee, IL (Hunt Club Rd.). We depart at 6:30am and head North to ride on rural roads. The group naturally divides into 2 groups based on ability and distance. Regular routes are 40 miles and 60+ miles. Maps are available.

Basically it is hard pavement from Western Ave to Waukegan and then crushed limestone heading west to St Mary's. Not a bad ride apart from the three bridges are a bit rough. Use it most wekends.