i am headed down to Edwardsville, then Grafton (IL) later this week. any roadies recommend some nice routes. i hope to get out maybe Friday and Sunday on the road bike. did a quick search of Bikely.com, but not too many options came up. thanks. later.

Bump. Will also be there this weekend. No Edwardsvillians on the BF?

PM Tailwinds, if memory serves, he's from there. I'd ask my dad, but he mostly gets around on a John Deere in those parts.

i do know they have a nice trail system but was looking for more on road options. its a fabulous little town. check out the farmers market for sure. later.

PM me, I can give you the hook up. And yes, thanks for the plug, it's a fabulous little town that's getting better by the day, don't forget to stop by the Artisan Bakery and coffee shop at 222 Main St. just a block down from the farmers market. They'll be open till 3pm on Friday and noon on Saturday. They've taken very good care of us.

The road riding is pretty good in the area but you will not want to miss riding on the Madison Co. Trail system -- they did a fantastic job putting these in. There are 90 miles of smooth paved trails through the woods and fields. Almost no road crossings thanks to all of the bridges and tunnels built for the cyclists. There are long, slight grades in the woodsy parts if you feel the need to do a tt.

Regarding the Alton Rver Road: We usually park at Clfton Terrace, a few miles out of Alton. Take a side trip through the interesting village of Elsah, and then proceed to Grafton. The fun really begins after Grafton, when the trail becomes a steep rollercoaster through the woods before ending at Pere M. State Park. Send me a PM if you would like more specific info. Have fun --- Mick

i am actually not going to edwardsville this time around. thought i was, but this time its camping at Pere Marquet (sp?) state park. i plan on doing a nice little out and back on that trail you mention. sounds like a fun ride! later.

I found several planned rides in the Evansville area on www.bikely.com Could not find that state park. Try several large towns or cities near the park and see what local riders have entered.

Back from camping near Grafton at the Pere Marquet (sp?) state park. Managed one run and two rides. The run and first ride were basically out and backs on the trail that runs from the Park to Alton.

I tacked a couple steep climbs on that first ride. I was rolling along the river towards Alton and decided I need to take a left up and into the beautiful cliffs on that side. Ouch, this flatlander found a couple nice little 10%'ers.

The second ride was up the river to Haden then back down the other side. Very scenic route and I even took a ferry near the end to get back across the river and to the park. This area has some great rodes and trails for riding and running. I look forward to getting back there.

All in and all not a bad "training vaca" with a 7 mile run and 70 miles of riding.

Day 1 (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3498189)

Day 2 (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3498190)

Later.

i am headed down to Edwardsville, then Grafton (IL) later this week. any roadies recommend some nice routes. i hope to get out maybe Friday and Sunday on the road bike. did a quick search of Bikely.com, but not too many options came up. thanks. later.

the piere markette runs thru grafton, one of the best!

The road riding is pretty good in the area but you will not want to miss riding on the Madison Co. Trail system -- they did a fantastic job putting these in. There are 90 miles of smooth paved trails through the woods and fields. Almost no road crossings thanks to all of the bridges and tunnels built for the cyclists. There are long, slight grades in the woodsy parts if you feel the need to do a tt.

Regarding the Alton Rver Road: We usually park at Clfton Terrace, a few miles out of Alton. Take a side trip through the interesting village of Elsah, and then proceed to Grafton. The fun really begins after Grafton, when the trail becomes a steep rollercoaster through the woods before ending at Pere M. State Park. Send me a PM if you would like more specific info. Have fun --- Mick

MickE, I'm flattered at the kind words regarding the Madison Co. trail system, it is one of the best, most successful rails-to-trails programs in the nation without a doubt. I am a regular fixture on these trails, PM me sometime if you're back over here.