Great Lakes - Need Illinois info

My wife and I are planning a tandem tour in June 2008 from west central Arkansas to Chicago, does anybody out there have any info on IL. 37 and US 45 thru central Illinois. We sent for the DOT bicycle maps, basically they tell you not to ride any road that goes anywhere. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Seth

i'd try this group. i'm pretty sure they organize a ride from southern to northern illinois and could help you with a route:

http://www.bicycleillinois.com/

My wife and I are planning a tandem tour in June 2008 from west central Arkansas to Chicago, does anybody out there have any info on IL. 37 and US 45 thru central Illinois. We sent for the DOT bicycle maps, basically they tell you not to ride any road that goes anywhere. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Seth

The saying goes: IDOT - one I short of Idiot. Honestly, your best bet is contacting local clubs (http://www.lepirtle.com/lib/data/clubs.cfm) or the League of Illinois Bicyclists (http://www.bikelib.org/index.htm) to get some ideas on rideable roads. Here's a specific link to their site's maps and trails (http://www.bikelib.org/mapstrails/index.htm) that could be a big help.


I can help you with SW, West and NW burbs of Chicago, but I'm not much help after that. Email me if you want some suggestions closer to Chicago.

One suggestion is the Grand Illinois Trail (GIT for short). You could hop onto the southern leg of the trail anywhere from Quad Cities to Chicago and take it into the city. It is largely on MUPs with some road riding. Look here (http://bikelib.org/git/index.htm) for more info on GIT

As BetweenRides said, the LIB is a good place to start

Also, those maps may take a while. We ordered them and it took 8 weeks for them to arrive. But they are very detailed, provide lots of info, and are free, so I am not complaining

Duppie

Why on earth would you want to ride the length of Illinois? I mean, of all the places in the world to ride, Illinois has got to be WAY up on the boring scale. If I didn't live here I sure wouldn't be riding here.

Don’t know quite how to respond to that, but here goes. It’s like my idle and Guru Gump, Forest Gump would say "caaaause it’s there". No seriously my wife’s daughter lives in Chicago and we have sort of a limited time to make it there, so I guess that’s why we’re going in a straight line thru Illinois. I’m assuming that IL. has the same idiot rednecks that AR. does, that throw 20oz. soda bottles, smokeless tobacco cans, blow their horns ,and yell obscenities at you, so what I would like to know is there a higher number of them idjit rrrednecks on IL.37 than any other road.
Thanks

Well, if you must you must. :) I'm not familiar with route 37 or 45 as most of my riding is closer to Springfield and west central Illinois , but I doubt you'll find the locals here much different than in Arkansas. I guess if I had a suggestion to make would be to travel the county highways instead of the state routes. I've had less trouble on them and the traffic isn't nearly as bad. The organizations posted above would be good references to start with and you may be able to pick up some company along the way...safety in numbers. Good luck.

You might take the Mississippi River Trail north. It is mostly on-road rather than trail from wherever you enter the state north to Moline. Iinstructions for printing the map are at http://bikelib.org/mrt/index.htm

At Moline you can pick up the Grand Illinois Trail into Chicago (map at http://bikelib.org/git/index.htm ). You would be on sections 4, 3, 2, and part of 1. Half of the 200 mi from Moline to Chicago is on the the Hennepin and I&M canal tow paths, which are crushed limestone. The rest is road or paved trail. It's a nice ride.

My wife and I are planning a tandem tour in June 2008 from west central Arkansas to Chicago, does anybody out there have any info on IL. 37 and US 45 thru central Illinois. We sent for the DOT bicycle maps, basically they tell you not to ride any road that goes anywhere. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Seth
As a born & bred Illinoisan:

Once you get north of the swamps & hills of southern Illinois, you benefit from the Northwest Territories Act of 1787 (85 ?) - just about the only useful thing accomplished under the "Articles of Confederation". Most roads are a N-S, E-W grid. Every mile. Not all are paved; but there is almost no need to ride a state highway or a US route once you clear "Dixie-crat" area. However, the major expections to the grid layout are major rivers (e.g., Illinois River) and "major" blacktops that actually can trace their origins and routes to stagecoach or prior eras.

I'm from Central Illinois, and would suggest taking the MississippiRiver Trail north to St Louis, and then from there pick up the Route 66 Bicycle Trail. You pick up various bicycle routes between St Louis and Chicago, and can travel the county roads they suggest on the 66 map, or travel on 66 itself. 66 parallels I-55, but the traffie is light most of the way. The map at the IL Bike League lists a lot of bike facilities and rest stops along the way. Here are some links with that information:
http://www.bikelib.org/route66/index.htm
http://www.mississippirivertrail.org/
http://www.mcttrails.org/viewer.htm

I have not been on the MRT yet myself, but it takes you up to the Gateway Arch in St Louis, where you can proceed north to the Chain of Rocks Bridge. It is open to bicycles and pedestrians, and leads to the Madison County Trails.

Hope this helps-

PhilWinIL

Thanks for all the post's and e-mail's, we have changed plans and are going to take the MRT to the GIT, it adds a few more day's but what the heck were on vacation.
THANKS Seth