My wife and I will be riding the Grand Illinois Trail this Memorial day. We are planning to do it in 8 days riding.
I've been to a number of websites (here (http://www.bikelib.org/git/index.htm), here (http://www.openlands.org/git/index.asp), and here (http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/planning/git.htm)), I have the IDOT Bicycle maps, and the GIT cue sheets.
Most of this information seems to be older than 5 years. Has anyone done this tour in the last few years? If so do you have any information/tips on re-routes/new trails, do's/don'ts, etc?

Thanks, Duppie

I did about 2/3rds of the trail in 2005 and so have no experience west of Rockford or north of Moline.

You're right, the information is dated. There are certain parts of the route that have changed in suitability to cycle, especially the stretch outside of McHenry on the River Rd.(the McHenry-Libertyville-Lake Bluff alternate route) where the shoulder there had been gouged out to make rumble strips thus forcing the cyclist to right into the narrow lane. That stretch there threatened to kill me! I was lucky the driver of a truck had the good sense and decency to go at my speed behind me as oncoming traffic wouldn't let him pass. Truck driver was unhappy and so was I. Taking the Fox River Trail directly south from McHenry to connect the Prairie Trail and then to Chicago though Maywood may be the better route. Locals of that area may have better side routes avoiding River Rd. Apart from that, the alternate route was fine.

My leg from downtown Chicago through the south side to the Old Plank Rd. was fine. Old Plank is nice and paved, I&M trail is very sweet and lovely and the Hennepin Canal was gorgeous for summer landscape. Highway connecting I&M and Hennepin were ok.

Tiztim,
Thanks, That is exactly the sort of info that books/maps don't give you. I was thinking of using the alternate route along the Nortshore before going West, but I may reconsider the Prairie Trail. I did a small part of it last year and I enjoyed it

Was it hard to get from the south end of the Lakefront Path to the Old Plank trail? Navigation wise, it seems the harder part of the tour, no?

If other locals want to comment on the road conditions of the North Shore alternate route, please feel free. The CueSheet for that section can be found here: (http://www.bikelib.org/git/seg10_2004.pdf)
Thanks, Duppie

My wife and I rode it in 2006 - That's our ride on the LIB web site. http://customuized-applications.com/recycle

Most of it was a mix of the LIB and Openlands routes. We used our own route from the end of I&M canal path to the Hennepin canal path. We also picked our own route from Freeport to Rockford ... the suggested Pecatonica Path is basically a MTB route. Maps and suggested alternate routes are on that http://customized-applications.com/recycle web site.

End of Lake shore path to the Old Pland Road Trailis a snap ... we ride it on club routes a couple times a year.

Larry

[edit ...Let me now when you're riding thru Chicago Heights. I'll spring for lunch. We're just a block of the GIT]

There are certain parts of the route that have changed in suitability to cycle, especially the stretch outside of McHenry on the River Rd.(the McHenry-Libertyville-Lake Bluff alternate route) where the shoulder there had been gouged out to make rumble strips thus forcing the cyclist to right into the narrow lane. That stretch there threatened to kill me! I was lucky the driver of a truck had the good sense and decency to go at my speed behind me as oncoming traffic wouldn't let him pass. Truck driver was unhappy and so was I.
My leg from downtown Chicago through the south side to the Old Plank Rd. was fine. Old Plank is nice and paved, I&M trail is very sweet and lovely and the Hennepin Canal was gorgeous for summer landscape. Highway connecting I&M and Hennepin were ok.

+1 on the section of River road just south of Moraine Hill S.P. There was continuous traffic in both directions ... all SUVs hauling boat trailers. We got the closest passes of the trip there ... I tried crossing the rumble strips to get on the outside 6 inches of the sholder ... won't ever try to cross those wide rumblestrips again.

[edit: My original post said that I was brushed by an SUV on this section. That was text left by an unfortunate cut 'n' paste error ... I was not brushed. I was passed with less than a foot clearance. Didn't mean to misrepresent the incident]

Pecatonica Path is basically a MTB route.

My experience also.

My wife and I rode it in 2006 - That's our ride on the LIB web site. http://customuized-applications.com/recycle

Most of it was a mix of the LIB and Openlands routes. We used our own route from the end of I&M canal path to the Hennepin canal path. We also picked our own route from Freeport to Rockford ... the suggested Pecatonica Path is basically a MTB route. Maps and suggested alternate routes are on that http://customized-applications.com/recycle web site.

End of Lake shore path to the Old Pland Road Trailis a snap ... we ride it on club routes a couple times a year.

Larry

[edit ...Let me now when you're riding thru Chicago Heights. I'll spring for lunch. We're just a block of the GIT]

Looking at your website, I do remember seeing it earlier. I do think that it is about the most detailed website regarding a GIT tour out there. I will have to go back and read some of your route descriptions in more detail.

There seems to be some concensus that the McHenry-LakeBluff alternate is not as pleasant a ride as the one using the Prairie trail.

I may take you up on your lunch-offer. We will be starting on the Northside of Chicago and ride clockwise. So we would hit Chicago Heights the first day by Lunch. By that time I think we can use some motivational stories...:) I won't know for sure until May 1st whether we are going to do GIT this year. On a whim we decided to sign up for RAGBRAI. If we make it through the lottery we would shelf GIT until next year.....

I think I will also visit the Chicago Bike show again this year. I remember from last year that there were some reps from IDOT who seemed to have a good unsterstanding about the current conditions. I remember one of them saying that they were starting work on the Pecatonica Prairie Path....

Thanks, Duppie