Great Lakes - search for long incline roads/trails in IL

Hello, I'm a newbie :D and training for my first century. I live in Cook County, close to DuPage. My century is going to involve some pretty good inclines so I'm calling on your collective expertise to direct me to some good trails or roads that are uphill for a good 5 miles. I know of some good hills, but I don't know of a good road to train on that has an incline that lasts 5 miles. Can anyone please help me? I got 11 weeks before the ride. Thank you!

I can't help you on this one but am interested with what you hear back.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=463205

The best hills here are in a part of the state called "Wisconsin". And, even there you'll be hard pressed to find a 5 miler... Maybe out by the Mississippi.

As a reasonable alternative, you could train for the hills like Christian Vandevelde trains for le Tour. Come on out th Kane county. Get west of randall road. Find where the wind is gusting from and ride right into it for an hour or two.

Correction - get west of Rt 47......

There may be a few climbs 2 miles long in southwest WI, but I doubt there are any much longer than that. Even in eastern KY, I recall 3 or 4 miles, but I don't remember any longer than that.

Pull your seat post out of your frame and ride out of the saddle for 10 miles. That ought to suffice. :D

There's nothing that's five straight miles of climbing in Chicago and west of 47 doesn't get you a whole lot of hills worthy of calling them 'climbs.' Here's an option if you don't mind driving three hours to just west of Madison, Wisconsin:

The ride up the back of Blue Mound in Wisconsin is only 3 miles, but it's steep and grinding. Another long steady one is County F. It's about 4 miles. This is one that most folks know as the long descent on the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. Check their map for lots of hills (http://horriblyhilly.com/maps/HHH_Map_200K.pdf).

Good place to start/end the ride is in Cross Plains. PM me if you want some details.

What century are you planning to ride?

I'm riding the Breast Cancer Network of Strength in Red Rock Canyon just outside Vegas.

I don't think you'll find anything in this area that will compare with the mountainous terrain they have out west. When I feel like riding some incline I usually head to Hickory Hills and ride side streets from Roberts rd west to Kean, then loop around and give it another go.

BTW, I live near Lagrange and would like to find someone to ride with on a regular basis. I usually ride in the morning, frontage roads, 30-40 miles, 15-18mph. Send me a pm if interested in meeting up for a ride.

If you can make a weekend out of it (or mid-week for optimum) there are several 1+ mile inclines near River Falls, WI. Starting out in Prescott, WI at the Great River Road Visitor center, you head south towards Nelson, WI and there are at several climbs of a mile or more with grades of 3 to 9 percent. Then turn around and ride back. Many shorter, steeper climbs heading away from the river. Great riding and hill training.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/bike-foot/docs/grr1.pdf
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/bike-foot/docs/grr2.pdf

There is another nice "mountain-esque" climb in La Crescent, MN. Felt almost like going up Mt Lemmon to me (the only mountain I have biked.) It is the scenic apple blossom route, well marked and a great view across the MS river into La Crosse, WI from the top. Did this on bike tour past spring, loaded. Part of the Adventure Cycling map from Stillwater, MN to Iowa. Plan to get back and do it on the road bike yet this season. And I WILL be coming back down!

Hook up with Psimet ... I don't think it would take much to allow you to haul his kid buggy into the wind several times each week.

:D