Great Lakes - Busse Woods crowded during lunch time?

Since we just moved to our new office in Itasca, the Busse Woods are now 1 mile north of me. Does anyone have any experience if the forest preserve is crowded during lunch time?
I want to turn that forest preserve in a lunch time training ride with hopefully relatively clear pathways.

Thomas

Usually just me riding there during the week. Unfortunately I went down yesterday, and cracked my frame :(

Well.. get a new frame and we can ride it together :)

Dang. Just in time for xmas.

It does get a little busier before and after work hours and during lunchtime, but less and less so as it gets colder.

Well.. get a new frame and we can ride it together :)

New frame? It gives me an excuse to buy a new bike, and then get the frame repaired :D

Now you're talking :D

Scummer, I work in the Elk Grove industrial complex right there as well. We'll have to arrange something sometime.

Scummer, I work in the Elk Grove industrial complex right there as well. We'll have to arrange something sometime.

I actually got my bike with me today. I'm gonna do a recon ride today to see how it works out.
Elk Grove is just next to Itasca. Dude, I feel for you, your commute on I-90 must be like going to hell and back.

Wonderful 8 mile loop. I took the red trail around the Busse Woods and it was really nice to ride on. Had my fixed gear with me and took a leisurely pace on the path.
Now I just need to get a locker downstairs so I can use the shower and then I can dial it up to 400W on that path :D

I actually got my bike with me today. I'm gonna do a recon ride today to see how it works out.
Elk Grove is just next to Itasca. Dude, I feel for you, your commute on I-90 must be like going to hell and back.

It is hell. Some days it's 20 minutes. Some days it's 1.5 hours. Today it was 1/2 hour just between 59 and 53.

I think I can join that ride. Let me know when. :) Leg is feeling better.

Wonderful 8 mile loop. I took the red trail around the Busse Woods..

Is forest portion of the trail covered with fallen leaves now?

I usually ride in Busse Woods 3-4 times per week during summer ( and meet JT1 quite often) , but started using Poplar Creek since October because trail there is more open and not covered with leaves, debris, etc.
With nice forecast for the weekend I am thinking to make a visit to Busse Woods again, but concerned if trail is clean enough.

Wireless....you have a cross bike right? It can handle leaves....

Is forest portion of the trail covered with fallen leaves now?

I usually ride in Busse Woods 3-4 times per week during summer ( and meet JT1 quite often) , but started using Poplar Creek since October because trail there is more open and not covered with leaves, debris, etc.
With nice forecast for the weekend I am thinking to make a visit to Busse Woods again, but concerned if trail is clean enough.

Yeah, it was covered with leaves. But it was dry, so no issues at all. The only thing that was concerning are a couple of tight corners, which I can't take at speed with a fixie. I'm fearing a pedal strike.

I think I can join that ride. Let me know when. :) Leg is feeling better.

I'm there Monday to Friday, except Thursday's. I'm planning on going out there at 11:30am for an hour and making the loop twice before returning to the office.

Wireless....you have a cross bike right? It can handle leaves....

Yes , but it's not the bike - it's me...
I had one of my hardest crashes on slippery trail covered by leaves. So,now, every time I see leaves I slow down to 10 Mph...

Is forest portion of the trail covered with fallen leaves now?



Answering my own question - the trail is clean! Either they cleaned it up or strong wind blew all the leaves away from asphalt.
Nice day for a ride today - did 31 miles.

I used to ride the path when I first bought my bike. I only use it now to get from Schaumburg/Woodfield Mall area to the Thursday night intervals on Tonne, or to get to Village CycleSport (my LBS).

It's not busy at all when it's cold. On warm days, though, you can't safely go above 14-15mph after work. Lunchtime traffic is similar to pre-work traffic. Please don't try to go fast when there are people around. It sounds intuitive, but so many riders do it and make it hell on everyone else.

I work in a building across the street from the NW edge of the path, I'd certainly enjoy riding outside with someone before I'm relegated to the trainer in the basement for the rest of winter. Let me know and I'll bring my bike and kit with me to work... Rethinking this slightly... Okay, so I'm going to be riding either way. If anyone is interested let me know and we can meet up. It will be my intention to continue riding until the weather dictates it just won't be fun anymore.

I work in a building across the street from the NW edge of the path, I'd certainly enjoy riding outside with someone before I'm relegated to the trainer in the basement for the rest of winter. Let me know and I'll bring my bike and kit with me to work... Rethinking this slightly... Okay, so I'm going to be riding either way. If anyone is interested let me know and we can meet up. It will be my intention to continue riding until the weather dictates it just won't be fun anymore.

I'm planning on heading out to the park at 11:30am today. Let me know if this works for you and we can maybe meet in the west side parking lot in the middle of the park.

Alright, so I'm apparently directionally challenged, my work is actually on the east side of Busse Woods. Today probably isn't going to work out for me because I got called in to some last minute meetings, grrr.

Let me know if another day will work for you.

Alright, so I'm apparently directionally challenged, my work is actually on the east side of Busse Woods. Today probably isn't going to work out for me because I got called in to some last minute meetings, grrr.

Let me know if another day will work for you.

Dude...you have to work like within a mile of me. If you see a minature bike forums jersey hanging on a car window......then that's definitely NOT me.... :D

Great weather today. Had a nice lunch ride with little traffic in the woods.

Dude...you have to work like within a mile of me. If you see a minature bike forums jersey hanging on a car window......then that's definitely NOT me.... :D

I'd thought we probably worked pretty close to each other based on some things I'd seen you write previously.

So here is what I learned this week, riding over my lunch time:

A South wind is not always warm, yesterday's was definitely a bit nippy.

The two-tenths of a second I'm going to save by taking the corner onto the path at a high rate of speed is more than wiped out by the five minutes I have to spend picking myself and the bike up and checking everything out when I go down. Doh! (Additional time is also lost when you have to find things that have nestled in under all the leaves on the ground.)

People with dogs on leashes make me very wary. I'm figuring it is only a matter of time until a dog goes one way, its owner the other and I get caught up in a leash.

I wouldn't have thought it, but three people walking side by side CAN take up the whole path.

I may need to learn "On your left" in additional languages. A small air horn may be an option. :innocent:

When having to slow down for other people on the path, viewing it as an opportunity to add in some modified intervals by accelerating back up to speed as quickly as possible puts me in a better frame of mind than worrying about being slowed down.

Maybe it is the addition motivation of needing to get back to work on time, but I put in a strong ride (for me) yesterday.

I'm dreading more than ever that I'm going to be stuck on the trainer in our basement for several months. Seriously considering a Computrainer class just to break up the monotony.

I'd thought we probably worked pretty close to each other based on some things I'd seen you write previously.

So here is what I learned this week, riding over my lunch time:

A South wind is not always warm, yesterday's was definitely a bit nippy.

The two-tenths of a second I'm going to save by taking the corner onto the path at a high rate of speed is more than wiped out by the five minutes I have to spend picking myself and the bike up and checking everything out when I go down. Doh! (Additional time is also lost when you have to find things that have nestled in under all the leaves on the ground.)

People with dogs on leashes make me very wary. I'm figuring it is only a matter of time until a dog goes one way, its owner the other and I get caught up in a leash.

I wouldn't have thought it, but three people walking side by side CAN take up the whole path.

I may need to learn "On your left" in additional languages. A small air horn may be an option. :innocent:

When having to slow down for other people on the path, viewing it as an opportunity to add in some modified intervals by accelerating back up to speed as quickly as possible puts me in a better frame of mind than worrying about being slowed down.

Maybe it is the addition motivation of needing to get back to work on time, but I put in a strong ride (for me) yesterday.

I'm dreading more than ever that I'm going to be stuck on the trainer in our basement for several months. Seriously considering a Computrainer class just to break up the monotony.


Don't forget to watch out for the deer and the smoke from the controlled burning going on now.