Finally chiming in. I'm from Addison, Illinois, a suburb 20 minutes west of Chicago. This forum has been a boon for me as I get back into cycling. The fact that there's a BFNIC support group to stop me from buying more bicycles is nirvana! You guys are gonna stop me from buying more bikes, right? Right? ;)

Just don't mention getting new stuff to aham23. He can't resist the newest latest fun toys. :rolleyes: :p


We'll keep you in line. A new bike is not necessarily the answer. New wheels, new components, new gear? That's usually the answer! :D

New stuff? Where's the new stuff? Who has the new stuff? I love new stuff? Has anyone seen my new stuff?

I'll let you know later on today. The FedEx has my new shoes, pedals, brake pads, and knee warmers on the truck for delivery today.... <salivating.... ready to leave work early.... more salivating.... >

Then it appears I found the irght group. :D

Still waiting for my new shoes to show up too, and am currently in the process of selecting a new (featherweight) wheelset. :rolleyes:

*wiping tear away from eye* Yes, yes...you are home...

i'm from the detroit area, currently residing in kalamazoo for school :3

I'm in Waukesha, WI ("The Shaw") which is just west of Milwaukee. Nice to see an active sub-forum for the area here. I've just gotten back into riding (on my 1998 Trek 950) and am agonizing over the decision as to what road bike I'm going to get. Decisions . . . Decisions . . . :D

One here from South Bend, IN (home of the 'Fighting Irish'). Commute to work about 3 times a week, club ride with the Outpost Sports rides when we can find a sitter (yep, having kids changes your live, that's for sure).

Wife rides with me when possible, we're distinctive by the vintage iron we ride (both on 80's schwinns, but we like 'em).

DX. I'll be in MIchigan/Calif. in like three weeks. But, I won't have a bike in Mich. WOnder if one can be rented near Ann Arbor. No hills? Over towards Adrian. ? Hillsdale. THat' s not too far away. I know Monroe county is about as flat as Ohio is? Curious to know of your recommendations.

I'm not sure about bike rental. I've never quite made it as far north as Ann Arbor. I wish I could be of more help there. Maybe some other forum members can help you with that one.

There are hills in Hillsdale. I was just riding over there yesterday, as a matter of fact. I've never been to Adrian, but I could check it out for you. It's not that far from where I was yesterday. How long of a route do you plan on doing?

I'd play around with some google maps (toporoute.com is a good one to use) and look at the elevation profiles. Just a warning, though- in that area there are a lot of dirt roads and maps won't tell you which are dirt and which are pavement. I could help you out in that area if you wanted.

The first attachment is the end part of the route I did yesterday. That's Squawfield road, and it has some nice rolling hills towards the end. The first elevation profile is of the whole section highlighted on the map. The second profile is of the really good parts on Squawfield.

Instead of doing the route I did you might try a loop around Hillsdale to see if you can get hills throughout the entire route.

DX. How did you go about finding these roads. ? Most Michigan roads that come to mind have very narrow sholders.

There isn't any shoulder at all on Squawfield Road, but it's not busy. I doubt that any of the roads around Hillsdale are busy as long as you stay out of the very center of town and don't ride on any state highways.

You at WMU? I graduated from there in '03. Kzoo is a nice little town.

Another St. Charles, Illinois resident here. Some of you locals know of the Hideaway Hill or "the wall." That would be literally just outside of my front door. :) I'm building a new road bike after a many year sabbatical away from riding. Hopefully, I can get this thing finished before it starts to snow...

"Apexspeed"

You considering the BFNIC ride on the 1st?? your close..

I work in St. Charles

Well, unless I win a lottery or a rich relative dies, I don't have any plans to rush the build. I am waiting on a few pennies from the sale of a couple of old school mountain bikes to come in so that my pretty new frame can have a bunch of expensive Italian components bought for it. My goal is to have something to ride again within a few weeks, but even if my bike is ready, I don't know how much my body will be.

"Italian Components"

Drool.....

Any of you St. Charles people "lifers"? My wife spent many of her formative years there. Would have been a 1992 Grad of St. Charles high is she hadn't moved during high school.

Not me, only work there, grew up and still live in Elgin

My brother goes there. I've got to go visit him some time and ride the Kal Haven. I haven't seen it since the Michigander in 02.

Evanston, IL, here, but just barely. I'm maybe 100 yards from Chicago. I commute 9 miles each way every day down to Wicker Park. The Lakefront Trail is too busy for me, so I've been heading north for most of my other rides. I've been winding along the Green Bay trail or just meandering the streets north. I haven't been doing much organized riding, just stuff for myself, but I'm proud to live around here where there are so many active cyclists!

And yes, I just noticed this subgroup as well. I think I fell off the BF wagon a bit when they pulled the ability to search down. I was mostly just checking the commuter forums the past few months. I'm happy to see they got searching back up.

Michigander, some say Michigan does not start until you are north of 45th latitude? Those yoopers , probably.

As far as I know, the 45th parallel is about 3/4 of the way up the lower peninsula. To be honest, the 45th parallel thing is my tribute to a very cool local rock band that I saw on the last Michigander. They live right on the 45th parallel, and thats why their band name is 45th Parallel.

The 45th parallel runs just north of Traverse City. Too bad for Ludington. IS the rock band any good.