Congratulations on returning to cycling. I am also in northern Illinois.
I have a 5-year-old Trek 7200 in my garage, which has been neglected for about two years because I have several bikes I like much more. I am in Evanston. Come by sometime this spring after the latest snow melts and you can buy it from me. I'll have to dust it off and pump up the tires first.
Based on your location, there is also the Fox River trail system, the Des Plains River trail (north-south connecting various segments of the forest preserve system), and an east-west trail that passes through Libertyville. The
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation publishes a map of roads and trails. Their map extends all the way to the Wisconsin border. The lakeshore path extends down into Indiana via the Daniel Burnham Greenway, and there is also a great trail along the Old Plank Road south of Chicago.
Howard Metzenberg