atomship47

we've got a place right in between Hanover and Galena on the river. i ride all of the lesser travelled roads in between the 2 towns.

hcoble2000

Wife and I took our honeymoon on Chestnut moutain. Beautiful area and I enjoyed Galena but that was 20 years ago. Haven't been back since.

Now that I am here, I guess I should check in. I live in Roselle, IL and I am getting back into biking after about 15 years off for the most part. I couldn't bike for many years due to an inner ear problem that caused vertigo and made riding a bike a little bit difficult. Since Thanksgiving I have been riding the bike paths on the weekends and training on a mag trainer during the week. Trying to rebuild those bike muscles and get some spin into the legs. I can't wait until spring to start doing some club rides.

Mr_H

I grew up in Dubuque, visited Galena several times as a youth. Been ages since I've been there and I've never had the chance to bike it, but I'd imagine it's nice

bibliobob

Chicago here. Waiting for warmer weather to return but pretty much stick to commuting and fun rides on the North side. You'll generally catch me on the Damen bike lane and making my way to the lakefront path. It's below zero at the moment so I'll have to wait a while before I take my newly acquired Scapin (picked up Craigslist) on a legitimate test ride.

hyunelan2

Far SW suburbs of Chicago (well, exurbs more than suburbs), between Joliet and Morris. I got into riding last year, rode several times a week and long rides into the country on the weekends. I cannot wait for it to get warmer!

cyclpsycho

NW side of Elgin, IL by the new Sherman Hospital -- I can't wait for all the traffic!

big dane

I live in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee
What's the story with Critical Mass these days? I hadn't heard anything about February's so I'm headed down to Chicago for it.

Recycle

Hi hyunelan2,

My wife and I were just talking about taking some of our grandkids on the I&M Canal from Joliet to Morris. I like that section around Channahon where you can ride the tow path with the canal on one side and the river on the other.

CyLowe97

You're close to a whole bunch of us.

Kimbercop

"NW side of Elgin, IL by the new Sherman Hospital -- I can't wait for all the traffic!"

You're about 2 minutes from me and Psimet2001 (Valley Creek) and 4 minutes from Cylowe97 (Gilberts?) depending on your exact location. You will need to join us for sure.

Psimet2001 

You are now officially on the pm list for mid-week rides. You have no idea what you just got yourself into....

...unless you're fast

You're scary close.

cyclpsycho

Small world huh? I'm in Century Oaks West.

You may think the same (notice the screen name)

cyclpsycho

Hey, I resemble that remark!

I look forward to trading routes with all of you!

patester242002

Hey hyunelan2,

I'm from Joliet...about 2 miles south of the mall. Do you live by Channahon-Minooka area?

petralynn

Rather than lurking, I should own up to living in Elmhurst and riding with the EBC.

Petra

atomship47

so, for those of you who live in near elgin/nw 'burbs;

do you have experience with mission bay multi-sports? would you buy from them? again?

i'm not looking to have people flame a bike shop...i'm about to buy my next bike and i find precious few lbs's that i'm comfortable with. i like that mission bay has such a large selection of brands. i like the sales person i've been working with. they're on my shortlist. unfortunately, they're not terribly close to where i live.

2ndly, is there an lbs near you that you trust and carries specialized bikes?

CyLowe97

They are great to work with if you are looking for a new bike. I bought my Felt there two years ago and even though they could sense that I was just itchin' to buy a bike, they did not pressure me or make me feel like I had to walk out the door buying something. That being said, it's good to research and get that proper fit and a good test ride in no matter what. When the guys at Mission Bay are not slammed with customers, they love to talk bikes and share experiences. Try going in on a weekday afternoon for the best attention. Weekends are nuts in there. If you've already been in and have a good sense of what they are all about, then you know they are worth the extra distance. Next time you're there, ask the owner Bill about the time he and his wife rode with Dave Zabriskie out in Vegas in '05.

Oh yeah, they have a store in downtown Chicago, too, but I have not been to that one.

Psimet2001 

I'll second the good stuff wrt mission bay. I have written some reviews of them on here before. I can get good quality stuff for very reasonable prices. They are knowledgeable. Good staff. They have cut me a LOT of "...well for you I'll just throw that in" or "What's that say....$28? How about $24?" Good stuff. They keep me coming back.

I work a lot with John(?). Looks like the son of the actor that plays the father on HBO's series about the Polygamists (sp)....say that 3 times fast....

lowbike

Des Plaines, IL
just north of O'Hare

Just remember

GAS SUCKS, SO RIDE A BIKE.

THE LOVE MUSLE

atomship47

i was working with bill and with aaron. aaron was great, i really put him thru the wringer. i was really particular and he tried a few things. he got me set up on a felt f1x and it fit great! i almost bought it on the spot. i decided to wait until the weather breaks so I can compare that to a full carbon z35.

Kimbercop

Ive had good experiences there as well. Bought my wife's Trek there and they were outstanding to work with. Came in with my Pinarello to get it fit since I bought it used and they put me through everything, adjusted the seat 1/4" and that was it. Bill wouldnt let me pay the $$ for the fitting since it was so close already. Had a problem with the wife's Trek the first day and they took care of me no questions asked. Plus, its sooo freaking cool to just walk in and look around at all the eye candy...

atomship47

so is there a specialized dealer that you like in the area? i'd really like to try out the tricross comp and roubaix. however, i haven't gotten very good vibes from the dealers by me.

funny story, the owner of one shop showed me a tricross. it had scuffs on it. he told me that the scuffs weren't scuffs at all, they were intentionally put there at the factory. he also told me that the owner of specialized redesigned one of the models this year because of his suggestions.

Kimbercop

Not sure if Mission Bay sells Specialized, dont think so. Village Peddler In S. Elgin is a Specialized seller. If you can find one of the "kids" there who knows road bikes, good luck to you. Most are BMX and skateboard types. Was looking at the Giant OCRComp 2 a couple years ago prior to buying my current ride. When I asked the kid there about their bike on the rack, I was told it was "cool" but other than that he only read the tag to me and could help no further.

Psimet2001 

+1 - Willage Peddler has some nice Specialized gear in stock, but they are pretty un-versed in road matters. That being said I have spent a pretty penny in there.

The eye candy in Mission Bay is definitely hard to beat.

apexspeed

Spin Doctor Cyclewerks in downtown Bartlett carries specialized road bikes and is a super nice guy, to boot. Road savvy, too.