Chicago Spring Century
 

When:
April 8th, April 9th rain date

What:
Chicago city-century. 100 miles through Chicago and surrounding suburbs and country roads. Potentially we could make it a three-state-ride, just to say we did - but I haven't mapped it out yet.

Why:
Because its starting to get warm and there are bikes to be ridden, saddle sores to be had, sights to be seen, and stories to be told

Who:
Anyone who wants to go and feels capable, Particularly BFFGSS people

How fast:
Who knows, we'll stop when we want to stop - it ain't a race, just a whole day on a bike! A map will be made.

Where:
It all depends on everyone's input. Of course it would meet by the swings, probably in the morning after a good breakfast.

I'd be down to do it even if only 2 people want to go. Post whether you are coming, and any particular places roads you'd really like to go or don't want to go. I'll map it but I need input on what people want to see, etc. This will be a great time if we have a good group and it'll be a great way to start the spring!

West Cermak. There's some wicked *****s walking the beat. Maybe if you had The Stitches first 12" on your Ipod it would make it more enjoyable.

Damn, they were good! What happened?!

I'm in for the 8th. Been talking with a friend about doing one of these for a while. Time to ride!

Edit: An option for the ride: http://www.ipp.org/GUI/map_simple.htm the Illinois Prarie Path starts at 1st Avenue. It is 12.5 miles down Lake Street (from Lake and State) to the start of the path (Lake and 1st Ave). The path itself is 61 miles long, both branches included.

More IPP info: http://www.ipp.org/GUI/index.html

The path gorn used for the last century sounds awesome too - ride up to Northbrook, do some laps at the 'drome and ride back.

Hell yeah. Last August we did a century and it was great fun (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=113017). We had a map, but basically we just guessed. I recommend having a map though, we still might need some guess work, but it's best if we have a general idea.

I'm out of town that weekend. Zounds.

DOWN! whatever I was going to be doing that day, now I'm not.

I liked the century we did last year, but I'd love to explore new areas too. I would suggest a massive s-pattern covering like every mile of the inner city, this has the advantage of being close to transit if you get totally boned out there.

But on the other hand, the velodrome is really appealing, what if we went out on the prarie path, found a route north and back east to northbrook? I have very little familiarity with the suburban trails so I don't know if my mythical northwest passage can be found....anybody have a bigger map than mine?

Count me in! last summers century was the ****. If we do go to the velodrome, I vote for a stop at the public pool/waterslides next door.

oh
 

wow, looks like last august was a success. This one is kind of a throw together, but I do want to have maps. Keep the feedback coming so we can make this happen. ~ David

Oh man I don't think I've seen you since then! Come out!

So maybe instead of generically planning our route, let's all throw out some specific things we would like to see on a ride. So far I can think of these possible highlights:

1) late breakfast at a GREASY spoon.
2) the velodrome.
3) Giboyeux's band at 9:30pm at ronnies (logan square)?
4) Hot doug's hotdogs?
5) the loop catacombs (wacker, columbus, etc) preferably late at night.
6) vegetarian/vegan options (last century was about 80% veggie IIRC)

Also, maybe we should save this for an august century, but what about a ride to kenosha? Anyone here who has rode to Madison who could suggest routes that way? It looks to be over 60 miles one way to kenosha, which is why I'd opt not to do it next week.

I was planning more for a consistent ride with out a ton of stopping (ie. hot dougs, vegan options, velodrome).. i like the idea of a full day thing with lots of stuff to do along the way, but I guess I just wanted to do a century and hit some nice 'country' roads and cool areas. I'm all about the breakfast, maybe even the velodrome. Maybe we can plan a full-day multiple stop ride that eventually equals 100 miles, but for this ride I was hoping for a straight up 100 mile ride with 1 lunch break and pee breaks. Is everyone totally against this? Bueller?

I am definitely down for a straight up 100 mile ride. Let me lay one on you.

Google maps is acting up so I will lay it out verbally: meet somewhere at buttcrack of dawn-thirty. Let's just say the bean downtown. Proceed west on randolph, south on halsted, west on washington (for a looong time). intersect butterfield road, proceed to illinois prarie path. Take prarie path to wheaton until prarie path elgin branch. Take parie path elgin branch into the city of elgin.

Now here is the part I need help with...get from elgin to northbrook velo in 25-40 miles. Definitely doable, I know there is a trail out there...but where?

Proceed to velodrome. Go south on waukeegan, west on willow, turn south on north branch trail. Take north branch trail south to elston, take elston back downtown, or until the official computer hits 100 miles.

I gmapped this and it will be 100 miles easy. Plus there are a lot of trails, so very little braking.

I like this idea. What are the Prairie trails? We can maybe do another Chicago Century type thing in Aug. or something and stop all over the place.

boneslesschicken: http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/IPPmap.gif - the IPP

Hey, here is potential route number two: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=95071

I know it says right at 100, but it may be well over with all the meandering of those trails.

Edit: fyi this is this is basically the whole IPP+some of fox river trail. I accidentally cut a mile or two out of the aurora section.

I dig. Between point 53/54 is "Fabayan Pkwy" - I think we will have to stop and take a group Fabian photo

only thing is that this is basically an out-and-back... you'll spend over half of the ride on the same road. Ain't gunna be nothing but bored on washington road for 100 miles.

IPP is a pretty awesome path. I would rather ride it twice than ride LFP once.

why are you on BF and not at my house? 12:00, saturday, kenosha? remember?
;)

grrr... april 8th i'm working, april 9th my mom's in town.

and i just finished my cruiser/safety/old man bike!

Ok, so who is in for sure? There has been talk (by me) of pushing this up a month or so with more planning. And talk (by Efarrar) of doing this no matter what. So who is in? ~ David

I'm in if it's next weekend. If it's pushed a month then I'll be back in Detroit and unable to do it.

Next weekend! Next weekend!

For a month from now: mid may is probably the earliest I could do it.

For next weekend: bonelesschicken, gorn, and everybody else who wants to go... Let's make it the wicker park swingset at 9am on saturday. As it stands we will take the IPP westerly route, unless another route is suggested. If we get tired and do less than 100 miles, whatever, we'll play it by ear.

It feels like I'm hijacking the thread ChicagoDave, but a century next weekend was a great idea. I look forward to the one you are still planning, with some lead time you will be able to get a much larger group.

hey, I don't believe in the term "thread hijacking". Lets call it thread evolution! I think my biggest deterent to going through with it is that my bareknuckle will not be done by saturday as planned, which turns my dream of riding this century fixed into just another geared century. Ya dig? Who knows, maybe it will be done all except for the wheels and Marcus will lend me some for the day. Or maybe I'll ride geared? Maybe just so we'll all be doing the same thing I'll set the limits on my rear der. so that I only have one gear! Either way, you do it you hardcore bicycling man you, maybe I'll be there and I will definitely keep planning a bigger may or june one no matter whether I'm there saturday or not.

*bump*

Evan do you have the route relatively known and are you prepared to be our fearless leader? Supposed to be sunny Saturday. I'll be riding my fixed this time, so unfortunately no speed/odometer.

We are going with the prarie path. I know how to get to the prarie path, but I haven't rode it past Wheaton before. I haven't been exactly training for this..I have two exams this week. So I may wuss out and take the bypass routes that cut out joliet and elgin.

I have a spare computer that I will throw on my bike, if I can remember to calibrate it.

Once again, swingset at 9am.