Though I moved away for many years, I spent my formative years in the same part of northern Illinois that we now live in. As a teenager with an old car and a newly minted driver’s license I spent a considerable amount of my free time (and, for better or worse, “homework time” also fit in my definition of “free”) driving around the country backroads.
For this reason, it’s always a surprise to me when I find roads in the area that I’ve never seen.
I’ve been consulting with google maps over the past few days to lay out longer routes. Most of the past few years I’m building up my distance endurance around now in preparation for the Farmondo - a group ride put on by the Tempo Velo bike club in Sterling, IL - but like so many things, that event appears not to be happening this year. The Farmondo is the only group event that I typically participate in, but I like to do it because, besides being a fun event, it is timed, so it offers independent corroboration of one’s progress (or, potentially, lack of). I have to build up to it because the 43-mile middle-distance segment of the Farmondo also happens to be the furthest distance I’ve ridden in a single outing.
With that not available, I’ve set my sights on doing a birthday ride. I see other folks mention this from time to time - riding near the time of their date of birth at a distance that matches the number of years they have now been on the planet. This will work out nicely for myself, as doing a birthday ride this year will also get me my first half-century ride, so it kills two birds with one stone. And 50 miles seems like a reasonable goal above the 43 of the Farmondo.
To start that journey I laid out a course that came out to 36 miles covering some familiar roads, but also several miles of roadway that I’d either only been on in a car, or have never set rubber upon before. This always has the potential to be frustrating - for example, discovering that I’ve accidentally mapped out a section of new gravel to pick my way across - but it’s usually rewarding regardless.
The first 11.5 miles were in familiar territory, taking me through, and a few miles west of the tiny little town of West Brooklyn, before I hit unfamiliar territory:
Beyond the stop sign was where it would begin - a road that I’ve looked at many times, but I’ve literally never been down it.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but every new road I drive past draws me in just a little, tempting me with it’s new possibilities. What might just look like another stretch of asphalt to someone else brings me a little bit of joy, a little hit of dopamine every time I put rubber to it.
That happens every time, but I was especially lucky with my choices on this route. A portion of my ride took me along a portion of Green Wing Road which I’d never seen before, which turned out to be a winding and twisting affair cutting through the woods.
I discovered, as I rode by the signs (you see me trying - unsuccessfully - to catch them in the video) that to the left side of the road on the latter portion is the Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to the website, this is part of an ongoing attempt to preserve the remnants of the wetlands in the area - there used to be a large swamp system here which was largely drained off in favor of farmland. There is a trail system as well, and visitors (on foot) are welcome. This is a thing that I had no idea existed in the area tho, in my defense, it apparently didn’t until about three years ago.
The rest of the route was almost stereotypically northern Illinois, from the agriculture...
...To the derilects...
The last one above is an old school. And this one below appears to be getting some rehab:
There were tiny town treasures...
...A little cemetery...
And Yogi Bear:
(It’s a local campground)
And, for the record, it is still grasshopper season...
But probably my favorite discovery of the ride was this little self-serve vegetable stand:
It was about a mile down the road from the campground, sited almost certainly with hopes of capitalizing on that location. There was small SUV with bikes on the back shopping there when I arrived, so it may have been working. And it worked for me. I always bring along along a little cash when I’m riding in case there is an opportunity like this. We’ve had our sweet corn fill for the season, but a few fresh tomatoes and cucumbers were something we needed, so I paid up and bagged a few.
This route came out to just over 37 miles, which is farthest I’ve ridden this season. I am pleased to say that I was tired, but not exhuasted by the end of the ride, which hasn’t been true of my build-up rides in years past. Probably this is due, in part, to the fact that I’m riding longer distances on average this year overall, so this build-up isn’t the stretch that it would have been in years past. It makes me optimistic that the birthday ride will be within reach.
But I did take today off as a day of rest, just in case...