Category Archives: Bike Ride Stories

About-Bicycles Page and Blog Posts on Facebook

Posted on by

About-Bicycles.com is Goin Social!

Yep, I finally launched the About-Bicycles.com business page on Facebook so for the many of you that have subscribed to this blog you now have another way to get our updates and read these blog posts.

The About-Bicycles Facebook Page.

The About-Bicycles Facebook Page.

Here’s a link to the new About-Bicycles Facebook page. This page is new so we really don’t have much content out there just yet, but there will be soon.

Also, if I did the setup correctly, these blog posts should automatically be posted to the About-Bicycles Facebook page so if you choose to Follow About-Bicycles on Facebook, you can get our blog posts right there in Facebook instead of visiting us here on our website ~ of course, you are always welcome to come out here as often as you like too :-).

I have also setup this blog to be tweeted via our Twitter account About_Bicycles.

So come on out to the  About-Bicycles Facebook page and “Like” us and Follow Us! Let’s get social!

400 State Trail Wisconsin, October Ride

Posted on by

Riding season is not over yet!

As a matter of fact, this is actually a really nice time of year, here in the Chicagoland area (and in Wisconsin), for bike riding.

A friend and I have just returned from an excellent bike ride that we did on the 400 State Trail in Wisconsin. It is pretty much peak season for fall color in this part of Wisconsin so if, by some chance, you are able to plan a ride in the south-western part of Wisconsin (not far from the Dells) I would highly recommend the 400 State Trail.

Both of us took quite a few photos while we were out on the 400 Trail and, as usual, I have uploaded all of our photos, selected and formatted the best and most relavant bike trail photos and have posted a full Bike Trail Article (with photo pages) on this site for this trail.

The new Bike Trail information  and photos can be found on our New 400 State Trail Pages. A view of a rock formation and lake along the 400 State Trail

I have actually been wanting to ride this trail for years now since I had already ridden (and photographed) the Elroy-Sparta Trail and my friend has contributed bike trail articles and photos of the other 2 bike trails, the Lacrosse River Trail and the Great River Trail that make up this series of connecting bike trails (referred to as Bike 4 Trails, in Wisconsin).

The 4 connecting trails go from Reedsburg, Wisconsin (on the south east end) to the Mississippi River (around Lacrosse, Wis) and north along the Mississippi to just past Trempealeu Wisconsin for a total of 101 miles (one way)!

For our trip, we just did an easy ride on the 400 State Trail from Reedsburg to Elroy and back for a total of 44 miles. Although we just did the 400 Trail on this trip, I now have complete trail pages and photos for all 4 of these bike trails on this site. If you check out the new 400 State Trail Article, there are links to the 3 other connecting trails on the main trail page.

It has actually taken me WAY longer than I thought it would to select and format all of the photos (I selected 49) and web pages for the trail article. I have been using almost the same format for my bike trail pages as I used when I first started this bike site and it is very time consuming.

Plenty of fall color on the 400 State Trail in Wisconsin

The good side to using the same format is that all of the trail articles and photo pages are consistent. The bad side is that it is cumbersome to use this format and there are probably newer and nicer formats out there. Well, at some point I will transition to a new format but for now, I hope you still enjoy the trail and photo formats that we’ve been using for years now.

So don’t give up on riding season yet! There is still some good weather and excellent rides to be taken!

Bike Ride Weather Tip – Rain or No Rain?

Posted on by

I have written very similar articles on this topic before but what I have discovered (before and just recently) is a simple and very handy Bike Riding Weather Check Tip.

This is most useful for checking weather status just before a ride and on a questionable day. What I have recommended in the past (and is still valid) is to simply to check the weather radar just before your ride if you think that you may get rain during your ride.

Weather Radar

Check Weather Radar for Rain

Personally, I don’t mind a little sprinkle of rain while I am on my ride but I don’t really like getting caught in a total downpour where you have to cover you electronics and wring out your cloths after your ride.

There are a number of weather radar sites and some are better than others so you need to find the one that is best for your particular area and you will want the animated radar loop so you can see what is coming. I use the Fox version the most (myfoxchicago.com for my area) and also the Chicago Tribune version. (I don’t like to post links to these since they seem to change a lot).

If it is more convienent to check the TV rather than a PC weather radar site, you can always check the local listing on The Weather Channel but you’ll need to wait for the local forecast to cycle through.

So basically the process is very simple. If you see a huge yellow, green or red mass heading toward where you are going to ride you can check the radar loop times and the direction of the precipitation to see if you will have enough time to get your ride in or not.

This has helped me numerous time to plan a ride when the weather looked very questionable. Most of the time it will look like rain (and the general forecast will say some percentage chance of rain for the day) but the weather radar will confirm that there is usually enough time to get a ride in (or not, of course).

Hourly Weather Forecast

Weather.com Hourly Forcast

An Even Easier Way To Check for Rain:

OK, so now here is the latest update to this process that I have recently discovered (from a friend of mine).

The Weather Channel Website now has an Hourly Forcast, including percentage chance of rain, based on your zip code. Actually you can break it down even further but I think hourly is sufficient for the most part.

This is even more convenient than checking the weather radar loop (although, if the weather is questionable, I will usually check both).

Unfortunately, the photo on the right is for a beautiful sunny day and there is really no need to check (and I need to finish this to get out there for a ride!!! 🙂 )

What you will want to check, regarding rain, is the percentage for “Precip” for each hour (just under the hourly temperatures).

I have ridden when the percentages are in the 60s but I guess that each person and each situation will have a different tolerance level regarding the chance of rain. If I know that I will never be more than a few miles away, I can handle a much higher risk than if I am planning a ride where I may end up hours away from shelter or from my starting point.

If you are planning a long ride and may get caught in the rain, check out the rain gear (via our merchant links) at our Bike Clothing Page.

So anyway, I have found the procedures above to be very helpful and I hope that you may find this information helpful too (if you are not already aware of this).

River Bend, Randall Road and Great Western Trail Ride

Posted on by

Yesterday, a friend and I went out and explored some new bike trails (which also connected to some bike trails that we had already ridden before) and had a really nice 35 mile ride.

I originally wanted to check out the Randall Road Bike Trail but it is actually a pretty short trail (4 miles) but what we discovered is that this is an excellent way to ride from the Fox River Trail to the Great Western Trail!

The other trail involved in getting from the FRT to the GWT is the River Bend Trail which is also known as the Silver Glen Trail. It is a little confusing since I have seen this trail referred to with 2 different names so I just referred to both names so people can find the info on it using either name.

River Bend / Silver Glen Bike Trail

The bridge over Randall Road on the River Bend (Silver Glen) Bike Trail

If you start on the Fox River Trail just before the long bridges in South Elgin, you’ll see a sign for the “Randall & Silver Glen Trails“. This is the River Bend Trail (as it is called on the map in the forest preserve that you go through).   Some of this bike trail goes along Silver Glen Road so I believe that is how the SGT name came about.

Anyway, if you get on the River Bend Trail from the Fox River Trail, you can follow the trail all the way to Randall Road. At Randall Road you can get on the north end of the Randall Road Trail which you can then take south the the Great Western Trail.

We connected to the GWT, as described above, and then took the GWT to Virgil, Illinois where we turned around and went back. I actually put together some bike trail pages, with photos for the River Bend Trail HERE.

The River Bend Trail is nice as you go through the John J Duerr Forest Preserve and if you take it through the wetland area west of Randall Road but the part that goes along Silver Glen Road is not that exciting.

Randall Road Bike Trail

A view of the northern end of the Randall Road Trail from the corn field

The Randall Road Trail is not very exciting either when you first get on at the northern end of the trail (at Silver Glen & Randall) but once you go over the long bridge (that runs parallel to Randall Road), it goes into a nice forest preserve area, followed by a real nice prairie and then you connect to the Great Western Trail (which I have always enjoyed).

There was no construction or detours on any of the trails that I have mentioned above and overall it was a really nice ride.

A Simple Hot Weather Bike Riding Tip

Posted on by

This is just a real simple thing and it may not be applicable to a lot of people but I came up with this on my ride today and I just thought I would write a quick blog post about it.

I have kept a handkerchief in my Topeak bike bag (which, btw, I really love due to the fold out panniers easy Quicktrack clip on and off mechanism) and I have found this to be very handy in quite a few situations.

Well, today I rode 26 miles and it is 94 degrees and humid! In very hot weather sometimes the sweat rolls down my forehead and into my eyes and the sweat on my face is just plain uncomfortable. The handkerchief can come in handy but it’s not so handy when it’s in my bike bag.

Bike handkerchief

Bike handkerchief

Well today I just decided to tie the handkerchief on to my handlebar post for easy access. This actually worked out very well and was very convenient. In addition to being handy it is also right there blowing in the wind to help it dry out a little between uses. 

I know some of you have helmets or hats (or dew rags) that help with this, or in hot weather you can just wear a bandana or keep a handkerchief in your pocket for easy access but I thought that tying it on to the handlebars worked pretty well and I haven’t noticed other people doing that (I’ll be more aware of it now).

It also reminds me a little of an Aerosmith mic stand (if it were a little longer and fancier)!!!

Aside from that little idea, don’t forget the more sensible hot weather riding guidelines such as dressing very lightly, bringing plenty of water and staying hydrated, bringing or wearing a hat or helmet, using sunscreen as necessary and taking breaks when you need to or just taking it a little easier in the heat (you can always work on breaking those speed records when it cools down a little 🙂 ).

Enjoy your ride and stay cool!

Paul Douglas and Crabtree Bike Trail Conditions, 2011

Posted on by

Well, we had a pretty nice day for riding here in Chicagoland today and I just got back from riding the entire Paul Douglas Bike Trail and the connecting Crabtree Bike Trail.

I was about to write how there were no problems at all on either of the trails until I got to the very end (last 1/4 mile) of the Crabtree Trail (the northern end). There is one little section that is under construction and the sign says for 2 weeks. It’s really no big deal and it is passable too if you want to get out to the parking area off of Palatine Road.

Anway, as for the Paul Douglas Bike Trail, the entire trail is open and there are no problems. Even the one section that has flooded occasionally (on the west end of Paul Douglas) was clear and dry.

There were some puddles and wet places and my legs got a light spray of water as I rode by (I didn’t slow down much from average of about 13 mph so if you slowed down more you would stay completely dry).

I was glad to see that there was no flooding on the west side of Paul Douglas like there was in the past (see the Paul Douglas Trail flooding page) even though it is still pretty wet out there. Of course we are supposed to get some big storms tomorrow so we’ll see if it stays clear and dry. I am pretty optimistic.

My favorite part of this trail remains the loop around Paul Douglas (skipping the part along Algonquin Road) but the little strip that goes into the Crabtree preserve (about 1 mile) is very nice too. The Paul Douglas loop is about 7 miles (counting the part along Algonquin Road).

Well, it was great to get out there today and the Paul Douglas Trail is still a great place to ride. If anyone has any updates, please let me know or post a reply if you like.

Later, Rob.

Just My Rides – Spring 2011!

Posted on by

Alright, it’s that time of year again, Finally! I noticed in one of my last posts that I mentioned that  “Bike Riding Season is here” back in March. Well, I guess I was a little over anxious on that one. We had a pretty cold March here in Chicagoland and I didn’t really get out after that last post.

Well, today is in the mid 50s and I made it out for a nice little 11 miler. It was a really nice day for a ride and there is just something the First Ride(s) of the Year. It was relaxing and just felt great. There was a little bit of a wind and I did not push myself very hard at all. I need to get into riding shape a little. Well, I ended up averaging 12.7mph on my ride anyway so I guess I still have some left over strength from all the faster riding that I did towards the end of last season.

I like the thinking time that you get on rides and it seems like it is even more exaggerated on those first rides of the year. I was thinking a little bit of the riding benefits that I wrote about in my Bike Riding Niverana article but also a lot about the workout and weight loss benefits of riding.

I believe that just about any kind of bike riding (even at a very relaxed pace) will have the benefits of getting a good aerobic workout, stress relief, and is just plain fun but what I have discovered recently is that riding fast is by far the best way to lose weight by bike riding (if that happens to be one of your goals).

You don’t need to start out riding like Lance Armstrong or anything, but if you just start pushing yourself a little bit each ride and ride fairly often, before you know it, you’ll be feeling great, losing weight and averaging some pretty good speeds.

If you are new to biking you will definitely need a Bike Computer (aka bike speedometer, bike odometer, etc.) to track your progress. These things are really a lot of fun and you can get them for really cheap if you choose or you can go all out and get some pretty amazing features (you can actually get into Bike GPS units if you are really into bike electronics and tracking everything!)

As for myself, I have really been wanting a bike GPS unit for quite some time but I currently just use a wireless bike computer and although there are models that allow downloads to your PC, I track my ride data manually in a spreadsheet. After each ride, I just enter my ride data (miles, average speed, odometer reading, other interesting stuff) from my bike computer (A Vetta) into my spreadsheet (a MS Excel 🙂 ).

OK, well I’ve gotten a little away from the original ride update but this is a lot of the stuff that I was thinking about on my ride.

As for some of the more specific info, my first 2 rides this year have been totally local. My neighborhood and a ride in Inverness. I also had to ride to Walgreens for a bike computer battery before my first ride.

I brought some gloves with me today although I did not think that I would need them.  Well, I could have done without them, but since it was still a little chilly it was nicer to have them on and I’m glad that I brought them with me. And also still like the Topeak Bike Bag that I bought last year to keep this kind of stuff in.

OK, well, that’s it for the first ride update, I guess. I’ll probably add replies to this post for additional rides this spring (rather than a new post with all the rambling about my rides) and I also welcome replies and ride stories from all of you out there too if you like.

Later, Rob.

The Jane Addams Bike Trail and Flashback to October.

Posted on by

Well, it’s been a while and we are already pretty much into the 2011 bike riding season already but I just completed the bike trail pages for the Jane Addams Bike Trail from the trip and photos that I took back in October.

I wrote a short blog entry back in October when we did this ride but never got a change to finish the official bike trail pages and photo pages on this website for this trail. Well, I finally got the photos and pages up and you can see them now at: The Jane Addams Bike Trail.

Jane Addams Bike Trail

Jane Addams Bike Trail Pages - About-Bicycles.com

I enjoyed this trail quite a bit but I didn’t have as many photos to choose from as I would liked to have had but I managed to find a few pretty good ones that I think capture the feel of the trail on that cool October ride.

We also continued our trip on the connecting Badger State Trail but I did not write that up or post those photos yet because I actually wanted to do separate trail pages for that bike trail. I would also like to ride the rest of the Badger State Trail so I have a good feel for it and complete set of photos.

I have seen that  there is a pretty cool looking tunnel on the trail and that it goes all the way into Madison. I guess I have some trail riding work cut out for me! Well, someone has to do it. 🙂

Actually, with the rock walls of the Jane Addams Trail and the Tunnel on the Badger State Trail, they kind of remind me a little of the Elroy-Sparta Trail up in Wisconsin.

I know that there are gaps, but I keep hoping that one day most of these major trails will be connected and that I could ride from my house, in the Chicago suburbs, to the Mississippi river around Lacrosse, Wis.!

Well, i don’t think that’s possible yet (on trails anyway), but maybe someday.

Kenosha Bike Trail Ride

Posted on by
Kenosha Bike Trails

Bike Trail along Lake Michigan in Kenosha

We had a great ride on the Kenosha Bike Trail and along Lake Michigan on the 4th of July. I took quite a few photos and am still planning on doing a complete bike trail article with all the information and photos (in the bike trails section of this site) but I just haven’t had the chance yet. So many bike trails and so little time!

Anyway, you can get to the Kenosha Trail from The Robert McClorey Trail which also connects to the Green Bay Bike Trail(on the south end). So you could actually ride from Wilmette, Il all the way up into the southern part of Wisconsin on these trails. I’ve ridden all of these but all on different days.

OK, getting back to the Kenosha Bike Ride… A friend of mine and I drove to the southern end of the Kenosha Trail (where it meets the Robert McClorey Trail) , just off of Russell Road. We parked in a subdivision that had a very convenient entrance to the trail.

The Kenosha Trail itself is crushed stone and is not really all that long (a few miles). The bike trail ends at 89th street. I guess they still call it a “trail” but you need to ride on some roads and connecting trails at that point.

The roads are not bad to ride on at there is a bike lane along 7th avenue as you head north. We continued north and east and ended up riding along the shore of Lake Michigan for quite a while.

I love riding along Lake Michigan! Once we got to the part of the trails that goes along Lake Michigan, we rode north all the way to Carthage College. As I mentioned, it was the 4th of July so there was a ton of stuff going on and the beaches and parks were packed with people. That was fun in this situation but I would also like to ride this trail sometime when it is less crowded (maybe some nice fall day).

Like I said, I’ll try to get to writing a more complete “trail page” with more of the details on the route, etc. but for now I just wanted to mention the ride and that it was really a very nice place to ride.

Cool Springtime Bike Riding

Posted on by

I just took a really nice bike ride and it is in the mid 40s here in Chicagoland. It reminded me of bike riding with the air conditioning on (maybe a little too high even 🙂 )

I was also thinking about those really hot and humid bike rides that I would take in the summer and how I would wish that it was really cool like it is now so I guess it’s just a matter of appreciating what you have and enjoying life as you live it. OK, maybe that’s a little heavy but it’s true and I did have a great ride too (almost up to 100 miles on my odometer for this year already!)

A couple of things that I wanted to mention regarding this kind of cool bike riding weather is that it is really important to dress properly for the weather that you’ll be riding in. I know that that sounds pretty basic but just putting on the right cloths before you hop on the bike can make a huge difference between a great ride and an uncomfortable ride

Sometimes I forget at what temperature I wear jeans and when to switch over to shorts or when I need gloves and when I don’t so I usually refer to the article that I wrote on this a year or so ago. I wrote the “How to Dress for Bike Rides in Any Weather” article as a very general guide but I actually find it very handy in the transitional seasons.

Like I said, I’m a jeans and jacket kind of rider but I could actually use a much better riding jacket and maybe even some rain gear. Oh yea, since it is spring, don’t forget to bring along some kind of protection for all those bike electronics that you might be carrying around (bike computers, cell phones, GPS, cameras, etc.). I wrote about that in the “how to dress…” page that I referenced above also.

Well, I hope you enjoy those springtime rides!