We get to the trail. 5 minute pulls each at a moderately brisk pace. The wind forces us into an echelon-esque formation as we traverse The Windy City. We arrive at the golf course south of the city - the very same place where we rode to and turned around a few weeks ago. This time, we decided to venture forth.
I asked a man approaching us on his bike if there is a good road to get to Indiana. He pointed to the road in front of us and said that it had a great bike lane and it led to a trail that goes to Indiana. The bike lane was lined with potholes, forcing us into the car lane, and the bike path was across an impassable drawbridge.
So with the help of the iPhone, we improvised. Immediately, we decided I90 wasn't the best road to take. An apple and a Clif bar later, we decided on a road going in the same direction as the highway. After a few miles, we ended up on a mainstream road that ran below and to the side of I90. Ahead, we spotted a Welcome to Indiana side. We needed a picture (i.e. evidence of our trip), so we pulled into the parking lot of KFC.
Before going over to the sign, I went into KFC to fill up our water bottles. I open the door to laughter that awkwardly stops as soon as I step in. I guess a purple polka-dotted cycling kit is a little out of place in South Chicago... I fill the bottles up with ice and water and flaunted my school colors on the way out.
Nate and I make our way over to the Welcome to Indiana sign:
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Standing in front of the sign was more than a photo op - we realized just how far away from campus we really were. We made it to another state. At this point, we talked about riding up to Wisconsin some day soon. After adequately relishing in the moment, we decided it was time to head back.
Following signs to the Lakefront Trail, we ended up on a rock trail lined with shattered glass and adjacent to train tracks. "Cyclocross practice," we thought aloud. The collective two tubes that we brought now didn't seem to be enough. Surely we would each get multiple flats on this surface. Somehow, our tires prevailed.
We got back onto the Lakefront Trail, where we again exchanged pulls, dodging all of the obstacles on the overcrowded trail: bikers, runners, rollerbladers, walkers, carriages, etc. At this point, we decided to stop at Navy Pier for some food. We both got tuna salad sandwiches from a Deli shop at the Navy Pier food court. Tasty and filling on the spot, but queasy and regretful for the remaining 12 miles of our ride.
We eventually got back to campus. 65 miles, 3 hours & 20 minutes, and a great ride.
2 comments:
It's about that distance up to Wisconsin as well. Next time you can hit Wisconsin, go all the way down to Indiana, and then back up to Evanston for a 150-mile 3-state ride. xXx puts that on every spring.
The only way a decent route to Indiana (or anywhere) will exist is if cyclists lobby for it. Please consider getting involved in advocacy in addition to racing. There are lots of cool routes (large and small) being developed all over the country, and we have a Transportation Secretary who is ready to consider bicycling as a form of transportation. Together, we can all make a difference.
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