Our ride out of Kankakee brought us to the country’s third largest city and its army of suburbs. The transition from cornfields to neighborhoods and downtowns meant a change in our approach to cycling effectively, with a lot more stopping, downshifting, and awareness as we darted through the maze of urban life. A lively welcome by our hosts and a very fun rest day with some in downtown Chicago and some spending time with their families put the team in high spirits. The alumni gathering at the end of Day 20 brought together riders from the past handful of I4K teams and was a time of laughter and fellowship for all. I4K’s true gateway to the west (as one former rider put it, the real ride doesn't start until after Chicago), tomorrow’s route takes us out of Illinois via its northern border.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 75.0
Elevation: +1031’/-1077’
General Direction: Proceed west, slightly north of Bourbonnais, turn north, then west on 9000 N Road, north on 5000 W Road, east on Wilmington Road, north on U.S. 52 and Cedar Road, then west on Schweizer Road, after a brief segment on the Wauponsee Glacial Trail turn north onto Rowell Ave to enter Joliet, navigate north on Collins Street to pass through Lockport, at mile 46 turn north onto the Centennial Trail, turn off at mile 58.2 and navigate north and east through La Grange, Brookfield, North Riverside, Forest Park, and River Forest to the stayover.
Points of Interest: Wauponsee Glacial Trail, Old Joliet Prison, Centennial Trail, Des Plaines River, Zoo Woods, Frank Lloyd Wright houses including his home and studio
Tales of the Trail
“Bad idea.” - a Kankakee County sheriff on a megaphone driving by all of our groups biking fallen in and doing nothing of note
Moving away from Kankakee gave us plenty of flats with a soft blue sky as the sun rose in a muted orange. Today was the first day we were allowed to ride with music. A couple of groups implemented this which added a lot of enjoyment to the route (Note: we use speakers only, no headphones, and the volume cannot be loud enough to drown out callouts). A gravel-y and bumpy, yet pretty bike trail brought us to the edge of Joliet where we made turn after turn through neighborhoods and dealt with a fair bit of traffic on the main roads.
Nearing mile 50 took us on the beautiful Centennial Trail which runs along the Des Plaines River, a beautiful multi-use trail that took us closer to the heart of the suburbs. Lots and lots of stop signs routed us through the main streets and neighborhoods in each ‘burb, bringing us closer and closer to River Forest. Passing freight trains gave riding groups some good rest time in the heat. At last, a cheering crowd of families and supporters and a large sign that said WELCOME TO RF! ILLINI 4000! greeted us at the end of our route.
Those not staying with family or friends in the area stayed with Steve and Katrina Beck, two very cool people and the parents of our Logistics Director Ellie Beck. We took a powerful portrait of their daughter, Georgi, who developed tumors in both eyes when she was young and had to have one of her eyes removed. An amazing dinner, some fiddling around on various instruments, and a long sleep concluded the day.
Kirby has stolen our hearts, as well as all of the sticks in the surrounding area.
The Rest Day
Chicago was waiting, and bikes, buses, and trains were ready to take us there. Paul, Patrick, and both Sams opted to ride to the Bean and along Lake Michigan, before making a long and enjoyable stop at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Hanna, Jean, Nabeel, and both Jonathans took the L to the loop and explored the city, had some fantastic food, and met up with friends. Still more members of the team had some fun and important family time at home.
Sams’ Club rides for the Bean.
In the evening, the Becks hosted a gathering of I4K alumni. Stories were swapped, memories were shared, and plenty of quotes made for a lot of laughs. As the team regathers, we will really miss this one, but are hyped for Wisconsin.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Patrick Jamison, Ride Leader
How are you today? I am doing great, it was an awesome day and I really enjoyed the trails we were on until the last 15 miles with all of the traffic. Also, a man at the grocery store we stopped at paid for orange juice for me, Paul, and Jaylen. We also did a very powerful portrait of Ellie’s sister Georgi. Overall, it was a very great day.
What make and model of bicycle are you riding? A purple 2019 Trek Emonda ALR 5. (Fun fact: all Trek bike names are anagrams of each other.)
What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? All the random stuff that happens during the day. I think it’s really great because you can meet so many interesting people in the different places we go in this way. I really like the random things that happen at rest stops when we stand around existing as a team or when we find stuff on the side of the road. These make up so many of the stories we will tell each other and laugh about later.
How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? I did not know how to ride a bike before I4K.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? I am riding for my grandmother. She has been a role model throughout my life and I really respect everything that she has gone through. I am also riding for my best friend’s mother who passed last year. Her family is very sweet and it’s difficult to witness everything they have gone through as well. I am mainly riding for these two and keep them both in my mind every day.
Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? There weren’t many downhill sections yesterday, and we had some laughs when we stared down at a few objects somewhere around mile 30…
Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? I’ve had a lot of people support me over the four years I’ve been in I4K, and I want to say thank you to everyone. Whenever I talk about everything we are doing, they get just as excited as I do and it’s wonderful. Thank you for helping me get to where I am actually riding three and a half years after the start of the pandemic.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
Fallen In: Used to describe riding in a pace line or straight line. Typically used on two-lane roads and to allow cars to pass. Associated with callouts “Fall in!” and “Falling in!”
Honk…
shoo…