Back when we had bike to work week I managed to get in commuting by bike all week for a total of over 200 miles! It is 20 miles one way to work by bike. Then I switched shifts at work since my training was done. So I took a while before getting up the nerve to try a ride on second shift. I went this last Friday, considering I would not have to work the next day. So the ride to work was a new route I worked out. It has a few miles of roads but it is less hilly than the original Fox River Trail route I had been taking. It ended up being a half mile shorter than the other route. So I was pleased with that ride. But then at the end of the shift was my real test. A twenty mile night ride home. My bike has been equipped for night riding fairly well for a while now. Front and rear Blackburn lighting, reflectors, and a set of Monkeylectric lights for the back wheel. It is just that this route at night is new to me. So I had my concerns and reservations. Would the few miles of road be an issue at night? Also there is a bad neighborhood that gets skirted on this route. Well I only saw 8 cars on the road part of the route. And two of them got stopped by a train. So no big deal there! The shady neighborhood that I had to pass near did not produce a single miscreant let alone a single person to be seen! I liked the ride overall and I guess I will have to think about if I want to do this on any kind of a regular basis.
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| East of Raymond Rd. on the IPP in Elgin. |
The section of IPP between the Stearns Rd. Trail and the Fox River Trail is finally all paved now.
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| Train crossing at Smith and Powess Roads. |
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| The underpass at Rte 25 on the IPP./Stearns Rd. Trail at night. |
In other news, here is some pics of some bike lane work in Chicago that someone from the Chainlink website has posted:
Looks like some pretty interesting ideas are being put into effect with the bike lanes! Yeay!
I also read a couple of interesting articles on the web lately:
The Bike Lane Is Not Your Parking Spot
Cameras Are Cyclists’ ‘Black Boxes’ in Accidents
How-to: Choose a Camera for Touring
Outdoor Survival on the Trail
Chicago and Bikes: A Long History of a Strong Community
Also finished another item from my 2012 biking list. Last weekend I took a ride From the Western end of the Hebron Trail to the McHenry Prairie Trail and then South on the MCPT to the Fox River Trail. And I don't believe it! Half of the Summer is gone and I still only have 3 of 13 items from the list done! Time to get to some more riding!
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| Headed East on Hebron Trail. |
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| Hebron Trail |
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| Mile 25.5. |
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| This is in the North Branch Conservation Area near Richmond, Il. |
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| This is looking West on the trail in the North Branch Conservation area. |
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| This connects the Hebron Trail to the McHenry Prairie Path. |
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| Just a few tenths of a mile to the left is the Wisconsin State border. |
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| A Gary Fischer bike frame has been deposited here next to the trail. |
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| Front wheel, back wheel and seat have all been removed. Who would do such a thing? |
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| Railroad cars in Crystal Lake, Il. |
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| The trail is off to the right in the picture. |
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| Looking North on the newly completed bridge. |
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| Looking South on the newly completed bridge. |
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| Looking East from the new bridge over Rakow Rd. |
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| Looking West on the new bridge over Rakow Rd. and Pyott Rd. |
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| Gravel pit by the LITH Airport. |
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| The new bridge slope and the trail curves to the West at the bottom. |
It's about time they finished this bridge!
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