I was up early and got packed up. Started biking at 7:00. My brother Joe rode with me for a little while. He is the first family/friend to ride with me so far.
It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and a temperature of 60. The wind was blowing from the south, so it was behind me for the first couple of hours.
I rode some streets and bike paths to get to the Grand Illinois Trail. I took that trail north, almost to the border with Wisconsin. It took about half an hour before I felt like I was out of the city and had some good views of the country.
I then headed west to pick up a few more bike trails. It was a mile and a half of roads to the Hebron Trail.
After leaving the town of Hebron, I was on roads for about 15 miles. Most of these roads had little traffic. But they had a lot of rolling hills and I used all the gears I had. I ended up getting a deli sandwich at a gas station for lunch and found a nice picnic table under a tree to sit at.
I then got on the Long Prairie Trail and biked that trail for six miles before coming upon a big tree that had fallen across the trail.
Now, I hadn’t seen a single person on this trail since I started biking on it. But as I approached the tree there were two cyclists who came up the trail from the other direction. They worked together to get their bikes over the tree, then they helped me lift my bike over the tree. I wouldn’t have been able to get over that tree without taking the bags off my bike, so I was very thankful for their help (thank you angels!!).
That trail went 15 miles then turned into the Stone Bridge Trail for another five or six miles. At the end of that trail I had to make a decision as to how far I would bike today, and make a hotel reservation. I felt good and wanted to keep riding, but the weather wasn’t cooperating. Thunderstorms were firing up all around me. So, I biked to the nearest hotel. I got there at 2:00 – about 15 minutes before the storm.
I ended the day in South Beloit, IL. I rode 72 miles and climbed 1,577 feet. Tomorrow now looks to be more rainy than they forecast this morning. So, I’ll have to wait until the morning to see what happens. I hope to make it to my brother’s house in Madison, but we’ll see.
Congratulations on concurring another state!
God always is with you. Another tree and more bikers! Not a coincidence.
Jim, I am enjoying following your journey. I met you in Rochester, Indiana and for this summer will have to be content watching your progress. Gods speed (and an occasional tail wind.)
Thank you for the warm wishes. I remember you, Ted. You were the one clearing the Nickel Plate Trail of debris with the blower. I really appreciate your efforts, and the other volunteers. Not many trails are as nice as yours.
You should write a “travel by bike” book.