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Suburban Chicago Bicycling

These roads are so money. Plus, August invitationals.

Published 28 days ago • 2 min read

My money roads

I hope you're riding more than working this summer. That's what summer's for, right? I have been riding a lot as usual and found myself on money roads — roads that are destinations themselves, because they're so money. Fun, beautiful, mesmerizing. So much better than the others.

I just did a tour in Wisconsin's Northwoods. I always ride these money roads:

  • County X between Wisconsin routes 70 and 32 by Three Lakes
  • Military Road nearby
  • County K between Star Lake and Boulder Junction
  • County E by the Rainbow Flowage, and Townline Road to St. Germain

Then I thought of Tacoma Lake Road in southern Illinois (above), my quintessential money road. When I found it years ago, riding in the forest by my in-laws' in Herrin, I couldn't believe how the road stood out. I return often.

Yet our suburbs have no shortage of money roads. Among my favorites:

  • Klein Road in DuPage County
  • Powis and Munger roads in DuPage County
  • Indian Knoll Road in DuPage County
  • Callahan Road in Lake County
  • Spring Creek Road in McHenry County
  • River Drive in McHenry County

And there are more famous ones like Cuba Road, Old McHenry Road and Sheridan Road. Read more about them all in my money compilation.​

Invitationals ramping up in August

July again this year was a slow month for big bike rides open to the public, but the rides return in August. They start this weekend with the Cowalunga Charity Bike Tour in Lake County (Illinois) and the fundraising Fox and Prairie Ride in DuPage and Kane counties. Then you can still join the following rides:

  • Two Rivers Century in Kankakee, this Sunday morning
  • Raue Center for the Arts Night Owl Bike Ride in Crystal Lake, Aug. 8
  • Naperville Rotary Ride, Aug. 9
  • Tour de Cure (diabetes) in St. Charles, Aug. 9
  • Roun'da Manure Bicycle Tour in Sharon, Wis. (near Harvard), Aug. 15
  • Busse Woods Night Ride in northwest Cook County, Aug. 29
  • Harmon Hundred by the Wheeling Wheelmen, Aug. 30
  • Hope Echoes on the River Charity Bike Ride in Geneva, Aug. 30

​Check the ride calendar for links and information.​

Things I'm keeping my eye on

The Daily Herald just reported that the bicycle-pedestrian bridge over Northwest Highway and the railroad tracks in Mount Prospect will finally begin in earnest in August. I'm also wondering what's happening with the bridge over Route 83 in Elmhurst; does anybody around there see anything? See more on both in the construction round-up.​

And advocacy group Ride Illinois says the legislation to regulate e-motos and add a minimum age of 15 for e-bike riders is to be signed by Gov. Pritzker in August. Read about the legislation, or get a quickish summary.​

STILL VACATION-MINDED: You don't want to be in hot Sicily now, but I'm still posting videos of my coastal rides there in early June. Take a look at downhills (warning: speedy) and two other rides in my YouTube channel.​

It'll be nicer here in August than in Sicily. Let's enjoy our money roads! — Neil

THANK YOU, DONORS:
Arlington Heights Bicycle Club, Bicycle Club of Lake County, Alan J. White, Mitchell C. Jones, Bill Triplett, John Heer, Terry Witt, T L Szensy, James Krause, Mark Joseph Dugo, William F. Haley, Douglas H. Hoffman, Melynda Findlay Shamie, Eric Slagter, Jeffery Norman, Kathleen Hays, Andrew L. Campbell, Mark Rathe, Robert M. Yedinak, John S. Perry, David Waycie, David Michels, Cynthia DeVoss, Cheryl Zalenski, Richard H. Jordan, Richard Wadleigh, Colleen Stevenson, Randy Barich, Michael D. Staples, Michael Vander Weele, Hilliard B. Grossman, Kevin V. Barba, Bill Kragh, Todd Stocke, Colleen Sanderson, Pete Bolsoni, John VanSanten, Tony Messina.

I create the Suburban Chicago Bicycling website and newsletter with the help of readers like you.
​Buy me a cup of coffee, as they say?

At top, Tacoma Lake Road is especially pretty in the low sun of November. Dress warm.

For even more, read old newsletters. And please forward this to anyone interested.

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Suburban Chicago Bicycling

Neil Holdway

Your one-stop source for the great trails and roads to ride a bicycle in Chicago's suburbs, and to learn about efforts to make bicycling and bicycling infrastructure better there.

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