Schaumburg man logs 100,000 miles on bike

Watching the odometer flip over to 100,000 miles made the pain in Jim Nallen's butt all worth it.

The 74-year-old Schaumburg resident on Friday reached the landmark distance - not in his car, but on his bicycle.

"Even after 100,000 miles, my behind still causes problems," said Nallen, who celebrated his accomplishment at the Piece-A-Cake Bakery in East Dundee, a short distance from the Fox River Trail. "But you learn to slide around the seat and get comfortable."

Since 1985, Nallen has kept track of the miles as he rides along the Fox River Trail between Aurora and Crystal Lake. He said about 70 percent of the mileage was completed on the trail.

He makes the trip two or three times a week, averaging 40 to 45 miles per ride, stopping by the bakery for his favorite baked good: a cinnamon roll.

"It keeps the body in good shape," said Nallen, speaking of the bike and not the sweet roll.

He has also logged miles in Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. "I enjoy riding through the old towns. I like the history of them."

It took Nallen, a retired construction electrician, almost 25 years, five bikes and rolls of duct tape to get there.

He totaled a bike in an accident and two others were stolen. The 1993 Trek hybrid that carried him over the six-digit mark looks ready to retire, its seat held together with layers of silver tape.

But Nallen said he never set out to ride 100,000 miles. In fact, he said, when he first calculated the distance, he didn't think he would live long enough to put in that many miles.

In the first year, he said, he rode about 2,700 miles. But now, he averages between 4,000 and 4,500 miles a year, mostly on his own. In 2005, Nallen pedalled 7,615 miles.

Nallen's daughter and granddaughter, as well as Piece-A-Cake Bakery owner Roger Ahrens, accompanied Nallen on the final stretch through East Dundee to the store where special commemorative cookies were waiting.

"I think it is marvelous," said Nallen's daughter, Laura Reid. "When he puts his mind to something, there is no stopping him. Some things might slow him down, but nothing detours him."

Miles: It takes cyclist 25 years, 5 bikes