‘Bike club plus’: Cycling groups add other activities as weather grows colder
Writing about autumn biking weather is always tricky. As sunny, mild and beautiful as it may be when I’m drafting a column, it can be miserably cold, windy and wet when the column lands in print. I’ve learned to avoid it.
No surprise again this fall with its mixed bag of weather. Summerlike temps surprisingly extended the riding season a few extra weeks, delaying Mother Nature’s colorful palette. Then cold, blustery, rainy days broke the spell as shivering trees surrendered their green.
Both clubs and individual bikers also respond to transitional weather with a mixed bag of responses. Club calendars still display a plethora of group rides, some through January, but schedules grow thinner with daylight shortening and weather conditions questionable.
Participation declines, too, as wardrobes, suitable for inclement weather or maybe not, force decisions on riding venues: thermal layers, heavier gloves and insulated footwear for outdoors, or T-shirts, gym shorts and sweat towels for basement trainers.
Popularity of ZMRs
For some individuals, “ZMRs,” or zero mile rides, replace the more conventional morning “show-and-go” outings that end with a strong, hot beverage. But whether they involve a coffee klatsch or some other communal gathering, ZMRs can be satisfying when outdoor conditions are not. A cup of joe and social fellowship without recording mileage may be rewarding enough.
Cold weather activities supplant biking, especially at long-established clubs, with some pursuing off-season fitness via cross-training. Hiking and skiing are common, although an equally mixed bag of winters recently has meant either capitalizing on unexpected snowfalls or trekking north with skis, poles and snowshoes.
“We’ve worked the last two years to be more year-round and more outdoors-oriented,” said Timothy King, president of McHenry County Bicycle Club. “We’ve expanded the club to not only do winter hikes on Saturdays, but will change our Tuesday night rides to hiking starting in November.”
Volunteer time
“We'll always be a bike club, but now we're a ‘bike club plus’ with road riding, trail rides, gravel rides and kayaking in warmer months, hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the colder months,” King added.
Some clubs demonstrate appreciation for the routes they travel with volunteer cleanups. Per Don Mobley, Bicycle Club of Lake County president, a twice-annual roadside cleanup has been a club mainstay since 2001 in both spring and fall. The club even boasts its own cleanup sign posted along St. Mary’s Road. If you were near Libertyville on Oct. 25, you may have spotted club members filling trash bags.
Friends of Cycling in Elk Grove volunteers will assist at the annual Busse Woods Habitat Restoration workday from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 8, at Grove 11. Volunteers work to restore habitat using hand tools to remove invasive plants, like buckthorn.
Other clubs offer special rides as riding season downshifts and holiday season gears up.
Arlington Heights Bicycle Club rode to Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery in late October, combining biking with Chicagoland history. Club treasurer Bill Kragh has led this popular ride since at least 2017. Graves visited include those of Ernie Banks, George Pullman, Potter Palmer, Marshall Field, Louis Sullivan, and Daniel Burnham.
Kragh has also led Arlington Heights riders to the resting places of other historical figures: Mount Carmel (Al Capone, Catholic cardinals), Rosehill (Jack Brickhouse, Schwinn family members) and Woodlawn cemeteries (Jack Ruby, Mike Royko).
Happy Cranksgiving
Jason Fair, Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club president, reported the club plans to participate again in Cranksgiving at The Bike Rack in St. Charles on Saturday, Nov. 8. This hybrid charity ride helps the Salvation Army St. Charles (Tri-City) Corps provide meals to local families in need.
Riders are encouraged to shop local stores and “stuff those panniers with stuffing, strap that turkey into your bike trailer, and grab all the green beans you can carry” back to the shop. Shop owner Hal Honeyman and crew will serve hot cocoa and cider all day, plus chili for lunch. Weather permitting, an optional 12-mile ride will roll from the shop at noon for those interested.
According to its website, Cranksgiving originated in November 1999 by New York City bike messenger Antonio Rodriguez as an “alleycat” race to crown the fastest courier on an urban course. He transformed that idea to collecting food before Thanksgiving for the underserved.
The Cranksgiving concept spread among U.S. bike shops and other groups. About 100 different food rides spanned the U.S. in 2024 from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon.
In Homewood, Cranksgiving at Goodspeed Cycles asks riders to buy items from a food and store list provided, delivering the food to Rabid Brewing. Donations benefit the Restoration Ministries food bank in Harvey. Steve Buchtel, sales and events manager, reported cyclists transported 244 pounds of turkeys/fixings in 2024. Chicago’s Cosmic Bikes also participated last year.
Banquets, parties
Besides adapting activities to changing weather conditions, end-of-season banquets are planned where key volunteers are recognized, achievements celebrated, and 2026 activities announced.
Biketoberfest on Nov. 1 marked the season for the Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club, while Arlington Heights Bicycle Club gathers for its annual banquet Sunday, Nov. 9. Per Timothy King, at McHenry County Bicycle Club’s banquet Nov. 13, they will review 2025, prepare for 2026 with a silent auction, and reveal a new club jersey.
Similarly, Lake County’s president Mobley noted the club’s annual holiday party Dec. 6 will recognize ride leaders and RAMBLE Ride volunteers, introduce the incoming board, and award the golden saddle to the member with most mileage.
• Join the ride. Contact Ralph Banasiak at alongfortheridemail@gmail.com.