‘Pretty wild’: Air quality forces late start of West Dundee opener of the 14th Chicago Grit bicycle racing series

Once the smoke eventually cleared at the West Dundee River Challenge, the Chicago Grit bicycle racing series was off and rolling.

Poor air quality due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires, and then a course made slick by rain, twice delayed racing on the first of the 10-day series until midafternoon on Friday, well after its scheduled 10:25 a.m. start.

“We’re concerned about the safety of our bike racers and the safety of our spectators, the residents of West Dundee, and our crew,” Chicago Grit director and co-founder Marco Colbert said at about noon Friday.

Race organizers worked with West Dundee Fire Chief Michael Spiro to determine when the races could safely begin.

Chicago Grit marketing director Bekah Collins said at the day’s outset that the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) was more than 400, which, according to AirNow.gov, pushed into the “hazardous” range.

Collins said Chicago’s famously inconsistent weather has traditionally forced annual event or race cancellations over the Grit’s 14-year history.

However, Friday’s delay was unique.

“This is pretty wild,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had to sit and watch the AQI down here.”

The West Dundee River Challenge was the first stop on the Chicago Grit cycling series, which until 2024 was known as the Intelligentsia Cup.

Nearly 4,300 cyclists participated in the 2025 Chicago Grit, representing 38 states and five nations. A third of those riders were Illinoisans, while historically, teams of cyclists have traveled from as far as Australia to compete.

The Grit circuit continues Saturday in Glen Ellyn with The Ray Whalen Builders Tour of Lake Ellyn. It starts at the west side of Lake Ellyn Park with a men’s novice race at 10:15 a.m.

Encompassing all of Lake Ellyn Park as well as Glenbard West High School, perhaps the most scenic and the longest of the 10 courses at 1.4 miles, was devised in the 1970s by two-time Olympic cyclist John Vande Velde.

The series continues with stops including the Winfield Criterium on July 19, the Mundelein Grand Prix on July 20, the Lombard Cycling Classic on July 21, and the Elgin Classic in Memory of Dennis Jurs on July 24.

The July 26 finale at the Fulton Market Grand Prix in Chicago is one of six national events of the American Criterium Cup. Professional female and male cyclists will compete in all 10 Grit races.

Chicago Grit officials and event hosts say the races draw their communities together. Each has its own version of a family ride on the course, and several offer festivals.

Mundelein, for example, will host a Grand Prix shop, beer garden, food and business vendors, inflatables for all ages, raffles for prizes including a bicycle and helmet, chalk art, and a “touch-a-truck” experience featuring Mundelein’s first fire truck, the 1925 “Old No. 1.”

“What makes the Mundelein Grand Prix so special is that it's more than just professional bike racing — it's a community celebration,” said Mundelein special events coordinator Jess Marvin.