Back in the saddle as bike season gets under way
Spring has potentially arrived and it's great to be back writing about another bicycling season. These first few days of warm weather after the bitter cold are so exhilarating that I reaffirm every year how glad I am to live here in the Midwest.
For those of you who haven't read my column before, every other week, through November, I'll be covering cycling news, equipment, places to ride, training tips, as well as keeping you informed on organized rides in the area.
My fanaticism toward cycling really took hold 17 years ago when I started regularly commuting to work by bike. I've found that I can ride the 22 miles to work in about 30 minutes longer than it takes by car. No gasoline, no sitting in traffic, and great exercise. With gas prices going through the roof, and our planet gasping for fresh air, I'm glad to see more people seem to be inspired to swap their four-wheelers for two-wheelers on a regular basis.
Steve Weeks from Mundelein sent me a note this winter describing how he manages to bike commute year-round, despite living far from the office. He has been practicing "multi-modal" transit for more than five years. Using a folding bicycle, Steve rides from home to a Metra train and then, a comfortable hour later, from Metra to work. Steve proudly shared a major upgrade he recently made to his commuting bike -- studded snow tires! His experience so far is that they "make black ice as easy as dry concrete to ride a bike on."
I sure could have used those a couple of weeks ago when I pulled up to what I thought was wet pavement, only to discover -- on my way toward the ground -- that it was a sheet of ice.
Schedule notes
The cycling schedule is already filling in for nearly every weekend.
• April 6, is the seventh annual John Fraser Memorial Time Trial, run by the Athlete's By Design Cycling Club. This race takes place in Maple Park and has a limit of 250 competitors. It was so popular the last few years that there has been a waiting list so registration via Active.com is highly recommended. Visit www.abdcycling.com for more information.
• Members of the Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club will be celebrating their 40th anniversary with a dinner program from 2 to 6 p.m. April 13 at Riverview Banquets in Batavia. Prospective and former members of the club are especially invited to attend. Reservations can be made for $20 (including a catered buffet dinner) and must be received by April 5. Please send payment to FVBSC 40th Anniversary, PO Box 1073, St. Charles, IL 60174. For more information about the club, visit www.fvbsc.org.
Todd Underwood covers cycling in theChicago area. To contact him, e-mail to todd@peppergroup.com or write to c/o Daily Herald, 385 Airport Road, Suite A, Elgin, IL 60123.