1. KEGEL'S BICYCLE STORE
Rock Cut has numerous 15 to 18 mile loops of single- and double-track," says Jordan Carr. "This is a moderate paced ride that's designed to get more and more people involved." Meet 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at the Lyon's Club parking lot. Town: Rockford. Contact: (815) 229-5826.
2. NORTH CENTRAL CYCLERY
"As soon as we confirm a good group or people," tells Tobie DePauw, "we'll travel to a spot with select singletrack. Like Veterans Acres in Crystal Lake or Rock Cut State Park in Rockford. We just got back from an epic Kettle Morraine trip." Town: Dekalb. Contact: (815) 758-2403.
3. TULLIOS BIG DOG CYCLERY
Tells John Morris, "Starved Rock Cycling Association does a weekly ride on the crushed gravel Heritage Corridore trail next to the I&M Canel. They meet 15 miles from here at Bianchi's Pizza in Ottawa. The trail is mostly flat and it's an easy ride with ten others." Town: La Salle. Contact: (815) 223-1776.
4. BIG DOG ON THE ROAD
Continues John, "You have to travel 40 minutes before you get to the real singletrack. Guys from here plan big Memorial and Labor Day trips to Jubilee, Bloomington, our out of state to Kettle Morraine in Wisconsin and Sugar Bottom in Iowa." Town: La Salle. Contact: (815) 223-1776.
5. DEERFIELD SCHWINN CYCLERY
"Five to ten of us go to Wisconsin and ride Kettle Morraine," says Luis Alcivar. "It's intermediate difficulty terrain and between 5 to 10 of us will decide on intensity for the day. Then we just ride and ride some more. Meet behind the shop 6 a.m. Saturday. Town: Deerfield. Contact: (847) 945-0700.
6. ALBERTOS
Tells Joey Lama, "Starting in the fall we go once a week, usually Tuesday evening. Normally we ride from the shop to any one of the local trails that are ridable, weather permitting. it's tight riding through the trees." Town: Highland Park. Contact: (847) 446-2042.
7. ARLINGTON BICYCLE COMPANY
Chuck Perryman tells us about this 9 p.m. Saturday ride: "Meet with up to 25 other out of bounders at the water tower. We're really into stunt hardtails in this area. We'll figure out what we're all into that night and then we'll go hit 'em." Town: Arlington Heights. Contact: (847) 253-7700.
8. PONY SHOP
"We follow a very informal, at least once week, mostly Saturday and Sunday ride schedule," explains Lou Kuhn. "That also includes weekday evenings outings. We'll go to Palos or Bull Frog Lake. They're hard rides with two to eight guys. Town: Evenston. Contact: (847) 864 5775; (773) 465 1776.
9. PONY SHOP FREERIDE
Nick Martin gives the FR info: "There's a dirt jump spot behind Lane Tech High. Or we can do urban at the Northwestern campus or Downtown Chicago. Guys are going out at least a couple of times a week. I'm on a Spooky with a Bomber fork." Town: Evenston. Contact: (847) 864 5775; (773) 465 1776.
10. PEDAL & SPOKE
"The forest reserve has fresh singletrack that few know about," explains Mike Brackett. "It follows rolling topography with some pretty good drops. We're going out on the weekends and weekday evenings and are looking to nail down a concrete ride schedule." Town: North Aurora. Contact: (630) 892-1010.
11. SPOKES
Meet in front 9 a.m. Sunday. From here it's just a ride across the street to the Danada trailhead. It goes past Heric Lake and then onto the Prairie Path Rails to Trails. "We've been doing this ride for 20 years," says group leader Raouf Radi. Town: Wheaton. Contact: (630) 690-2050.
12. SPOKES AFTER WORK
"From fall to early spring we switch back to MTB rides," continues Raouf. "The meet is 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. "We stick to the Prairie Path at night. Lights are required for this ride. You can expect up to 50 people and an intermediate-to-advanced pace. Town: Wheaton. Contact: (630) 690-2050.
13. RIDE TO WISCONSIN
"I'm the ride leader," explains Raouf from Spokes. "Danada is off limits at night so we instead stick to the Illinois Prairie Path. The IPP is a 60-plus mile trail that is Illinois' human powered link to forests, connector trails and Wisconsin. Town: Wheaton. Contact: (630) 690-2050.
14. RICHARD's CYCLE SHOP
"Palos is where the woods are around here," says Todd Snyder. Our ride starts 8 a.m. Thursday. It'll have 5 to 10 people. We'll go around ten miles more or less at a recreational pace. The trail is a combination of tight and open riding." Town: Palos Heights. Contact: (773) 445-3738.
15. RICHARD'S FREERIDERS
"We do have younger guys that are into the freeride. There are some ramps, jumps and downhill/freeride combination stuff at Palos. Or they'll head down to Navy Pier or Buckingham Fountain for a good ol' urban session." Town: Palos Heights. Contact: (773) 445-3738.
16. JOHNNY SPROCKETS
"Call up www.chicagofreeride.com and get on the e-mailer," explains Matt Wellington. The mail list is 174 strong right now, and we are getting one to two more every week. I actually host the Drunken Ride the first Saturday of every month. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 244-1079.
17. STREETS OF CHICAGO
Adds Matt at Johnny Sprockets, "The downtown streets have more than enough challenge. There are huge jumps at Soldier Field, monster drops at Canal Street...it's everywhere around here. I can't even begin to pinpoint it all." Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 244-1079.
18. JOHNNY SPROCKETS II
"Our other location is four miles up the road," says Matt. "We also do a revolving cross-country schedule. It's usually takes place at Palos. Also in the works are select trips to designated downhill spots in the area. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 293-1695.
19. CYCLE SMITHY
Tells Joe Navarro, "From here we have John Villena and Chris Menares going around the city and jumping off stuff. There's a ride usually every Friday. The group is full of Sinisters, Banshees, Souls and a bunch of Bullet riders." Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 281-0444.
20. GET A GRIP CYCLES
Seven a.m. Sunday we drive to a location," says Kevin Corsello. "It can be as many as 30-plus riders. We have a lot of racers who either work or are always coming in here. But we're not snobby. We want to sell cycling and make our rides pleasant for everyone." Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
21. LOCAL RIDING
Continues Kevin, "If you know the right trails Palos has technical riding and hot spots with washed out log and rock obstacles. There's also some climbing. Deer Grove in Palatine has some wicked little drops and a few planks to ride over. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
22. WEEKDAY TRAIL RIDES
"Get A Grip also does an 8 a.m. Thursday ride." We pick the closest spot that we have time to get to. Kettle Morraine in Wisconsin has faster, open trail where you can get up some speed. You can do a demo ride ten minutes from the shop at La Baugh Woods. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
23. AMUSEMENT PARK TRIP
"Battle Creek in Michigan is space mountain for bicycles. The trails are more man made, with fast ten mile loops that incorporate fast rollercoaster chutes with high berms. For more ride info check out www.getagripcycles.com." Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
24. GET A GRIP FREERIDE
"Some of the guys are freeriding the city. But if you're looking for north shore obstacles head to Challenge Park in Rockford. We sponsor the Chicago Freeriders. Those guys are always coming in here to fix their bikes after one of their sessions. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
25. GET A GRIP AT MOAB
"We do two trips a year to Moab or Fruita. One is usually scheduled in March and the other will be the first week in November. Around 20 riders will go to minimize cost. We travel with three enclosed trailers to keep the equipment fully secure. Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
26. GET FIT AT GET A GRIP
"We do professional fitting here. Or come in to demo the latest hot model from Specialized, Cannondale or Raleigh. We also carry Serotto and Waterford. We've been building up a lot of custom steel hardtails lately. That seems to be the current local trend." Town: Chicago. Contact: (773) 427-4747.
27. VILLAGE CYCLE CENTER
Explains Alex Baranovskiy, "Meet at the shop or at the ride coordinator's place. It's usually more of a casual, just having some fun ride on the trails at Palos Heights. Palos is a suburb just to the south of us. Hardtails still rule this area." Town: Chicago. Contact: (312) 751-2488.
28. BIKE CHICAGO
If you're into casual riding and sightseeing, this is a rental and tour outfit with seven seasonal locations. Anyone is welcome to join out guided tours up and down Lake Michigan. They depart daily from Navy Pier and North Ave. Beach. Town: Chicago. Contact: (312) 595-9600; (773) 577-7227.
29. TOUR CHICAGO
"The rides originate from the Navy Pier location at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.," tells Chris Dunstatter. "Then we pick up people from the other store locations. We ride from North Ave. Beach to Lincon Park, the zoo, Grant Park, Soldier Field, McCormic Place and more." Town: Chicago. Contact: (312) 595-9600.
30. MILLENNIUM PARK BIKE STATION
If you use your bike to commute Chicago, you better know about this place. The bike station offers a list of services: 24 hour secure bicycle parking, showers and lockers, and valet and parts and repair services. If you work downtown, why not train to the office? Town: Chicago. Contact: 312 498 3052.
31. CYCLES-N-SPORTS
"We do urban 7 p.m. Wednesday," explains Alex Hahn and BMX pro Tim Dinger. "There's a core group of five guys that meet here or at Shedd Aquarium. There we'll hook up with 30 other guys from Team Sally and Chicago Freeride. Town: Worth. Contact: (708) 361-0440.
32. CHALLENGE PARK ROAD TRIP
"We leave here 10 a.m. every Wednesday," continues Jordon from Kegel's in Rockford. "The park is just stuffed with freeride trails, obstacles and a downhill. You can ride all day without going over the same stuff twice. I'm on a P3 myself." Town: Joliet. Contact: (815) 229-5826.
33. ILLINOIS CYCLE AND FITNESS
John Bousky explains how they're actively involved with the Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association. "They're the pulse of all off-road riding here. Our store is stocked with all of the latest PAMBA ride info. Come in and you'll find someone to ride with." Town: Peoria. Contact: (309) 682-9346.
34. RUSSELLS CYCLING & FITNESS CENTER
Says Taylor Krick, "When we do singletrack we like to go hard. We always go out after work, 4 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. The hilly trail at Farmdale is just five miles from here. We meet at the trailhead parking lot. Town: Washington. Contact: (309) 444-2098.
35. MORE RUSSELLS RIDING
"Jubilee State Park in West Peoria is a 30 minute drive, so it's usually done on Saturday. It has the best singletrack in the area. Another ride spot is Dirksen Park in Pekin. It has jagged terrain, whoops and a lot of North Shore bridges, drops and dirt jumps. Town: Washington. Contact: (309) 444-2098.
36. RUSSELLS URBAN
Taylor adds, "For urban sessions we usually end up along Water Street in Downtown Peoria. It's an industrial area and there are a lot of buildings with good stair gaps, loading docks and such. Average group size is four to five riders." Town: Washington. Contact: (309) 444-2098.
37. LITTLE ADES BICYCLES
"Our Sunday rides meet around 10 a.m., says Deon Hagerdorn. "We'll usually be riding Farmdale, Jubilee, Dirksen or Marquette Heights. It's just a bunch of us out there "motoring" around and having fun. If the group is small it tends to end up being a race." Town: Pekin. Contact: (309) 346-3900.
38. LITTLE ADES ON THE STREET
"Groups of riders are coming in and out of here all the time. To change it up we'll do a trip to the riverfront area of Downtown Peoria. That's where all the businesses are and the great stunt spots. Or we might even go to Challenge Park in Rockford. Town: Pekin. Contact: (309) 346-3900.
39. WHEEL THING
"We'll totally cater this Palos ride to fresh enthusiasts when needed," explains manager Jim Saplis. "Everyone will have fun on our ride. It typically starts up in the fall. Meet 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Town: La Grange. Contact: (708) 352-3822.
40. PALOS PLANS
Says Jim, "We're right next to Palos. There's 30 miles of wooded trail with 15 more to come. Wheel Thing donates $1000 of the proceeds from the 12 Hours race to the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers. Come out yourself and help CAMBR do fix up the trails we all ride." Town: La Grange. Contact: (708) 352-3822.
41. 12 HOURS AT PALOS
"It's typically run in early August. The trail is moderate to medium technical and covers rolling terrain." This year Team SRAM pulled the upset win over five year straight champs Active Endeavor. The SRAM guys covered 220 total miles. Town: La Grange. Contact: (708) 352-3822.
42. ACE BIKE SHOP
Rich Moscardelli gives an update on their XC rides: "Starting after the racing season in October we'll ride weekly until the weather sours. They usually take place on the weekend. We ride the singletrack that goes most of the way around Lake Springfield." Town: Springfield. Contact: (217) 523-0188.
43. ACE ON THE STREET
"Urban rides usually happen on weekday evenings," adds Rich. "We have a big team of Nationally ranked BMXer, so also expect a lot of guys on 20 inchers. The ride usually heads downtown for ramps, steps and drops." Town: Springfield. Contact: (217) 523-0188.
44. R&M CYCLES
Says Pat Wiatrolik, "Meet 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at Show-me's. From there we head onto the inner urban and lake trails. It's mostly hilly singletrack. Expect three to ten riders and a recreational pace...unless someone decides to get competitive." Town: Springfield. Contact: (217) 544-9550.
45. DECATUR BIKE SHOP
"Our ride is 1 p.m. Sunday," tells Greg Mitchell. "There are four different beginner to expert level trails around the Lake Shelbyville area. There could be anywhere between five and 20 riders. The pace depends on who shows, but we'll hold back for newbies." Town: Decatur. Contact: (217) 875-3271.
46. DECATUR FREERIDE
"There's some dedicated North Shore riding at Garman Park," continues Greg. "Elevated skinny bridges, eight food drops, huge double and triple dirt jumps, the whole works. People are riding out there all the time. We'll usually be aboard full suspension XC rigs. Town: Decatur. Contact: (217) 875-3271.
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