steelbikeguy

For anyone within range of central Illinois, this is a chance to ride with fellow vintage & steel bike enthusiasts and perhaps show off the pride of your fleet! It's intended to be a medium speed ride along quiet rural roads north of Peoria, IL, including a stretch along the scenic Illinois river... nothing too serious, and no dropped riders.


Date: Saturday, Sept 30th. Meet at 8:30am. Roll out at 9am.

Start/Finish location: Shore Acres Park, 100 Park Blvd, Chillicothe Illinois 61523
Meet in the parking area adjacent to the swimming pool.
https://www.chillicotheparkdistrict.org/shore-acres-park

Distance: roughly 41 miles.
Speed: The pace tends to be 15 or 16 mph. We typically ride as a single group, and regroup as needed. If there are questions or concerns about speed, please contact me.

Mid-ride destination & break: Tanner's Orchard, Speer, Illinois. https://www.tannersorchard.com/
baked goods, hot cocoa, coffee, water, and restrooms. Plenty of apples and cider are available too, but you'll want to bring a pannier or big saddlebag to carry it in. Fortunately, it's mostly downhill from Tanner's.

Other ride info:

-- Support: This is an unsupported ride. Bring your own food and water, and be prepared to handle any mechanical issues that might occur.

-- Terrain: There are a variety of moderate rolling hills as well as some flat ground in the river flood plain. As usual, road work has required changes. The route goes up Blue Ridge road with a 1/4 mile stretch of about 4% grade.
I've entered the route on RideWithGPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44013457

-- Road conditions: primarily narrow rural roads with chipseal surfaces and very little traffic. No potholes or gravel that I've noticed. The road crews reserve the right to freshly chipseal the route at any time, of course! Given the recent heat, they might be out there chipsealing the route right now.

-- Cue sheet and map: posted to a google drive folder:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...KI?usp=sharing
… but the cue sheet and map (without extra notes) are also available on the RideWithGPS link.

last year's Bike Forum thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...l#post22628623

Please let me know if you plan to attend or if there are any questions.

Steve in Peoria

as an enticement... an example of one of Tanner's cider donuts (you'll have to imagine the lovely aroma yourself)

JulesCW 

Paging 52telecaster schundog OTS and any others within driving distance. This is always a fun ride -- good folks, tasty treats, neat bikes to ogle, and nice roads. What's not to like?

I'm mulling over what I'll bring this year -- possibly a 1970's Proteus updated by Tom Kellogg at Spectrum in the 1990s (Steve, there was a guy with a gorgeous 68 cm silver Spectrum at the No Boloney ride rest stop in Mackinaw I told about the ride -- I did not catch his name, but Sam at Trek Peoria knows him -- and Sam should be arm-twisted to come as well!) , or my "racy" blue Bruce Gordon, or my interesting kelly green Specialized Sequoia with a Cinelli BB shell (a repaint by the PO after a warranty frame repair), or my fillet brazed Eisentraut, or... just maybe something else entirely!

Sedgemop 

Thinking about it. Never ridden around that part of the river. Looks like y'all have fun too.

schundog

Westerhaut on an Eisentraut; now THERE'S a combination! Steve is an excellent host and ride leader for this event that I have attended since 2018. I plan to be there again, It's one of my favorite rides of the year.

steelbikeguy

Re: the guy on the Spectrum at the No Baloney ride.. that was Steve Holmes. I've seen pics of the Spectrum, but haven't seen it in person yet. I just saw Steve this morning at a ride in E. Peoria (he was on his Gunnar). He was on the email list for the ride announcement, but it might have gotten stuck in a spam filter or something. I have to resend it later today.

I'm kinda curious about what Julian will bring too... that seems to be the wild card of every year!
Checking some of my photos, this is what I've found for bikes that he's brought so far:

2022 was the year of the Nobilette! Cool frame, and an assortment of components that was just about exactly what I would choose (SunTour derailleurs, Sugino AT crank, Stonglight headset, and American Classic seatpost).


2021 was the year of the very cool Merz!


2020 was the year of the Bruce Gordon (RIP) touring bike. It's easy to forget how people used to think it was okay to tour on 23mm tires.


2019 saw the appearance of the orange Teesdale. I was riding my orange Borthwick, also a bike built in Iowa, so that was a nice bit of serendipity. (I'm on the left, while Julian's large bike is on the right).


2018 was the year of the white Paramount.




2017 was the blue Specialized Sequoia.


As for this year.. jeez.. that's a pretty good list of options!
Another Bruce Gordon, another Sequoia, a Proteus, or a 'Traut??
For the sake of variety, the Proteus or the 'Traut would be fun. Of course, the condition and details of the others might make them a better choice.
I can't imagine being disappointed in any of them, of course.

Steve in Peoria

76SLT 

I'm going to try to make it again this year. It's always a good ride with a great group.

steelbikeguy

Hey Bernie, good to hear from you!
Hope you can make it, but understand if things don't work out.
Any new bikes to bring?? The Raleigh Competition is always a treat, of course!



but the English mystery bike is no slouch either.



Steve in Peoria

76SLT 

I'm not sure yet what I'll bring. Probably my Schwinn Tempo or my red Bianchi. I haven't ridden much this summer so I need to get out there and practice more.

steelbikeguy

The weather has been great lately, so today was a good day to ride up to Tanners and grab some apples and cider, and a quick apple fritter.

The apples were lined up nicely, and there were some varieties I hadn't seen before... Rave and Smitten.




The crowd was pretty thin, with no line at the bakery....



which means a short wait to get an apple fritter....



As noted, the weather has been great... but that also means that it hasn't rained much. The crops are drying, as usual, with the soybeans turning yellow....



but some corn is completely dried out (which is probably why the grain truck was in the earlier photo).


All in all, it was a fine day for a ride, and the apple fritter was great.

Steve in Peoria

Roger M

it's been a while since I ate a real good apple fritter. I wish I were closer(for the ride and the doughnuts). I do look forward to your post ride reports and pictures every year, Steve.

Sedgemop 

We should work out an apple fritter exchange, Apple Bin for Old Fashioned Donuts.



Summer in Chicago means road repair, by the way.

steelbikeguy

A fine sentiment, but it'll never work out.... and we all know why.
One of the key elements in enjoying a pastry or baked item is getting them while they are still warm!
Even better, getting to smell them as they are cooking, to build the anticipation!
Riding the bike 15 or 20 miles to the bakery helps too.

If the bakery happens to have some bike-themed books to browse while enjoying the baked goods, then so much the better!
Trefzgers bakery in Peoria Heights is located in a former bike factory, and has some bike books sitting out. On this day, I was perusing "Roads Weren't Built for Cars" by Carlton Reid.




It does make me wonder if a "Tour de Bakeries" ride couldn't be arranged, though.
"Tour de Donuts"??

Steve in Peoria

Sedgemop 

I hear you on the Tour de Donuts. I'm doin' it. Old Fashioned Donuts is about 20 miles from where I live and it's part of the annual "Fritter Ride." Hit Dat Donut and a couple of other spots and everybody's happy.

smontanaro 

I'm planning to ride. I don't suppose the start time could be pushed back to 9:30? Even for an early bird like me, getting there before 9:00 is going to make for a very early morning.

steelbikeguy

Sorry... didn't see this message until today (26th).
I feel your pain.. I've made the drive up to IAB's rides, and there's not a fast/short option.
On the plus side, there's not much traffic in central Illinois early on Saturdays. Just watch out for the deer!

If you come down I-39 to cross the river, be aware that the bridge at Lacon is closed for maintenance. You'll want to cross at Henry, a few miles north, instead.

There is an option for a shortcut on the route, if you want to start late and catch up.
The route does loop south for about 5 miles and then goes north again. You could certainly ride west out of Chillicothe on Cloverdale road and join up with us at Krause road.

Hope you can make it!

Steve in Peoria

steelbikeguy

Just a bit of semi-related info....

There is a local ride that has been titled "Meet in the Middle". This is an opportunity for the Peoria club, the Illinois Valley Wheelmen, to meet up with the Bloomington/Normal club, the McClean County Wheelers. We meet at Mackinaw at a city park, where we enjoy snacks provided by the city (as I understand it) and socialize. Naturally, this is a good opportunity to catch up with Julian and Brian and Bob and others. It's also a good chance to see what they are riding!

Julian was riding a tandem built by Tom Teesdale of Iowa. Having grown up in Iowa, this got my attention, so I took a few quick photos...







It was a good day, topped off by perfect weather!
The forecast for this Saturday is looking about the same, so I'm crossing my fingers that nothing changes in the meantime.

Steve in Peoria

smontanaro 

Thanks steelbikeguy. Google Maps has me crossing the river at Henry, well north of Lacon, so should be good there. The plan is to pick up djm323 in Chicago, then head down. I hope there will be coffee early in the ride.

steelbikeguy

It'll be good to see Dan again!
As for coffee... there are McDonalds along your route. There's one in south Chillicothe on Rt 29, about one or two blocks from the park where the ride starts, although that's kinda late.
I don't drink coffee, so can't comment on whether McDonald's stuff qualifies as "coffee" or not.

Steve in Peoria

JulesCW 

It will be good to have you guys on the ride.

JulesCW 

That tandem features a stoker stem repaired by gugie (mostly obscured by the hanging helmet and gloves in these photos) -- it's a fun ride -- one of our two C&V tandems -- the other is a 1980s Davidson. But I'll be solo on a single bike this weekend!

beech333

You may want to double check that the bridge is open in Henry. I thought it has been closed for some time, though I cannot say if it opened in the last few weeks.

steelbikeguy

I've been through Henry (and that bridge) a few times this summer since the bridge in Lacon was getting worked on. I haven't seen it closed, but there are times when farm equipment needs to cross the bridge and the police have to block traffic in the opposite direction.
Ah... the joys of living in small towns!

I did ride up to Lacon/Sparland earlier this year to look at the bridge work. I was hoping to get out on the bridge and get some scenic photos. It was a Sunday morning, but there were vehicles on the bridge among the equipment, so I wasn't sure that workers weren't on site. As such, I just got onto the end of the bridge and took some pics...



It was an interesting day, because I also saw this at a small creek near North Hampton...



Steve in Peoria (but often wandering around the nearby counties)

beech333

You are correct. I am getting my towns mixed up.

steelbikeguy

well, it's not like there are a lot of reasons to dwell on them if you don't pass through them routinely.

I had to look up the basic info on Henry.. and the population is listed as 2,320.
It is in Marshall country, which I was fairly sure was lightly populated, but was still surprised to learn that the county has only 11,742 residents.

Maybe it's a sign of the consolidation of farms, where each farmer owns many times more land than they would have 40 or 50 years ago. I'm often surprised and saddened to see farm houses torn down around here, presumably because the land has been sold. My dad farmed when I was a kid, and it's sad to see that it's no longer possible to be that sort of small farmer.

Steve in Peoria

steelbikeguy

Because road work can pop up unepectedly, I thought today was a good day to ride the route and make sure everything was still good to go.

The quick result: Everything is good, other than some road work in Chillicothe that I wasn't expecting and which caused a pinch flat.

For those unfamiliar with Shore Acres park in Chillicothe, where the ride starts, this is what it looks like:




The clubhouse is fairly old... I think it used to be a private club... but is not generally open to the public. I've been inside when it was reserved for a function.




The adjacent swimming pool has restrooms and a water fountain for public use, which seems to be popular prior to the ride.
I did check to ensure that the water fountain was operating and the restroom was unlocked...






The route leaves the park and travels south along the Illinois river. It was looking peaceful, if a bit cloudy, this morning....




Just west of Chillicothe, farmers were busy harvesting pumpkins. The process is different from the usual corn and beans. The pumpkins grow on vines and very unorganized. A machine goes through the field and organizes the pumpkins into rows while removing the vines. After that, a machine scoops up the pumpkins and tosses them into a truck that drives alongside.






The corn is completely dry, which is a bit ahead of schedule. The trees are still mostly green, except for a few maples here and there.




The route travels from the river valley to the corn fields via Blue Ridge road. On this winding road, you'll find the lovely Blue Ridge church.



(... continued on next post...)