Rodmanson’s Meyers Road 60

Meyers Road is a five and a half mile chip sealed surface stretching between Route 78 and Loran Road. It is a lovely sequence of hills and valleys introduced to us by Ron Mattson of the Freeport Bicycle Company last year.

You can start up Meyers Road from the south off Loran Road as we did last autumn under Ron’s recommendation. The fun begins after you roll three miles along a plateau in the company of a westerly belvedere. Thereafter, you commence a series of four plunges followed by five sharp 10% grade climbs before arriving at Route 78.

Our first encounter with Meyers Road was unforgettable for its beauty and pain. It was punctuated by emerging fall color and a nasty northwest wind uncharacteristic for September. This year, we longed for another dance.

That occurred on June the third, and this time we approached Meyers Road from the north and Route 78. For extra fun, we were obliged to ride over to Route 78 via East Loran Road. This knee buckling prelude was orchestrated by none other than Dennis Rodmanson our beloved Commodore.

Yes, we know Dennis’ real name is Robinson. But we prefer this moniker, which combines the idiosyncrasies of former NBA bad boy, Dennis Rodman with the dark persona of Charles Manson.

Admittedly, our Commodore was fresh from his huge ride on Memorial Day weekend (See Mean Ole Skene.). He really does arrange the most interesting, and appalling, bicycle rides in our Upper Left Hand Corner.

So, to get to Meyers Road the Rodmanson way, depart Highland Community College, and head west on Pearl City Road to Block Road which is just around the big “S” turn about five miles. Follow Block Road down past the Emerald Acres campground to Mill Grove Road. Turn left, and ride Mill Grove down through Owl’s Glen to Loran Road.

Turn right on Loran Road and ride out west about seven miles across Route 73 over the big hill into the Valle de Loran. A very short mile south of Loran, turn right on Althoff Road. Althoff becomes East Loran Road and six miles over the knee bucklers into Pleasant Valley and Route 78.

Along the way, we received an extra adrenaline pop as we approached our final climb around a big sweeping turn at 20 miles per hour. Dennis and I were in front with Yoric Knapp hot on our tail in his titanium Bachetta. Yoric screamed “Deer,” and Dennis and I braked just in time to avoid a big White Tail flying full tilt across our path.

This magnificent creature hurtled over the barbed wire fences on each side of the road ahead. He hung his hind quarters on the second fence, but his momentum scraped him off the barbs, and he was gone. Twang!! OUCH!!

We didn’t much mind the final climb over to Pleasant Valley after witnessing that.

East Loran Road ends at Route 78. Turn left and ride two miles south towards Mount Carroll. At the top of the long grade on 78, turn left on Meyers Road. Enjoy the next five and a half miles over the big rollers.

When you arrive at Loran Road, turn left and ride back to Freeport through the beautiful Valle de Loran. We thank our Commodore Rodmanson for this 60 miles of June nirvana.