Pour Cercle les Vignobles

Most Chicagoans think of Illinois as farm country flat. On weekends, thousands stream out of the Windy City for the lakes in the North Country. We bike riders haven’t yet mastered the miracle of riding across water, but we do know there are spectacular roads in the Upper Left Hand Corner of Illinois closer to Chicago than Wisconsin’s lakes.

The choicest of these routes meander around the Galena, and some of the most scenic pass by three vineyards which have grown to maturity in the Upper Left during the last decade.

Last autumn, I had it in mind to ride my bicycle along these peaseful roads and visit each of the wineries on a kind of tour I’ll call Pour Cercle les Vignobles, or Circle the Vineyards. The Saturday on Memorial Day Weekend seemed the perfect time to reconnoiter la route. The weather cooperated with moderately warm temperatures and light winds—a splendid day to explore les vignobles, meet nice people, and enjoy a wee taste at each destination.

Leaving the trusty Blazer at Galena’s park on Stagecoach Trail just east of town, I rode immediately to Kayte’s Coffee shop to fuel up on a cappuccino fortissimo. No artificial additives please; just two shots of rich espresso and foamy whole milk.

From Kayte’s we headed out the south end of town on Blackjack Road. Blackjack can be tediously busy and not at all pleasant for biking unless you have a shiny chromed Vee Twin between your legs. So, we detoured left on Irish Hollow Road which flows into Rocky Hill Road and rises up upon a ridge line above Blackjack. To get on top, prepare to climb a 15% to 18% grade which might put you off the bike if you aren’t suitably geared or trained.

Your reward is to roll easily along beneath the shade trees free of traffic with an occasional belle vue over the Mississippi Valley. Cross over Blackjack Road near the ski hill and ride towards Blanding Landing. As you drop off the ridge, squeeze your brakes for a hard left turn on to Batey Hollow Road. This is another lovely bucolic road which will take you back up to Blackjack. From there, ride Blackjack down to Hanover and follow Route 84 through town.

At the southern edge, as Route 84 fades to the right, ride straight ahead and prepare to climb up Hanover Road—about 11%. After you crest the hill, the large limestone gate marks the entrance to Rocky Waters winery. The Spahn family has been growing grapes here for nearly 12 years and just recently opened their handsome tasting room which overlooks the vines and majestic river valley to the southwest. The setting looks like it dropped out of Oregon, but from here you can definitely see Iowa.

Departing Rocky Waters, continue east on Hanover Road over to Derinda Road. At the top of the hill, turn right and ride into one of the most beautiful valleys in the Upper Left, and peddle out on a long steady grade to Massbach Ridge. The road surface is smooth—an excellent opportunity to settle into a nice tempo and pray not to be unnerved by the raucous Vee Twin Harley’s.

Roads like this are Hog Heaven on weekends. But no matter; they pass by quickly, and we’re back into our thoughts and the rhythmic rotation of peddles.

As Derinda tops off, turn left at the sign pointing to Stockton and Mount Carroll and left again towards Stockton. Massbach Ridge winery is just up the road. While not as spectacular as Rocky Waters, this winery has developed a great following over the years.

Today, Peggy Harmston’s tireless work on her terroir is paying off with a remarkable Reserve Red. And that is exactly all I tasted for the day. Peggy was entertaining guests, but took time for a photo with the Chianti Kid. Thereafter, it was time to face the challenge of the route to our final winery.

Continue towards Stockton about a mile or two, and hang a left on Skene Road to take you back over to Derinda Road. The descent off Massbach Ridge on Skene is a total scream. My friend Dennis Robinson has easily topped 50 MPH down this hill on his Baccetta recumbent.

Not surprisingly, the climb back up to Derinda is equally steep. On top, turn right for more steady climbing north to Terrapin Ridge and busy US Route 20. Cross over 20 and plummet into the Apple River Valley on Becker Road.

At the bottom, Becker flattens out and rides easily over the Apple River on a concrete deck which was once an old steel “pony trussed” bridge. We’re now on Goose Hollow Road which narrows and serpentines through yet another picturesque valley up to Shaw Road. Turn left, and climb Shaw over the only gravel stretch to the Elizabeth Scales Mound blacktop.

Like Derinda Road, Elizabeth Scales Mound is smooth tarmac, and has been surprisingly devoid of traffic the last three Saturdays I’ve ridden it. The tree line also scrubs off the stiff northwest winds we’ve been braving in the Upper Left this Spring. We’ll continue north on E-S Mound to Rawlins Road and turn west.

This was one of the few times I’ve had the pleasure of going down Rawlins Road. Instead of slugging up the18% face, we flew down and continued west over Gilford Road to Ford Road. Turning right on Ford Road, we trudged back north up to Stagecoach Trail for our final vineyard.

I had considered a couple extra climbs en route but passed, as I had never been on Ford Road or to Galena Cellars for that matter. The next few miles confirmed a wise decision.

I arrived at Galena Cellars off a sharp hill on the north shoulder of Stagecoach Trail. This oldest of wineries in the Upper Left Hand Corner of Illinois was more humble than I expected. And the view to the Northwest across the vineyards and the Galena River valley is lovely indeed.

Galena Cellars was a buzz with visitors packed inside the tasting room, touring the winery, or otherwise sitting in the shade outdoors enjoying the splendid view. I dearly wanted to flop down in one of the vinyl Adirondacks and join them, but legs stiffened their warning to respect the steep hill back up to Stagecoach Trail.

Unlike Derinda and Elizabeth-Scales Mound Roads, this stretch of Stagecoach is well populated by vehicles of all kinds. So, we cautiously glanced over our left shoulder on our decent into Galena.

Our departure on this journey round the vineyards began with coffee at Kayte’s. If you haven’t tasted enough along your Cercle les Vignobles, may we suggest Jamie Carroll’s Wine Studio? Jamie’s is on the north side of the street a block or so west of Kayte’s.

You can sit in her tasting room, or browse for a bottle to take home.

So now the seed has finally been sown, and we’re planning to organize our first Pour Cercle les Vignbles during the fall harvest. If anyone is interested, please send a comment or email me at cycleupperleft.il@gmail.com.

Jilly's Trek 5500 Now On Sale

One spin on this bike, and I ask myself, why is she selling it. Compared to my 2100, this 5500 is a rocket. It probably is a combination of lightness, stiffness, and drivetrain. Duh!

The 56cm frame is just a bit cramped but not at all uncomfortable. This bike has a dream ride compared to my 2100. The bumps just melt away.

The JillyTrek has a 52/39 DuraAce crankset, and the arms are a shorter 172.5mm compared to my Bontrager 50/36 compact with 175mm crankarms. So, when I step on it, the bike really shoots ahead.

Joe Dadez and I did some basic clean-up of the bike. I had a nice Bontrager saddle, and we installed new cables and cool carbon fiber lookin housings and retaped the handlebars black. I also added a nice Bontrager black bottle rack with black bolts.

The DuraAce gruppo feels more positive than the Ultegra on my 2100, and the Mavic Cosmic Elite wheels are light and tough. But the paintjob on this bike is really cool. It was done by Metal Specialties with a mirage dual tint metalic paint that changes color in the light from green to purple.

This is also the first time I've ridden a bike with real aero bars, and it is slick feeling like Lance or Levi in the TTTuck.

All in all, this is bike will bring a lot of smiles to someone for a Mille Cent.

Tour for Cancer Century - 2009

This past Saturday morning was busy around the Pretzel City. The Pretzel Fest was in full swing all over the city, and the Kids Triathlon at the YMCA were the headliners.

It was also the sixth year that avid cyclists straddled their bikes and headed into the west country on our Tour for Cancer.

Most rode the beautiful 115 mile course through the communities of Lena, Warren, Stockton, Mt. Carroll, and Pearl City. Some opted for a shorter 30 mile ride through McConnell, Buena Vista, and Scioto Mills.

This year, the Grand Century reached further southwest into the hills along Massbach Ridge and Elizabeth Roads into Mt. Carroll. It was a scenic tour de force, as the sun broke our cloud cover, and the southerly winds intensified, as the heat of the day rose into the 90s.

Thankfully, the wind pushed us back up Loran Road towards Pearl City. I slapped on more sun block and packed extra ice in my water bottles. On the way home, I poured as much water over my head as I drank.

As a side note, custom bicycle builder, Dave Wages of Ellis Cycles, joined us from Waterford, Wisconsin astride his beautifully repainted steel cyclocross bicycle. Dave won the best lugged bicycle award at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this year. It was fun riding with Dave and hearing him talk about his craftsmanship.

We would like to thank all our riders who came out and graciously contributed to the Ferguson Cancer Center. Our Tour doesn’t require an admission fee, and we don’t hand out Tee shirts. Our riders come for the love of peddling long challenging miles in our lovely Upper Left Hand Corner of Illinois. They come for the camaraderie, and each helped our local Ferguson Center combat Cancer.

Because of the absent mindedness of yours’ truly, nearly half of our contributions were temporarily lost. But a very thoughtful honest gentleman returned them to us through the Freeport Police Department.

Thanks once again to mio amico, Chuck Beichel, for helping mark the course, and a special thanks to Joe Dadez and Ann Mattson from the Freeport Bicycle Company for their technical assistance and support for this year’s event.

Hope to see you all again next year.

Peggy in the Rockies

Our diva of ladies cycling fashion was spotted recently as she flew across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our man on the scene caught up with Peggy, but only briefly as she dusted him up to Monarch Pass.

Lyle hung on, caught Diva at the top, and sent back a couple of great photos. Now the entire cycling world knows of her haute couture. Instead of strolling down a runway at the House of Chanel, Peggy gave new meaning to the French word haute by peddling up the big Rocky passes.

Formidable, Mme. Badgett.

Twenty Something

This Sunday is as good as it gets. “It’s tulip season again, and I’m oh so happy.”

Last week we had a bit of blackwater fever—much ado about something related to that murky paramilitary organization which operates a training facility for police SWAT teams deep in the undercover bowels of the Upper Left Hand Corner.

My instructions were not to spend too much time on the bicycle, as grandsons Luca and Massimo were in town. So, I decided to encircle the Blackwater Camp along a lovely hilly 25 mile loop which I will christen the “Twenty,” because the last and best climb is just past the 20 mile mark.

We start at the church just north of the Ville de Loran and head south through the Val de Loran then up a big hill towards Mount Carroll. At Meyers Road, we’ll turn north, and roll easily. The crabapple, tulip, and redbud trees pop out red, pink, and purple blossoms as we head over secluded hills and valleys past Skunk Hollow Road leading up to the training center. Why don’t they call it Skunk Hollow Camp and hang a set of whitetail horns over the entrance?

After a spectacular series of hills n dales, Meyers Road intersects with Route 78 which runs between Mount Carroll and Stockton. We turn right and head down a long hill into Heavenly Valley for about a mile where East Loran Road turns east up a nice gradual incline towards the “Twenty.”

Just past the 20 mile mark, the hill kicks up to around 20%-- well maybe 17%? I’ve learned not to place too much stock in my GPS when it comes to gauging the incline of these hills, but my legs felt like it was indeed “Twenty.” So that's where we'll leave it.

So after an hour and three quarters, we’re back in the Blazer and heading home to wrestle with Luca and Massi.

Tube Tales - Gettin Gassed

At our Spring Banquet of the ChainLinkCyclists, I was asked to enlighten our fellow club mates on the advantages of carrying a couple small CO2 cartridges and a filler attachment instead of the tried and true traveling pump.

I was using my Bontrager regulator attachment, in the demonstration, which I thought only fit Presta valves. These are the smaller diameter stems found on most bicycle tubes today.

I noticed that we were not entirely successful in fully pressurizing our demonstration tire, and meanwhile, my fingers and palm were starting to get frost bite as we repeatedly released the gas from the cold cartridges.

During the demo, the most asked question from the audience was, “Do they make a cartridge filler attachment for a Schrader valve?” Now the Schrader valve is the one we all know when we fill our automobile tires with air. It has a larger diameter than the Presta.

I said I suspected that such things were on the market and referred my charges to Ron and Joe at the Freeport Bicycle Company table across the room.

Not a week later, while riding with Peggy Badgett out of Stockton, I got my answer.

As we descended into Apple Canyon Park, I blew a big hole in my new tube inside my new tire. After getting the bike under control and off on the shoulder, I reached into my kit and pulled forth my regulator and a CO2 cartridge in eager anticipation of showing my prowess at filling the new tube.

After expending two CO2 cartridges, the pressure was still so low that it would have been impossible to get back. Peggy was considering going on ahead to retrieve me in my Blazer. But, as an afterthought, she produced her very trusty pump, saying she did not like cold hands either. In no time, we had the tire up to pressure and continued on out of the park and over the Binkley Bonk into Stockton.

For all my trouble, Peggy bought chocolat milk shakes, and we reviewed the necessities of bicycle carryons.

On the drive back to the Freeport Bicycle Company, I was considering giving up on the CO2 system and getting a pump just like Peggy's. Joe replaced my exploded tube. He said he'd be happy to sell me a new pump, but suggested I use a Presta to Schrader adapter the next time I used my filler attachment. Opps! The missing component in my kit?

The following Tuesday afternoon, Jilly and I had a good laugh over this as we pushed through the grisley westerly wind at Bump n Jamb. She urged me share it on the blog.

So, si tutti, the regulator attachment does fit a Schrader valve. In fact, I have one along with my Presta adapter.

MiddleMarch

The earth is still in browns, yet another mild March weekend holds the promise of greener times ahead. The hills beckon, and we are back out to Stockton with bike in Blazer.

This time, we’re on the cyclocross Las Cruces heading northwest out of town along gravel roads bypassing a big climb up Binkley and a relatively busy Canyon Park Road.
In layman’s directions, head north on Park Road, jog west on Binkley, and continue up Park Road and another jog west then northwest up to Townsend Road.

Once over the hill, we cross Canyon Park Road and continue west on Townsend Road which, wavy of surface, can be busy with vehicles to and from Apple Canyon Lake.

Finally, we drop into the valley across the Apple River. We ride to the stop sign at Scout Camp Road and climb north up Scout Camp to the first left which is Schapville Road. We sigh relief and shed impatient traffic on our way west to the hamlet Schapville.

March legs stiffen in the hills over two climbs before we arrive at a favorite Upper Left Hand village. Just past the church at the intersection of Stadel and Shapville Roads, we turn right on Mill Creek Road.

Now, we truly are free of the beaten path as we ride northwest over chip and gravel in the midst a lovely long valley along Mill Creek. The rock outcroppings and trees offer cool shade in Summer, but this is March, and the sunlight sparkles through the naked canopy as we ride easily in bucolic splendor. Last Fall, Peggy Badget, Dennis Robinson, and I celebrated Dennis’s birthday along this road on our way to New Diggings.

Too soon, we pop out at Elizabeth Scales Mound Road and turn left. Immediately, our legs awake to an arduous grade as we head south towards Elizabeth. Just past Shapville Road, we take the next left on Menzemmer Road and cruise southeast on a long descent.

At the intersection of Stadel Road, which leads back up to Schapville, we continue straight into the gravel on Menzemmer. Back on the chipped surface, it’s up the hill to Hoffman Road. We turn left on Hoffman and left again as it meets Goosehollow Road. Caution is advised on the descent into the corner before Hoffman intersects with Grebner Road.

Keeping the creek on our left, we ride south on the Grebner Gravel. We don’t turn left over the bridge at Salem Road but stay on Grebner until it curves left across the creek and climbs over the hill and the new bridge over the Apple River. At the stop sign, we turn left on Apple River Road and ride east to fork at Woodbine Road and thence up to Woodbine. Once there, it is the third right at Brown Road which crosses Highway 20 and heads south along the east side of the golf course.

At Center Road, we could turn left and ride straight back over to Stockton. But we’ll continue climbing up Brown Road until we reach Baugh Road. Then we’ll loop around Baugh to Eden Road back down to Center. The Las Cruces helps us explore beautiful hilly gravel roads like Baugh and Eden. The Maxxis cross tire on the back wheel grips the gravel over the rollers back east to Stockton.