More on biking in Chicago (and other places)
Tomorrow was another day indeed. I had my bike fixed and on Sunday morning I took it for a cold and windy ride along the lake front. It was the first, and probably last, ride of this season. I reckon it will be a lot colder in the next couple of weeks, and with tires that thin I don’t want to skid of an icy path into the lake. Then again, if it’s doable, I’m riding.
With my untrained legs, I couldn’t go much faster than 20 to 25 km/h northbound against the wind. Southbound was a bit different; I averaged 30 to 35 km/h and even reached close to 50 km/h for a while. Did I mention it was windy? (and yes, my bicycle computer calculates in the metric system; old habits die hard).
As I mentioned in my previous post, biking is my meditation. Especially come spring and summer, you will find me on my bike after work and in the weekends; hopefully discovering some of the quieter roads. The area in the Netherlands where I grew up had many quiet back roads that were ideal for biking. After school or work, I would go for 30 or 40 miles, sweating out any stress, frustrations or anxieties I might have.
In one of my most memorable rides, when I was about 15, I conquered the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, which leads to the base of Austria’s highest mountain. An ascent of more than 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) over about 30 kilometers (19 miles), along one of the most beautiful hairpin roads in the world. I remember that during a vacation in the 80s even my family’s car didn’t make it to the top. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that says something about me or about the car.
A little while later I signed up for Tilff-Bastogne-Tilff, which is the biking enthusiasts’ version of Luik-Bastenaken-Luik, one of the professional cyclists’ World Cup races and one of the most beautiful and most difficult rides. The 225 kilometers (140 miles) take the rider on a hilly journey through the Ardennes, known for its steep climbs. The total altitude difference throughout the course is more than 3,500 meters (12,000 feet); there are very few flat parts in this ride.
There’s the Côte de Wanne and Col du Rosier, but the most infamous climb, after 200 kilometers, is the Côte de la Redoute. The last part of this climb has an incline of 20 percent. Cramps hit your legs, and even arms, but there is no chance of thinking to quit; not on this one. After that, the next 25 kilometers are virtually a breeze, as you have that triumphant smile on your face. A year later, I did it again. This time in the cold, rain and even hail.
In Chicago, I might not find the quiet Dutch back roads or the steep Ardennes hills, but I am sure I will be able to find some interesting rides. There are several organizations that I might want to learn more about, including the Chicago Cycling Club and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
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