Chainlink Tourers

Comment

Comment by Duppie on July 6, 2011 at 10:07am

@ M.A.R.K.

Those Route 66 maps are in fact very good. We did the part from Springfield to Joliet. The roads they chose are generally low traffic, flat, smooth, and straight. We took 2 days to ride from Normal to Joliet, but we weren't in a hurry.

I would stay away from the old route 66 itself. It's largely a 2-lane 55 mph road.

Biggest complaint is that the views in that part of Illinois are kind of boring.

 

Comment by Dan Ciskey on July 6, 2011 at 10:00am

This is a somewhat old but useful set of cue sheets from the League of Illinois bicyclists:

http://www.bikelib.org/maps-and-rides/route-guides/route-66-trail/

Also see a thread I posted earlier this year for a route out of the city:

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/critique-my-route-from-chi...

I've done the route as far as Joliet; it's pretty decent. Parts of the Gaylord Donnelly trail are gravel, or extra thick limestone, or super rutty, but it's rideable on 32mm road tires.

If you're trying to do Chicago-Normal in two days, it seems like Braidwood is the best stopover point. I don't know if there's camping there but there are a couple of motels, it seems. I'm hoping to do this ride myself sometimes; my folks live in Normal and I think it'd be a fun ride.

Comment by Bob Kastigar on March 24, 2011 at 12:22pm

Another very useful map (mapmash) for Amtrak:

http://www.mapmash.in/amtrak.html

Plain Text URL:

http://www.mapmash.in/amtrak.html

 

I've included the link twice, because if you just click on the link on an open web page it doesn't seem to work correctly, at least for me.

 

Rather, open a new tab or page, blank with no URL and then copy-and-paste the text above and it turns into a full page which is very useful.

 

 

Comment by Kelvin Mulcky on March 24, 2011 at 11:50am

That Amtrak map is awesome! thanks!

Comment by BalloonBiker on March 24, 2011 at 11:44am

In the realm of Amtrak:

The Path Less Pedaled is collecting information about bike touring and Amtrak in a survey here: http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=4841a631-434d-44d7-aa01-1...

 

Also, this is one of the most useful Amtrak maps that I've ever seen:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/senexprime/4785807080/

Comment by Bob Kastigar on November 13, 2010 at 1:04pm

Just starting Nov. 8 2010 - the Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee. Six trains daily, 7th Mon-Sat.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Route_C&pagena...

But NO CARRY ON BIKES, like the Illinois Service Routes, http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Route_C&pagena...

All of these train routes are subsidized by the state of Illinois - why can't they all accommodate carry-on bikes?

Comment by payton on October 17, 2010 at 11:43am

Or Van Galder bus all the way, every hour from O'Hare to Milwaukee. Metra to Kenosha, then a ride to Milwaukee isn't bad.

Comment by envane x on October 4, 2010 at 5:48pm

You can carry-on a bike on the Metra to Kenosha, then on the Van Galder bus to Milwaukee.

Comment by Cameron Puetz on October 4, 2010 at 5:09pm

As of now bicycles on the train to Milwaukee must be boxed and checked.

Comment by Bob Kastigar on October 4, 2010 at 4:59pm

Are there trains going to or from Milwaukee that accept carry-on bicycles now?

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