Two Wheel Blogs

[Riding Tunes: Joe Stummer's BBC Radio Series, LONDON CALLING, episodes 6-13]

Time: 4:15
Miles: 66

When I set out this afternoon, I didn't have a route in mind. All I knew was I wanted to ride for about 4 hours, but I didn't know where. When in doubt, I default to The Fruit Loop -- y'know, Quercus Grove Trail to Fruit Road ... I like it because it offers options. Go one way, and I get a nice 2-hour ride through Marine and back home. Go another, and I can add an hour by running out to clip the edge of Silver Lake in Highland. Go another, and ... you get the idea. I like having options so I can change my route in mid-ride depending on the wind, the weather, or how I'm feeling.

Today, since I had 4 hours to fill, I turned north on Marine Road and headed up to Niggli Road. Niggli is a smaller road runs parallel to Fruit, but it also runs farther east. How much farther I did not know, as I'd never ridden it end to end. Today, I resolved to see where Niggli ended. So I headed east. And I kept heading east. Niggli, as it turns out, runs all the way to Baumann Road, which marks the eastern edge of Madison County. After that, Niggli changes from chipped seal to gravel, so at that point, I turned onto Baumann and headed south. I didn't know where I was going. I only knew I was heading south.

As it turns out, I was heading to Pierron, a small town comprised of a grain elevator, a bar, two churches, and enough homes to keep the former in business on Saturday night and the latter two in business on Sunday morning. I stopped at the bar to offload and onboard fluids. I felt sorry for the guy tending bar, as he was spending his Sunday afternoon in an empty bar watching NASCAR or whatever other sporting event was on TV, while I was seeing the sights of Madison County by bike.

He came outside to talk to me as a drank my soda. He asked what I did for a living and, when I told him, he said "I had you pegged for a white-collar guy." He explained that he was a bricklayer who did physical labor (carrying hods of bricks) during the week; he bartended on weekends to pick up a little extra cash. So when he has time off, he explained, he spends it fishing or doing non-physical things. "The only people who ride bikes or run on their time off are those who work in offices all day." I couldn't argue with him there. He explained that Pierron is a small, quiet town, where farmers spreading manure on their fields is a cause for excitement. As I rode out of town and my nostrils filled with the smell of fresh manure, I realized I was leaving Pierron just when things were starting to get exciting.

I rode south until I hit St. Rose Road, which I followed into Highland, the site of the Memorial Day biathalon I intended to bike to, but never made it. I've never biked through Highland before, so I wasn't sure where to pick up the county roads that would take me back to Edwardsville. But I figured if I just headed south, then turned west on the first county road I crossed, I'd be able to find my way back. Which is just what I did. I caught Ellis Road, which took me to St. Jacob, and from there it a straight shot up Marine Road back to Fruit and home.

I had not ridden particularly hard all day. Oh sure, a few stretches I was up around 18 mph, but never for very long. Most of the time, I limped around maintaing about a 15 mph pace. But as I turned onto Fruit, I saw another rider some distance ahead of me. How far, I can't say. The "Seabiscuit Effect" kicked in, providing me the motivation I needed to pick up my pace and try to catch him. (Granted, I shouldn't need this kick in the pants to get me off my lazy a## and push the pedals, but it was a lazy Sunday ride.) So I picked it up and I was within range of his rear tire by the time we reached town, where he went straight while I turned for home.

Having hit the edge of Madison County by accident (it was never my intent) got me to thinking. How long would it take to ride the county's borders? Could I "ride the county" in one day, or would I have to break it up into a series of rides? I don't know yet. I'm about to GoogleMap possible routes. I think I have my summer project.