[email protected] (Keith C.) wrote in message
news:<
[email protected]>...
> Hi All,
>
> Does anyone know of a good road biking club near Lincolnshire, IL? I'm just using that as starting
> point. Anything within a reasonable driving distance would be considered. I'm interested in
> meeting some fellow bikers since I'm relatively new to the area. I've looked on the web and found
> groups with older members. I just want to meet some people around my age (23).
>
> Thanks in advance, Keith
Check into the Evanston Bicycle Club at www.evanstonbikeclub.org
The 2003 ride schedule is about to go up on teh webpages with two or three rides most weekends. From
th ewebsite:
Who are we?
The Evanston Bicycle Club has been a strong presence in Evanston and the North Shore for more than
25 years. Our members are a very diverse group, whose cycling interests range from short
recreational rides to ultra-marathon events, from rides to the coffeehouse to state-wide, week-long
rides, and from loaded touring to criterium racing. No matter where your cycling interests lie, you
can be sure to find one or more EBC members who shares your interests... and you may find yourself
trying new things, thanks to other enthusiastic members.
What do we do?
The club's annual fund-raising event, the North Shore Century, is held on the third Sunday in
September, and has become the most popular invitational ride in the Chicagoland area, attracting
over 1,500 participants. Proceeds from the North Shore Century are used to fund many club activities
as well as those of other cycling organizations. A percentage of the profits are annually
distributed to local, regional, and national bicycle-related organizations. More than
Our "ride season" runs from March through October, and on each weekend we schedule rides to new and
interesting places as well as old familiar haunts. All rides are led by experienced cyclists who
provide cue sheets, helpful hints, and usually guide the group to a locale for brunch or a picnic.
(Okay, "nearly always". Club pundits point out that EBC also stands for Eating Bicycle Club, a name
which our rides - and riders - live up to.)
For the beginning rider we offer a series of novice rides with emphasis on safe group riding skills
and usually at a slower pace. Stronger riders may choose longer and faster rides, with many rides
being century-length (100 miles) and over. We also offer a "Slo-o-ow Century", a sag-supported
100-mile ride designed to allow riders who might not be able to maintain high speeds to complete a
century. We offer multiple rides so that you have a choice of destinations, distances, and pace. In
addition, there are "show 'n' go" rides on Saturdays, Sundays, and some weekdays; our weekend "show
'n' go" schedule runs year-round (as do many of our riders). Our monthly newsletter describes
upcoming rides, and the EBC Hotline provides late-breaking changes in the schedule of events.
Where do we go?
Obviously, being based in the northern suburbs, we have lots and lots of rides in northern Cook and
Lake Counties. However, we also have a good number of "remote start" rides in other parts of
Chicagoland (and beyond). Some of these rides include excursions on the Illinois Prairie Path and
Fox River Trails, trips to nearby festivals, shorter rides in outlying areas, as well as longer
trips to more remote destinations.
EBC also organizes a number of weekend trips; two of our favorite locations are the Elroy-Sparta
State Trail in western Wisconsin, and Camp Wonderland, a convention and retreat center in Camp Lake,
Wisconsin, within easy driving (and riding!) distance of Evanston. Our Elroy-Sparta trip is almost
always scheduled for Labor Day weekend, and features two days of trail and road riding in the Sparta
and Trempeleau areas. Camp Wonderland weekends are scheduled in June and October, and include easy
rides in the southeastern portion of Wisconsin, between Wilmot and Burlington. Dozens of EBCers
participate in the Camp Wonderland weekends, many of them using the preceding Friday to ride the
55-60 miles from Evanston to Camp Lake, and riding back on Sunday.
EBC members also participate in other area rides and events, such as RAGBRAI, GRABAAWR, the Hilly
and Horsey Hundreds, and the National 24-Hour Challenge; EBCers are also active in randonneuring,
with many members participating in brevets, and some members quailifying for, and participating in,
the Paris-Brest-Paris randonnee.
Do we have lives outside of cycling?
In addition to scheduled rides, EBC offers a number of other related social events such as cycling
and ski weekends at Camp Wonderland in Wisconsin, a night at the races at the Northbrook Velodrome,
a summer club picnic, and a progressive-dinner ride. Each year the club subsidizes an annual
recognition and appreciation dinner, an acknowledgement and celebration of the volunteer efforts of
the many members who are responsible for the success of the Evanston Bicycle Club.
We invite you to join us in the joy of cycling... and remind you that when you ride with EBC, you
travel in the best of circles!
