Cycling in Illinois from Carbondale to Chicago and Old Rt. 66
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- Опубликовано: 9 ноя 2022
- I started in late spring of 2022 from my home in southern Illinois and rode north through Carbondale and DuQuion. I rode through Vandalia, the old state capitol. Then I rode through Springfield, the current state capitol where I stopped by Abe Lincoln's house as well as my mother-in-law's house to pay a visit. I picked up old route 66 and rode north through Bloomington/Normal on my way to Joliet past the old Joliet prison where the notorious "Joliet" Jake Blues was once held. I then rode north through the south and west suburbs to my home town of Rolling Meadows and stopped by to see my good friend Ricky. This ride should end on the shore of Lake Michigan in downtowm Chicago. Thanks for coming long. Ride on!!
Well ……. You did it. I went for my first bike trip this past August because of your videos. I took my 16 yo son and we did the rock island and Katy trail for 270 miles in total. I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to complete it, however we made it without issue. Thanks for the nudge. Now I want more. More of your trips and more of my own. I grew up in Sandoval and saw you rode right past home. Whole lot of nothing out there in the middle. Thanks for the videos. I also started my own RUclips channel to video some trips. I won’t cross post here, but my son can post some videos so that my mom can virtually come on the trips with us. I’m ready for your next video. See you on down the trail.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Glad I could help. Hope to see you down the road. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
The 360 camera and the drone shots are giving the videos this year some nice shots. Glad to see you advancing in your cinematography. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
As a Brit, those Route 66 gas stations are like a dream of America that never quite went away.
They're like old museums. they dot the roadside. Thanks for watching. Stay safe and ride on!!
Love the scenery and the way you narrate, good ride
Thanks! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
I really like your hand drawn maps. Thanks for letting us know about the road conditions. I always appreciate knowing about the traffic and whether or not there are shoulders on the route.
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!!😎
Kicking out the videos! Thanks, Paul.
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching!
Great video Paul! Looking forward to seeing more.
Thanks for watching! More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
You are the best, Paul! I smile from ear to ear with each new video. Please keep them coming…
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Great video! And i like how you mention your wife and mother in law in a very respectful manner❤. Youre all right!
I appreciate that. Thanks for watching. Stay safe and ride on!
Welcome back.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it.
Great video!! I love the old route 66!! I rode it backwards Santa Monica to Chicago!!
Very cool! Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the road. Ride on!
@@paulsuchecki3985 looks like I'm going to tour the Mojave desert next month! As for spring I'm shooting for the East Coast Greenway!! I would love to run into you down the road!! Keep on keeping on!!!
Nice 👍 and flat roads and tailwinds. A fantastic looking trip.
Thanks! 👍 I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!!
I love how you worked in bits about tallgrass prairie into this. Some of my favorite places in the Midwest are TGP.
I love the prairie. I've rode across the Flint Hills of Kansas and the Sand Hills of Nebraska. Some people find places like that boring. I think prairies are amazing places. Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!!
Your tours are the best! Watching your videos makes me want to go ride!
Thanks! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Nice to see you cycling the prairie state. I wasn't aware of some of these designated bike trails.
It's a great place to ride. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!!
Thanks for your brilliant videos Paul. I would love to cycle those tracks one day. Greetings from the Netherlands
Sorry about the slow response. Been out biking. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Greetings from the USA. I herad the Netherlands is a bikers paradise. I hope to ride there some day soon. Thanks again. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!
Went down the rabbit hole with your videos this last week. Love the hand drawn maps. I saw that you live just south of Anna. My wife and I lived in A/J back in the early 2000's and worked for the USFS. Also spent many days leading outdoor ed groups out of St. Louis in the Shawnee/Giant City/Touch of Nature. Love the videos.
Sorry for the slow response. Been out bike touring. Thanks for watching I really appreciate it. Been in Anna since 2003. My wife once worked for the forest service also. She was out of Harrisburg. Love Giant City as well. Thanks again. Stay safe and ride on!
Nice! You were going on 66 the same time as me just in the opposite direction. I’m jealous of those tailwinds you had. They were killing me! I enjoyed your video of this and the one on the Katy Trail, too.
Thanks for watching. Hope to see you on the road next time. Stay safe and ride on!!
Thanks for the videos Paul! Appreciate all the work you put into them. Your travels are very inspirational and give me a lot of things to think about. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the road. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Great video Paul, love the drone shots. Glad you're back posting.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!
Paul, I just stumbled onto you channel and really enjoyed following your trek thru Illinois. I grew up in Springfield so it was fun to see the shots taken around town. Been living here in the Boston area since 1980 and hoping to make another trip back home this spring or summer. Nice job with the video. I look forward to seeing more...
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. My wife is from Springfield. It's a great little big city in the middle of the prairie. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!!
Nice to see you on the road again. That trek 520 needs a set of SKS fenders to keep the rain at bay. Just install the widest fender you can to fit the frame. Wishing you tailwinds.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
Another enjoyable video, Paul. Thanks! G
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. Stay safe and ride on!
You are out there doing it, and thanks for taking us along. You don't mention if you are camping at all. Just curious as I have done some bike packing also. Stay safe, and ride on.
Sorry about the late response. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. On this trip I stayed in motels along the way. I carry a tent and sleeping bag just in case. In my younger days when bike touring I did mostly camping, I'm getting soft in my old age. I've done some wilderness back packing before, but never any wilderness bike packig. One of my goals is to ride my bike to Alaska. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!!
Whether or not I bike across America is TBD. There are some nice places in your video that I would love to see for myself. I'm a massive fan of roadside attractions from a forgotten era like the Gemini Giant and Standard Oil Products Gas Station (eventually Exxon/Mobil). On the many family car road trips I plan, I always include these things.
The Polkadot"Reminds me of what McDonald's used to be before it turned into Disneyland" had me really laughing out loud. Edit: You put the 360 cam to good use. Also, here's to awesome mothers-in-law! Props on the information like borrow pits and good catch 9:35!
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. The road side attractions do make the ride more interesting. Hope to see you down the road. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Thanks for the adventure
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on! 😎
Hello Paul. Enjoy your videos. I'm down here in Tennessee. I'm 72 yrs old and I still get around ok on my bike. The furthest I go 2 to 3 times a year is 22 miles. That's the closest campground. I also bike 5 to 10 miles to a couple of different motels for the heck of it for a night or 2. I'm happy I can still do that. Best wishes brother.✌
Sounds great! Thanks for watching. Stay safe and ride on!!
I needed to see a video like that. Thanks 🙏
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!
Watched this video from start to finish, Paul. It's a great one. It inspires me to do more with my videos. Hope to one day get to ride with you since we're practically neighbors. Looking forward to the next video on your trip!
Thanks Shawn! I really appreciate it. We'll catch up soon. Stay safe and ride on!!
Paul,thanks for sharing your cycling adventures all ways well put together🚴
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
"I'll catch you down the road" -StoneColdSteveAustin
Thanks for watching! Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
I follow your Channel from Milan Italy
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Greetings from the USA!
Excellent 👍🏻
Thanks. Stay safe and ride on!!😎
You're an inspiration
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!!
Hopefully they get the bridge fixed at Taylorville one of these days.
Great point! Thanks for watching!
I really enjoy your dry sense of humor. Your videos are informative and fun to watch! Thanks for sharing your bike packing adventures.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!
thanks Paul, great stuff
Thanks again for watching! I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
I have been waiting for one of these for a while.
Thanks for sharing, Paul.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Paul, you're a treasure. I just love your videos.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Great ride !
Thanks! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
What a beauty! Thanks for sharing. Love to see more in the Land of Lincoln!
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Very cool and relaxed trip! Ride safe!
Thanks, you too! More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Good catch!!
Thanks! The wind can be good or bad, that's for sure. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
wish I knew you were coming through back in the spring..... love that you're sharing the trip up Illinois.
Next time! Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. See you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
ahhh. Braidwood is my old home town , grew up there, and had many burgers and fries at the polk a dot. thanks for the trip
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Great burgers at the Polka Dot. Stay safe and ride on!!
Great video Paul! Thanks for taking us along your trip to Chicago through the beautiful countryside of Illinois. I hope to return to Chicago one day. My sis and I roller-bladed the Lakeshore Path, it was amazing. Thanks for showing Route 66! Great history! Cheers!
Alex, Thanks again. I really appreciate it. The lake front is beautiful, but I was glad to get out of the city. Rt. 66 is very cool. Hope to see you down the road. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Yeaaaj Paul is back
Thanks! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Interesting video for a man from Germany. Great. Hope to see more of countrysides views.
Thanks again for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Another great video of an area I am familiar with. Brought back some memories of rides I did in the some of the same areas over the years. I sure do remember dealing with the spring winds on some of those rides! Great narration and video techniques. Look forward to the next installment!
Thanks again, Bud. Central Illinois is a great place to kick it into another gear and ride on. Especially if there's a tailwind, because there's not much to block the wind out there. I really appreciate it. More to come.
Engaging video Paul - I always like your many camera angles to show what the terrain is like. I also enjoy your commentary on the sights to see along the way. Really makes me want to do this route as well.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
Enjoyed the video as always! I had a ‘winter Texan’ friend from Joliet who passed away a few years ago from cancer. He logged over 400,000 documented miles on his bike so really enjoyed seeing some of the areas he rode in your video.
Thanks for watching! Sorry to hear about your Buddy. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!
Love this! So familiar with that route from Anna to Bloomington…grew up west of Springfield (Cass County), went to college at SIUC, and moved to Rockford after that. Miss Southern Illinois!
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Go Salukis!! Stay safe and ride on!!
Wow Paul! Such amazing video! You have really upped your game! Love the stills e.g. Springfield! I journeying with you! I also love how you approach touring! Laying low through bad weather is a good call. I had to do that on the Hastings heritage trail near Bancroft in Ontario Canada when hurricanes threatened. Stayed with friends at their cottage in Apsley. You have to be flexible if you want to stay safe!. Great that your mother in law is awesome! Mine was too. Fun to have a get together enroute. Eagerly awaiting next video!
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!
Paul that was a good look at Illinois .You covered a lot of distance !
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!
Inspired by tour videos, I did my first tour in August (GAP & C&O). Keep them coming!
Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Awesome as always Paul. Looks like an amazing journey. Very Americana. I like the upright handlebar mod that you did to your Trek 520. I bought a Trek Verve 2 last year to use as my touring bike. I wanted a bike with an upright position. They don't make many touring bikes in that configuration. It's worked out well so far. Safe travels and Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Comfort is the key. A little less efficient, but much more comfortable. Stay safe and ride on!!
Cool
Thanks!
That cadence is hardcore. You look like the Merckx of touring.
Thanks! My old legs are still getting me down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
Great video. If you are riding north of Chicago into Wisconsin I hope I could meet up with you. I live in Racine along Lake Michigan
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Maybe next time. I've already completed my riding for the season and am back home now, editing video. I went through Kenosha on my way to Greendale. More to come. Thanks again. Stay safe and ride on!!
best video
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it.
It's a shame there isn't connected rail trails that run all over the country to keep bikes safely out of traffic.
This country needs more rail trails!! Thanks for watching. Stay safe and ride on!
That was good. Thanks. I've ridden some of those same roads in Illinois, but I've never ridden into any of the really urban areas of Chicago. I've always gone around. It's probably not necessary, because the Illinois bicycle maps show some trails in the Chicago area, but my destinations are usually rural, anyway. I'll be interested to see how you get through the city.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. I am reasonably familiar with some of the roads around Chicago, so it wasn't too bad. Normally I try to avoid big cities. Get a good map and choose your roads wisely. There are also some good trails, but they don't always go where I'm going. Hope to see you down the road. More to come. Stay safe and ride on!!
Thanks Paul
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it.
Is that the Springfield - where a certain yellow family are from and an excellent rifle? You did well to get so many tail winds. That was a ways back, May?! The 66 is world renown. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day when we take a national day to thank those who gave their today for our tomorrow, we remember our day from all wars. So, I will get picked up by the guys, I spent time pressing my uniform and kilt (Black Watch regiment where my service began before being transferred to the Pathfinders of the Parachute Regiment). I'm on my bike this weekend and a camp i hope a few miles from me on the coast - wild camping in the dunes. Take care pal.
It could be, but there no telling. Lol! Happy Remembrance day. It's Veteran's Day over here. Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!!
Midewin is cool. Tons of old buildings and interesting history. Shame you can visit 85% of it. But I get it, there are parts that are toxic, and all buildings have plenty of asbestos.
As a plant ecologist it is a very interesting area. Mostly native prairie, not much of that left. But sadly the area was abused by the govt. over the years. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!
Me: Hmm, how did it feel riding a steel bike in Carbon-Dale?
Paul Suchecki: Almost got me The Awkward Ward! 🤣
Keep riding, Paul
I see what you did there! Nice twist, riding a steel bike in Carbondale. LOL! Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!!
❤
😎👍
Thanks for sharing your trip! It's nice to see some decent bike touring and you do a great job of giving us the story of where you're headed, how you're doing and how far you plan to go. Weather looked pretty reasonable too, though I'm hanging out for some Autumn weather for my next bicycle tour. Curious if you pick particular seasons to tour or if it's just when you can make the time?
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. I do most of my bike touring in the summer because I am a school teacher and have summers off. This was an early trip. I'm alraedy home, working on videos. In a year when I retire I will be able to tour in the spring and fall. More to come. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!
July 22.. Paul you riding in Indiana? Passed a fellow looked alot like you. But he had small green paniers.. if that was you..sorry I didn't say hi. My wife's a high school teacher too . Would have been nice
Sorry for the slow response. I've been out riding some rail trails. It feels good to be riding again. We were in WV in June and SD in July. New videos coming soon. I haven't been in Indiana all summer. Could be my doppleganger. LOL! Thanks again for watching. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!
That’s my bio teacher!
Don't forget to study for the quiz tomorrow on Mitosis.
I've thought up a similar trip but from Chicago down & take the train back, or vice versa. If you post your route 66 route I wouldn't mind takin' a look. I have been working on a Route 66 trip from the start in Chicago. Gets tricky around Central IL a bit trying to figure where it winds around the highway.
Thanks for watching! There are great cycling maps available from the state of Illinois or Adventure Cycling Association. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!!
Hi Paul is that seat the Liberator Y or the Y Elite? I really enjoy your videos. thanks
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate it. I use the Liberator Y. It's the most comfortable saddle I've ever used. Stay safe and ride on!
Hey Paul great video. I am going to be following your exact route on a trip from New Orleans to my home in Chicago. Were there any trails that you did not mention in the video?
Sorry about the slow response. Been out biking. Thanks for watching. Check out the Tunnel Hill trail in southern Illinois. Only 45 miles, but it might be in your path. Illinois also has some nice quiet back roads. Thanks again. Hope to see you down the road. Stay safe and ride on!
I enjoy your journeys very much. Your narratives are excellent. What tool do you use to determine which trails or bike paths you are going to take?
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. This might sound overly simple, but I look at alot of maps. Wilderness Press put out a series of books on Rail-Trails that I found very helpful. Adventure Cycling Association has some excellent routes all over the USA. Hope to see you down the trail. Stay safe and ride on!
💪💪💪👏👏👏👏❤️🚲
😎😃😊😁😆😜😉
How you ridden or thought of the Empire trail in New York? Great video
Thanks for watching! No I have not ridden the Empire Trail. I've done the Erie Canal Trail in NY. It's a great trail. Thanks again. Stay safe and ride on!
Heck yeah ole buddy!! Do you remember me ? I’m Gary Harris.
Very cool! Heck yeah, Gary. Good to hear from you. Just subscribed to your channel. Rock on ol' friend.😎
@@paulsuchecki3985 thank you. I’m glad I found you. You have a awesome channel. I’ve really enjoyed watching your videos. I joined your channel as soon as I found it
You might have already said in one of your previous videos but why the handle bar set up? It seems deferent from most touring setups…I have a Raleigh 1985 kodiak touring bike I want to get set up to do a tour on , need to upgrade the gearing for sure but don’t know what handlebar set up I’m going to do yet , don’t really like the drop bars that’s on it
Thanks for watching! I have neck and shoulder issues, so drop bars are not comfortable for me. The upright bars, although less efficient put less weight on my hands and arms. They also allow me to see the countryside better. Here's a link to the bars. Wald 1066 Handlebars amzn.to/3fLRHVH Stay safe and ride on!
Collinsville, IL here! I would love to do this. How do you plan your route and where are you sleeping?
If it were me I would follow old Route 66. Very historic from St. Louis to Chicago. Check out Adventure Cycling Association www.adventurecycling.org . They have a bicycle maps for the route, a bit pricey but loaded with useful information. Lots of cool little towns. At my age I stay in a motel whenever I can. But I carry a lightweight tent and sleeping bag just in case camping is the only option. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it. Stay safe and ride on!
What's your average speed?
Depends on wind and hills. On a calm day with level roads, I can hold a steady pace at 10-12 mph. I'm not a racer, but I can ride all day.
Boring thru illinois
I know. 😎
Thanks Paul
Thanks for watching! More to come. Stay safe and ride on!