Today was our longest since that amazing, but fatiguing, day out of Columbus. 97 miles! We were somewhat considering riding an extra 3 just to make it a full century, but after climbing (once again!) to the top of a town for the stayover, everyone thought that saving their legs for the still long journey ahead would be the best decision. We still have 6 days straight of riding before our next rest day, so conserving wherever possible will be critical. The day had a classic array of rest stops and fun along the road, although not as much side questing as yesterday, and we got to see what must be the world’s largest penny farthing.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 97.1 miles
Elevation: 1,919 ft.
Points of Interest: Nachusa Grasslands, Cherry Flamingo Ice Cream, Penny Farthing Statue, Mississippi River, Festival with Music in Davenport
Tales of the Trail
We have been having some beautiful mornings to start riding in and today was no exception. Beautiful bluebird skies and temperatures suited for riding were upon us. That made for a good time packing the van and getting onto the road in the morning. Aadit was driving today and he made the first interesting stop along the way with Sam. Those two found a train car and with Aadit being the resident enthusiast of trains, the urge to stop with time in hand must have been too much. Look at him though!
The first rest stop was at a nature preserve called the Nachusa Grasslands where we were able to take some pretty impressive photos, ride a little down the grassy trails, and fill up our water jugs for the day.The last of those was fun because we had a proper well to pump. Vedang was getting in his upper body workout for the day and helping the rest of us quench our thirst.
We continued riding through the Northwest of Illinois and finding small towns that would pop up out of nowhere along with the never ending fields to stare across. There were bridges, and farmers, and flats, not too much of a headwind, but just enough to keep us awake and pushing those pedals, and pretty long stretches of road to talk and play games.
Later in the day, the crosswinds picked up and any sight of a road that had tree-lined lengths was welcome. A slog through 19 miles of these conditions made way for a happy entrance into the third rest stop. We finally turned off of the main road we had been on for miles and towards a more winding road with a couple of houses… and trees! The crosswinds subsided a bit and we pulled out the PB&Js for lunch. The mood was also improved knowing that our next stop was going to be an ice cream shop.
That last point was all we could focus on the rest of our time on the road. When would we get ice cream? The when was all dependent on our riding, but the where was right next to the Mississippi River, on the Illinois side, at a place called Cherry Flamingo. We needed the calories and the sugar and this was the perfect way to start winding down the ride for the day. The owner also showed us over to amassive penny farthing rider statue near the bike path and took a picture for us.
Soon enough, we were crossing the Mississippi into Iowa and getting very close to Davenport. We found a festival to stop at for a couple of live song performances before climbing to the top of the town, as always towards our stay at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Tonight, we had tortilla chips and taco fixings for dinner prepared by the church and before bed had the chance to hear a very special story.
Oliver, a young boy no longer with us, had a spinal cord cancer that spread and was impossible to cure. He passed away just last November and we heard his story and the story of his family from his mother. We were amazed at the response by loved ones, medical professionals, and community members that were involved in Oliver’s treatment. The strength of those fighting through cancer and those aiding them is immeasurable. Tomorrow, we will ride for Oliver.
Cyclists Corner
Rider: Ehsan Homaee
What was your favorite part of today's ride?
So the last stretch was beside the river, and it was great, very scenic. We had forests on your right side and rivers on your left side. It was very scenic, and I really enjoyed that stretch.
What motivated you to join Illini 4000?
Multiple reasons. First, I like biking, and I like to challenge myself both mentally and physically. Man, this is like a great way to challenge myself, I and also the cancer side was also very important for me. I lost my grandparents, my cousins, my close friend because of cancer, and I wanted to do something in memory of them. The portraits project is also another thing that kind of resonates with me during the trip. Whenever I'm listening to other people's stories about like how they deal with the cancer themselves or in their family it's interesting to listen to other people's history,
Before Illini 4000 how much bike training did you have, or did you have any other athletic background that helped for the ride?
I used to go mountaineering, hiking, and camping stuff a lot Biking, I was not a professional cyclist. I just used my bike for commuting between my hometown, my work, and sometimes just for fun. Maybe 20 miles or 30 miles, so yeah, not a big cyclist like some other people in the group.
What is your bike's name and the model of the bike?
Okay, so my bike model is a trek domane, and its name is Sarv. It means Cypress. Sarv is the first name, and Cypress is like its translation in English. I chose this name because it's green and it's very tall compared to other bikes. I spend most of my time these days with my bike.
What are you most nervous and excited about for the trip?
I'm excited for the west part of the country, especially Colorado, Oregon, and California. I’m also waiting for the feeling of when I'm passing the Golden Gate Bridge. I think it would be a great achievement and feeling inside myself. I am nervous about how hard it is to keep up with everything. Starting from the morning that you need to pack everything in 15 minutes to the late night that you have to do everything before lights out. Yeah still I'm kind of having troubles to meet all of those like deadlines or not deadlines and expectations
Anything else you would like to talk about?
Illini 4000 is like a great way to challenge yourself mentally and physically. Yeah, it is maybe the best way to spend your summer, so I hope this organization will last forever in the university. Hopefully every year students come and join this and enjoy a wonderful summer, which is a life changing experience.
Do you prefer creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
So, if you asked this question two weeks ago, I would say crunchy, but right now I probably prefer creamy. I think, yeah, everything is like a lot of things are changing in my life and in my mind right now, and this is one of the things that changed so yeah right now I prefer creamy. Maybe like in next two weeks again my opinion will change.