One of the detriments to living in Chicago can also be a benefit. Aside from riding the beautiful Sheridan Road along the lakefront, you accept that an hour of slabbing the expressway is required to find good roads. Highways can replace expressways but then suburban congestion usually increases the time it takes to get to roads worth riding. Yes, this sucks … a waste of time that contributes to squared tires, etc. but it does have some benefits. Once you surrender to the hour in transit to better riding, there are upsides. One of which is the route to Starved Rock.

60 minutes is the average length of many podcasts. I often use this opportunity to catch up on my queue (really helps those expressway miles fly by). I’ll add that T.R.O. podcasts are very well suited for times like these. One benefit in having to travel an hour is that there are options. I don’t always have to go north to Wisconsin for a good day trip. Anyone who has spent time around Chicago knows the unpredictability of the weather. They’ll also note how a crappy day on the Northside could be a different story on the Southside.

My rides usually fall into 3 categories: day trips, weekends in the Driftless or prolonged road trips. I’ve ridden Driftless Wisconsin in a day but when I’m North, I prefer staying for a while. My day trips usually involve Kettle Moraine Wisconsin, taking I-94 an hour north to Kenosha or Bristol where I’m quickly awash in sweepers and sprawling scenery (prairies, farms, lakes and woods).