Old Plank Trail?

[Lise]

Anybody know where the "Old Plank Trail" is? Southwest of Chicago, I think.

I've gone on >10 match.com dates over the winter. Two of the guys were named Mario. I didn't want to date either Mario. But both Marios talked about this trail as great for biking. I don't want to ask either Mario, for obvious reasons! I'll find it some other way. Thought maybe somebody here had heard of it.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Lise -
I did a search on Google for old plank trail chicago and came up with several links that appear to be what you are looking for. This one looks like it might be useful: http://oprt.org/.

--- Denise

[Lise]

Ha! I'm on the internet, yet it still doesn't occur to me to use the internet! Thanks, Denise. I don't have to rely on the Marios, after all. L.

[Sparky]

I am thinking maybe you DON'T want to find this trail if the Marios are on it! Just kidding. I think maybe it connects to a trail in northwest IN as well.

[DirtDiva]

Anyone else having Nintendo flashbacks reading this thread? (Well, I was a child of the 80's/teenager of the 90's... )

[Trek420]

I take it they were not Super Marios?

[Lise]

I take it they were not Super Marios?

That's the thing. Not super Marios. heehhehehehheheheh, oh, man, you guys have me laughing tonight! (see Nanci's comments in "triathlon")

The Marios do not deserve to be insulted by me on a women's biking board. They are both perfectly nice guys. I just don't want to date them. Or anything else. Actually, I would go cycling with either one of them, if "cycling" didn't sound like "euphemism for a date", ending up with "kissing" and points south, where I do not wish to go with either Mario!

What an odddd little life this online dating thing can be. Maybe Beta or Fuji girl will want to check it out with me! (The trail. Not the dating. Let's be clear. ) L.

[Lise]

Both of the Marios have (independent of each other), emailed me to ask if I want to go for a bike ride with them, on the Old Plank Trail. I rejected both of these guys last winter. Undaunted, they're taking a different approach! A friend of mine said, "Now, these are guys who you don't want to be involved with, yet they want you to go off alone with them on your bike? Uh huh. I don't think so." I declined their offers. Life is strange! L.

[KnottedYet]

The only "date" I ever met on the internet turned out to have a personality disorder and be a compulsive liar, stole parts of my identity, moved to my hometown, told folks we were married and I would be moving back there soon, and lied big time talking about my family to get a job.

The Marios sound like they might be better, at least they ride!

(no, I'm kidding! don't date them!)

[Quillfred]

Yikes Lise -

"Two of the guys were named Mario. I didn't want to date either Mario. But both Marios talked about this trail as great for biking. I don't want to ask either Mario, for obvious reasons!"

They sound like they could be "Stepford Husbands"

Internet dating isn't all bad. We met that way in 1999, although it turned out that her dad had been a cherished patient of mine and he had introduced us a couple years earlier.

Q

[KnottedYet]

That's a nice story. Especially that you actually met before then, and you knew her dad!

My brother met his wife through the internet.

I met mine because I'm a nurse-magnet. (kinda like a babe-magnet, only different ) I was dating a nurse, and through her I met her friend who was a nurse. A few months after all that ended the friend said she had to introduce me her other friend (a nurse) because I "would love her." Dragged my heels, hung out with my 6 or 7 nurse pals, and one day voi-la, I met the s.o. And my friend was right.

Sometimes I'd really like to trade her in on a lower-maintanence model, but that's real life.

[Trek420]

I think there are Mario's on the web and in real life and wonderful people both locations too...the online dating thing? Just another way to meet.

Isn't it funny trying to meet someone who'll log of and go outside....on the internet? For me it's ranged from the real nice gal that there isn't the chemistry with but we're glad we met to the infamous "bike date from heck".

When my LBS built my bike we debated about the wheels, I was thinking Mavic Open Sup Pro's (sp?) like I had before on the Trek he said I should get Rolf.

"Why?" I asked. He jested "I don't know what women like, but chicks dig these wheels".

Trouble is the "chicks" who dig the wheels turn out to bat for the other team or bat for my team but spoken for.

Maybe I need new wheels.

[KnottedYet]

Is there a Different Spokes riding group near you? I gotta get involved with the one here in Seattle. I've got a friend (not a nurse) and her partner (also not a nurse) who just love it.

[Trek420]

Yes, there's a Different Spokes club here. I've ridden a couple of their rides. I ride to ride, also ride to eat

If I meet or get to know someone out there, it's wonderful but not a social much less single thing to me.

As far as clubs go I prefer the Velogirls and/or Lunachix or a good ol' TE ride because of the emphasis on safety. There's almost always a talk before the ride, they teach ride skills before after & during the ride...

I'll give DS another chance but the two rides I went on with them, no safety message, lots of passing on the right, blowing though stop signs....funny thing the last time I rode with them:

There was a DS women only ride and on Alameda Creek Trail last season I think and I thought, hey, I'll go, I like ACT, it's nearby, what's not to like?

So we meet up, no safety stuff, ride out, I'll admit I ran some stop signs gingerly just to keep up then we get on the trail. Lots of riding two abreast, chatting along the blind turns.

I got in behind a couple of gals, newer rider along with a gal on a Trek Project One riding side by side. Those of you who know me I'm not fast but I did not want to be behind the debris if they hit a rider around a bend. So I clear my throat (subtle is my middle name) no response, call out "passing on your left" ...nothin'....try it again, ah! Success, they figure out who drops back and I pass.

As I did "newer rider" starts to sprint after me and I hear Project One gal say "nah, you don't want that".

Alrighty, if you're lurking, what did that mean?

She must know about my hat collection ;-)

[LucyBrown]

Hey Lise...

I just rode the Old Plank Trail this weekend for the first time - it was part of the 56-mile loop of the Explore Joliet Sudden Century.

Honestly? I thought it was annoying to ride on -- lots of people to dodge and we stopped every .5 mile or so for traffic. I much preferred riding on the roads with traffic. But if you don't mind dodging walkers/joggers/little kids on bikes and stopping for traffic, then it's great! It is very pretty out there.