Found! Beta & Elston!

[Lise]

What a day, sister TE posters!

This morning Beta mentioned that she'd be riding the lakefront path and wearing a Google jersey. Beta and I have never met. I wasn't even sure how much riding I'd do today. But I took off to a meeting and then brunch, and after brunch figured I'd try to nail down the route across town that's had me perplexed.

I got to the lakefront, and was keeping an eye out for a blue bike with a woman in a Google jersey. We're all going pretty fast, though, and what're the odds? When what to my wondering eyes should appear--but the very thing I was looking for! There's a spot around the museums where everybody has to slow down a bit, so when my eyes registered ~Google~ I yelled "BETA!" to see what would happen. It was her! We introduced ourselves and she graciously turned around a rode for awhile with me. I probably got in an extra 8 miles, thanks to Beta. It was really fun to ride with someone--I'm normally such a soloist--and to meet somebody from here! She was going for 80 miles today--whew--I am impressed. The wind out of the NW was a bear coming home. I got in a total of 30 miles, and the last 6 were not fun. Can't imagine doing it after 70 miles. My hat's off to you, Beta.

On top of all that, I figured out how to pick up Elston Ave. going north. Doesn't sound hard, but it is a tangle of intersections down there in the West Loop. One more ride, and I should have the route nailed down. Oh, it feels so good to be tired from actual physical exertion! Glad I had some Do-si-do cookies left--perfect post ride snack (probably not, but don't tell me, OK? ) Hope you all had good riding weather today, too. L.

[betagirl]

Good lord, what was I thinking doing another down and back in that wind? I think I started to hallucinate on my way home My total mileage ended up being around 90 miles (half of that into a 15 mph wind, gusting to 24). Guess I made my goal of 80. But man I was in some pain. I normally take a celebrex before I ride a long distance, and yeah I forgot. My knees doth protest!

It was great to meet you and I'm glad you found the Elston hook up.

And yes ladies, that Bianchi is as pretty as it looks in the pictures

[Lise]

Ho-lee cow! Not just another down and back, but also up north and over west before you could go home. 15mph, gusting to 24. I felt that.

(But, TE readers, Beta had told me about riding the last 30 miles of a century into a 25 mph wind, so we know she's tough!)

I took my pre-call shift nap and woke up with really red eyes. I know that wind was whipping some serious dust up in my face. "Serious" like Chicago, not serious like Moab...

[Fuji Girl]

I was keeping my eye for BOTH of you today, but I was headed in the wrong direction. Instead, I went north from Navy Pier to Hollywood and back. The wind was HORRIBLE, and I feel like a wuss for only doing 30 miles. We should definitely meet up one day for a (nice, leisurely) ride. And Lise could show me the way to the Elston path! And one of you could've helped me with my first ever flat, which took me almost half and hour to change.

I was supposed to go riding with a couple friends today, but they all ditched me to stay home because they were "tired". Harrumph. Instead, I rode with my co-worker, Nick, who is super-excited cuz he just got a brand-new Jamis Coda from Rapid Transit yesterday.

[Lise]

Well, we talked about you! And *I* sure don't feel like a wuss for doing 30 miles. That's pe-lenty for me. Total of 51 miles for me this week. Really, just my second week of riding this year. No way I could've ridden 51 miles on the Marin in the second week of riding last year.

You went north. How was that? I shudder to think of the number of walkers/runners/cyclists/rollerbladers/kids competing for path space on a sunny Sunday. Kudos to you for doing it. At least you had the wind at your back coming down.

Yes! Let's plan a ride! Happily will I show you the Elston route. I'm not smooth with it yet--I came off Milwaukee at Chicago, saying, "Elston should be here. Where is Elston? WHERE is Elston?!" I rode up May, a tiny little side street, because it had one of those bike route arrow signs that said "To Logan Square". It definitely was pointing up May. Sure enough, May dead-ends, but you can turn off to the left and there---lo and behold--is Elston!!! Maybe that is the route? In any event, I know how to locate Elston now, and won't end up on the dreaded Milwaukee for long.

Glad to hear you got out for a ride. Well done.

[betagirl]

Fuji you're not a wuss, I'm just a wee bit crazy I have a bit of a sunburn, especially my nose. I ran out of sunblock and thought it'd be not too high of a UV day. My arms are a bit pink too. Guess when you leave the house in arm warmers, it's deceiving. Kudos for taking the north end. I almost got taken out by a guy on a bike when I came around a corner by Navy Pier. Today will be a recovery ride, then probably off on tuesday. I think I'll be ok with the 200k on saturday.

Lise, you rode up Chicago? How was that for being poorly paved? Especially near the intersection at Halsted. If you take Des Plaines north out of the loop, it intersects with Milwaukee Ave. Take that north and you should run into Elston around the same spot you did yesterday. I think Elston ends at that chicago/milwaukee/whatever intersection. Milwaukee certainly isn't that busy down there. I took that route in yesterday, down to Jackson then cut over to the path. I'll try it again and verify that that's the right way and pay more attention

[Lise]

Hey, sorry about the sunburn. I had spf45 on my face, and never uncovered my arms. 'tis the season! That area around Navy Pier is dicey. Too many people and vehicles, nobody knowing exactly where they're going...

I took the route you describe, up Jefferson, over to DesPlaines when Jefferson ended, to the Milwaukee/Chicago intersection. I think Elston is about 1/2 a block over to the west. When I went up May and turned left, there was Elston. One more time, and I should look like I know what I'm doing!