Biking with Beanzie

Josh, Jason and I headed down to DeKalb, IL bright and early for our first time on the Biking wth Beanzie ride.  There were many ride options to choose from... 24,40,68,79,102.  We considered our riding experience and took into account the expected highs for the day when we decided to ride the 40 mile route. I had originally wanted to ride the 68 mile route, but it was suppose to be super hot and I knew I would have more fun riding with the boys.  It was 72 degrees out when we took off at 7:30am and the temperature climbed to 92 degrees by the time we finished at 11:30pm.  

ready to ride

This ride takes place primarily on flat rural roads in DeKalb County... there is also lots of corn in this area, the fields go on as far as you can see.  The roads were almost completely clear of cars and they were in very good condition for being out in the middle of nowhere :)  

cycling boys

I know that there is a ton of controversy surrounding wind turbines and wind farms, but I have to say that they are pretty fun see up close.  It's my opinion that they add something to the landscape, and I really enjoyed the view of wind turbines for miles and miles.  Its unfortunate that some of these small communities are really torn up over the turbines.  We didn't experience any feelings of headaches or vertigo, but I did see the "shadow flicker" on the crops and couldn't help thinking that it would drive me crazy if my house was in the shadow of one.  Personally, I love that we can harvest that head wind we were fighting while riding our bikes, but its easy for me to say since I live 45 miles away.

flat roads, corn & windmills

The rest stops were great, about 8 miles apart and stocked with water, Gatorade, fruit, bagels, peanut butter and jelly.  The stops were a little closer together than I have experienced on previous rides, but I have to say that on a really hot day I enjoyed being able to stop often and fill up my water bottle.  Also, I think it made the ride more friendly for families and folks that don't have as much experience riding.  The volunteers were great very cheerful and helpful.  One stop even had frozen towels to cool off your neck... that was my favorite stop for sure!  Typically, we would start off together, and then the boys would pull away from me a bit, their pace just a tad faster then mine.  They never got more than a half mile or so ahead of me, and would always be waiting for me at the rest stops.

There were cute signs everywhere with a cartoon drawings of Beanzie's head placed into movie posters... I didn't get any pics of the signs but they were along the lines of "STAR WARS: Return of the Beanzie"

homestretch

Near the end, Jays knee was hurting on top, and mine was sore in the back, so we decided to just take it easy.  Josh took the opportunity to ride faster and leave it all on the road.  We had some good laughs on our last few miles and really enjoyed each other's company.  It was getting hot, and we were definitely getting hungry... we almost missed the last turn because the sign was placed in an awkward spot.  This was the only sign that seemed strange, we never had any other problems throughout the day.

my handsome cycling partner

In the last half mile, we moved over on the bike path and I removed the camera from my bike for a few action shots :) I am rather pleased with how they turned out.

feeling accomplished, but ready for AC & food!!

We'll be back next year Beanzie!!