Triathlon Clubs

jeebus2 - 2009-07-23 3:25 PM

I am in Oak Park which borders the west side of the Chicago and joining a group sounds like lots of fun! Let me know if you guys find any.

thanks.

instigator - 2009-09-02 4:36 PM I also live in Oak Park. There are a few triathletes that I know in the area. We really all should get together and meet sometime. Maybe we could find some carpooling/training buddies. I am a member of the Chicago Tri Club and think they are great. We tend to me more of a social club but it is a great way to meet other athletes and find training partners. I also know of a few other more structured programs/coachin in the area. PM if you want to learn more.

wrkinprogress - 2009-09-02 6:03 PM

I'm in OP as well, and I just signed up for my first sprint tri (the Danskin Women's series up in WI at the end of this month [eep!]). Sounds like there are a number of us in the immediate area, which is reassuring to this brand-new newbie-- will check out the Chicago Tri Club.

Question for the local folk: where do you do distance biking around here? I've managed to do a 13+-mile loop on local streets, but is there somewhere we can bike without innumerable stop lights and vehicles? Or is the lakefront our best option-- as I'm assuming it is for open-water swims...?

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

instigator - 2009-09-02 4:36 PM I also live in Oak Park. There are a few triathletes that I know in the area. We really all should get together and meet sometime. Maybe we could find some carpooling/training buddies. I am a member of the Chicago Tri Club and think they are great. We tend to me more of a social club but it is a great way to meet other athletes and find training partners. I also know of a few other more structured programs/coachin in the area. PM if you want to learn more.

wrkinprogress - 2009-09-02 6:03 PM

I'm in OP as well, and I just signed up for my first sprint tri (the Danskin Women's series up in WI at the end of this month [eep!]). Sounds like there are a number of us in the immediate area, which is reassuring to this brand-new newbie-- will check out the Chicago Tri Club.

Question for the local folk: where do you do distance biking around here? I've managed to do a 13+-mile loop on local streets, but is there somewhere we can bike without innumerable stop lights and vehicles? Or is the lakefront our best option-- as I'm assuming it is for open-water swims...?

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

CONGRATS on signing up!  I did my first in July - it was the Trek Women's- - which will probably be the same one as yours... It was pretty well run & the course is nice!

What kind of bike do you have?  I was first training on a MTN bike, but now have a "hybrid" with slicks...I found with a MTN I could train pretty much on any trail - but on my hybrid I prefer the Salt Creek Trail - it is SUPER nice! If you start at Brookfield Zoo and go to 290 and back - it's right a little over 14 miles.  I'm not quite up to the mileage that nscrbug is doing!

For anyone - I'm in Elmhurst and am looking for training partners.  I feel intimidated by the tri clubs because they do 50-60 mile rides - - 25 has been my longest....and 6-9 mile runs - - I did 2 the other day!

nscrbug - 2009-09-02 6:53 PM
I'm in Riverside, so just a bit west and south of you.  However, my riding buddy lives in OP.  We do the majority of our road riding in a southwesterly direction....like down in the Western Springs, Willow Springs, Burr Ridge, Darien, Lemont, Woodridge areas.  Frontage Road (along I-55) is a cycling mecca!  You'll find tons of groups out doing the "Frontage Loop", every weekend. 

Our "usual" route to head south goes something like this -  ride the Salt Creek Trail (by Brookfield Zoo) to the end at Ogden Ave. in Hinsdale...cross Ogden and continue south on Woodland for a block, then skirt east over to Grand and head south.  Cross the RR tracks and continue south on Lawn until you hit 47th St.  Go left for a block, then turn south on Wolf Rd.  You can ride Wolf Road all the way down to 91st...fairly good pavement with a narrow shoulder.  OR...you can turn left onto 55th Street, and take that to Willow Springs Road and ride that all the way south into the Burr Ridge area.  German Church Road is a GREAT riding road...very wide, smooth pavement, with not too much car traffic, and some nice hills.  A few other good roads in that area are 79th Street, from Willow Springs Road (stoplight at UPS plant).  Take it all the way west, where it will eventually turn into Frontage Road...keep following it until you get to 83rd Street (which is German Church) and make a left onto 83rd and take that all the way back to Willow Springs Rd...it's roughly a 6 mile loop of nice smooth pavement with some challenging hills thrown in for good measure.  

On Willow Springs Road, right before the bridge...there is a Gas City gas station on the west side of the road.  The 2nd entrance into the Gas City, is also an access road to a FANTASTIC bike path called The Centennial Trail.  Follow the little access road that goes south...there is a sign that says "Road Ends" or something like that...just continue to follow it.  It's in REALLY bad shape, so take it slow.  When you reach the end of that access road, you will see the beginning of the bike trail.  It's practically brand new...just paved last year...with VERY little bike traffic on it.  Not too many know about it because the location is so obscure...I found it by sheer accident.  The trail is 12.2 miles one way...so roundtrip, it will give you a great 25 mile workout. 

If you have any questions or want to know more of the routes I ride, PM me and I'll be happy to share.

Linda

kmodzel - 2009-09-03 7:31 AM Hey highenuff. I'm in Shorewood and would like to get a club started out here. Especially for the off season training. I do my workouts and swims at LA Fitness on 59. I also want to try that new bike spinning place in Plainfield for the winter months. I might have another buddy that might be interested. 4 or 5 people would be perfect. I do 25-30 mile bike rides on Sundays and would like to get a group for those as well. Just would be nice to have someone pushing you once a while.