#16 Where in the world have I been???

I know, I know, I know...where in the world have I been?

Well believe it or not, I have logged over 700 miles since I began riding my handcylce back in the spring… The odometer reads 734 miles but that reading is a little too high because of a calibration error I made when I first installed the devise. If you’ve ever attempted to follow one of those multi-language instruction sheets that you are provided with when you buy a foreign made electronic product I think you will understand how an error like that could  happen.

When I last wrote I was either riding the 7.5 mile long Grand Arboretum Loop or 10 to 15 mile rides along the Prairie Path. As I became more confident in my riding abilities I began to research other places to ride. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Within Dupage County there are 41 forest preserves with over 240 mile of trails and bike paths.
Obviously, my hand-cycle can't traverse any of the single-track mountain bike trails but there are plenty of trails for me to ride.

Rather than bore you with details of each ride I will post some pictures of and links to some of the various rides I have taken. My trips are usually a distance of 10to 20 miles with actual riding times lasting  between 1 to 2 hours long.

I'll start with my 1st non Arboretum/IPP trip: The Ned Brown Forest Preserve and Busse Lake in Elk Grove Village, Il
(There are actual elk in an actual grove that the bike path passes through)

                                                                     

The main loop is 8 miles long  with a couple of shorter routes that can add on a couple of more miles. These slightly hilly paved trails wind around the lake.  My wife and I took a couple of wrong turns and ended up riding 14.6 mile in 1hr 35min. Map My Ride calculated that if I was riding a normal bike I would have burned 600 calories and my average speed was 9.3mph. 
I've only rode on this path once but I would do it again. Because the preserve is closer to Chicago, the increased population density and the mix of walkers, runners, inline skaters and cyclists (Bi & Tri & Hand) made it a little crowded but most on the trail used proper etiquette.