Im planning to bike 150 miles to Chicago from Milwaukee..any ideas? tips? routes? how long should it take?

Question

I want to just do the whole thing in one day/night...is this at all possible if your not Lance Armstrong or in the best athletic shape?

Answer 1

You don't have to be Lance to complete it but you do have to be a serious biker who should prob. already know most of the information you are asking. Have you ridden a 50 mile ride at a pace that when you were done you felt like you could ride indefinitely far at that speed. And did you finish it in what you feel is reasonable and would get your 150 done in the amount of time you desire. You will need lots of food/fluids so add time in to refill those.

Answer 2

Check out bikely - It has heaps of maps created by other cyclists & lets you map your own routes as well.

Try adapting this map to your needs:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Chi...

The section of approx 145Km, meantioned by you, looks like fairly flat riding.

Or found another website: http://wrc.dot.il.gov/bikemaps/vwmap.asp...

Overall it isn't that hilly - I recently (riding a Trek hybrid) rode 144Km in a day and the total elevation gain over the day was a bit over 1000metres (approx 3,200 feet).  If I managed to complete my 144Km ride to Newcastle (and I'm no althete), I'm sure you could give it a go.

Answer 3

1.   Its only 90 miles or thereabouts unless you go way out of your way.

2.  I've done it before noon (in 1975).  

3.   Do some serious route planning so as not to get yourself killed.   If I were doing it today, I'd probably incorporate some of the bike paths where possible to avoid the morons in the 2 ton metal things.   The Chicago lakefront path gets you pretty far north.  I believe there is a similar path in Wisconsin.   Check the DNR website for comprehensive maps.

If you intend, or want to go further west, the Fox River Trail starts in Genoa City, intersects with the Illinois Prairie Path, and that can get you all the way to Maywood almost totally away from motor vehicles    There are lightly travelled secondary roads that can get you from Milwaukee to Genoa City.