I’d planned to ride the North Shore Century, which I’ve done for the past several years. On the day of the ride, the weather turned bad, with heavy rain and lightning. I’ve done a century in the rain before, and it was miserable, so I wasn’t eager to repeat it. Our whole crew agreed to postpone and ride our own century the following weekend instead.
So on September 27, we rode 102 miles in one big loop around Kane County, starting and finishing in St. Charles. The route followed the Fox River Trail north through Elgin to Algonquin, swung west to Huntley, dropped south through farm country, and came back through Geneva and Batavia.
The Ride by the Numbers
| Distance | 102.1 miles |
| Time | 10 hours, 10 minutes |
| Average speed | 10.0 mph |
| Total climbing | 1,973 feet |
| Average heart rate | 135 beats per minute |
| Temperature at the start | 46°F |
A Little Science
Northern Illinois is flat, but it adds up. Nearly 2,000 feet of climbing is about one and a third times the height of the Willis Tower, done a few feet at a time.
My heart averaged 135 beats per minute for just over 610 minutes. Multiply those and you get roughly 82,000 heartbeats to get around the loop.
Shout-Out: Maple Leaf Coffee House
I have celiac disease, so I eat gluten-free, and finding food I can trust on a long ride isn’t easy. Maple Leaf Coffee House, the riverfront café in downtown St. Charles, made it easy. Their chalkboard had a whole lineup of gluten-free pastries, including an apple cider donut, a pumpkin cream cheese muffin, an Earl Grey loaf, and a banana chocolate loaf that’s vegan too.
I ordered the gluten-free Earl Grey loaf, and it was excellent.
If you’re riding the Fox River Trail and need a stop, it’s worth it. Maple Leaf Coffee House, 1 W. Illinois St., St. Charles.
