The young owner of this shop is buying it from an older fellow who, with partners, ran it for a long time. He started hanging around the shop when he was in the fourth grade. The new section of it might be the sharpest, most contemporary looking bike store I have ever been in. There was a balcony, coffee bar, very simple but classy wood and metal decor. The older section looks as if it hasn't changed in 70 years -- Schwinn tool boxes, clutter, dusty floor pumps in the corner. I really liked it.
I stopped here because they told me on the phone that they had an
Illinois Bicycle Map. When I arrived they dug around a bit and
found one the state had sent them quite a few years ago.
Inexplicably, Illinois divides its bike maps into a 9-part series,
divided along irregular county lines. The maps are accurate, very
helpful, but nearly impossible to use if one is going very far because
of the way they are divided.
Amazingly, the map that this shop disinterred for me stretched
halfway across the state, from Quincy to Springfield. So, I sat
at the coffee bar and plotted a route to "Hank's Inn" -- a few miles
outside of Springfield. Plotting a route this way -- with just a
map and a highlighter -- is a little silly. Are there big
hills? Is this map up-to-date? Are these little roads
ridable? Am I going to get killed on the bigger roads?
Moreover, the route I plotted means I'll ride 120 miles and won't go
through any town where I would expect to find a cafe, motel, or
campground. That would be my longest day yet. And because I
had to wait for the shop to open, I'll have to rush.
Somehow the foolishness of the whole thing is the attraction.
That plus knowing that Hank will have a few cold beers for me if I
actually make it to his place. And hanging out with Hank will be
fun.
