History in the Making - Trail Breaking set for Illinois Mississippi River Trail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2004
Contact: Chuck Oestreich
309-788-1845
oestreich@qconline.com

May 1st, 2004 will see an unprecedented happening close to the Mississippi River along the Illinois shore. Bicycle riders will ride the entire 585 miles of the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) in one day - a morning, actually.

How can that be? Even Lance Armstrong doesn't go 98 mph on a bike.

No, bicyclists will split up the ride - but they will cover the entire length of Illinois on that morning. At eight locations along the trail "celebrations" will be held at noon to welcome bikers coming in from morning rides in both directions to the celebration sites. Each individual rider will only ride 35 miles or so.

The Trail Breaking is to call attention to a new publication called "Illinois Mississippi River Trail User Guide." This is a handy, jersey pocket-sized booklet that contains everything needed by a traveler to enjoy not only long trips along trails and low trafficked roads in western Illinois, but also short segments in areas along the way.

Included are detailed cue sheets listing every twist and turn of the route, clarifying maps, accommodations (motels and campsites) fairly close to the frail, availability of food and drink, bike repair, emergency numbers, and a list of attractions in the area. The entire route is divided into 11 easy-to-view segments. You may view the Guide at www.bikelib.org/mrt.

But the Trail Breaking will also highlight the wonders of the Mississippi River shoreline that are especially available to users of bikable and walkable trails and roads. The human side of the river - away from traffic and high-speed corridors - makes the Mississippi River Trail a great community asset. And this new Guide makes it even more available both to local citizens and to national and international travelers as well.

The Guide was produced by the League of Illinois Bicyclists with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Mississippi River Trail, Inc.