Joliet Bicycle Club Seeks New Members, 51st Annual July 4th Bike Ride Returns To Kendall Co. Fairgrounds

(Full disclosure: Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak is a member of the Joliet Bicycle Club and an avid cyclist.)

JOLIET, IL — One of Joliet's greatest enduring outdoor athletic traditions is only a few weeks away — the Joliet Bicycle Club's 51st Annual 4th of July Ride. This marks the second year the event will begin and end at the Kendall County Fairgrounds near Yorkville. In years past, the event began at Plainfield South High School as bicycle riders pedaled west along Caton Farm Road for the first few miles. But not anymore.

At the new starting location, last year's July 4th Ride drew 498 registrants, Joliet Bicycle Club President Paul Tomasik revealed. "I would like to get 600 this year," Tomasik remarked during Thursday's phone interview. "We are trying to prepare for that many."

Tomasik said 27 bicyclists have already pre-registered including two who just joined the JBC as new members. On the other hand, he said it's very common for people to wait until late June to register for the annual July 4th ride.

"That last week for online registration, we often get 50, 60, 70 a day, every day, for five days," Tomasik explained. "The ride goes back 52 years, but it's our 51st year, because we lost a year because of COVID."

Kendall County Fairgrounds Generates Outstanding Feedback

Tomasik said he received an overwhelmingly positive response from participants in last year's event, who liked moving the event to the Kendall County Fairgrounds, which is along Route 71 in rural Yorkville. Like in years past, cyclists can choose from four different distance routes: 20.5 miles, 30.9 miles, 52.6 miles and 73.9 miles.

People who register online for the July 4th ride by June 30 only pay $35. Otherwise, the cost to register on the day of the event is $45; July 4th same-day registration takes place from 6 to 10 a.m.

Tomasik said the 30-mile map route was the most popular for last year's participants, "but a lot of people do the 70 miles," he pointed out.

And for cyclists who are not currently members of the Joliet Bicycle Club, a JBC 2026 membership is only $5 if you choose to bundle your membership with your registration for the July 4th ride. For cyclists who have never done the July 4th ride, Tomasik said they've created a great route. Plattville is about the only community nestled along the route, Tomasik said, and it's a town of around 380 residents.

The little community of Plattville serves as the rest stop for all riders using the different route loops. At Plattville's outdoor community park pavilion, July 4th riders are able to re-energize with plenty of snacks and Gatorade. At the finish, back at the Kendall County Fairgrounds, participants receive free ice cream bars at the end of their ride.

"When you go on this route, you can barely see any housing developments. It's extremely rural. Although it starts technically in Yorkville, it's actually outside Yorkville. The biggest thing is, it's very rural and low traffic. It's a pleasant ride and it's safer for kids," Tomasik explained.

Joliet Bicycle Club Aims To Attract More New Members

Right now, the Joliet Bicycle Club has about 120 active dues-paying members, Tomasik explained. Several live in Joliet, while a large number come from Frankfort, Monee, New Lenox, Shorewood, Channahon, Plainfield and the Morris area. One of the newest members is a young man from Wilmington.

While Tomasik serves as club president, the rest of the leadership consists of Rob Weiss as club vice president, Joan Dietrich as treasurer and Shannon Zajac as secretary.

JBC organizes several weekend social rides throughout the spring, summer and fall. Last weekend, for instance, a total of 18 Joliet Bicycle Club members met in downtown Frankfort and rode to the Lynnie Ques Airport Bar and Grill at the Lansing Municipal Airport near the Indiana border.

On Saturday, May 16, a total of 22 cyclists left from four different starting points and rode to downtown Morris for a Donut Ride, patronizing the long-time Morris Bakery.

Joliet Bicycle Club holds a regular monthly meeting open to all dues-paying members. Starting in May, the club moved its meetings to Cemeno's At The Park inside the Joliet Park District's Inwood Athletic Club on West Jefferson Street.

Tomasik strongly encourages people who are interested in cycling to consider a Joliet Bicycle Club membership. Club members organize regular rides throughout the week, and the club aims to host one monthly social ride, often to a restaurant or a group of microbreweries, on the weekends.

Last summer, one of the club's newer members from Lockport organized a craft brewery ride, starting in downtown Lockport along the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail. The ride consisted of brewery stops for beer and pizza at Imperial Oak Brewing in Willow Springs, Pollyanna Brewing Company in historic Lemont before ending at the Nik and Ivy Brewing Company in downtown Lockport.

What Does It Take To Join Joliet's Bicycle Club?

In August, JBC will hold its annual summer picnic, this time in Minooka at the Aux Sable Park along Holt Road. Previously, the club used Four Seasons Park off Seil Road in Shorewood. The club hosts a large annual membership banquet in November, typically at a Joliet area convention center or hotel.

Age is not a limitation when it comes to cycling.

In fact, at least "four or five" JBC members will be turning 80 years old later this year, Tomasik pointed out.

During our interview, I asked Tomasik what athleticism or abilities someone desiring to join the Joliet Bicycle Club should possess.

"I'm interested in just getting people that want to build up to 20 or 30 miles and up," Tomasik explained. "They have got to want to do that. They've got to be able to want to do 20, 30 or 40-mile rides. And we have a lot of regular riders, so you can generally find someone to ride with."

To pre-register now for the Joliet Bicycle Club's July 4th ride and get the $10 early-bird discount and/or join the club for only $5, visit the website for the jolietbicycleclub.com for more details.