Get ready for the Swedish Days Bicycle Ride on July 7
Now in its 54th year, the Swedish Days Ride remains one of the premier road bike tours held in northern Illinois and one of the very few Midwestern rides that offers a double metric century (133 miles), in addition to routes of 12, 27, 50, 72 and 102 miles (imperial century). New this year is a family 12-mile ride. You also can mix-and-match loops to create your own distance.
The Swedish Days Ride travels the quiet, scenic and relatively flat paved roads of rural Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties, meandering through cornfields and through shaded thoroughfares.
The ride is fully supported with one centralized rest stop boasting AC/indoor facilities stocked with nutritional items, on-site emergency mechanical support and bicycle supplies, and roaming SAG patrol vehicles.
With over 75 helpful volunteers, the Swedish Days Ride provides a superior riding experience to almost a thousand guests each year.
The ride’s planned start and end will be Sunday, July 7, at Harter Middle School, 1601 Esker Drive, Sugar Grove. Free parking is available on-site.
The annual event will be 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 102- and 133-mile riders must be on course by 8 a.m.
The Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club donates 100% of its event net proceeds to support the efforts of organizations promoting cycling and outdoor activities throughout Northern Illinois including Ride Illinois, Illinois Prairie Path, Project Mobility, Kane County Parks Department (Fox River Trail), League of American Bicyclists, Easter Seals (bikes for kids) and Open Door Rehabilitation Center (bikes for people with disabilities). The event has no affiliation with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce’s Swedish Days Festival.
Registration fees are $55 per rider, $70 per family (includes 2 adults and children under 18) until Friday, July 5.
Prices increase to $65 per rider, $80 per family on July 6-7.
Register online at swedishdaysride.com. On-site registration is available on Sunday, July 7, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., cash or check only.
The official Swedish Days Ride jerseys ($95) and shorts ($84) can be ordered through Sunday, July 14. Apparel can also be ordered at swedishdaysride.com.
The Swedish Days Ride will operate rain or shine. There will be no refunds due to weather.
Founded in 1968 and based in St. Charles, the Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club is a recreational and social club that offers group bicycle rides and winter sporting activities throughout the greater Fox River Valley area. Now in its 56th year, the club is governed by a board of directors and its membership is approximately 350 people, age 18 or older from beginners to advanced cyclists.
The club offers approximately 13 rides per week at various skill levels that are led by volunteer ride leaders and focuses on education, safety, rules of the road, bike maintenance and etiquette. The club also partners with various local bicycle shops, including The Bike Rack, Mill Race Cyclery, Pedal & Spoke and Spin Doctor Cyclewerks for sales, service and support.
The Swedish Days Ride is the club’s annual fundraiser. The Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club is an Illinois not-for-profit 501(c)7 organization. Follow facebook.com/FoxValleyBicycleAndSkiClub or instagram.com/foxvalleybsc/.