Elizabeth Illinois is home to some pretty lovely bike routes. Just outside Galena in the Illinois Driftless you find lots of rolling hills and back country roads.
The Lead Ore Gravel ride is not for the faint of heart. The Galena Territory was home to some tough folks that mined over 21 million pounds of lead ore during the regions mineral rush. According to the event website, you’ll need the same kind of tenacity.
The 85 mile route will provide a hard day for even the strongest rider with around 8,000 feet of elevation gain. The 85 mile route is made up of approximately a 50/50 split of pavement to gravel. There will be an 8 1/2 hour time cut off to finish the 85 mile distance. The 45 mile distance will be no walk in the park either. The route is approximately a 50/50 split of pavement to gravel and riders will accumulate around 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Both distances have 1 aid station. The routes will not be marked. You must download the route to your GPS cycling computer.
