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different skill levels of riders and it can be a bit tedious to page through the whole book if you're looking for a specific type of ride.

However, upon further review, I have to say that I did come around to agree with his original arrangement, which groups the rides by locale. After all, if you're looking for a hilly, challenging ride, but the one listed in the difficulty you are aiming for is in Zion and you're in Peoria, that doesn't work as well as being able to search the rides around you first.

One thing I do think could have been improved is to add some more photos to the descriptions.

Don't get me wrong here; even without photos, the book would still be extremely successful, because the descriptions of the rides are, as previously mentioned, first-rate. But on a number of the rides, there's some empty space on the page that is just asking for another photo.

A little bit of layout nitpicking can't detract from the overall quality of the book, however; Biking Illinois is a spectacular resource for any level of bicyclist in Illinois. On top of the fact that many bicycling books only focus on well-traveled areas and forget the lesser known and off the beaten path biking trails this book does a good job of covering, Biking Illinois is much more personable than a normal cut and dried "here's the trail, ride this way," biking guide.

Johnsen does a good job at making each ride interesting to read. On top of the spot-on descriptions, he also includes little tidbits of history and trivia about the towns and historical landmarks that the rides travel through.

It's worth knowing that the author is a veteran bicyclist who has pedaled over 9000 miles in sixteen different states over the last seven years, because it shows in the book. Johnsen's writing is descriptive and well thought out, and his obvious experience seeps through at every turn.

Biking Illinois is available at most Borders and Barnes and Noble bookstores in Illinois, and the author can be contacted through his website (www.bikingillinois.com), where he also posts updates to the book and other information on biking.

Learn more about this author, Ian Essling.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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