3 cycling events in Springfield, Illinois

What is the Sangamon Cycling Series?

The Sangamon Cycling Series (SCS) is a four-month training program designed to help cyclists build fitness over the summer and connect with other cyclists. The program is organized by the Springfield Bicycle Club. Your registration includes entry into four supported rides starting at various locations in the Sangamon County, Illinois area. Each ride features different distances ranging from 25 miles to 100 miles. It's your choice which distance to ride. The SCS is a great way to train for the Capital City Century held in Sherman, Illinois on September 19, 2026.

https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Sherman/CapitalCityCentury

Are Beginners Welcome?

The Sangamon Cycling Series is for all levels of cyclists. There are typically groups at speeds ranging from 10 mph up to 20+. We do ask that you be familiar with safety rules and it helps to be comfortable riding in a group environment. Routes are not marked, so it helps to be comfortable navigating by GPS, although that's not required. We try to line up volunteers to lead groups at different speeds.

Where are the Rides?

The tentative schedule for the four rides is as follows:

All rides start at 8:00 AM

• SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2026

EVENT 1 - Pawnee

• SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026

EVENT 2 - Chatham

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2026

EVENT 3 - Auburn Community Park

• SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2026

EVENT 4 - Athens

What Does Registration Cover?

We'd love to offer this series at no cost, but the small registration fee helps the Springfield Bicycle Club cover insurance and support expenses. For your registration fee, you'll receive nutrition and hydration, SAG support in the event of a mechanical breakdown, and a light post-ride meal.

The Springfield Bicycle Club is excited to renew our popular Sangamon Gravel Series, and rebrand as the Thunder Road Gravel tour! Last year we brought you all together for a series of rides around Springfield. This year, we're expanding the series to a wider region!

Join us for a series of rides from May through August and explore what the central Illinois has to offer when you venture off of the beaten path. Ride specifics are TBD, but expect something in the ballpark of 30 and 60 mile options with a convenience store stop in the middle. After each ride, we'll have an optional takeover of a local brewery/bar/restaurant.

This is a no-cost series, so there will be no SAG offered. As a gravel rider, you're probably already self-sufficient enough to fix a flat or minor mechanical on the road and if you're not, make some friends out there! But that's just the basic highlights.

Points-Based Competition

The most exciting part of the series will be a points-based competition. Each route will have a few gravel segments selected where riders will have the option of competing to do their best efforts. Points will be awarded based on the best times set that day on Strava, with leaderboards tracked for men and women.

While the rides are is not a race, our encouragement of competition on the points segments means that we will use BikeSignup.com so that we can track participants and waivers. This is a no-cost registration, but it will be mandatory for points competition eligibility. Whether you want to get out for a fun spin around some gravel roads you may not have ridden yet, put down some blistering times on the competitive segments, or just get miles rides in with great friends and scenery, we hope you'll join us!!

Dates and locations:

• May 23 - Cuba IL, collaborating with Gravel Syndicate

• June 13 - TBD

• July 11 - Winchester IL, collaborating with Rural Cyclery

• August 9 - TBD

This event will be updated with routes and details as we approach each event, and you can keep current with discussion and details on our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/782650436593916

Route collection - https://ridewithgps.com/collections/3961753

Routes will be posted as we approach each ride.

Ride for a reason on a once in a lifetime journey experiencing the challenge of cycling over great distances and at the same time, encounter amazing Gold Star Family members and others in the community as they share stories of the lives of our Illinois Fallen Military Service Members.

On September 22, 2026 cyclists will begin a 500-mile bicycle journey, known as the Gold Star 500, through communities starting in Chester, Granite City, St Louis, Edwardsville, Staunton, Litchfield, Carlinville, Virden, Chatham, Springfield, Williamsville, Atlanta, Bloomington, Lexington, Pontiac, Dwight, Joliet, Plainfield, Aurora, St Charles, Sycamore, Hampshire, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, and end the ride in Schaumburg.. This is our 10th Annual Gold Star 500 which works to preserve the legacy and honor of those military service men and service women from Illinois who have made the ultimate sacrifice in support of service to this great nation. In addition to the 5 day, 500-mile ride, we are keeping the options for 1-day and 3-day rides. All proceeds go to fund scholarships and our Fallen Hero History Project Videos honoring the lives of our Fallen Military Service Members, thus preserving their legacy forever.

This ride raises funds through event registration, fund raising, corporate & business sponsors and grants, and generous individual donations. As an all volunteer organization, over 95% of all funds are used to carry on the names and the stories of the Fallen Military Service Members. Wanting a small taste of what it is like to be on the ride, watch this video.

https://youtu.be/XfqgzE_uJEA

Come and join our mission.

www.goldstarmission.org