Kirby and I went up to Peoria for a tour of Farmdale Reservoir, site of the 2007 Midwest Mountain Bike Festival. We weren't quite sure what to expect since every time the PAMBA gang comes down to STL, they're all on big-hit bikes. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that in addition to the stunts and jumps, Farmdale has miles and miles of XC trails. Think of all the 6 or so miles of the skinny, fun stuff at SIUE, multiply that by 3 to 5 times, and you've got Farmdale. We're not sure how much singletrack there is, but we rode the whole afternoon until nearly dark, and they told us we had probably only hit about half of the trails. If you go, make sure to ride Schroll's. It was definitely the favorite for both of us. There's an area to play around on North Shore stuff, a Mountain Cross course, a downhill run, and a jump area, so no matter how you like to ride, there's something for everyone. There are also 3 other trail systems in Peoria, so there's plenty of riding to make it a weekend destination.
