News

May 20, 2022

Food Truck Announcement

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we do have to cancel the food truck options AT THE PARK. However, do not fear, you can still hit up any amazing restaurant in town or the food at Beef and Ag days. 

We are excited to announce:
La Katrina, one of the food trucks will still be in town parked outside of Barrel Society, a local Bar that serves up some amazing taps, cans, and specialty drinks! Stop by Barrel after the ride WITH YOUR RIDE BIB and get $1.00 off 1 draft beverage! 

We will still have a light breakfast and snacks served throughout the day on your adventures! We look forward to seeing everyone!! Just a month out!! 🙂 Get your tickets at ZTOUR today!!!! 

March 7, 2022

2022 Registration is Live!

The 10th Annual Z Tour Bike Ride is a charity road ride, supporting the Zearing Child Enrichment Center in Princeton, which provides riders a chance to enjoy some of the finest bike riding roads that North-Central Illinois has to offer. The well marked and supported routes will incorporate hills, rolling terrain, and beautiful views of Bureau Creek and the Hennepin Canal all with minimal traffic. We have several options for routes this year. We continue to offer a family friendly 10 mile route. The Adventure Route is a 60 mile route with a challenging variety of surfaces and inclines; including pavement, gravel, and maybe a little mud, all with limited support. This route is geared towards more experienced riders looking for less traveled roads. For 2022, we will have 3 unique loops beginning and finishing at Zearing Park, these routes vary in distance and difficulty. Riders can also choose to add a 20 mile Tiskilwa loop to take in some of the more challenging hills Bureau County has to offer. All routes are available on Ridewithgps.com. Ride just one loop or take them all on. If riders elect to ride all 4 main routes, total mileage is 105 miles with nearly 3,000ft of elevation gain.

Get more information for this great ride held in Princeton, Illinois online at ztour.org. Early check-in is offered on Friday night’s “Down on Main Street” live concert Friday evening, band to be announced at a later date. Enjoy live music, food vendors and drinks as you check in for the ride. Merchandise pick-up and sales are also available during these times. Enjoy other local events such as Beef and Ag days on Saturday after your ride at Soldiers and Sailors Park in Princeton, IL. 

Back by popular demand is the Group Registration Option- Me + 3 = 

  • 1 Leader should create a catchy group name
  • Each individual should register under that catchy name
  • At least 4 riders in a group
  • Receive (1) $25.00 in Chamber Bucks to spend at Princeton businesses OR $25.00 on select Z Tour Merchandise! 

Register your group today and join the Z Tour and city of Princeton for all the fun starting Friday evening at 5:30 pm. We will be doing check in and registering from 5:30-7:30pm. Vendors start serving at 6:00 and the concert starts at 7:00pm. 

**ONLY 750 Riders this year! We strongly encourage you to get your tickets before the event!!**

  • Easy and really fast check-in opening at 5:45 am.
  • Detailed maps and cue for our loops! 
  • Five themed rest stops supplied with nutritional food, beverages, and music. 10-mile with an optional hill challenge, Adventure Route, 3 loops to choose from with a Tiskilwa loop to add on! 
  • Camping options at the Bureau County Fairgrounds (nominal fee).
  • Several Air B and B options- book early!! 
  • Radio-dispatched SAG and support by the Bureau County EMA until 3:00 pm
  • Light breakfast offered from 6:00-9:00 am at Zearing Park
  • NEW THIS YEAR- Food Trucks from 10:30-3:00 pm at Zearing Park after the ride! Featuring La Katrina Autentica and Little Tribe Woodfire on Wheels! Please visit their FB pages for menus! There will not be an end of ride meal served this year. 
  • Long haul riders are encouraged to start between 6:00-8:00 AM. Helmets required!
  • All other riders should start NO LATER than 9:00am. Helmets required!
  • All routes begin and end at Princeton’s beautiful Zearing Park, where volunteers will be around to greet you and welcome you back from your long adventures! 
  • We are encouraging you to do online registration before the event!
  • We will have walk up registration at the Friday night street concert from 5:30-7:30 pm and Saturday morning from 5:45-8:30am with limited support. It may take longer to get through registration, please as you are able register by midnight on Thursday, June 16th. This will help speed the process up!

Download the Ride with GPS app. Some routes subject to change closer to the ride date. 

MERCHANDISE!!

All Jerseys must be ordered by April 21st , in order to receive the jerseys by the ride! If ordered after that, you will have to wait to receive your jersey in the mail after the ride. 

All Tshirts must be ordered by Monday, June 6th in order to receive the Tshirts by the ride! If ordered after that date, you will have to wait to receive your Tshirt in the mail after the ride.

Socks can be ordered at any time and are first come first serve based on the amount we have in stock.

December 17, 2021

2022 Ride Survey

Please check out our link below and help us with our 2022 Ride! 

We will have a couple changes to our 2022 Ride and would like your input on these changes 🙂 

1) We have decided to change the date to June 18th, 2022!! 

2) Due to food shortages and volunteers for our event, we have decided to pivot to a NEW and fun option for our end of ride meal. We will have 3 different food trucks available. A variety of options. Mexican, Pizza, and Hot Dogs. The expense of the end of ride meal will be on the riders this year with this change of meal option. 

You can check out each Food Truck option on Facebook! 
La Katrina Autentica 
Dog House of LaSalle
Little Tribe Woodfire On Wheels 

3) The Routes will be a series of loops to connect to see different parts of Bureau County. You can stop midride or at the end to eat! 🙂 These will be posted on Ridewithgps.com once everything goes live on eventbrite.com!!!

Z Tour 2022 Survey Link 

May 4, 2021

Bingo Cards now available

Fill a Bingo card this year for some extra fun and be entered for a chance to win a 2022 Z Tour Bike Ride ticket!

There are two versions. Cards are available to download here:

Bingo Card 1

Bingo Card 2

April 11, 2021

2021 Registration is Live!

We are excited to announce that Z Tour registration for 2021 is now live!

Z Tour Ride 2021, “Virtually Anywhere,” is to support Zearing Child Enrichment Center in Princeton, Illinois. Visit zcec.org to get more information about the Child Care Program these funds support.

While this ride may look different than years past, we are excited to be able to offer some fun for our riders during these times!

Typically this ride is geared toward bicyclists. However, this year due to covid restrictions, we decided to open this up to all types of adventurers! Pick your distance and get active to show some love for Zearing Child Enrichment Center. Take it outdoors or keep it inside. Run, Walk, Bike, Kayak, or however else you exercise! Get together with a small group (socially distanced of course) or ‘go it alone!’ We have put together 2 different ways you can join us this year!

This year’s event will run between July 1 and July 17th, 2021. We will be featuring routes and distances to travel each weekend between July 1-July 17th. Please feel free to use any of the dates between July 1- July 17th to complete any adventure!

**Although we CANNOT hold our Z Tour Ride due to state mandates for events, if riders choose to come to Princeton the day of the Ride to enjoy the routes we have provided, we welcome you to our town**

1. SHOW AND GO- We know that the beautiful routes are a favorite for our riders, so we have prepared some routes to ride if you choose to come to Princeton, Illinois. You will find these at the links below! At this point, we do not plan to mark or sweep the routes, however, we may be able to provide this as the date gets closer! We will update as we know! Routes can be viewed here: www.ztour.org/routes

2. VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE- Ride any distance in your hometown or a favorite spot!

*Routes are subject to change as the date gets closer

*Routes will not be swept, marked, or have SAG support this year- please ride with caution.

2021 Ticket Options can be viewed and purchased here.

2021 Merchandise can be purchased here.

April 1, 2021

April Ride Update

We would like to announce that Z Tour Tickets will be going live SOON! Every ticket purchase receives a T-shirt. Design to be announced when tickets go live!

Z Tour’s Virtually Anywhere Ride is set to take place between July 1st-July 17th. Unfortunately, due to Illinois Department of Health guidelines, we are unable to offer SAG support, meals, and the End of Ride fun we have in previous years.

However, there are different ways you can help support ZCEC and Z Tour with this year’s ride.

Show and Go: Come to Princeton and ride the routes we will have listed when tickets go live. You will find places along the way to stop to refuel yourself. Bring your crew or go it alone!

Virtually: Get on a route close to you or get on a stationary bike and ride! Get a crew together or go it alone! You can choose to ride, walk, run, kayak, or whatever else you enjoy for exercise to support our program this year. We will feature different routes each weekend, but ride when and where you are able to between July 1st and July 17th!

Sponsorship Tickets: Details on this to come when Eventbrite goes live for ticket sales!

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February 25, 2021

We Are Going Virtual for 2021

We are going virtual for 2021! Details coming soon. Ride with us!

May 22, 2020

Announcement

Riders, supporters, and community members; The Z Tour will be postponed this year. After much deliberation the Z Tour steering committee has determined that postponing this year’s edition of the Z Tour is the safest course of action for all concerned. This was a very difficult decision and we will miss hosting our great rider friends, but health and safety are paramount. The ride will be back on the third weekend of July 2021 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Plans are already in the works. Again, this year’s Z Tour will be postponed until 2021.

In the meantime, we would like to invite riders to enjoy our wonderful Bureau County on an individual basis as each feels comfortable. Bureau County offers some of the most scenic and finest riding conditions in the midwest for any and all riders who would like to get out there and enjoy our beautiful riding here in the Princeton Illinois area. All riders are welcome to freely enjoy our friendly community as they feel safely able and guidelines allow. Watch our website and Facebook posts for suggested routes!

Here at Z tour, we are committed to two consistent goals: supporting the Zearing Child Enrichment Center and providing a ride of the highest quality and safety to you, our loyal cyclists.

So, as promised to our pre-registered participants, if you wish a full refund, we will send it, no questions asked. These are trying times and no one needs an extra hassle. If you would like to donate some, or all, of your registration fee, just let us know and we will make that happen with great appreciation.  Or, you might want to participate in our Super Early Bird Sign Up and use your entry toward next year’s special edition ride.  Again, just let us know and you’re in for 2021. Your satisfaction with the Z Tour experience is our highest priority. You can contact us with your decision at widmerl.zcec@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.

In the meantime we want you to stay connected with Z Tour and the greater cycling community. We will be posting information concerning our exciting plans for 2021, our fantastic “cycle supportive” community, and helpful hints and links all for your cycling enjoyment. Follow the developments at our web site and on Facebook. Whether you are a repeat rider or first time guest you are now one of the Z Tour community.

April 17, 2020

What Bike Should I Use For Each Route? (VIDEO)

Bill Schnabel, Director of the 2020 Z Tour, takes a visit to the Bike Place and answers the question, “What bike should I use for each route?”

April 8, 2020

Refund Policy & Dates

Z Tour riders, we understand the uncertainties that we are all feeling at this time, and that pre-registering for an event that might or might not be held will be tough. To do our part to help relieve some small part of the anxiety, we would like to clearly state our new COVID-19 “inspired” refund policy and dates. We hope this will help you feel more confident about committing to the ride and more comfortable registering.

In the event that the Z Tour is postponed or canceled or that any individual cannot attend for any reason, full refunds will be granted to any registered participant if the request is received by midnight on July 1st. Three options will be offered on the registration site for your refund:

A. Full refund to any registered rider (the total of your registration fee is returned, no questions asked)

B. Partial refund with a donation of $10. (the balance of your fee is returned minus a $10 donation to the Zearing Child Enrichment Center)

C. Donation of $10 only. We would gratefully welcome, of course, larger donations and appreciate your support of the children served at the Zearing Child Enrichment Center. Please see our website to make a donation.

D. If you have placed an order for merchandise, and you would like a refund, please email us at ztourinfo@gmail.com in order to begin this process.

Simply click your choice and follow any prompts and the money will move. Thank you.

We hope this solution will help alleviate some of the uncertainty concerning your participation in the event. Set yourself a goal, and register now, without the monetary risk! We want this ride to be one of your best biking experiences, before, during, and after! See you the third weekend in July in beautiful, historic, friendly Princeton, Illinois. Stay safe, stay positive, and stay healthy!

Very sincerely,

Bill Schnabel, Z Tour Director 2020

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