Most Bike Un-Friendly Streets

Here are my personal unfavorites for street riding. Please share your most disliked streets and routes for new/existing riders.

-Addison between clark and damen (hellacious potholes, little scary tiny rocks)
-Western (self-explanatory)
-Wrigleyville before/during/after a cubs game
-Division (between elston and ashland, ghost bike installed there for a reason)
-Irving Park Rd (I got pushed so far into the parked cars by traffic I took out a sideview mirror with my fist riding a CRUISER)

Anyone else?
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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dawn on September 24, 2008 at 7:33am

—Ashland is hellacious to ride on, especially up north. I've had people yell at me to get off the road.
—There's a segment of Ridge crossing Clark up north that's tough to navigate. Generally, it's hard to get to the Target on Peterson from my location in Edgewater. If anyone has a good route, I'm all for it!

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Permalink Reply by Abby on September 24, 2008 at 7:40am

...LaSalle and Michigan Ave during rush hour are pretty dangermouse. Those double buses are crazy to maneuver around sometimes when their front is pulled over but their a$$ is out in the middle of the lane.

also the part of Grand going west from the river is pothole heaven. I think I could be swallowed whole on some parts of that road...

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Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on September 24, 2008 at 8:34am

M.A.R.K. said:

The loop, anywhere.. Coooommmmmmeeee ooooonnnnn congestion tax.

Am I the only person that enjoys riding downtown?

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Permalink Reply by Ammo on September 24, 2008 at 8:54am

Possibly. It scares the bejesus out of me.

envane x said:

M.A.R.K. said:
The loop, anywhere.. Coooommmmmmeeee ooooonnnnn congestion tax.

Am I the only person that enjoys riding downtown?

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Permalink Reply by Jim Behymer on September 24, 2008 at 9:31am

I ride through the loop all the time. You definitely have to watch yourself.

As far as bad stretches of pavement, on Grand Ave. just east of Halsted the pavement is ridiculously bumpy and overpatched. I don't often have to ride there, just head that way sometimes to pick up some carryout for lunch (Italian sub at Bari, hell yeah) and though it's only a short stretch of road that's bad, it's REALLY bad.

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Permalink Reply by L. Jerome on September 24, 2008 at 11:12am

definitely ditto on ashland - and any street where cars love to speed up to 40+ because they have the distance to do so - wizzing past and honking or yelling because you aren't doing the same - then of course they hit the brakes and sit at red lights waiting for us to roll up next to them anyway - gotta laugh when it's a fool in a porsche/bmw/etc revving his/her engine to get up speed yet can't beat a bike through town

"bikes are the fastest way to get around the city if you don't have a helicopter"

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on September 24, 2008 at 3:08pm

LFP, oh LFP.

I once was going south on the path around Oak Street Beach doing 10-15. This couple was walking south on my right with a baby carriage, and this should-not-be dad turned the carriage onto the path without even looking back or making any kind of signal. Good thing my brakes were well-adjusted that day.

Video_Drome said:

I totally feel that Addison between clark and damen is a death wish for innertubes.

And on a cubs day, u can literally spray paint a line a mile long down all the parked busses.

now even though they're un favorite streets, i always enjoy a challenge ;)

Wrigleyville is nutty, but even nuttier if u drive and have to find parking.

How about the LFP? can we say death trap? atleast on a sunday or saturday or any nice day for that matter.

Downtown is hectic, espeically Chicago Ave right past Larabee. lots of construction.

And cicero ave. that street takes the cake!

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on September 24, 2008 at 3:12pm

I second that. It's been a lot shadier in years past. Though I've never been hassled going down Broadway which I do regularly to get onto Halsted (yay bike lane!).

Chucko said:

Ammo said:
Wilson is horrible east of western as well. Gotta watch it for pigeon crap and crackheads trying to steal your bike. (By broadway that is)

Ha! Yeah, that intersection of Wilson and Broadway has always been interesting. It's gotten a lot better in the past few years though. Still, you're right, even though the city has it posted as a "preferred cycling route" it's definitely less than preferred in a lot of places.

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Permalink Reply by Chris on September 24, 2008 at 3:33pm

I ride through the loop everyday and its just like anywhere else, you gotta use your instincts when you ride. keep your eyes more than peeled and most importantly take your lane!

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Permalink Reply by Ammo on September 25, 2008 at 6:12am

Wells again... in between lincoln and north has now torn out some nice huge square patches of street conveniently in the bike lane. Nothing serious, but enough to give you a nice bronco bump.