Albany Park cyclists?

Hey y'all,

Just moved to AP from Rogers Park and looking for other AP cyclists or route suggestions. I became way too comfortable just hopping on the lakefront path which seems to get more dangerous each summer anyway. Thoughts? I'm not the only AP cyclist, am I?

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Permalink Reply by Michael A on June 7, 2012 at 2:42pm

Where in Albany park are you? There is a trail that runs north along kedzie/mccormick , and you may not be too far to jump on elston and take that to the NBT

Permalink Reply by Joza 7 miles on June 7, 2012 at 5:35pm
Welcome to Albany Park.
Elston is an ugly way to get downtown but it works. I'm going to start taking Wilson to Lincoln just to have something else to look at.
Permalink Reply by Dana on June 8, 2012 at 2:00am

I tried the North Shore Channel Trail last night and wasn't thrilled about it.  There were lots of parks and fields along the way, with games going on, and lots of people out walking it.  It isn't too wide, and the underpasses are pretty sketchy (in my opinion).  I think I would stay off that.  I ended up riding on California up to Evanston.

I love the North Branch Trail - looking for the easiest way to get there, too.



Michael A said:

Where in Albany park are you? There is a trail that runs north along kedzie/mccormick , and you may not be too far to jump on elston and take that to the NBT

Permalink Reply by Art Gilfand on June 8, 2012 at 2:47am

Don't forget about the continuous bike path starting in River Park at the river and Argyle heading north along the North Shore Channel through Legion Park all the way to Granville and Kedzie with bridges under the east west streets.  It's a fun ride through the parks and makes an easy connection to the trails along McCormick Blvd. starting at Devon.

There are some fun bike trails along the river at Eugene Field Park.

Permalink Reply by magomawe on June 8, 2012 at 3:43am

I live in AP and typically take Wilson to Lincoln to Wells as my downtown route.  Bikers are much more easy going than Milwaukee Ave - which I used to live off of.  For a good 30 mile loop you can use both the North Shore Channel and North Branch trail.  

Go north on the North Shore Channel trail which is only slightly populated south of Lincoln Ave and pretty open there after.  Take the North Shore Channel trail to Green Bay road and meet up with the Green Bay Trail.  Continue north until you hit Lake Cook Road, if you take that west it will bring you to the Botanical Gardens.  From there you can take the North Branch Trail south to Elston.  From there I take a bunch of side streets through the neighborhoods to get to Wilson and continue on that east to AP - but a simpler east route could be Lawrence if you go when traffic isn't terrible.

Permalink Reply by Dana on June 8, 2012 at 3:46am

What's the best route to the LFP, if I choose that poison?  I'm near Albany and Argyle and I was thinking California to Foster?  Is that a good east/west street?

I generally ride north, rather than south.  I'm not commuting downtown too often, but those suggestions are definitely helpful should I ever venture downtown via bike.

Thanks so far!!

Permalink Reply by magomawe on June 8, 2012 at 4:01am

There are a lot of one ways in between Lawrence and Foster Ave.  These are great for biking, but you can easily run into a one way running the wrong way if you are unsure of your way.  As you go a few times you'll be able to find a route you can remember, but going east would be Argyle until California go a block north to Winnemac and you can take that the rest of the way if you use bike paths through Winnemac park.  Once you hit Broadway you'll have to go back on Argyle.  

Otherwise a busy way is Lawrence.  Wilson is a few blocks south and is a simple way, though tight at some parts.  If you want north of Foster, Balmoral can be a good route but you can't jump on that until you get east of Western.  

I wouldn't recommend Foster though,  there are parts where people really pretend they are still on LSD.  

Permalink Reply by Dana on June 8, 2012 at 4:05am

Thanks for the recommendation.  I will def stay away from Foster.  I may try the Winnemac route today - summer hours, yippee!

Permalink Reply by E L V on June 8, 2012 at 7:38am

Look for the Sauganash Trail.  Paved portion starts at Bryn Mawr, 1/2 mile west of Pulaski.  You can take it North to Devon and then take Devon 1.5 miles west to hook up with the North Branch Trail.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on June 8, 2012 at 8:20am

Take Lawrence east (bike lane) to Lincoln, then south to Sunnyside, then east to almost, but not quite, the lakefront.  The rest of the way go up to Foster or south to Montrose.



Dana said:

What's the best route to the LFP, if I choose that poison?  I'm near Albany and Argyle and I was thinking California to Foster?  Is that a good east/west street?

Permalink Reply by JeffB on June 8, 2012 at 8:22am

Leland is great, and Wilson is my second choice (although traffic is a little up on Leland since they closed Wilson for construction at the metra line).  Take California south to Lawrence, turn left and make a very quick right on Virginia, turn left on Leland and take that almost all the way to the lake (take Sheridan to Wilson to complete the connection).  FYI, Leland has a brief break at Lincoln just east of Western; just turn right on Lincoln and make a quick left on Leland to continue.  Its pretty much all quiet and residential from Virginia to Sheridan.

h' said:

Good stuff, agree; although I also would end up on Leland kind of a lot when I lived near Western/Lawrence and rode to the lakefront frequently.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on June 8, 2012 at 8:42am

I dislike this trail.  I'm sure its nice for the neighborhood, but it seems like a waste of resources given that its so short and it ends on the north at an unpleasant stretch of Devon.  To get to the North Branch, I'd rather follow the path marked on the city bike map that winds through the wide, quiet neighborhood streets

Eli Varol said:

Look for the Sauganash Trail.  Paved portion starts at Bryn Mawr, 1/2 mile west of Pulaski.  You can take it North to Devon and then take Devon 1.5 miles west to hook up with the North Branch Trail.

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