Chicago Trip Help

So in a week today on the 22nd of June I'll be going to Chicago for two days with my sister and friends. I'm the only one riding and boy do I plan on riding. The moment I get off the train I'll be riding to the hotel, to the destinations, and more. I have a couple questions for you guys though. First off, what should I do and should I not do when riding in Chicago? Secondly, what are some places I should visit or street's I should ride? I'm riding a fixed gear with a front break. I want to hear the thoughts on the first one from both safe and more dangerous riders. To hear both sides. All help would be super helpful.

Here's a picture of the bike by the way. This was when I finished the work on the frame and wheels. It's a little worn now though.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on June 15, 2015 at 2:47am

Agree that riding Milwaukee northwest from downtown around 5:30 on a weeknight would be an "authentic" Chicago biking experience.

 

If you want to get in some miles, it would be fun to ride the lakepath south to Hyde Park, have lunch in Hyde Park (perhaps at Z&H) and check out the UChicago campus, then ride back north on the lakepath. The view of downtown coming from the south on the lakepath is probably the best view there is.

 

On the same day or a different day, you could also ride north on the lakepath to Uptown/Edgewater and explore from there. Along Clark St., just a bit west of where the lakepath drops you off, is Andersonville, which has some nice street life.

 

Agree with the suggestion to find some food destinations and chart your route via Google Maps in advance.

 

Some suggestions that would give you some decent miles:

 

-La Chapparita, in Little Village

-18th St in Pilsen

-Teresa II polish restaurant, in Jefferson Park (could take Milwaukee the whole way)

 

If you like trail riding you could take Elston way way northwest to meet up with the North Branch trail. The North Branch trail could take you all the way to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. Biking there and back would give you about 50 miles I believe.

 

The North Channel Trail is another option; you have to stop occasionally to wait for the light at big suburban cross-streets, but it would take you up toward Evanston, where you could check out the Northwestern campus/area.

 

Could be worth riding Clark St north (it's one-way south downtown but becomes two-way a bit north of downtown) to pass by Wrigley Field at 3600 N, just to see it.

 

Happy riding! Would be interested to hear what you end up doing and your thoughts on the trip.

Permalink Reply by Joshua Lowery on June 15, 2015 at 6:53am

Isn't there a shop on Milwaukee that people love?

Permalink Reply by grayn8 on June 15, 2015 at 7:03am
There's lots of shops and depending on your age Bars and Breweries.
Permalink Reply by Rich S on June 15, 2015 at 7:10am

If you mean bike shop then the Bike Lane just west of Western might be the one you're thinking of. 

There's a group that does Monday Night Rides. Here's a link to their fb page:

https://www.facebook.com/MondayNightRideChicago?ref=br_rs

Other than that the best suggestion I could make is to, rather than try to check out the whole city, choose several neighborhoods and explore! 

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 16, 2015 at 3:38pm

Ancien is on Milwaukee as well. Nice space and they are quite friendly. Worth a visit.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on June 16, 2015 at 7:21am

There is a free concert series at 

Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park
Michigan and Randolph
and on Monday, June 22 - 6:30pm the line up is:
Active Child/Matt Ulery's In the Ivory

I'm not recommending the bands as I've never heard of them, but the series is a pretty great thing the City is doing to showcase some new music, and it is free and the Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park are pretty awesome (you can't actually ride in the park, but there is a lot of bike parking). And it is close to the above-mentioned Lakefront Trail.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on June 16, 2015 at 8:41am

If the bike has a front break riding it would be unwise. If you have minimal brakes plan way ahead if you're going to be in traffic which can be heavy and unpredictable. I'll cast another vote for the lake front; it's about 9.5 miles to the north end from downtown and it's an experience you can't have biking in many cities. Don't be one of those shoaling jerks on the streets and everything should be fine.

For specific places in the city take a look at Google Maps with the biking overlay. It's pretty good.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on June 16, 2015 at 3:40pm

Riding on the lakefront during the week is pretty great and the view is lovely. You can also visit beaches along the way. 

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