Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duppie on September 3, 2014 at 3:04pm

One final bump. Any takers?

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on September 3, 2014 at 3:43pm

If you get any action, I have one available as well. Perhaps a pair of complimentary Four Star Bike Tour entries will be more attractive. Hmmmm?

Duppie said:

One final bump. Any takers?

Permalink Reply by Gary on September 4, 2014 at 1:52am

Just have to go about a 1/4 mile west thru busy mall traffic to the first underpass and go south on South Holland Ave and Princeton to 88th St. You can go safely thru this side street to Dan Ryan Woods.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 4, 2014 at 3:45am

If you take Gary's suggestion and use 88th to go west to Dan Ryan Woods, that IS a nice quiet side street.  However, crossings at major streets like Halsted, Vincennes and Ashland are a bit challenging. Probably not bad early in the morning, but they would require some caution in late morning/early afternoon.  If you take 88th all the way across, the street will end at Beverly, and the Major Taylor Trail will be just across the intersection. Turn right (north) on the trail and follow it across 87th. Continue on the trail across a bridge (83rd St.). Just before the northernmost point of the trail, you'll see a right turn. Take that and follow it until you reach the parking lot/end of trail. Your rest stop location is close to the trailhead.

Slight modification to get you to the 4 Star rest stop location more directly - cross 87th/Lafayette and go through the giant strip mall. You may want to ride on sidewalk to get past viaduct unless traffic is really light. After viaduct, there is a side drive (brief boulevard section of 87th St.) until Halsted. Go north on Halsted (bike lanes start at 85th), then west (left) on 83rd. Continue on 83rd past Damen. Towards Western, you will see a Dan Ryan Woods sign and driveway on your right. Go into that driveway. Your rest stop location is at the edge of that parking lot.

I don't recommend returning by the same route, as traffic on 87th is likely to be nasty. Go east on 83rd to Halsted, then north (left) on Halsted. Go east (right) on 81st past Vincennes to Stewart. Go right (south) on Stewart past 83rd. Stewart becomes service drive at back of Walmart. Continue until it ends, then turn east on 85th.  You have 2 options from here: continue east on 85th to Lafayette (Dan Ryan ramp traffic), then south to 87th OR take 85th to Holland, then south on Holland, and east on or along 87th. I hate to recommend sidewalk or mall parking lot riding, but it's the best survival option for that section of 87th in late morning/early afternoon traffic going towards the red line.

Gary said:

Just have to go about a 1/4 mile west thru busy mall traffic to the first underpass and go south on South Holland Ave and Princeton to 88th St. You can go safely thru this side street to Dan Ryan Woods.

Permalink Reply by Gary on September 4, 2014 at 4:34am

I would take the entry but give it up to Anne. She did finish off the route to the rest spot since I wasn't sure where that was going to be. She also has a good route back but crossing over Halsted, Ashland and Vincennes is ok early Sunday morning, just be careful of course!

Anne Alt said:

If you take Gary's suggestion and use 88th to go west to Dan Ryan Woods, that IS a nice quiet side street.  However, crossings at major streets like Halsted, Vincennes and Ashland are a bit challenging. Probably not bad early in the morning, but they would require some caution in late morning/early afternoon.  If you take 88th all the way across, the street will end at Beverly, and the Major Taylor Trail will be just across the intersection. Turn right (north) on the trail and follow it across 87th. Continue on the trail across a bridge (83rd St.). Just before the northernmost point of the trail, you'll see a right turn. Take that and follow it until you reach the parking lot/end of trail. Your rest stop location is close to the trailhead.

Slight modification to get you to the 4 Star rest stop location more directly - cross 87th/Lafayette and go through the giant strip mall. You may want to ride on sidewalk to get past viaduct unless traffic is really light. After viaduct, there is a side drive (brief boulevard section of 87th St.) until Halsted. Go north on Halsted (bike lanes start at 85th), then west (left) on 83rd. Continue on 83rd past Damen. Towards Western, you will see a Dan Ryan Woods sign and driveway on your right. Go into that driveway. Your rest stop location is at the edge of that parking lot.

I don't recommend returning by the same route, as traffic on 87th is likely to be nasty. Go east on 83rd to Halsted, then north (left) on Halsted. Go east (right) on 81st past Vincennes to Stewart. Go right (south) on Stewart past 83rd. Stewart becomes service drive at back of Walmart. Continue until it ends, then turn east on 85th.  You have 2 options from here: continue east on 85th to Lafayette (Dan Ryan ramp traffic), then south to 87th OR take 85th to Holland, then south on Holland, and east on or along 87th. I hate to recommend sidewalk or mall parking lot riding, but it's the best survival option for that section of 87th in late morning/early afternoon traffic going towards the red line.

Gary said:

Just have to go about a 1/4 mile west thru busy mall traffic to the first underpass and go south on South Holland Ave and Princeton to 88th St. You can go safely thru this side street to Dan Ryan Woods.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 4, 2014 at 4:57am

Gary - I was just offering the suggestion to be helpful.  You are welcome to the entry, as I will be managing the Pullman rest stop and not doing the ride. If you do the 43 or 62 route, please say hi when you get to Pullman.

Gary said:

I would take the entry but give it up to Anne. She did finish off the route to the rest spot since I wasn't sure where that was going to be. She also has a good route back but crossing over Halsted, Ashland and Vincennes is ok early Sunday morning, just be careful of course!

Anne Alt said:

If you take Gary's suggestion and use 88th to go west to Dan Ryan Woods, that IS a nice quiet side street.  However, crossings at major streets like Halsted, Vincennes and Ashland are a bit challenging. Probably not bad early in the morning, but they would require some caution in late morning/early afternoon.  If you take 88th all the way across, the street will end at Beverly, and the Major Taylor Trail will be just across the intersection. Turn right (north) on the trail and follow it across 87th. Continue on the trail across a bridge (83rd St.). Just before the northernmost point of the trail, you'll see a right turn. Take that and follow it until you reach the parking lot/end of trail. Your rest stop location is close to the trailhead.

Slight modification to get you to the 4 Star rest stop location more directly - cross 87th/Lafayette and go through the giant strip mall. You may want to ride on sidewalk to get past viaduct unless traffic is really light. After viaduct, there is a side drive (brief boulevard section of 87th St.) until Halsted. Go north on Halsted (bike lanes start at 85th), then west (left) on 83rd. Continue on 83rd past Damen. Towards Western, you will see a Dan Ryan Woods sign and driveway on your right. Go into that driveway. Your rest stop location is at the edge of that parking lot.

I don't recommend returning by the same route, as traffic on 87th is likely to be nasty. Go east on 83rd to Halsted, then north (left) on Halsted. Go east (right) on 81st past Vincennes to Stewart. Go right (south) on Stewart past 83rd. Stewart becomes service drive at back of Walmart. Continue until it ends, then turn east on 85th.  You have 2 options from here: continue east on 85th to Lafayette (Dan Ryan ramp traffic), then south to 87th OR take 85th to Holland, then south on Holland, and east on or along 87th. I hate to recommend sidewalk or mall parking lot riding, but it's the best survival option for that section of 87th in late morning/early afternoon traffic going towards the red line.

Gary said:

Just have to go about a 1/4 mile west thru busy mall traffic to the first underpass and go south on South Holland Ave and Princeton to 88th St. You can go safely thru this side street to Dan Ryan Woods.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on September 4, 2014 at 5:12am

And we have a taker for both Kevin's and my free entry: Gary!