LFP CAUTION! 9/30/11! Lots of Water!

Lakefront Path at Oak Street curve (just South of Oak Street Beach) has waves pushing up to the wall (as in, no getting around it).  Be careful.  I had water pushing up to the bottom of my frame for much of the curve.

At the time, it was still rideable.  If you decide to go that route, be patient.  My advice is to avoid and go to streets at Oak Street.

Also, just South of Fullerton, have to take the high path and was very crowded with runners and bikers and there was even standing water on the high path.

 

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Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on September 30, 2011 at 4:44am
You should have seen the waves crashing just south of the Fullerton rocks - some were large enough to actually reach that "raised" path directly adjacent to LSD!
Permalink Reply by Joe TV on September 30, 2011 at 4:46am

PHOTO OF THE YEAR!! it's right now on the top of the chicagotribune.com.

 

Photo credit: Brent Lewis, Chicago Tribune.

 

Permalink Reply by Mark on September 30, 2011 at 4:48am
A good friend of mine was hit by a wave at Fullerton and went down.  He and is bike are OK, but his pannier was swept out into the Lake.  Be careful out there.  The lower path at Fullerton can look clear, but the waves today are CRAZY!
Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on September 30, 2011 at 4:54am
Yeah, that was worse than I've ever seen it & I've been using the LFP for decades.  My bike ended up upside down on the seat!  I'm grateful for my toe-clips, having a foot stuck in one kept me from being washed into the lake - 95% of my total falls as a cyclist have been on that stretch thanks to the slope & black ice and waves. 
Permalink Reply by Steve Courtright on September 30, 2011 at 4:56am
Yeah, a friend of mine broke a hip there due to the winter ice.  He is riding well now, happily.  That is a bad stretch.  Glad you are ok.

Carter O'Brien said:
Yeah, that was worse than I've ever seen it & I've been using the LFP for decades.  My bike ended up upside down on the seat!  I'm grateful for my toe-clips, having a foot stuck in one kept me from being washed into the lake - 95% of my total falls as a cyclist have been on that stretch thanks to the slope & black ice and waves. 
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on September 30, 2011 at 5:38am

I love it when the lake does that.

 

It was funny but not to see that runner fall over but you have to know that area does this a lot.

Permalink Reply by igz on September 30, 2011 at 7:34am
S.M.H.
Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on September 30, 2011 at 9:21am
Wow...that guy rescued his bike, by what it seemed, about a foot from the lake! Very lucky, I guess.
Permalink Reply by Tim S on September 30, 2011 at 10:12am
Crazy video for sure.
Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on September 30, 2011 at 1:54pm

That video was incredibly entertaining and was the perfect ending to a hard week.

 

My heart goes out to those who were caught up in this mess (riders and runners alike) but hey, you take a risk in this kind of weather heading out that close to the lake...


 

Scott H said:

I hope no one got seriously injured; but the video was a bit entertaining.
Permalink Reply by S.Presley☠ on September 30, 2011 at 3:29pm
Hope everyone was OK...those on the LFP today are Hard core.
Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on October 1, 2011 at 3:24am

The problem I have with second-guessing is that once you go that route there's really no end to it.  I'm not adding 10 minutes to my commute any time there's water washing on the shore, that's a major chunk of the year & a massive hassle.  I've ridden that stretch a thousand times (edited - "thousands" is certainly hyperbole!), and yesterday was by far the worst I've ever seen it - and even with the waves, if it wasn't for the two delicate joggers right in front of me hopping around trying to keep their feet dry I very well might have made it.  Slowing down and swerving to avoid them screwed up my timing, cost me my momentum, and so when I got blindsided (I got hit my a monster that came in on an angle from behind me) I didn't have a prayer.  All that said, a few bruises & I'm none the worse for wear.  Bike got a clean bill of health as well!  I *love* the cyclist quoted at the end here:

 

http://www.nbcchicago.com/video/#!/news/top-stories/10-Foot-Lakefront-Waves-Up-Close/130862588

 

"What we have here is a supreme opportunity for one to test their cycling skills" - LOL!!!!

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