While I was working the
Boulevard Lakefront Tour rest stop in Riverside recently, I had a great conversation with the village administrator. She was excited to see so many cyclists enjoying a ride in Riverside and said that the village wants to encourage more cyclists to visit. They recognize that most people who don't live in or near Riverside find it difficult to navigate, and they want to make it easier.
She mentioned that they're phasing in a bike plan, with some marked routes and bike lanes, with future plans to link to the expanded Salt Creek Trail. Go to
this page and look for the Riverside Bicycle Plan link in the middle of the list on the right side. The bike plan map makes navigation a little easier, and the recommended routes are excellent ones.
If you want to visit Riverside on your own, they have some
information online. If you're there and looking for places to eat or get coffee, there are a few good places
on Burlington east of the water tower and Metra station. It's a beautiful, low-traffic place to ride, with plenty of green space along the river that's perfect for a picnic.