Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Garz on July 26, 2008 at 5:33pm

becareful on Lake st -- thats kind of a rough section of the west side....

Permalink Reply by evanK on July 28, 2008 at 5:20pm

I've ridden Lake, and it doesn't feel totally safe--and right now it's all torn up.

From the North side, I used to take Augusta but now prefer Division. Division is better if you ride a little faster, say 16-20, so as to act more like a car.

Permalink Reply by Eric B on July 29, 2008 at 5:03am

grand to oak park ave works pretty well...i've been doing it for 4 years now.

Permalink Reply by llaves on July 29, 2008 at 6:27am

I rode out Division a while back... just don't do it at night and bring a pump in case you pop a tired in order to get the hell outta there. It gets a bit scketch past Cicero up to Austin. Division got resurfaced maybe 2 years ago so it isn't as bad as Lake.

And as for Lake... are they resurfacing finally???? That road has been a mess for so damn long.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 27, 2009 at 6:53am

From the north side, I've often used Wrightwood going west from Logan Square. That's all residential and the street does a few N-S jogs at major streets. Not a speed route, but no major hassles.

You can take it all the way west to Riis Park, and cut through to Narragansett, then go south. In recent years, that's been mostly good except for the last few blocks before North Ave. Don't know if they've fixed that part.

If you want to ride fast for a while, turn left (south) on Cicero and go south to St. Paul (2nd right turn after Grand (underpass at viaduct). Do NOT take this route if you want to go less than 15 mph. Traffic on Cicero tends to go fast here. Go 2 blocks west, then 1 block north to Bloomingdale. This street also takes a few N-S jogs. It's a mix of residential and industrial and tends to be fairly quiet. Stick with Bloomingdale all the way to Narragansett, or to Oak Park Ave. Either street has a stoplight at North Ave. for easy access south into Oak Park.

I haven't ridden either version in the current pothole season, so I can't vouch for road conditions. Either version is a bit quieter than Lake, Augusta or Division. The Bloomingdale version has several parks.

Permalink Reply by Jan on January 27, 2009 at 7:44am

I second both of Anne's routes. When I lived in Oak Park Wrightwood was the street I took to get to get up and back between home and Grand and Cicero. Now that I live in westown I take Wabansia west to work and then if I'm continuing out to Oak Park I take Anne's Bloomingdale route. I have used all of the major east/west streets through the west side to get there at one time or another and I don't advise them for the faint of heart.

Jan

Permalink Reply by heather s on January 27, 2009 at 8:52am

I'm interested in knowing why your colleague likes that route... I took Lake from Ogden all the way to Oak Park once two summers ago, and continue to remember it as one of the worst rides of my life, in terms of my personal safety and road quality.

I agree with EvanK that Division is the best way to go... Augusta is the city's 'recommended route' but there are a lot of stop signs and lights.

Permalink Reply by Calvin on January 27, 2009 at 8:55am

I can't say I've tried too many routes, but I do use different ones depending on time of day and whether I'm alone or with a group. There's a commuter group (westsidecommuters on Yahoo! Groups!) that I sometimes ride home with, from Fulton and Green, to Francisco, south to Lake, then Lake to O.P. Lake is a bit rough, so when I'm by myself, I'll second Eric B, with the Grand all the way to O.P. Avenue. When I'm heading home from the north side, after 10pm-ish, I often find myself within striking distance of North Ave or Armitage or even Diversey. All of these are pretty decent to take straight out to O.P. Ave. North is annoyingly busy during rush hour and on weekends, but it is in decent repair and late at night, with good lighting, I have not had a problem. On weekend pleasure rides to Andersonville, I've also taken Addison much of the way and that seemed fine, though I haven't taken it in the current pothole season.

My morning route is further south. I've taken it home, too and it isn't too bad. I use Harrison (east of Kedzie) and Congress Parkway (west of Kedzie). However, I didn't discover it until the weather had turned...I don't know how it will be in the summer. My main complaint about the "recommended" bike route on Madison St. is that there is a *lot* of jaywalking and double parking on Madison (ironically, due in part to the bike lane I think) and it makes full awareness of one's surroundings nearly impossible. Also, I heard from a member of westsidecommuters that his friend was punched by a pedestrian somewhere along there.

O.P. Ave is currently in better repair than Narragansett.

Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on January 27, 2009 at 10:25am

The oral surgeon I used to get my wisdom teeth out was in Oak Park and I just rode out there on Friday to get the stiches out. I came from Lincoln Square and rode down California to Augusta, to Oak Park Avenue. The office was right by the Green line stop. I actually opted not to bike back to downtown and I rode the train in to save time and and I didn't feel completely comfortable when I had biked to downtown before.

I enjoy riding on California , though it's a little confusing at first to get through Ravenswood Manor. As for Augusta....there were lots of potholes, but I liked that the traffic was light and I never felt pushed off of the road.

When i did the ride in September for my consultation, I used this route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2233673">http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2233673 Basically I went straight down Washington/Warren. There were lots of potholes/glass on the road, but it was pretty fast.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 27, 2009 at 12:57pm

Whichever E-W street you take through Austin, be careful and keep your eyes and ears open, especially on Lake, in Columbus Park, and around Washington/Central. Many of these sections are rideable in daytime with extra awareness of one's surroundings, but I don't know that I'd want to ride there after dark without plenty of company.

Permalink Reply by Jim "Niterider" on January 27, 2009 at 6:23pm

Bad things can happen to good people anywhere! Biking brings out this when you are on a bike riding. You can become a victim real quick. No steel around you, no gas pedal to step on if something should happen. What you call awarness is "urban discipline" BK. You have to have this when riding in big cities in order to be aware of the area you are in if something should happen. How one reacts can determine if you get an ass-whipping or not being messed with. Until you have enough of these experinces you run the risk of being robbed, raped, beaten, and or killed.
If you are female, tripple the chance of being assulted. One must act confident, go about your business, act like you belong in the area, do not talk to stranges, approach cars or vans. Never act like you are lost or confussed. Treat people with respect also, they will have no cause to mess with you. When in doubt, keep riding until you are in an area you know. Something else to all riders, write down and keep a list of police stations in the areas you ride in, and local cop hang outs for coffee breaks. If something does happen to you, get to one of these areas and do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I have had plenty of bad things happen to me while riding and have learned from these experiences. I try to relate these items so other riders do not have to learn first hand getting stabbed, shot, beat up, robbed, whatever! Bad neighborhoods are all over depending on what can be observed first hand as to what belongs and what does not belong in the area. Be careful and be safe. Jim

Permalink Reply by Vondo on January 27, 2009 at 7:11pm

I agree 100 percent. On a bike one is more of an easy target to potential threats. There is nothing wrong with realizing that some areas are better suited for riding than others. I remember riding from my house in Little Village to grant park when I first started really riding. I took Ogden from Pulaski to Roosevelt and then headed east from there. I took this route about 5 or 6 times and each time I would get yelled at and even on one occasion had rocks thrown when I rode by from pedestrians. Now I take 26th street east through little village to ashland, ashland to roosevelt and then east to the lakefront. It is slower and not as direct, but a lot more pleasurable. Ideally, we should be able to go wherever whenever, but that's not the case. Be aware and be cautious, cycling is the most fun when you feel safe and comfortable. Everyone might not have the same experience I did, but I found the solution that works best for me.

Jim said:

Bad things can happen to good people anywhere! Biking brings out this when you are on a bike riding. You can become a victim real quick. No steel around you, no gas pedal to step on if something should happen. What you call awarness is "urban discipline" BK. You have to have this when riding in big cities in order to be aware of the area you are in if something should happen. How one reacts can determine if you get an ass-whipping or not being messed with. Until you have enough of these experinces you run the risk of being robbed, raped, beaten, and or killed.
If you are female, tripple the chance of being assulted. One must act confident, go about your business, act like you belong in the area, do not talk to stranges, approach cars or vans. Never act like you are lost or confussed. Treat people with respect also, they will have no cause to mess with you. When in doubt, keep riding until you are in an area you know. Something else to all riders, write down and keep a list of police stations in the areas you ride in, and local cop hang outs for coffee breaks. If something does happen to you, get to one of these areas and do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I have had plenty of bad things happen to me while riding and have learned from these experiences. I try to relate these items so other riders do not have to learn first hand getting stabbed, shot, beat up, robbed, whatever! Bad neighborhoods are all over depending on what can be observed first hand as to what belongs and what does not belong in the area. Be careful and be safe. Jim

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