Favorite Bike Routes (not for work or errands)?

I'm curious where you all like to bike when you don't have to work. Exploratory biking we could call it.

My favorite route is riding from my house in Ravenswood to The Chicago Botanic Gardens on the North Branch of the Chicago River through Sauganash and the Skokie lagoons.

I did do some exploring of the city's borders this summer on John Greenfield's Perimeter Ride which was amazing...

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Permalink Reply by Ian on November 7, 2008 at 2:52am
If I want a 50min. ride at night, from Bucktown, down Clybourn, left at willow, continue east on Eugenie, through Lincoln Park, LFP south past aquarium, around the planetarium (Best view of the city!) and back. For a longer ride in the morning, I will continue south and loop around Promontory Point. Of course the best times to ride the LFP are very early am or after 8p.
Permalink Reply by justJason on November 7, 2008 at 4:17am
This is my route to the North Branch Trail. I take Granville to Kedzie, head north on Kedzie 'til Devon. Then go west on Devon until the McCormick sidewalk path to Pratt. I then take Pratt to Central (or sometimes cut through the ritzy neighborhood a couple of blocks before) to Devon. Then it's only a couple of blocks west to the trail. If I do that loop, it nets me about 15 miles. If I go all the way to the Botanic Gardens, it's a nice, proper long ride. :-)

That being said, sometimes I have to really summon the wherewithal to take that circuitous, traffic laden route. But once I hit that trail, it makes it all worth it!
Permalink Reply by JC on November 7, 2008 at 7:32am
There's two great rides I've been on lately, one that goes down Ogden (early on weekend mornings) that winds its way down around to Argonne National Labratory and Willow Springs, there's some nice rolling hills, winding roads and lots of trees! The other ride is down to Calumet Park, take the lake shore path all the way down to 79th, cross over the Calumet River then wind your way to 95th and the entrance to the park.
Permalink Reply by Anne on November 10, 2008 at 11:10am
A great place to map your route is here: www.mapmyride.com
Permalink Reply by Chucko on November 10, 2008 at 11:13am
I ride the North Branch Trail and the North Shore Channel Trail to work, so that rules them out...I do really enjoy the lakefront path in the winter when no one else is on it.
Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on November 11, 2008 at 7:03am
for exploring, i like the abandoned factories/industrial wasteland north of the indiana toll road east of say calumet ave in hammond and west of like cline ave or the gary airport.. the north boundary being the lake of course..

within that theres a couple of cool spots i like to hit:
1, the spiral ramp at the horseshoe casino parking garage. (dont do it without brakes)
2, in the early summer i like to go see the wild orchids at the tank farm, and im not gonna publicly tell anyone where that is.

other good rides include the erie lakawana mup out to crown point, IN, taking the oak savannah trail to hobart, IN, connecting it with the prarie dune trail out to the dunes, and maybe taking a walk around out there.

sometimes ill loop around downtown hammond and look at the old houses, etc.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 11, 2008 at 12:41pm
o0_dan_0o said:....a couple of cool spots i like to hit:
1, the spiral ramp at the horseshoe casino parking garage. (dont do it without brakes)

That ramp at Horseshoe is a good hill climbing challenge.
Permalink Reply by vxla on November 11, 2008 at 2:39pm
Dan: I think I know where that tank farm is and yea, it's a cool place. How much of the area is deserted around the mills these days?
Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on November 11, 2008 at 6:22pm
I like the Forest preserve trail that goes up to the botanical gardens. and Superdawg is right there at the Devon end of the trail.
the Northern trail that goes through Sauganash is also good, but too short. I really wish the Bloomingdale trail would become a reality. It would really be nice for those of us out in Humbolt park.
Permalink Reply by mister bob on November 11, 2008 at 6:45pm
I prefer urban scenery to "natural" scenery, so the lakefront path during off-peak hours is my easy-peasy favorite, as well as simply riding around the abandoned downtown after hours or on a Sunday. Also, any long stretch of road (Lincoln, Elston, Milwaukee) that affords a view of skyscrapers in the distance; and the bike paths along Chase beach.

Also, any part of the lakefront that you can ride - and I mean EAST of the lakefront path, right there on the water, ESPECIALLY after hours. Lots of action going on from about Belmont to Irving right up there on the water rocks after hours in summer. Couples making out, hordes of raccoons looking for scraps, homos cruising, yachters puking, etc.
Permalink Reply by Dubi Kaufmann on November 11, 2008 at 7:09pm
My new all time favorite route is Columbus drive. No more Michigan ave for me.
Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on November 11, 2008 at 8:17pm
vxla said:
Dan: I think I know where that tank farm is and yea, it's a cool place. How much of the area is deserted around the mills these days?

theres a few holes in the fences here and there, and the network of access roads for the railroads that intersect in all kinds of directions make for good exploring.

Anne Alt said:
o0_dan_0o said:....a couple of cool spots i like to hit:
1, the spiral ramp at the horseshoe casino parking garage. (dont do it without brakes)

That ramp at Horseshoe is a good hill climbing challenge.

thats crazy talk, sounds too much like work. besides the cars come down that ramp.. i usually go and sneak my bike onto the elevator > top floor > ride >repeat until told to leave.

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