Route Help from Northbrook to Niles

My brother needs route help.  

Starting Pt: Dundee and Sanders

Ending Pt: Touhy and Gross Point Road

Also, what bike shop do you recommend around there?

Is probably obvious, but he wants to avoid traffic, as opposed to the quickest route.

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Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on June 12, 2012 at 7:41am

Hmm...Dundee & Sanders is a bit of a pain, but not too bad.  Sanders is kinda low traffic, but shoulder used to be gravel. Easiest would be to take Dundee E to the North Branch, but you can't really ride anything but the sidewalk on Dundee, and that's probably 3+ miles of sidewalk riding.

Here's my recommended route:

Take a moment at Sanders & Dundee to imagine where Ira's used to be, look for ghost of a young Madopal eating a jumbo dog, onion rings, and root beer (ok, drinking root beer) while playing Yie Are Kung Fu. Then...

Sanders south to Walters (left on Walters)
Walters east to Shermer (left before train station, cross tracks)

Shermer NE to Meadow (first right over tracks)

Meadow SE to Walters (left at dead end, at St. Norbert's parking lot)

Walters E to Lee (take left on Lee)

Lee N to Grant (right on Grant)

Grant E/S to Voltz (street curves, then take left on Voltz)

Voltz E to Sunset Ridge (Voltz curves a bit, right on Sunset Ridge)

Sunset Ridge S to Winnetka Rd (straight shot, but a few miles, left on Winnetka)

Winnetka E to Happ (stop sign, if you cross 94, you went too far, right on Happ)

Happ S to North Branch trail (just after New Trier West, wave at ghosts of John Hughes, take right onto trail)

Take North Branch all the way south to Touhy.  At Touhy, go left to Gross Point.

Now, I haven't ridden Touhy there.  There should be sidewalks, but if not, the alternate is to get off the trail at Howard instead (major street before Touhy), and then take Howard to Caldwell, then (right turn) Caldwell south to Gross Point, then (right turn) Gross Point to Touhy.  It's industrial out there, so it's not too too bad.

Since I tipped my hand about being there when I was a kid, I haven't ridden/driven around some of those Northbrook/Northfield streets in years.  So I don't really know what state Walters/Sunset Ridge are in for riding.  I know they're slower, 2 lane streets for the most part, and there aren't a heck of a lot of options getting down that way.  It may take some experimentation.  I started a gmap for it, but the site lost it.  Looks to be about 17+ miles each way, so it's not short, but I don't even know if the Dundee -> Trail method is much shorter.  Hope that works.

Oh, and bike shop around where?  Dundee & Sanders or Touhy & Gross Point?

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on June 12, 2012 at 8:11am
Id say a good bike shop near either would help him if he needs it along the way.
Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on June 12, 2012 at 8:33am

Going through the downtown Northbrook at Shermer/Meadow is Wheels of Northbrook (where my Centurion was purchased in about 1986...still going strong).  They're just north of Meadow on Shermer.  I can't speak to their quality now, but they've been there a while.

Down Niles way it gets harder.  If you look at the Chicago Bike Shop map for Touhy/Gross Point, you're actually in the midpoint between any.

http://www.chicagobikeshops.info/gmapView.php

And surprisingly, there aren't really any shops along the North Branch.  You'd think there'd be more, but no.

Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on June 12, 2012 at 10:35am

The North Branch will take you right to Gross Point and Touhy.  You can even pick up a solid burrito at Taco Burrito King.  

I take Happ/Sunset Ridge/Voltz nearly everyday and they are great for biking.  It should be a pretty easy route.  

There is no shop along the route at all.  You would need to go to Devon and Central for Edgebrook Cycle or hit up the REI Northbrook.

Permalink Reply by Adam Z on June 12, 2012 at 11:29am
Amlings is on Milwaukee north of Oakton a bit. Mostly 'Bents there, but they'll work on anything.

8140 North Milwaukee Avenue
Niles‎ IL‎ 60714
United States
Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on June 12, 2012 at 11:49am

Yeah, Edgebrook and Amlings were the only two I could think of, and neither of them is really close to the route at all.  You can't even get off the trail easily at Oakton (the dreaded overpass which is the site of my wipe that busted my wrist/elbow), so getting over there is no fun.  Edgebrook would be easier, as you just head to the end of the trail at Devon/Caldwell, then take Devon over to Central, and Central north a block or so.  But I don't think Edgebrook has the best hours.  They might not be open during normal commute times.

Hope this helps your bro, Julie!  Should be a great ride this summer at least.  I was actually taking the North Branch in a loop to get some extra miles in (with weather tonight, I'm actually considering it again) when I wiped, so I'm up that way a lot.  The trail is so relaxing, especially in the evenings.  Just have him watch for deer.

Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on June 12, 2012 at 3:28pm

That is your mind playing tricks on you

Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 13, 2012 at 7:34am

go up Sanders to Sunset. Sunset east to Versailles

Versailles north one block to Bernay.

Bernay east to Laburnum

Laburnum south to Tamirand

Tamirand east to Landwehr

Landwehr south to Cherry

Cherry east to Church

Church southeast to Walters

Walters east to Lee

Lee north to Grant

Grand east and then south to Voltz

Voltz east and the south and then east to Sunset Ridge

Sunset Ridge north to Happ

Happ east and then south to Old Willow

Old Willow east and then south to Winnetka

Winnetka east to Illinois

Illinois south and then east to Laramie? (Loyola HS)

Laramie? south to Glenview

Glenview east to Frontage (just past hill over expressway)

Frontage snakes around west, south, east south to become Lawler

Lawler (past Niles North) to sidewalk at Golf

sidewalk on north side of Golf east to LaVergne

LaVergne south to Church

Church east to Gross Point

Gross Point south to Touhy

Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 13, 2012 at 7:35am

Amlings is a great shop and  its owner, Joe Reichert is a great guy. They specialize in recumbants but sell all kinds of bikes.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 13, 2012 at 8:29am

On the route I just gave at Winnetka Rd.  you can pick up a spur to the North Branch trail and take that all the way down to Touhy and you will be about a mile west of Gross Point but would have to ride on Touhy. This is simpler, shorter but has you ride  on Touhy.

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