Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 7:35am

Oh, fantastic. Another one of these time-to-get-fit runs. 

Does anyone know if there's some centralized way to figure out when these runs are being held on the LFP? I am constantly surprised by these events - more of them occurring in the evening rush hours recently, which I find perfectly obnoxious - because almost no one puts up signs alerting users to upcoming events or routes. I've been trying to google runs according to weekend dates, but even that method is unreliable for the less professionally-organized events. 

Also, does anyone know the "official" policy on sharing the trail during these events? I get that the city has decided that every weekend morning is fair game for 5k/10k/half-marathons on the LFP, but is it unreasonable for me to expect that its organizers not block off sections of the LFP for stations, effectively direct runners to stay to the right and otherwise observe trail etiquette, and not create bike-unfriendly hazards across the full width of the trail?

I swear these events have gotten out of hand this season. They've always been a nuisance, but they've been essentially blocking off the only remaining times on the weekends when it's actually safe to bike along the trail. I'm already trying to get my weekend riding in at 5 a.m. to avoid these people, but even then there's often tons of equipment and oblivious volunteers on the trail.

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Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on July 16, 2014 at 7:51am

Sent you an email.

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Permalink Reply by Tominator on July 16, 2014 at 9:44am

Forget the lake front trail if you want to ride.

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Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on July 16, 2014 at 10:04am

+2

I did about 8 years ago and haven't looked back.  Although helping out couldn't hurt in this case.

Tominator said:

Forget the lake front trail if you want to ride.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 10:24am

Absolutely no reason I, or anyone else, should do that. It's a multi-use trail that also serves as a safe, direct, and fast commuting corridor, especially when you're coming from or going to the south side.

I'm not talking about crushing KOMs. I'm not trying to make good time during peak usage. I'm just trying to get home or to work safely, and these events make that difficult. 

Tominator said:

Forget the lake front trail if you want to ride.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on July 16, 2014 at 10:29am

Hopefully one day we will have a separate track for cyclists and runners/walkers on the lakefront.  I spoke about that "clash"  in a RedEye article a couple months ago. 

Simon Phearson said:

Absolutely no reason I, or anyone else, should do that. It's a multi-use trail that also serves as a safe, direct, and fast commuting corridor, especially when you're coming from or going to the south side.

I'm not talking about crushing KOMs. I'm not trying to make good time during peak usage. I'm just trying to get home or to work safely, and these events make that difficult. 

Tominator said:

Forget the lake front trail if you want to ride.

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Permalink Reply by Michael A on July 16, 2014 at 10:31am

You kinda sound like a motorist complaining about cyclists in "their" streets

Those events are all given permits to hold them by the city, and the park district. 

This is coming from someone who believes the only good reason to run anywhere is to chase someone that just stole your bike

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Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 10:51am

Maybe, if by "cyclists in their streets" we're talking about Critical Mass on Lake Shore Drive once, twice, or even three times, every weekend of the season, and then some evenings as well. 

These events have permits to share the trail. If they had permits to block off the trail to other users, they would, but they never do. And they do not, in fact, share. They monopolize the trail and make it unsafe for everyone on wheels. They do this without announcing their intent in advance, without clearly marking the route until the event itself, without giving other users any opportunity to figure out alternative routes. 

I am happy to share the trail. But you get caught in these things: a moving mass of hundreds of slow runners, spread across the trail. If they just ran sort of to the right, NB and SB traffic could continue down a narrow lane next to them. The participants will make sudden movements without checking behind them, they will run across the trail without warning. You find yourself facing an empty 200-foot corral that closes off the trail to any through traffic at precisely the point where your only alternative is to take an extremely narrow, dangerous side street with an open grate bridge. Or traffic cones spread across the trail, designed to get event runners off the trail, but blocking through traffic on the trail.

Michael A said:

You kinda sound like a motorist complaining about cyclists in "their" streets

Those events are all given permits to hold them by the city, and the park district. 

This is coming from someone who believes the only good reason to run anywhere is to chase someone that just stole your bike

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Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 10:57am

And until then we have to share. I feel like I can "share" just fine even with the heavy foot traffic, the running groups, the casual riders. But these mass events are just ridiculously poorly organized. A few simple instructions to the participants could massively reduce conflicts.

Julie Hochstadter said:

Hopefully one day we will have a separate track for cyclists and runners/walkers on the lakefront.  I spoke about that "clash"  in a RedEye article a couple months ago. 

Simon Phearson said:

Absolutely no reason I, or anyone else, should do that. It's a multi-use trail that also serves as a safe, direct, and fast commuting corridor, especially when you're coming from or going to the south side.

I'm not talking about crushing KOMs. I'm not trying to make good time during peak usage. I'm just trying to get home or to work safely, and these events make that difficult. 

Tominator said:

Forget the lake front trail if you want to ride.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on July 16, 2014 at 11:16am

Oh, well! It's totally okay to monopolize the trail then, right? It's only supposed to be there for users of all types, at all times. If you don't want to have to deal with 1000 oblivious runners, you could always take State Street up from the south side at 6 a.m. Sure, it'll take you twice as long to get to where you're going, but who cares about that? 

I mean, really - what is it you're suggesting? That I just assume that events are going on the LFP, and that I should avoid it any and every time one might be going on? Many of them don't end by 10 a.m. Many of them don't occur on the weekends. 

And how am I supposed to respond when I do go out of my way to avoid an event - like riding through the route an hour before it's supposed to begin - and I find the organizers have already basically taken over the trail? Is it childish to expect that they not do that?

I honestly don't get this strange attitude over the LFP. I get that it's not a place to ride hard. But what do you think you're proving, by speaking of it with such disdain? That you drive to all of your favorite biking spots? 

Michael B said:

Someone change this baby's diaper. In the summer you can count on there being a race or a walk event pretty much every weekend in the summer. If you must use the LFP most of these events are over by 10am. 

Simon Phearson said:

Oh, fantastic. Another one of these time-to-get-fit runs. 

Does anyone know if there's some centralized way to figure out when these runs are being held on the LFP? I am constantly surprised by these events - more of them occurring in the evening rush hours recently, which I find perfectly obnoxious - because almost no one puts up signs alerting users to upcoming events or routes. I've been trying to google runs according to weekend dates, but even that method is unreliable for the less professionally-organized events. 

Also, does anyone know the "official" policy on sharing the trail during these events? I get that the city has decided that every weekend morning is fair game for 5k/10k/half-marathons on the LFP, but is it unreasonable for me to expect that its organizers not block off sections of the LFP for stations, effectively direct runners to stay to the right and otherwise observe trail etiquette, and not create bike-unfriendly hazards across the full width of the trail?

I swear these events have gotten out of hand this season. They've always been a nuisance, but they've been essentially blocking off the only remaining times on the weekends when it's actually safe to bike along the trail. I'm already trying to get my weekend riding in at 5 a.m. to avoid these people, but even then there's often tons of equipment and oblivious volunteers on the trail.

• ▶ Reply