Category Archives: Bicycling

Still riding as much as I can several times a week.

Bicycling North on a Standard Route

Heading South on a Divvy bike to find a station less than 30 minutes away.

Since I live on the Lakefront Path, it’s only natural that I tend to use it for portions of my regular rides. I can go north or south; use it for going or for returning. This is the 25 mile ride that’s becoming standard for my northern adventures.

  1. Head north from Dusable harbor to the end of the path at Ardmore
  2. Head west and north along Ardmore and Kenmore to Granville
  3. Head west on Granville until it stops at Kedzie
  4. Head south and merge onto the Channel Trail
  5. Take the Channel trail to Lawrence where it stops
  6. Head east on Lawrence to Lincoln Square
  7. Have lunch in one of the many places to eat
  8. Head southeast on Lincoln Avenue to Wells
  9. Head south on Wells to Wacker (it’s closed at Wells so zig zag)
  10. Head east on Wacker and join the Riverfront Trail
  11. Take the Riverfront trail to Dusable Harbor

All told it’s about 25 miles and i always ride it in this order.  Sometimes I make a break at Broadway to Argyle if Pho sounds good, but I usually save the Asian food for Chinatown rides.  My long north rides usually head out Elston Avenue using Kinzie Street and the dedicated bike lanes.  That’s an open ended proposition and I have found myself at O’Hare Airport with a long ride back.

Senior Cyclers Start Off New Riding Season

Twenty two members of the group showed up at the North Avenue Beach House today May 16, 2013 for an unofficial start of the riding season. The day couldn’t have been better with temperatures in the 70’s, clear blue skies, and no humidity. Our ride took us south to the Museum of Science and Industry where this photo was taken near the Osaka Gardens. Back along the path we had lunch at the Potbelly’s on Dearborn.

South Side 35 Mile Ride

I had some bicycling friend come in from out of town.  Renting bikes at Millennium Park we headed down to the Lakefront Path and rode south.  At the museum Campus we did the around the Planetarium circuit and included Northerly Island as well before joining up for the path to 31st Street Beach and Marina.  That’s a great place to take yet another view back at the city — and get rid of the excess coffee we had at breakfast.  From there it’s around Promontory Point to Hayes Drive where we head west on local streets.  The Columbia Statue, Osaka Garden, back of the Museum of Science and Industry, the Midway to the Fountain of Time by Lorado Taft.  Winding through the University of Chicago campus past the Robie House we head to Valois for lunch.  After lunch we continue a bit north and west until we pass Obama’s house and head north at Drexel. The houses and building on Drexel are fabulous as we head to Oakwood.  West on Oakwood we wind up on Martin Luther King Drive (and the Chicago Chicken and Waffle House).  We stop at the Bronzeville monument and continue north to McCormack Place.  From there local streets including Prairie Avenue to Grant Park.  Now it becomes a real art tour:  Agora, Lincoln and Logan statues, and the Art institute.  There we see Lorado Taft’s earlier work the Fountain of the Great Lakes as well as many other pieces.  Normally the faint hearted would return the bikes and call it a day, but we did the River path to the Vietnam Memorial and a circumnavigation of Navy Pier before returning the bicycles.  All in all, it’s a 35 mile journey through a great portion of the Southside of Chicago.