Good Rides in Chicago

dwj444 said:

I've just moved back to the Chicago area for the first time since I was in high school. In the intervening years, I've picked up a serious (road) cycling habit. My knowledge of Chicago trails has not kept pace.

Can anyone suggest some good rides? I live in Hyde Park (down at 47th and the Lakefront). I regularly ride up the lakefront paths to Edgewater Beach and Evanston. I don't mind doing some time on city streets, although I would prefer (paved) trail.

Cheers.

hmmm... the folks on the north side generally ride north. once you're in evanston... just keep going up Sheridan Road. That's a really popular route.

I'd suggest looking into the clubs that ride on the south side for some suggested routes.

http://ucvc.uchicago.edu/

If you want to venture way up north (pretty riding) I've started doing the Barrington loop, but that would be quite a haul for you.

http://www.vcrbiketeam.org/schedule.php

Thanks for the tips & clubs.

How would I get to the Barrington Loop? I'm not adverse to some longer riding on weekends when I have the extra time and energy.

dwj444 said:

Thanks for the tips & clubs.

How would I get to the Barrington Loop? I'm not adverse to some longer riding on weekends when I have the extra time and energy.

It pains me to admit this... but the times I've done the loop.... I've driven and parked.

As I recall... 90 west to 53 north, right on lake cook road, a couple lights(?) and left on arlington heights rd and then a left at the light just bordering the north edge of a forest preserve/park. there is a parking area there a couple hundred yards in on your left. this puts you on the purple route on the barrington pdf between the lables for checker and hicks.

I'm geographically impaired, so take all this with a grain of salt and some time on mapquest.

your other option might be to bike north thru evanston, sheridan rd and make your way over to deerfield rd to the route on the velo roubaix map... wild guess, but riding up there from your hyde park location plus the loop might be 130 miles?