renting in chicago?

Hi,

You can rent bikes at Navy Pier - - - southwest side of the pier - can't
miss it. The lakefront bikepath goes right by Navy Pier and I am sure that
they will have some maps and such where you rent the bike. It heads North
right next to Lake Shore Drive and is a very pretty ride. It also heads
south past Grant Park - the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Soldiers Filed.
Also, make sure to check out the new Millennium Park at the foot of
Randolph. A very bike friendly place.

If you want to cast your net a bit wider - check out the following link:

http://www.elmhurstbicycling.org/r_trails.asp

This will show you more trails in the area. You can also go to the bike
club section and check out any of the local bike clubs for rides they may
have scheduled in the area.

Have a great trip!

John Park

"james" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

will be there next weekend and if nice weather would love to take a
spin along the lakeshore

will be staying downtown near loop. are there any places that rent
bikes around grant park or near?

i'll google some bike paths, but any good ones? would love to head
north past navy pier and belmont harbor

thanks in advance...

james said:

will be there next weekend and if nice weather would love to take a
spin along the lakeshore

will be staying downtown near loop. are there any places that rent
bikes around grant park or near?

i'll google some bike paths, but any good ones? would love to head
north past navy pier and belmont harbor

thanks in advance...

Millennium Park has a bike rental station...

http://www.millenniumpark.org

http://www.chicagobikestation.com

--
Roy Sinnamond
roysinnamond at mac dot com
"That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, Bingo!"

james said:

will be staying downtown near loop. are there any places that rent
bikes around grant park or near?

i'll google some bike paths, but any good ones? would love to head
north past navy pier and belmont harbor

I see Navy Pier and the Millenium Park Bike Station have both been
suggested. The former has been around a long time and has a lot of bikes.
I can vouch for it. People visiting me have rented there several times.
They always got sturdy, well maintained mountain bikes or hybrids. There
are a good range of sizes. Navy Pier is just north of the Chicago River,
jutting out into the lake at the end of Illinois Avenue. Millenium Park
Bike Station is new. I've been in there and I didn't think the number of
bikes was nearly as big, but they were new and it looked like a good
operation. This is on Randolph Street, east of Michigan Avenue, up a bit
of a hill (by our standards). If you plan to go to the lakefront path from
there, ask how. It's not as easy as it ought to be.

If you decide to take the lakefront path, I suggest that you go south. If
you rent at Navy Pier, that means getting past one short but unpleasant
sidewalk section of bike path to get over the Chicago River, but on a nice
weekend going south beats going north by a mile. The northside will be
crowded with walkers, runners, skaters, dogs, and other cyclists. For much
of the way the views aren't very interesting. Several streets leading to
parking lots cross the path. To the south, after passing the museum
campus, the path is uncrowded and there are few places you have to stop or
slow down. The path is wide and in good shape, with a lot of new pavement.
It runs closer to the shore and the way the shoreline curves means that on
the way back you continuously get great views of the Chicago skyline.

--
Paul Turner

Paul Turner said:

james said:

will be staying downtown near loop. are there any places that

rent

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bikes around grant park or near?

i'll google some bike paths, but any good ones? would love to head
north past navy pier and belmont harbor

Quoted message said:

If you decide to take the lakefront path, I suggest that you go

south. If

Quoted message said:

you rent at Navy Pier, that means getting past one short but

unpleasant

Quoted message said:

sidewalk section of bike path to get over the Chicago River, but on a

nice

Quoted message said:

weekend going south beats going north by a mile. The northside will

be

Quoted message said:

crowded with walkers, runners, skaters, dogs, and other cyclists. For

much

Quoted message said:

of the way the views aren't very interesting. Several streets leading

to

Quoted message said:

parking lots cross the path. To the south, after passing the museum
campus, the path is uncrowded and there are few places you have to

stop or

Quoted message said:

slow down. The path is wide and in good shape, with a lot of new

pavement.

Quoted message said:

It runs closer to the shore and the way the shoreline curves means

that on

Quoted message said:

the way back you continuously get great views of the Chicago skyline.

--
Paul Turner

The southerly route is good but if he sticks to the lakefront path I'd
suggest he start out heading north, detour a little west into Lincoln
Park, and then turn back south around Howard. The path traffic is
heavier on the north end no doubt but if his ride never takes him north
of Navy Pier he'll miss North Ave beach and Lincoln Park. I think both
are required, "been there, done that" spots for lakefront visitors. He
could still ride at least as far south as the Museum Campus. The view
of the skyline from the end of Solidarity Drive (at the Adler
Planetarium) is one of my favorites, especially early on a summer
morning when the sun off the lake seems to almost set it on fire.
Personally, I'd skip Millenium Park altogether but that's a matter of
taste. Joggers, rollerbladers, strollers... I can deal with them
without being tempted to be rude. Those damned Segways are another
matter entirely. Segways are the Hummers of the MUP world.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Turner said:

If you decide to take the lakefront path, I suggest that

you go

Quoted message said:

south. If

Quoted message said:

you rent at Navy Pier ...

Plus, if the O.P. wants he can get one of those "bicycles for
4" that I see tourists struggling with all the time. 😉

Quoted message said:

The southerly route is good but if he sticks to the

lakefront path I'd

Quoted message said:

suggest he start out heading north, detour a little west

into Lincoln

Quoted message said:

Park, and then turn back south around Howard. The path

traffic is

Quoted message said:

heavier on the north end no doubt but if his ride never

takes him north

Quoted message said:

of Navy Pier he'll miss North Ave beach and Lincoln Park.

I'm with Bob on this one. The North Avenue beach bath house
(in the shape of an ocean liner) is definitely something worth
seeing. The current path construction detour takes the rider
next to the Lincoln Park zoo (and conservatory), which is
handy. Both are free so it's a good place to walk around for
as long or as short as you like. Good rest rooms, also.

This would take him as far north as Fullerton, which is far
enough for sightseeing. Then I'd follow Paul's suggestion and
head south, particularly if the O.P. wants to get some speed
going.

Quoted message said:

Those damned Segways are another
matter entirely. Segways are the Hummers of the MUP world.

I've only seen a couple out this way -- elderly people on the
forest preserve path.

thanks for the tips! i'll check out bike station

hopefully the weather will be nicer than denver, been raining/snowing
for a week straight, highly unusual. (must be getting me ready for
michigan)

thanks again!

james wrote:
....

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hopefully the weather will be nicer than denver, been raining/snowing
for a week straight, highly unusual. (must be getting me ready for
michigan)

Hey, Chicago is in Illinois.

You're welcome.

--Karen M.
on the other side of Lake Michigan

i LOVE the museum of science and industry. been going to that since i
was a kid.

for some reason, (either my parents joking or my misunderstanding), i
actually thought the coal mine was REAL. i was there a few years back
and realized it was just a basement.

i want to see this exhibit - was in LA last year but didn't get to it
out there.

http://www.msichicago.org/bodyworlds/index.html

maybe i'll bike down that way with the recommended trails.

"james" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i LOVE the museum of science and industry. been going to

that since i

Quoted message said:

was a kid.

for some reason, (either my parents joking or my

misunderstanding), i

Quoted message said:

actually thought the coal mine was REAL. i was there a few

years back

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and realized it was just a basement.

This is a common misunderstanding.

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i want to see this exhibit - was in LA last year but

didn't get to it

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out there.

I haven't seen the exhibit, but it gets high reviews from
those who have.
The Museum of Science and Industry is visible from the trail.
There's also a lovely Japanese garden behind the Museum.

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http://www.msichicago.org/bodyworlds/index.html

maybe i'll bike down that way with the recommended trails.

james wrote:
....

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when i go to the midwest i always spend at least a night in chicago
for some culture and good food!

HEY!!! Michigan has kultcher, and we also have food too!

--Karen M.