Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - CHICAGO KIDS - Ride to the Indiana Dune & Camping?

Anyone here want to ride down to the indiana dunes & camp to get out of the city for a weekend? I'm thinking that would be a good time.

I don't have a route, so if you do that would be awesome. Otherwise it can't be that hard to figure out, right???

I don't know when to do this - perhaps late September? Let's get a small group going!

So who's interested??

I'd go but I'll still be getting settled into the new apartment.

I work for a mountaineering and backcountry travel outfitter. Unfortunately I can't hook anyone up with awesome camping ****.

I know some of the DCC would be up for it. Drop us a line via the mailing list.

Ira knows how to do it since he's done it.

I am of course, up for it. I was also interested in riding up to Milwaukee.

I would love to but I'm working weekends at the bike shop for a couple months, I need the money while in school. I'm hoping to start doing overnighters and long trips in October or November.

Ira in Chi just did this, if you need route details you ought to PM him or email.
From what I know, he took 12/20, a common route to take there from the city. From the north side you can get on the LFP going south then jog further down to 12/20. (12/20 actually runs 1/2 mile from my house in the form of 95th street, I ought to just hop on it one day... probably best for an overnighter though)
Its a little funky in Gary, but once you're past that, its great. I especially want to take it well past the dunes sometime, it's also a very nice road when it turns into Red Arrow Highway up in Michigan.

Thanks gents! I'll drop the DCC an e-mail & get a hold of Ira about directions.

never camped in my life, but I slept on the floor all through college. actually, I slept on the floor up to a few years ago — when I got myself domesticated — the year they gave me my name. now I have a rug to sleep on and a comb.

I'm sorry. I started trying to tell the truth, but it's hard when there are all these different keys to press and fancy word combinations to explore. once I had worked as a stenographer but that didn't work out so well.

if riding is involved I'm all for it and that, at least, is the truth.

I'm down

I would love to but I'm working weekends at the bike shop for a couple months, I need the money while in school. I'm hoping to start doing overnighters and long trips in October or November.

Ira in Chi just did this, if you need route details you ought to PM him or email.
From what I know, he took 12/20, a common route to take there from the city. From the north side you can get on the LFP going south then jog further down to 12/20. (12/20 actually runs 1/2 mile from my house in the form of 95th street, I ought to just hop on it one day... probably best for an overnighter though)
Its a little funky in Gary, but once you're past that, its great. I especially want to take it well past the dunes sometime, it's also a very nice road when it turns into Red Arrow Highway up in Michigan.


I've taken 2 different routes, the last being my favorite. If you take 12/20 it is 50 miles each way but you ride on some ****ty streets. However, if you don't mind an extra 20 miles, you can do the whole thing on bike paths! This site shows it in detail: http://www.geocities.com/huffmun/Bike_Maps.html

It is a great ride and there are a couple different parks to camp in. Take my bike path route (look at the map and trace an arc along the southern-most paths) and you will miss the industrial stuff and hit a bunch of nice small towns. Be sure to bring booze, cause Indy liqour stores aren't open on Sunday!

Ira - you interested in doing it again?

PS. Thanks for the great info!

Ira - you interested in doing it again?

PS. Thanks for the great info!

Yeah- I have a weird schedule though.

If I can find a sub for the weekend, you can count on me going.

Awesome. Once I get an idea of about how many are going, we'll start trying to nail down a weekend.

how many days?

just remembered I'm moving sometime in september, no idea when, but I think that's flexible... I'd rather ride.

I'm thinking leave Sat AM come back Sun PM. or maybe longer? I don't care. I love camping and I love riding.

So maybe Friday afternoon, come back Sunday PM? Ride around Michigan on Saturday or something?

hmmm...

I am of course, up for it. I was also interested in riding up to Milwaukee.
you wanna hit up milwaukee? I'm going up to Madison around the middle of September. I might go via Milwaukee.. but I might cut across along a more direct route.

I was planning on doing something like this solo. Maybe I shouldn't be such a loner....
or do both!

abs, weren't you planning a botanical garden ride sometime in september? and then there's the BLT on the 11th (anyone wanna do the metric w/ me?). and solo's got her madison ride which I want to do, but might have to do on my own in october. and this. lotta rides coming up.

Yep - do them all while we still can.

Yep - do them all while we still can.

Meaning, while you're still cancer-free.

Meaning, while you're still cancer-free.

Umm, sure.