Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Seattleites, Chicagoans, lend me your ears.

Hey guys, I'm making stops for a couple days in YOUR city in the first week of April. So tell me, how's the weather gonne be? I'm bring my bike so I can tour in style but what places should I definitely hit up and from where should I be steering clear? I already heard to stay away from the loop and the {adjective here** mile but tell me more! Also, where are some prime spots to get your bike stolen and will the Chicago bike gangs really steal my lunch money?

I've heard Logan Square is a wheel thief haven,
but I've seen bikes in the loop be poorly locked and un-molested for many days.
Welcome, the weather will be lovely. Chicago has a great spring. after the crap weather the sun worshipers come out and everyone starts to enjoy our many parks and paths.

It'll be relatively nice -- though April is rainy. Sounds like you'll be in for rain in either/or. However, if it's been odd as it has been in the past, it may indeed be beautiful.

Nothing wrong with riding around the loop. Or Logan Square. You just need to know how to lock up well.

Ditto what Absntr said. I ****ing love riding around in the loop, it's fun. Lots of alleys to dart in and out of, traffic while sometimes dense is usually relatively placid. There are a few good bars there, anyway. Wherever you are, just use some common sense when locking up you bike. Make sure to lock both wheels and don’t leave it anywhere overnight.

And make sure not to exclude the Southside. No traffic, wide roads, good bars, and you can ride fast. Salome can give you more details on that end of town.

what they said....and bump this up once it gets close and maybe we can all go out for a ride

good weather + loop after midnight = best ride in town.

+ 1 for a ride.

Not only can you ride around the loop, you wouldn't get the full experience if you didn't. River bridges, Sears tower, Millenium park, Maxwell street market (on Sundays), Michigan ave (magnificent mile), all of this, while occasionally touristy, you should see if this is your first time in Chicago. As for trouble with wheel theft, yes, it can be a problem. As absntr said, just lock up well. (as an aside, I'm ratting absntr out for taking the bus on saturday. You saw me, I saw you, you're busted. Kidding! I'm sure you were just carrying a gigundous plasma screen TV or something. Nothing wrong with that.)

Chicago has a ton of neighborhoods worth visiting, on the north and the south side. It would definitely be possible to tour the whole city in a day, and Chicago rolls deep and welcoming, so I'm sure we could arrange a tour. And, at least for the people on the SS/FG forums, we tend to ride all winter long, so that when the spring comes we're all fast, fit, and really eager to ride around for no reason.

I have little to add, but as this is turning into a roll call...present.

I'm sure you're aware that this city is ridiculously flat. I don't know what it's like going from a hilly city to a flat one, but when I went out to Portland, the terrain was kicking my ass. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

We steal wheels up in Logan Square? Huh. No one told me.

Edit: Oh, uh, present.

In Chicago: Ride the Loop, ride the lake front path at sunset/sunup, hit up some bars on the way.

There are lots of great places to ride, second friendliest bike city in the nation!

We steal wheels up in Logan Square? Huh. No one told me.

Edit: Oh, uh, present.

Sorry, I must have been misinformed,
There are no theives in logan square.
But there are loads of great rides all over the city. There is a really cool little pub on devon just east of the south end of the north branch trail.

Ditto on the loop after midnight. Really any part of the city late at night. Weeknights are better, tho, too many drunks and cabs on fri and sat. Lock up hardcore everywhere and you will be fine.

Check this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=169627). I forgot to mention the R.E.Load store is here too though.

I always thought the Millennium Park Bicycle Station (http://www.chicagobikestation.com/rentals.htm) is a great idea.

I always thought the Millennium Park Bicycle Station (http://www.chicagobikestation.com/rentals.htm) is a great idea.

It is, but to use it past 6 you have to be a paying member. You can use it for free up until then (perfect for bike commuters with regular hours) but you don't get the premium spots (not really much of a bother) and don't get to use the showers and whatnot. Still, for $15 a month, it's a good deal (24 hours card key access, etc).

I have little to add, but as this is turning into a roll call...present.

I'm sure you're aware that this city is ridiculously flat. I don't know what it's like going from a hilly city to a flat one, but when I went out to Portland, the terrain was kicking my ass. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
there are a lot of spots where it's all about route planning.

that said, i feel guilty and lazy for skipping hills all the time. maybe tonight i'd better actually go up the hill on interstate....

Explore chicagos underground streets

Explore chicagos underground streets

That's definitely making it onto the list. Thanks, you guys are awesome! I'll definitely let you all know when the trip draws near too, that midnight ride sounds bomber, It'll be like a surrogate LATE ride, no?

Where are my Seattle dwellers though!? Fill me in yo.

Edit: Thanks Marquee, all the "Seattle Heads" are hereby exhonerated.

To answer your weather question, April is still pretty iffy rain-wise (not that it stops me from riding). Seattle's climate is really similar to SF, but cools down a lot more slowly at night.

Theft-wise, the University District is probably the worst.

Riding in the loop at night is the best. No traffic and racing down lasalle street is so much fun.

I'm down for a midnight ride around the loop/catacombs

I'm down for a midnight ride around the loop/catacombs

Me too!! Never been down there - afraid of getting lost/mugged if I went on my own.

Tell me of these catacombs.

Oh man, I'm in! I've been lost down in the "lower" streets once, it's awesome. We need to ride down there sometime, get a small group or something, just explore. It's pretty cool,if you look around.

Hell yes.

catacombs = chicago underground streets/tunnels

link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-decker_streets_in_Chicago)
link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Flood)
link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_and_Reservoir_Plan)

http://art4love.com/ItemImages/Medium/m1009994.jpg

Oh man, I'm in! I've been lost down in the "lower" streets once, it's awesome. We need to ride down there sometime, get a small group or something, just explore. It's pretty cool,if you look around.

Let's go! Just name the day...

Me Too.

This map rules. this definitely needs to be incorporated into an alleycat!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Chicago_top_down_view.png

im from seattle

if you're here on a thursday night come to Westlake Square (big open area downtown) at 7pm. rain or shine. a group of 10-30 of us head out every thursday. we pick a different part of town and go out and explore. a good group of people from 18-40 or so, all met through critical mass. more info at www.point83.com/forum

just tell them derrick sent you. someone will hand you a swig of brandy and you'll be in like flynn

Alleycatacombat*!!!!


It'd be nice to have a night race ONLY in the Loop, that incorporated all the different levels.


(*this has now been TRADEMARKED, BROS.)

im from seattle

if you're here on a thursday night come to Westlake Square (big open area downtown) at 7pm. rain or shine. a group of 10-30 of us head out every thursday. we pick a different part of town and go out and explore. a good group of people from 18-40 or so, all met through critical mass. more info at www.point83.com/forum

just tell them derrick sent you. someone will hand you a swig of brandy and you'll be in like flynn

Sounds like fun, but he'd be In Like Flint (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061810/), as in Derek Flint, as in James Coburn, as in http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Mptv/1304/th-1809_0015.jpg

Alleycatacombat is brilliant. Someone that isn't me should set up this thing.

Sounds like a great excuse to explore the underworld, to me. Anyone want to do a night ride down there this week, maybe?

Sounds like a great excuse to explore the underworld, to me. Anyone want to do a night ride down there this week, maybe?

i'm so down for that. wed or thurs are good for me.


birth of Alleycatacombat = wonderful Bikeforums moment.

Okay friends, it's getting to be that time. I'll be in Seattle late Friday night to mid-Monday (March 31 - April 3) and in Chicago mid-Wednesday to mid-Saturday (April 5 to April 8). If anyone wants to show me around or knows of any cool rides to show me or take me on, I'd be okay with that. I'm a pretty okay rider, can tackle the medium hills and all that shizz plus I've got the beater-est mixte bike. I leave the depot on Thursday night so let me know before then!
-Katie

If u come to seattle go around freemont, wallingford, and u-district area. If you want to go through downtown go by pioneer square and maybe around madison. If you want a good little tour, go to underground seattle tour. It's fun, I've taken friends there a couple times now and it's a good little history lesson.