Road Cycling - My Friday Bike Ride

A nice ride along 2 bike paths today- the lakefront, then onto the streets to the North Shore Channel Trail. Imagine my surprise when I got to Skokie and ran into the Skokie Sculpture Park! I'm going to post my 10 or so best pictures that I like the best. Enjoy!

Koffee

Start of Skokie Sculpture Park:

I like this one- the top moves when the wind blows:

Another sculpture:

And another:

Wild horses:

Here's another... it's cool- they made it look like a beehive hanging from the tree:

Ok, this one's a wash... I can't get it right every time! ;)

I liked this one:

And another:

Yet another one... hey, it's Koffee! ;):

My secret fantasy:

And I couldn't resist- the back view!

Here's another pic:

Almost at the end! I like this one- they had faces morphing out of the metal- lots of faces, but I liked this close up.

Last one!

The End.

Interesting place. Looks like a good place for a recovery ride. There is to much to look at to realy get moving. :)

Yes, it was a lot... at first. But now, when I ride past, I can keep on ripping without stopping. The path is deserted for the most part, and other than the stop lights at the intersections, it's good, quiet riding.

KB

Cool. I frequent the Chicago area (NW Indiana) to visit the family. The wife and I will have to drop by there sometime and check it out.

i want cool stuff to bike too and around....

I spent 8 days in Chicago, about 14 months ago, going to the galleries, museums, checking out all the great architecture and public sculpture. Somehow I missed this park, damn, I must return!
Great pictures Koffee.

Sure!

Anyone coming for a visit, I can take you by bike to the coolest places around to bike through- I even got inspired after my ride today to get a couple of books on bike trails in Chicago from Barnes and Noble.

I love to explore Chicago. With all the travelling I've done (and have yet to do), it's nice to be able to still come home and appreciate this great city and do exploring like it's my first time ever seeing it. There are so many free places to go with great stuff to see and do. I gotta do and see it all!

Koffee

Nice pictures, Koffee!

Koffee -
I live in Chicago and am always looking for good bike paths/trails. Can you fill me in on the route you took, distances, path/street conditions, traffic, etc. We live in the city and need to find relatively easy to get to low-traffic area. Your ride sounds perfect. Any info. you have would be greatly appreciated.

Sure, you just need to tell me where in Chicago you want to start. I can direct you from the bike path?

KB

nice pics koffee, where in chicago do you live?.... my uncle lives in downers grove :)

Yikes, Downer's Grove! That's pretty far out there in suburbs from Chicago.

I live right downtown. It's good livin'!

KB

Nice pictures, Koffee.

I have been riding like a fiend the last few weeks!

Yeah, me too. With the improvement in the weather, all I want to do is ride these days! I got to ride all this morning, then went in and taught my class, then got home and collasped and slept, despite the fact that I need to still do my taxes. Now I'm going in for a nice soak in the bubble bath and getting my body ready for another ride on Tuesday!

Will take off Wed due to some hard riding coming up on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and most likely, in the rain too... I gotta rest up these legs!

Koffee

Get those taxes done, woman! (I did mine ages ago; even got some money back this year!!)

:D

I'm trying, but it's soooooooooooooo hard! It took forever just to get the extension paperwork done, but it's done.

On to state taxes!

KB

Koffee,
Thanks for the photos, I love art work of this type. Large pieces that stand out, or jump out at you. I do a bit of it myself, I work with junk steel. I love to see others work. Thanks again for the photos.

Just wait... I'm sure I'll come across more stuff like this on my "cycle Illinois" adventures this summer.

Send me a PM if you want the rest of the pics. There's more where this came from for sure!

Koffee

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
Yikes, Downer's Grove! That's pretty far out there in suburbs from Chicago.

I live right downtown. It's good livin'!

KB

it's not too bad, when I visit him we normally take one of the trains into the city, if we catch the express it takes like 25-30 min at the most... it's quite a different place then where I'm used to :)

jlisota asked me to post directions to the bike trail I used, so I decided to post it online in case anyone else wanted to do the same.

From the downtown area-

Take the Lakefront bike path north to Irving Park Road (4000 north). Because of construction, jump off the path and take Irving Park Road to Broadway. Turn right on Broadway and proceed north to Foster 5200 north). At Foster, you'll turn left and proceed westbound on Foster for a while until you get to the start of the path. You know you're close when you first pass California, then Swedish Covenant Hospital. Within about 2 blocks of that, you'll see a park to your right with a path. This is the start of the North Shore Channel Trail.

You'll continue up this path until you reach Peterson (6000 north), and this is where it gets a bit tricky. As you exit onto Peterson, you'll have to turn left and merge with the westbound traffic. Stay to the right, because ahead is Jersey Street, and you'll need to turn right onto Jersey. Travel north bound on this street and cross over the next major intersection into the parking lot of the new Borders Bookstore (currently being built). Immediately angle to the right, to the parking lot behind Borders and continue northbound in the parking lot. You'll pass the movie theaters on your left, and then a car wash. Watch your tires- it's a pretty tore up parking lot.

As you get close to the end, just after the car wash, exit onto the street McCormick that is a northbound street. From there, ride to the light (about 20 yards), and to your right, you'll see a bike path to enter. This is the start of the second part of the North Shore Channel Trail.

You can continue north along the trail with breaks where you will cross through traffic intersections all the way to Green Bay Road. You'll pass though Skokie and Evanston. If you wish, you can turn left onto Green Bay Road and merge with the traffic here. Allegedly, this road can take you to Wisconsin, but I'm not sure about this. I think if you keep with the train tracks, you'll be able to get there, because the Amtrak train runs along these train tracks to Wisconsin.

jlisota, from Lakeview, you can take Southport northbound until it runs into Clark Street, then turn left with Clark Street (1300 West at this point, I think?) and continue on Clark Street northbound to Foster (5200 north), and then turn left onto Foster and continue westbound on Foster to the start of the North Shore Channel Trail.

Hmmmm... take it slow the first time until you figure it out. It can get tricky when you hit Peterson, and you have 2 alternatives, but I gave the easier alternative. You could also hit Peterson, turn right and go to Lincoln Ave, then turn left onto Lincoln and ride up the block to Kedzie, then turn right (I believe) onto Kedzie, and Kedzie will dump you onto the start of the trail, but it is a bit more complicated to manipulate yourself around the traffic.

Good luck everyone!

Koffee

Thanks Koffee! As soon as the weather permits I'll make my way up there. How's the traffic on the path once you get there? I'm really looking for a less congested training ride. Maybe I'll see you on the path.:beer: