Great Lakes - Sheridan Road, Chicago to Kenosha?

I promised myself a 100 mile day before the end of the season (just started riding a few months ago), so I want to do Chicago northside up to Kenosha, stop for some bratwurst, and head back. I noticed Sheridan goes all the way up (though slightly broken in some spots). Would it be an ok road to ride? Anybody know of particularly unrideable portions? Anybody want to go with me?

Well the beginning of Sheridan thru Wilmette is in pretty bad shape. Be ready for a rough ride. Kenilworth on up thru Lake Forest are okay but not great, north of Lake Forest you will have to get off of sheridan and onto Greenbay road thru portions of Waukegan, North Chicago area then on to Kenosha. If I have a copy of the North Shore Century, I will scan and can send you the pdf file. You can run the second half in reverse and then back down if you want to stay near the lake.
Kenal0

It's been a while, but I remember riding Milwaukee -> Racine -> Kenosha -> Winthrop Harbor and back. Not the best of routes, but doable.

Try http://maps.live.com and zoom in on the route you're thinking. It's 3d satellite imagery that you can rotate orientation (N/S/E/W). Images are fairly recent (a year or two old at most). THen you can see directly what it looks like.

I ride the McClory Trail north to the Great Lakes Naval Training Base which is as far north as I will go. Once you're past Martin Luther King Jr. Drive into North Chicago and Waukegan it's hit or miss as far as traveling through safe neighborhoods goes.

As an alternative the North Shore Trail branches off west from the McClory Trail at Rockland Road and eventually goes in several directions including Libertyville and north toward the Wisconsin border. I haven't been on that trail yet but I plan to explore it next year. The only exploring I've done thus far on it has been on Google's satellite map.

I just rode Sheridan from Chicago to Lake Forest on Sunday. All in all, the roads aren't toooo horrible and the ride is really beautiful. Highland Park had a rough stretch, but nothing was too bad.

Here is my Route

From the Skokie Valley Bikeway I go west on Old Elm/Everett to St. Mary's. Saint Mary's to a series of side streets just south of Buckley. Then Oplaine north to Old Grand. Old Grand east to Delany. Delany north to Wadsworth. Wadsworth west to Kilborne. Then North on Kilborne into Wisconsin. A pretty nice route. The only unpleasant area I'd say is Delany around Rt 41. It is a 4 lane busy street.

in 2005 I took Sheridan all the way to the Wisconsin border from Chicago, on my way to Milwaukee, except that I had to get off at the aforementioned area around North Chicago. In 2006 I came in the opposite direction on Sheridan, on my way south from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond.

Sheridan is very bikeable. In Lake Forest there are local laws that prohibit bicycles on the streets. There is a bike path that runs along next to the road there. Both times that I came through Lake Forest I ignored the laws and stayed on the road. I would suggest doing the same, if only to piss off the pampered wealthy locals.

why not do the Apple Cider Century this weekend, you can get in a century there... I hear some other "very" cool peeps are doing it:D

My default no-planning route when I need a century starts on the LakeFront trail at Hyde Park where I live and, after ducking up some alleys above Loyola U., get to the Chicago/Evanston border. Once in Evanston, I take any of the long north-south streets just west of Sheridan until at some point I hit Lincoln then go Ashland north which finally takes me on a thoroughly bikeable Sheridan Rd. through Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. See http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=1529 for a general idea. From Great Lakes, I head on back. Advantage here is, in event of disabling disaster, the Metra line is usually a short distance away.


From brotherdan: In Lake Forest there are local laws that prohibit bicycles on the streets. There is a bike path that runs along next to the road there. Both times that I came through Lake Forest I ignored the laws and stayed on the road. I would suggest doing the same, if only to piss off the pampered wealthy locals.

I've never had any trouble biking through Lake Forest--never noticed or heard of any no-bikng laws--and have found cops there pretty friendly and helpful including once dealing with a cranky motorist when those guys were great. Cops are ok generally along the North Shore. there are lots of bikers on Sheridan and they're all used to seeing them. Some may be seen to wave!

Although I am not of their exalted number, the pampered wealthy locals you mention have smiled to me and given a friendly word. One even deigned to assist me with a flat. ....those wealthy locals may reciprocate friendliness directed toward them. Maybe it's 'cause I don't view them with envy and cynicism. ---sorry to be a bit snippy here ;-)

Sheridan is very bikeable. In Lake Forest there are local laws that prohibit bicycles on the streets. There is a bike path that runs along next to the road there. Both times that I came through Lake Forest I ignored the laws and stayed on the road. I would suggest doing the same, if only to piss off the pampered wealthy locals.

Actually I am pretty sure it's Lake Bluff that has the law not Lake Forest. In any case the portion of the MCclory path through Lake Bluff is well paved and not terribly crowded.

You're right, that section is in Lake Bluff. I just hate riding on MUPs, and I hate the idea of people trying to force bicycles off of perfectly good roads onto MUPs, that I would never comply with that law.

I think I got off of Sheridan in Lake Forest because I wanted to bike closer to the shoreline. Many of the residential streets have signs that instruct bicyclists to ride on the sidewalk in that area, if I remember correctly.

And there are also some areas in Ravina that prohibit bicycles as well. I made a point of riding on those roads as well.

I don't have a problem with rich people, as long as they don't pass laws that prohibit me from riding on public streets. I didn't have any problems with the people or cops that I encountered in Lake Forest (though I did have some issues with people in Ravinia). I guess I was wrong, as you can bike on Sheridan in Lake Forest. But I think you are required to ride on the sidewalk in residential neighborhoods there, if memory serves me correctly.

If you've ever been to Ravinia when it's crowded it would be more obvious as to why bikes are restricted in certain areas that have a lot of foot traffic.

The signs for riding on the sidewalk on Lake Forest are on Greenbay Road where it is two lanes and very narrow. It is best just not to ride it. The other portion is near my kids school on Deerpath. I believe they do not want kids riding on the street near the schools. Other than that, the streets of Lake Forest are open to bikes. Lake Bluff wants you on the MUP.

Kenal0

Actually I am pretty sure it's Lake Bluff that has the law not Lake Forest. In any case the portion of the MCclory path through Lake Bluff is well paved and not terribly crowded.

Maybe Lake Bluff has a real law on the books banning cyclists but I can say I've biked LB on many streets. Cops wave (as above) similar to Lake Forest. I'll say it's shocking to hear of bikes banned from streets. I can think of other things to ban from streets.

I called the Lake Bluff PD who tell me all streets in LB are perfectly ok to bike on. Because of the narrowness of the road and density of traffic, biking on Rt. 176 (Rockland) and Green Bay Rd. is not allowed.

OK so the side path law refers mainly to the North Shore path and Rockland rd. I biked Green Bay rd one or twice from the End of the Skokie Valley Bikeway at Laurel to Rockland rd. It isn't horrible but I think that section is in Lake Forest.

I ride the McClory Trail north to the Great Lakes Naval Training Base which is as far north as I will go. Once you're past Martin Luther King Jr. Drive into North Chicago and Waukegan it's hit or miss as far as traveling through safe neighborhoods goes.

Yup pretty much everyone turns around at the Naval station. I continued North on the path once, only once.


As an alternative the North Shore Trail branches off west from the McClory Trail at Rockland Road and eventually goes in several directions including Libertyville and north toward the Wisconsin border. I haven't been on that trail yet but I plan to explore it next year. The only exploring I've done thus far on it has been on Google's satellite map.

The Desplaines River trail. It is a nice trail but it is limestone with pretty lose limestone in places. I nearly wiped out a few times on my Trek 520 which has 32c tires. I would not go any narrower than that. PS make sure you bring the deet [bug repellent].

I was in the area of the state line today.

Poking around the North Point Marina which looked like it was just paved.
Several soda machines here (toilets and food too?).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/1513108372_bd835d8472.jpg

Illinois Beach State Park (pretty cool place! :) ) :

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/1513108384_5fa3d3fbec.jpg

Zion (Sheridan Rd.) (Not bad riding really, except for the stupid kid riding against
traffic doing a wheelie right at me! :mad: )

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2179/1512863260_b88b8abc01.jpg

Winthrop Harbor (Sheridan Rd) It's like this up to the state line:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/1512863266_55a3b4f112.jpg

Once you cross into Wisconsin on Sheridan, it's Kenosha and back to the 4 lanes
like the Zion pic above.

:D