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08-17-08, 09:33 PM
I'm a die hard NY'er that's been vacationing with the family on a Great Lakes tour, ending in South Haven, Michigan before heading straight back to Brooklyn. I'm in a lakefront cottage in South Haven as I write this.
On the way we stopped in Skaneateles, NY, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Cleveland and then Chicago before heading back to South Haven. It rained in both places in NY so I didn't get to ride there on the one day each I'd have had a chance, but I did ride in Cleveland. We were stopped downtown right by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a fun place). We could not believe how deserted downtown Cleveland was in the evening, not even Buffalo was that dead. It felt like the whole city evacuated. The next morning I took a ride on the lakefront trail from the Hall out to Case Western Reserve, about a 7-10 mile ride. I didn't see a single bike the entire way until I got to University circle and one solitary rider came by me. It was nice enough, but nothing I'd want to go back to.
In Chicago I stayed in the 'burbs in LaGrange. I took one ride there on a forest preserve trail that was nice, but I ran out of daylight so I only did about 15 miles. The next day I drove in and parked near the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park and did the lakefront trail. That was a GREAT ride. It didn't matter that I couldn't push it in most places. There were a bunch of tri riders when I first started, and also lots of roadies. (I'm on a road bike.) It didn't take long to find a partner to talk to either, in fact first one, then another, and then the first one again zipped by when I was taking it easy through a busy area, after leapfrogging each other for a while, she stayed with me the last few miles of the ride.
There was the Chicago Air Show going on and that made riding through Lincoln Park impossible so I went out on the street going back. At least I didn't get lost. What I've read though is that it is pretty crowded on most summer weekends anyway. The very north end was quiet enough and the south end was so quiet I could do 20+ mph. The area between Navy Pier and the Field Museum is very slow going.
In NYC, we have the west side bikeway, and most roadies avoid it completely. It runs the length of Manhattan and doesn't even come close to the ride in Chicago. I'll have to find an excuse to go back.
On the way we stopped in Skaneateles, NY, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Cleveland and then Chicago before heading back to South Haven. It rained in both places in NY so I didn't get to ride there on the one day each I'd have had a chance, but I did ride in Cleveland. We were stopped downtown right by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a fun place). We could not believe how deserted downtown Cleveland was in the evening, not even Buffalo was that dead. It felt like the whole city evacuated. The next morning I took a ride on the lakefront trail from the Hall out to Case Western Reserve, about a 7-10 mile ride. I didn't see a single bike the entire way until I got to University circle and one solitary rider came by me. It was nice enough, but nothing I'd want to go back to.
In Chicago I stayed in the 'burbs in LaGrange. I took one ride there on a forest preserve trail that was nice, but I ran out of daylight so I only did about 15 miles. The next day I drove in and parked near the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park and did the lakefront trail. That was a GREAT ride. It didn't matter that I couldn't push it in most places. There were a bunch of tri riders when I first started, and also lots of roadies. (I'm on a road bike.) It didn't take long to find a partner to talk to either, in fact first one, then another, and then the first one again zipped by when I was taking it easy through a busy area, after leapfrogging each other for a while, she stayed with me the last few miles of the ride.
There was the Chicago Air Show going on and that made riding through Lincoln Park impossible so I went out on the street going back. At least I didn't get lost. What I've read though is that it is pretty crowded on most summer weekends anyway. The very north end was quiet enough and the south end was so quiet I could do 20+ mph. The area between Navy Pier and the Field Museum is very slow going.
In NYC, we have the west side bikeway, and most roadies avoid it completely. It runs the length of Manhattan and doesn't even come close to the ride in Chicago. I'll have to find an excuse to go back.