Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - chicago: randolph street

if you check out the chicago 04 bike map, randolph (near the lake) is the recommended route from the lake path into the loop.

i rode it this morning to check it out - no thanks - zero shoulder and eventually it drops you in the middle of 5 lanes of traffic (2 coming in from LSD).

it was kinda fun though...

Randolph? Those downtown streets are tricky but fun. I like Clark for the most part.

maybe they are hoping to increase traffic there to gain a bike lane?
I jump off at oak street make my way to clark and take it in.

I loved em all, from the loop to near north.

yea, this is a fun ride, but watch out! rode it a few times... never a serious problem.

I could see how they would recommend Randolph. I was riding down Randolph yesterday and I walked down it today, and on the west side of Randolph, I finally noticed there was a bike route there on the right side of the road.

Personally, I LOVE lower Wacker- it's my favorite street in Chicago and it cuts out a lot of time if you're trying to quickly move from the Streeterville side of the city to the west loop in no time at all. I ride lower Wacker just about every single day- it's a blast!

Koffee

Koffee, not the lower lower part of it? It seems like it'd be a kick arse ride but hairy with cars zooming away down there with no space to move.

Yeah, the lower lower part of Wacker. If you're going west, stay to the right, and if you're headed east, stay to the left. That way, as the roads bend, you'll still be mostly seen by the cars when they come around the corners after you.

I think I had a problem for like 1 day. Then when I realized how fast you could rip around the city, I got over that pretty quickly. Give it a try sometime- once you ride it two or three times, you'll be pretty comfortable. I really like coming down those ramps too- if cars aren't coming, you can really build up some good speed before you hit lower Wacker.

Koffee

Sounds supergood. Maybe an early Sunday morning speedy spin down there is in order.

I feel you. I think the worst of the traffic is definitely on Friday late afternoons starting at around 3pm. I admit, even my heart rate goes up a couple of beats when I'm ridind down there during that time.

Koffee