Introductions - hi from Chicago

New to this forum....I am currently living in Chicago and am able to take advantage of the lakefront path here for six miles of my eight mile commute to work each day. What a joy to be able to ride this path. On one side is the stinking cars on Lake Shore Drive, but on the other is Lake Michigan. I use my bike mostly for commuting. I have a Bridgestone MB1 that I wouldn't trade for all the suspension in the world. My husband and I also try and do at least one bike trip a year. Last summer we rode the Maah Daah Hey trail in North Dakota....100 miles of incredible single track. Anybody else do this trail? What a jewel!
I have been using my bike for commuting for about 12 years now. My job takes me to different cities all over the country for three to six months at a time...the bike has been a great way for me to get around. Always interesting to check out the bicycle culture in different cities.

Welcome

What a neat way to explore the country - by bike - 6 months at a time. Wow!

My job takes me to different cities all over the country for three to six months at a time...the bike has been a great way for me to get around. Always interesting to check out the bicycle culture in different cities.

Welcome, alceth. If your job ever gets you to the Atlanta, Georgia area give me a shout. I would love to show you some of my favorite places to bike. I keep wanting to get up to Chicago to try some of your paths. It appears that you have paths all over that area. You mention the lakefront path in particular and I would like to give it a try sometime. The last path I rode in your general area was well north of you in Duluth, MN on the Munger Trail. Many of my vacations are spent riding paths all over the country. Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas are a few of the places I have gone specificaloy for biking. Jeff

You might want to check out the Caldwell woods bike path from Devon ave. to the botanical gardens. It's well paved, has some nice wooded sections and a stretch that goes past the Skokie lagoons.

Enjoy the City.

Peter.

Definitely call IDOT and get the Area maps so you can see the different bike friendly roads and bike paths in the city. I actually think the lakefront path is a cesspool of walkers, moms pushing babies and talking on cell phones, joggers running in groups like sheep, roller bladers swinging their arms and swinging back and forth, etc. I don't even go north at all anymore. But there are great paths and bike friendly roads to be had, and they're all north, so if you get the time on your days off, do explore your options. You are limiting yourself by staying on the LSD trail.

Here's a link to IDOT: http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/bikehome.htm

Please use it. :)

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

Koffee