I am visiting Chicago Mar 18 - 20.
Any bike related events happening that weekend?

Not sure, but I highly recommend the Cheesecake Factory on Michigan Avenue to make you forget about your bike for an hour or so.

Thanks,
We have one here in Cleveland too.

I don't think there is anything going on bike-related that weekend. It's still pretty cold here, and most of that kind of stuff happens during season...but there is the Chicago Bike Show held at Navy Pier...but that isn't happening until April 1-3.

You're in for it if you hate hills. Chicago has tons, I mean tons of stout overpasses that are a ***** to climb. You might have to downshift one gear.
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Sorry to be sarcastic but it's easy since I've never ridden in the Chicago area. So I'll take this opportunity to ask: How's the cycling in the Chicago area? Where do you go? Whenever I fly into the city, all I can see is urban development sprawling into the horizon so I have to wonder if it's all just shared bike paths and/or stop and go riding on the streets. And I'm also curious about hills? Got any?

Check out www.biketraffic.org for upcoming events.

Cycling in Chicago is ok. You have to do a lot of dodging of the traffic to get to the good parts, though. Going west, if you can get through all the traffic, it gets nice eventually... like 20 miles out. It's the same thing north. Once you get north of Skokie, then the riding is pretty good.

Koffee

Thanks Koffee.
I will be staying Near O'Hare.
I enjoy urban riding so I was planning to ride into town.

Uuugh. O'Hare. Well... if you're one that can stomach BAD traffic, you can certainly ride in from the airport hotels... but it's very specific. You will have to take Bryn Mawr Road west. You can dead end that road into Higgens Road a couple of miles down, then take Higgens Road west until you get to where it dead ends into Milwaukee Avenue. You're going to continue south and east (the road runs diagonally south but heads east also) all the way to Irving Park Road. From there, you'll head directly east on Irving Park Road until you hit a good street like 1) Elston (wich runs south and west, then dead ends into Milwaukee Ave again, then you would jump Milwaukee for a block and turn east on Chicago, and head east until you hit downtown), or you could 2) take Irving Park Road to a better street like Lincoln, then turn right at the Lincoln-Damen-Irving Park Road intersection and head south on Lincoln back to the city (very bike friendly street). Lincoln also runs diagonally and dead ends diagonally into Clark and Wells. I like to take Clark, which is a one way street heading south. But if I want to stop along the way and enjoy the riding a bit more, I'll head south on Wells. If you're in a hurry, take Clark.

From the get go, if you stay on Milwaukee and just take it all the way south and east, it will dead end into Kinzie, which is right downtown. I just hate taking Milwaukee because the street is so bad with so many potholes that you will end up feeling like you were pimp slapped about a thousand times and so will your bike! It's a great road because it's so convenient, but the condition of the road is just horrific.

If you're looking for the easy fast way to get into town, if you wait until after 9am, you can sling your bike on the blue line train and take the train headed back to the Loop. I think your stop should be the Cumberland stop, which is easy enough to get to from the airport hotels.

The ride from the airport hotels can be aggrevating at times, and you should have front and back lights. There's a section of road where there aren't a lot of lights, and it runs along some woods and it's twisty. A car coming from behind at a high speed would be surprised to see you, so be careful. I've taken that route a bunch of times, and I've never seen anyone else on a bike. There aren't sidewalks to jump and there's no shoulder either. But that only goes for a few miles at best, and then after that, it's just bad traffic, that's all. There's a Dairy Queen you can stop at that's closer to the airport than downtown, and usually, when I do a round trip, I'll reward myself with a stop at the Diary Queen for a soft serve. It helps to calm my nerves and prepare me for the trip back downtown!

Koffee

Don't forget the lakefront path.I am adding this' I rode it today 03 05 2005 there is no snow on it, there is still some salt though.I saw a nice sculpture at navy pier today BoB Newhart sitting in a chair staring interestedly towards a couch with a note pad and a pencil.It kind of makes you want to lay down on the couch and start talking.