I had a great time in Chicago over the weekend. Lots of what NYC has to offer (the good part) and less of what NYC has to offer (the bad part). Hey, you don't have to walk knee deep in trash since Chicago doesn't have the same national sport--littering, and they seem to have perfected the art of paving a street. Is this some new space-age technology?

What I wonder is how you get out on the road to ride if you live close to the lake? That's a nice MUP but I don't think I'd like to ride 15 miles on it just you find an open road.

Here in New York all we have to do is go up Riverside Drive (very pleasant), go across the GW Bridgeand, voila, a great road.

I also noticed that the full kit roadies go WAY to fast on the lake MUP. The peds there are as clueless and any other and I constantly had to be vigilant about them stepping out in front of my "Bike and Roll" rental.

It's really easy - live out in the boonies..................

if you are at the lake you are short trip to some really good, wide open, smoothly paved, corn stalk lined, riding. me, i live out in the burbs. 7 miles and i am in the middle of nothing. later.

20 minutes north.

Exactly. If you really, really wanted to stay off the lakefront path for some mysterious reason, you could just take city streets up to Evanston and hop onto Sheridan there. This also allows you to bypass the ugliness of Sheridan in Rogers Park (although the road surface has improved immensely).

yup almost every club / group ride uses the same route up sheridan to highland park or continue to fort sheridan. the lake front is suicide.

get further north up near where I'm at and you have quality roads out your front door for MILES AND MILES.... i'm right on the WI/IL border, about a driver and a 3 wood away in fact... I wouldn't have it any other way...

And how would one get to this cornstalk lined road? To the northwest? I'll assume you don't go due east.

Correct. That would put you in Lake Michigan.

The best riding can be found in spots all along the burbs, but the best riding is along the edges of the sprawl. I am all the way out in Elgin and I have pristine roads within a few miles of my house. Cornstalk lined 4 sure.