Early Warning: Bike the Drive is Happening Again!

Lake Shore Drive to close for cyclists

Recommended by Meghan Lichte

If you’ve never been on a crazy Critical Mass run where they take over Lake Shore Drive simply by sheer number and brute force, you haven’t lived!  But, if you want a simulated experience, you can participate in Bike the Drive, a four hour window when Lake Shore Drive will be closed for cyclists to enjoy. The Active Transportation Alliance brings this event to Chicago every year to bring light to the advantages of cycling over driving. Once you’ve completed however much riding you want to do, you can join other riders for a post-ride bash in Grant Park.  The party includes an all you can eat pancake breakfast sponsored by Goose Island (it does cost $7 more however) and partake in music and special activities for families. Take this chance to drink in the first smells and sights of summer along our famed road.

Insider Info: Rest stops will be positioned along the way for riders’ comfort.  However, if you’re interested in doing something a bit more off-the-cuff and cheap, you should check out the monthly Critical Mass ride that takes you on an adventure each time.  Cyclists meet at Daley Plaza at 6 p.m. the last Friday of the month—it is there that they find out the course they are to take.  This ride doesn’t include rest stops, but you can rest independently and you’ll never be passed up by the Mass.

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