We created this Chicago Summer Adventure Guide in order to dispel the notion that worthwhile life experiences must involve international travel, significant investment and considerable allotment of time. Summers often seem short, and sometimes wishing for conditions to fall into perfect alignment so that we feel we can get away from it all keeps many … Read more
This was an eagerly anticipated trip, long planned, and executed on the spur of the moment, with untested but vital components of my minimalist set-up arriving the day before my planned departure. But I needed to go! Ever since we visited the lovely town of Port Washington a couple of years ago, and cruised on … Read more
Michigan’s Kal-Haven Trail stretches for 34 miles between the towns of Kalamazoo and South Haven, and is an unpaved, scenic and shaded rail-to-trail. It’s relatively flat and not terribly demanding, except in the brutal summer heat, which was precisely when I happened to carve out some time available for bike camping. My original plan was … Read more
The inspiration for our fall overnight bikepacking and camping trip last year came from this story on Bikepacking.com. We were heading “up North” to close up our summer cabin on an island on Lake Huron, so we knew that we wouldn’t be able to carve out the number of days necessary to do the entire … Read more
Boy, I really needed a day off. Sometimes mild weather in late winter bring a level of busyness to the bike shop that is hard to manage, given our seasonal staffing fluctuations. We end up working long hours on our feet, jumping endlessly from one task to the next, juggling customer requests, vendor orders, phone … Read more
When something sits in front of you every day, it can be easy to forget it’s there at all. On the Northwest Side of Chicago, we have the North Branch Trail, and I am often surprised by how few people have been on it, or ridden its entire length. Some don’t even know about it. … Read more
I’ve been fascinated by Wolf Lake since I was a teenager, but — incredibly — I never visited it until this year. The lake straddles the Illinois-Indiana border, and the tollroad to Indiana Dunes bisects it, offering tantalizing views of wildlife, nature and fishermen on the west side, and massive industry to the east. The … Read more
There’s always the North Branch Trail or the Lakefront, and sometimes the Des Plaines River Trail (when not flooded). But maybe you’ve ridden those, and you want something else. Here are some of our best suggestions for best long bike rides near Chicago, plus several loop trails of 10 miles or more located within a … Read more
OK, so maybe Chicago doesn’t offer many climbing opportunities right out of your front door. Illinois is the second flattest state in the union (trailing only Florida), therefore you may have to be willing to travel a bit if you want to climb anything other than the steps of the Sears Tower (I’m a lifelong … Read more
For months, I’ve fantasized about doing a quick, minimalist solo Brompton camping trip. After all, what more perfect tool for a quick getaway than this stealthy, compact, uncluttered folding bike, with neatly fitted self-contained luggage options? What could be simpler? Pack a bag, hop a train, find a stop with good biking access to some … Read more