August 12, 2026 Summer’s here! Calendar of organized and charity rides, big events Suburban bike clubs and other organizations host invitational and charity rides all year. This is a list of the prominent organized rides plus big events in the suburbs.
July 12, 2026 Top suburban Chicago bike trails: A beginning look The Chicago area is full of bike trails, including and especially out in the suburbs. They’re paved or gravel or rocky or dirt. Here’s a round-up of the top trails in the region.
June 18, 2026 E-bike laws town by town: Where there are age, other limits New, sometimes strict e-bike laws emerged across the suburbs in 2025 after concern about the safety of e-bikes and “e-motos.” Here’s a town-by-town breakdown.
August 27, 2026 Quick (simple?) summary: What exactly Illinois’ new e-bike/e-moto law will mean in 2027 New legislation adds a key new regulation for e-bikes while also regulating faster two-wheeled and other motorized vehicles. Here’s a quick (?) summary of the rules that start in 2027.
August 26, 2026 Local news 2026: Salt Creek Trail finally reopens at I-294; Klein Road path plans to be presented Bicycling-relevant news, such as the Salt Creek Trail’s reopening under I-294, a new traffic light at a Great Western Trail crossing, and a proposed path along Klein Road in DuPage County.
August 22, 2026 Bike infrastructure work in 2026: Elk Grove bridge behind schedule; Poplar Creek, Fox River Trail detours Significant bicycle infrastructure projects are coming in 2026, including a few new bridges, a new Barrington Road path in South Barrington, plus a difficult Poplar Creek Trail detour.
August 20, 2026 Big improvements to Cook County’s Des Plaines River Trail; flooding persists on Lake County side Have a look at the remade Des Plaines River Trail between Lawrence Avenue and Irving Park Road in Cook County, with the new boardwalks. Plus, how to get hints about flooding in Lake County.
August 17, 2026 The legend (and rescue, and realities) of Sleepy Hollow Road in Dundee Township Sleepy Hollow, the suburb in Kane County, is no match for Sleepy Hollow, New York, when it comes to legends. But the Illinois town and Sleepy Hollow Road have their own history.
August 13, 2026 A cycling favorite with some history: Reservation Road in Kendall County Cyclists have told me what a nice ride Reservation Road is. It’s just a few miles long in the country south of Oswego and east of Yorkville. But those few miles offer a variety of landscapes — and history.
August 11, 2026 Invitational review: The Naperville Rotary Ride on great Kendall County roads The Naperville Rotary Ride hasn’t been the biggest on the suburban calendar, but for nearly three decades it’s taken bicyclists on great exurban roads and helped charities.
August 7, 2026 Thrill and chill? What it’s like to ride in Sicily traffic (vs. Chicago, New York, Munich …) The reputation of Italian drivers precedes them: fast, wild, no rules. Could they also possibly be … relaxed? And could bicycling in Italian traffic really be … fun?
July 29, 2026 Destination roads: What’s worth the ride to find in the suburbs, and southern Illinois Some great roads are kind of a secret; they may take a while to find on a bike. But they’re so worth it. There’s a good one in southern Illinois, but there are plenty in our suburbs, too.
July 11, 2026 Favorite road ride: Through Barrington Hills to Algonquin’s River Drive One long road ride I figured out early in my amateur bicycling “career” took me through Barrington Hills to a wonderful road along the Fox River: River Drive in Algonquin.
June 30, 2026 Dress for the weather: How to choose the right bicycling gear at the right time So much of the bicycling experience is the gear — including and especially what to wear at any given time. I’ve got my clothing lineup broken down by temperature.
June 22, 2026 Finish this ride in southern Wisconsin and get a pie If you want to draw bicyclists from suburban Chicago to Janesville, Wisconsin, serve ’em pie. That was the selling point of the Janesville Pie Ride besides the pretty bike trails and country roads north of Rockford.
June 18, 2026 Ela Road, Cook County’s gateway to Lake County — but how is the shoulder on new pavement? Cook County has finished repaving about 4 miles of Ela Road from Hoffman Estates to Inverness. It’s a key gateway into Lake County. But did the promised 3-foot shoulders happen?
June 2, 2026 State legislation passes: E-motos to be regulated, statewide minimum age to be added for e-bikes Dramatic new legislation passed by the state House and Senate treats e-motos like any motorcycle or car, while it newly requires riders of legal e-bikes to be at least 15 years old.
May 25, 2026 Ride review: The McHenry County Century on pretty country roads to support people in parks A bike ride on the pretty open roads of McHenry County was an annual event put on by the McHenry County Bicycle Club. Now one woman’s company runs it professionally and charitably.
May 15, 2026 New Cook County forest district signs reiterate what’s not allowed on trails (hint: e-motos, and …) Seen in northwest Cook County’s Busse Woods this spring: New signs that reiterate what’s not allowed on the trails. They come amid efforts to regulate e-motos vs. e-bikes.
May 2, 2026 On the road in greater Atlanta: Stick to the trails, like the 61-mile Silver Comet I discovered the sprawl of suburban Atlanta and its bike-unfriendly roads. But the area makes up for it with incredible trails like the Big Creek Greenway and Silver Comet Trail.
