February 10, 2026 Great winter getaway ride: Gulf Blvd. and the bridges around Clearwater, Florida While scouting routes during my visits to the Clearwater area, I quickly discovered Gulf Blvd. on the map. It’s on a thin strip of land, really a few islands, providing Gulf and Tampa Bay views.
December 19, 2025 Riding a legend: The mysterious, beautiful Cuba Road in Lake County As the suburbs slowly rose in southwest Lake County, Cuba Road was always there. While in recent decades it has been the focus of haunted legends, it’s become a haven for bicyclists, too.
December 13, 2025 O’Hare Area Bike Network Study: An early (very early) look at corridor plans Planners on Dec. 11 revealed early ideas for new corridors that would enable bicyclists to ride around O’Hare International Airport safely and make key connections across the area.
December 5, 2025 Favorite respite road: Indian Knoll Road in west DuPage County A little road that I’ve made a point to ride the last couple of years when I do my DuPage loops is Indian Knoll Road between Winfield and West Chicago. It’s a secret respite.
October 14, 2025 Lake County update: Checker, Old McHenry, Darrell roads, Lake Zurich’s Main St., and the future Some major road construction projects that matter to bicyclists have been going on in Lake County this year. I decided to peek. This as the county looks to bicycling and more in 2050.
September 23, 2025 Nice little trail: The one around the Bloomingdale Golf Club On the north end of Bloomingdale are a few trails that kind of end a bike route system from Roselle and Medinah. I find one of those trails to be a nice surprise: the one around the Bloomingdale Golf Club.
September 6, 2025 Bike the Drive ’25: Bicycling an open Lake Shore Drive, with no wind! The 2025 edition of Bike the Drive in Chicago may have been one of the most glorious I’ve ridden, because there was no wind! And a prominent local club helped me set a fast pace.
August 19, 2025 Invitational ride review: Roun’da Manure out of Sharon, Wisconsin, with ice cream How about a bike ride where every rest stop is an ice cream shop and there’s a pig roast at the end? Even if it’s not exactly all that anymore, Roun’da Manure might pique your interest.
August 15, 2025 Nice ride for serious road cyclists: Highland Avenue west out of Elgin This week I revisited a road that’s always a nice surprise out of the west side of Elgin: Highland Avenue. It’s somewhat of a hidden gem into northern Kane County country.
July 29, 2025 Summer road trip: Endless options in the Northwoods of Wisconsin Riding in the Northwoods of Wisconsin is like entering a different world. Up there is an endless supply of peaceful roads amid tall trees and small lakes, perfect for unwinding.
July 17, 2025 Favorite scenic road: Spring Creek Road in Barrington Hills Spring Creek Road in Barrington Hills offers varied scenery that includes horse farms, old trees, elegant big homes, and of course, hills.
July 15, 2025 Vacation surprise: Great roads in Maryland southeast of D.C. On a visit to a peninsula in eastern Maryland, I thought I would struggle to find comfortable roads to bicycle. It turns out the land southeast of Washington off Chesapeake Bay is full of pretty roads, whether you see water or not.
July 7, 2025 Favorite road ride: Lake Barrington, Port Barrington, Island Lake (now with roundabouts) The pretty ride through Lake Barrington, Port Barrington and Island Lake now features roundabouts, too.
July 1, 2025 When I got to ride Tour de France routes (and another amazing one) For my 50th birthday I got to ride a couple of the famous climbs of the Tour de France plus another neighboring mountain. Here’s what Tourmalet, Peyragudes and Tentes were like.
June 25, 2025 Charity bike ride on the open roads: A hot, windy Bike MS Tour de Farms The Bike MS Tour de Farms is what the title says it is: a ride through open farmland. Those who’ve ridden the charity event know that the open land usually exposes you to all kinds of weather.
June 17, 2025 Great scenic road: Klein Road by DuPage’s West Branch preserve I find myself stopping on Klein Road to take pictures of the adjacent West Branch Forest Preserve in DuPage County, so maybe I should give this lovely 2-mile stretch its due.
June 12, 2025 Invitational ride review: Bicycle Club of Lake County’s Wisconsin Ramble The Bicycle Club of Lake County began June with an invitational it had been preparing for all year, and it was neither in Lake County nor even in Illinois. Organizers chose a more peaceful area.
June 11, 2025 As the Salt Creek Trail turns: Nasty section rebuilt in Wood Dale Surprise! A particularly nasty section in the northern half of the Salt Creek Greenway Trail has been rebuilt. The small segment just might make the meandering trail worth it.
June 5, 2025 Invitational ride review: Arlington 500 through southwest Lake County The Arlington 500 invitational has been a staple of the suburban invitational calendar for years. This year’s version through southwest Lake County was another well-organized event.
June 4, 2025 Favorite summer road: Rawson Bridge Road along the Fox River A list of bike-pedestrian projects that were rejected for some state funding had me looking at video of a lovely summer road: Rawson Bridge Road between Port Barrington and Cary.
