Is Chigaco a good city for bicyclists?

[coleman]

I really like commuting by bike, so I'm wondering how bike friendly Chicago is? Are some parts of the city more or less bike friendly?

Cheers

[Bill_Higgins]

Chicago is a great city for biking and it's one of the best ways to enjoy our city and get around. The City has installed many new bike lanes in the past few years and they are always increasing bike safety measures. That said, there is a lot of car traffic and it can be intimidating. Follow the rule of the road and be vigilant and you can commute safely. The city's grid makes navigation easy and you'll find multiple routes to choose the safest & most comfortable. There is an extensive bike share service called Divvy that is convenient too. Buke parking is fairly easy to find (but get a good U lock). The buses have bike racks and the L trains and Metra both allow bikes (some restrictions on the rail).
As far as location, the north side, downtown, and along the lake front, they have more bike facilities but they are adding more on the south side. Anywhere along Milwaukee Avenue you'll see tons of bike commuters.
People often commute by bike nearly year round but our weather can get very cold and very hot so be sure to dress and hydrate appropriately!
There are a number of bicycle advocacy groups such as the Active Transportation Alliance and thechainlink.org
Happy biking!

[Erin]

Chicago has been investing in their bike infrastructure and creating separate bike lines on a lot of roads. However, most of them stop and start randomly, so you'll have to merge into traffic for three blocks before the lane suddenly restarts. They also just put in the 606, which is a big elevated trail that runs east/west through humbolt park to wicker park. While there is a good amount of infrastructure currently being installed, cars and pedestrians still haven't adapted. Cars will pull over into the bike lane or drive the wrong way down it. Pedestrians use it as extensions of the sidewalk. You have to be exceedingly careful and ready to hit the brakes at all times. I use front and back flashing LED lights at all times to increase my visibility and wear bright orange.

Also, bike racks are funded by neighborhood, so a lot of areas (like the miracle mile) have no places to lock your bike up securely. City buses all have bike racks on the front, so you can take the bus with your bike easily.

You can find a map of all the bike lanes and other trails provided by the City of Chicago here. Chicago is definitely better than a lot of other cities at bike infrastructure, but we're no where near Europe (particularly the netherlands).

[Chin_Fei_Cheah]

Hi Courtney!
Chicago is a great biking city. It's suitable for recreational bikers as well as daily commuting bikers.
There's a bike path along the Lake Michigan which spans about 35ish miles. Many roads in the city also has dedicated bike path.
Unfortunately Chicago can also be a very busy city with buses and cars. There were a number of accidents the past year despite the dedicated bike paths.

[Michael_Rosenquest]

Generally I would say yes.

It's best if you live close to the lakeshore so you can take advantage of the lakefront trail. The trail runs the length of the city, with very few intersections with car traffic. You do have to be mindful of pedestrians on the trail who aren't paying attention, particularly in the summer, but an expansion is in the works that will divide the trail into distinct bike and pedestrian lanes. The trail is even well-maintained and kept clear in the winter (mostly).

Chicago also benefits from many bike lanes, some are event protected and have their own traffic lights.

The local bikeshare program, "Divvy" is reasonably priced at $99 a year with unlimited 30 minute rides, and the stations are numerous and conveniently located. Though I own and prefer using my own bike, I use Divvy for one way trips and commuting to and from work, about a 9 mile ride from my home in the Edgewater neighborhood to my office in the Loop, using the lakefront trail.

Chicago also has all the usual bike-centric social groups (Critical Mass, BFF Bikes, etc), and an innovative volunteer group called Working Bikes that collects and fixes up bikes to send to developing countries.

So I would say it's a good place to be a bicyclist, and I enjoy it.

[Joel_Henderson]

It's a mixed bag. Being mostly flat with wide streets, the terrain is pretty good for cycling. With the growth in cycling for the last few years, drivers are much more aware of and courteous towards cyclists, the city is making a lot of investments in cycling infrastructure, and there are many nice trails that run throughout the city and out into the suburbs. However, the winters can be long and brutal. You can make that work, but you have to be prepared for it. They also take their toll on the streets, so spring biking can be a little treacherous. On the whole, though, I've been biking here for years and I've got no plans to stop.

[Dee_Jay]

It's great for cycling! There are many miles of bike lanes throughout the city and they're adding more all the time. There's also Divvy ride share which is convenient if you don't have the space or inclination to buy your own bike.

[Dustin_Hostetler]

Yes, it is a ridiculously bike friendly city. There are bike lanes everywhere and in warmer months there are droves of people riding around the city.