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Suburban Chicago Bicycling

It's National Bike Month: What's happening in the suburbs

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

It's the merry month of May, which the League of American Bicyclists has declared National Bike Month since 1956. So this is just a quick note to tell you all that's happening in the Chicago's suburbs for the month. To put it simply, a lot.

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Sunday is National Ride a Bike Day. May 7 is National Bike & Roll to School Day. May 12-18 is National Bike to Work Week (or May 16 if you prefer just Bike to Work Day). The Active Transportation Alliance runs a Bicycling Commuting Challenge starting May 19.

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Neighborhood events like a "Slow Roll Social Ride" and community bike rodeos begin as soon as Friday. Highland Park will have an Empire Bikes Back Ride on Sunday (May the 4th be with you, don't you know).

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​See the list of events that the Active Transportation Alliance assembled.

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Invitationals also are starting up this weekend. There's the Pastry-Bike-Pastry ride in North Aurora on Sunday. Farther away is Rock River Madness, based in Dixon, on Saturday. And for a rural gravel experience, there's Seeds & Stones Roubaix based in Waterman on Saturday. See the ride list for the season.​

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I've always treated May as the month to really get out and get in shape. There's excitement like this throughout the bicycling community. Let's enjoy it!

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* At top: The 2024 Bike MS Tour de Farms spring kickoff was at Morton Arboretum. Trees accommodated.

Suburban Chicago Bicycling

Neil Holdway

A source for the great trails and roads to ride a bicycle in Chicago's suburbs, and to learn about efforts to make bicycling easier there.

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