Well, this was exciting to see in Hanover Park this week. But let's talk about important events first.

International Ride of Silence

A key day in this National Bike Month is the international Ride of Silence, which are really several rides worldwide Wednesday to honor bicyclists who've been killed on public roadways. Seven rides are scheduled in our suburbs that I know of. They're short, slow and, of course, quiet. See the list of rides.​

Speaking of National Bike Month, there are still plenty of activities left in various communities. The Active Transportation Alliance updated the list.

Then four organized and charity rides remain in May: The McHenry County Century Ride (really of various distances), Pedalpalooza in McHenry County (I have the correct date now), the famous Arlington 500 (largely in south Lake County), and Everybody Rides, to fund Project Mobility. See the calendar.​

Construction's happening

At the very top of this newsletter is the newly paved Mallard Lake Trail in Hanover Park. It's part of the Arlington Drive bridge reconstruction that just finished up, providing a handy link between Bartlett and Schaumburg or to DuPage's Mallard Lake preserve. Then above, the new Elk Grove Village bridge is getting closer to done. Also starting in earnest is the Braintree Drive construction in Schaumburg. And work has begun to fill the final gap — with a bridge! — in the West Branch DuPage River Trail. See the latest construction round-up.

Now with leaves on the trees

At the Bike MS kickoff ride Sunday on the Centennial and I&M Canal trails, I returned to the nearby Cal-Sag Trail in south Cook County. My review of the trail drew a lot of interest, so I updated it with a couple of leafier pictures.

With more leaves comes the annual tick-count news. The count is high again, the Daily Herald has reported. Read what I wrote last year about why bicyclists can worry a little less about them.

Also check out how to deal with dogs chasing you, which I had to think about again when I was chased in recent weeks in southern Illinois and Kentucky. I learned that some of my approaches were wrong.

OFF RIDING

That's Bike MS teammate Kevin with me on the kickoff ride. I've been riding all over lately — Georgia, Kentucky, southern Illinois, southern suburbs, northwest suburbs. Soon I'll be off to Italy, so content may be slower for a couple of weeks; then I'll really get rolling around here for the summer rush. I'll send a postcard. — Neil

THANK YOU, DONORS:
Arlington Heights Bicycle Club, Alan White, Mitchell C. Jones, Bill Triplett, John Heer, Terry Witt, T L Szensy, Douglas H. Hoffman, James Krause, Melynda Findlay Shamie, Eric Slagter, Jeffery Norman, Kathleen Hays, Andrew L. Campbell, Mark Rathe, Robert M. Yedinak, John S. Perry, David Waycie, David Michels, Cynthia DeVoss, Cheryl Zalenski, Richard H. Jordan, Mark Joseph Dugo, Richard Wadleigh, Colleen Stevenson, Randy Barich, Michael D. Staples, Michael Vander Weele, Hilliard B. Grossman, Kevin V. Barba and Bill Kragh.
I create the Suburban Chicago Bicycling website and newsletter with the help of readers like you.
​Buy me a cup of coffee, as they say?

At top: We still don't want trucks or buses on the trail or really the Arlington Drive bridge.

For even more, read old newsletters. And please forward this to anyone interested.