62-mile Ultimate Neighborhood Ride

(start between 7 and 7:30 a.m. )

Designed by the Chicago Cycling Club.

All routes in the BLT are designed by bicycling experts and feature as many bike-friendly streets as possible. In addition to the wonderful parks along the route, you’ll encounter vibrant neighborhoods, historic architecture and many points of interest.

Your Ride Guide will have the turn-by-turn directions, a map and points of interest. Signs, volunteers and paint markings on the street will also help guide your tour.

The Chicago Cycling Club is proud to help Active Trans offer the 62-mile Ultimate Neighborhood Ride that starts in the West Loop (Morgan and Taylor Streets) on the University of Illinois-Chicago’s campus. These hardy riders head south through the Mexican-American neighborhood of Pilsen before crossing the Chicago River and turning east into Bridgeport. Riders continue east through Bridgeport and Bronzeville to Lake Michigan and the Chicago Park District’s Lakefront Trail for a jaunt south to Hyde Park. Exiting the trail, participants will move west along the Midway Plaisance and have the opportunity to pause at our water stop (water, port-a-potties), located about 11 miles into the ride. Heading north on beautiful Drexel Boulevard, riders pass through Kenwood and Bronzeville again on their way to Chinatown. Look for our rest stop (snacks, water, port-a-potties) about 18 miles into the ride at the eye-catching Ping Tom Memorial Park along the Chicago River.

Heading west from the rest stop, riders weave through Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods on their way to Chicago’s Near West Suburbs. Passing through Cicero and the bungalow neighborhoods in Berwyn, riders will wind their way through the Fredrick Olmsted-designed community of Riverside. Take a break at our rest stop at Guthrie Park (snacks, water, port-a-potties), located about 29 miles into the ride. Heading north to Forest Park and Oak Park, riders will pass beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright homes next to Cook County Forest Preserve’s Thatcher Woods. Look for our water stop (water, port-a-potties) at Keystone Park in River Forest about 43 miles into the ride. Continuing north, participants ride through suburban Elmwood Park before crossing back into Chicago at Riis Park, a little-known gem on the West Side.

Heading east along a beautiful stretch of Wrightwood Ave., riders head south at Logan Square to our water stop in Palmer Square (water, port-a-potties), located about 54 miles into the ride. Riders then continue south through Humboldt Park, the Ukrainian Village neighborhood and the Near West Side to the post-ride festival at the end of the 62-mile Ultimate Neighborhood Ride.