The LATE Ride Chicago: History of the Overnight Bike Ride (Ended 2016)

For nearly three decades, thousands of riders pedaled through Chicago while the city slept. The ride is gone, and this page records what it was. If you want a current event, go to the events calendar.

What the ride was

The L.A.T.E. Ride was an annual, non-competitive overnight mass ride. It benefited Friends of the Parks, a not-for-profit parks advocacy group¹. The name stood for Long After Twilight Ends, and the ride began in 1989¹. In 2006, 9,000 people took part, from age 5 to 75¹. McDonald’s was title sponsor from 2006 to 2009¹.

How it ran

Riders gathered at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, where the ride started and ended¹. The route covered 25 miles through downtown and various neighborhoods, and changed every few years¹.

• In 2013, the 25th anniversary, riders left in waves starting at 1 a.m. on June 30³. Advance registration was $45, with a T-shirt, rider number, map, goodie bag, snacks and on-course bike repair³. VIP registration was $75 and let riders leave in the first wave³.
• In 2014, pre-ride festivities began at 10:30 p.m. on June 21, and the ride started at 1 a.m. on June 22⁴.
• In 2016, groups set out around 1:30 a.m. along Columbus Drive on a 25-mile course that ran west and north, then south along the Lakefront Trail to the fountain². Contests for best lit bike and best decorated helmet began around 11:15 p.m.².

A rest stop with food and a portable bathroom stood about halfway³. A sunrise yoga stretch by the fountain closed the 2016 ride².

When it ended

The final ride was in 2016¹. Chicagoist published its photo story of that ride on August 15, 2016⁷. In December 2016, organizers announced through social media that the ride would not return in 2017¹. The ride’s old lateride.org address no longer hosts the event.

The Millennium Park bike station’s events page in 2013 listed the LATE Ride beside Bike the Drive and the Chicago Marathon⁶.

Where to ride after dark now

For a large organized ride today, see the Bike the Drive guide. For a guided evening option, read the night bike tour guide, and for a group ride, see Chicago Critical Mass.

Light your bike. At night, Illinois requires a white front lamp visible from at least 500 feet. A steady or flashing red light visible from 500 feet may be used in addition to or instead of the red reflector⁵.