Family Bike Tours in Chicago: Ages, Child Equipment, Prices and Routes

Biking with children comes down to three questions: how old they must be, who carries the ones who cannot ride, and how far the group goes. Chicago’s operators answer all three in writing. This page sets out the answers, tour by tour. For the wider field, see Bike Tours.

Family & Food tour

The Family & Food tour is built for children: four hours, 9 miles, easy riding, ages from 1¹. It departs at 11am and 4:30pm daily from 540 N. Lake Shore Drive^1,3. Bike and helmet are included, and so is all the food¹.

The route starts in Streeterville, rolls past the Magnificent Mile and into the Gold Coast for deep-dish pizza¹. It then follows protected bike lanes downtown to the Chicago Riverwalk for gelato¹. A break in Millennium Park comes next, with Cloud Gate, the Pritzker Pavilion and Crown Fountain¹. The menu: a Chicago-style hot dog, deep-dish pizza and a dessert¹.

Adults 21 and over can add a craft beer upgrade for $19.99¹. Guides ask families to stay with them throughout, and the tour can finish 15 to 20 minutes early or late¹. For the full menu logic, read the food bike tour guide.

Lakefront Neighborhoods

The no-food option lasts about three hours and covers 7 miles². Bobby’s calls it great for families and riders of all ages, with kids’ seats and tag-along bikes². Departures are 1:30pm on weekdays and 10:30am and 2:30pm on weekends². The tour runs rain or shine, with ponchos supplied². The neighborhood bike tour guide maps the route.

Bike and Roll: Lincoln Park Bike Adventure

Bike and Roll rates its Lincoln Park tour easy and kid-friendly⁴. It leaves at 10:30 AM daily and lasts three hours⁴. Adults pay $65; ages 12 to 18 pay $45⁴. The route passes North Avenue Beach, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory⁴. The zoo is free and open year-round⁹.

Bike and Roll takes babies at least one year old, if they can hold their head and upper body upright and wear a helmet⁵. Riders under 18 must wear a helmet⁵.

How to choose

• Children under 8: the Family & Food tour, with a child seat or tag-along on request¹.
• Children 8 and older who can ride: either Bobby’s tour; the minimum to ride your own bike is 8¹.
• No appetite for a four-hour ride: the 3-hour Lakefront Neighborhoods tour² or Bike and Roll’s 3-hour Lincoln Park ride⁴.
• Rest of the trip: a single stroller rents by the day for $24.99³.

Ages and equipment

Rider	Equipment
Ages 12 and up	Comfort bike3
Ages 8 to 11	Junior bike, 24 inch3
Under 8	Child bike3
Ages 4 to 7	Tag-along3
Ages 1 to 4	Child seat3

Tag-alongs, trailers and seats attach to comfort bikes only³. A single trailer holds one child; a double holds two, up to 110 pounds³.

What child gear costs

Bobby’s publishes these rental prices³:

Item	Hourly (2-hour minimum)	Half day	Full day
Junior bike	$9.993	$24.993	$29.993
Tag-along	$8.993	$24.993	$29.993
Single trailer	$7.993	$19.993	$24.993
Child seat	$6.993	$16.993	$19.993

Online rates are discounted 10%³. Every rental includes a free map, lock and helmet³. Bike and Roll rents children’s bikes and quadcycles at Navy Pier⁶. Our kids’ bike rental guide compares the shops.

A free place to stop: Maggie Daley Park

Families riding downtown can break at Maggie Daley Park, reached from Millennium Park over the BP Pedestrian Bridge⁷. The Play Garden covers 3 acres and is open from 6:00am to 11:00pm to children 12 and under⁷. The park also has a quarter-mile ice skating ribbon and climbing walls⁷.

On the trail with children

Since 2018 the lakefront has a bike trail separate from the pedestrian trail, which eases the crowding⁸. Families should ride on the bike trail and leave the pedestrian trail to walkers. Bobby’s rentals include a map of the paths³.