Section

PPlan a Ride

First ride in Chicago, the best season, family riding and the shops that keep you rolling.

Cyclists on the Lakefront Trail beside Lake Michigan under a blue sky, with lakefront towers behind

Best Time to Bike in Chicago: Month-by-Month Weather and Season Guide

The best months to bike in Chicago, with official NWS averages for every month: temperatures, snow, freeze dates, beach season and Bike the Drive.

The Chicago Athletic Association building on South Michigan Avenue

Bike-Friendly Hotels in Chicago: Loaner Bikes and Divvy Credits

Chicago hotels that state a bike amenity on their own pages: The Robey's Tokyobikes, the Athletic Association's Heritage Bicycles, Arlo's Divvy credit.

Lakefront Trail bike path passing under 31st Street in Chicago

Biking in Chicago for First-Timers: Where to Ride, Rent and What to Know

A first-timer's guide to biking in Chicago: the Lakefront Trail, bike lanes, Divvy and rental prices, and the Illinois rules every rider follows.

The Nature Boardwalk pond beside Lincoln Park Zoo, with the Chicago skyline beyond a footbridge

Biking to Lincoln Park Zoo: Route, Bike Racks and Divvy Stations

How to bike to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago: the Lakefront Trail approach, bike racks at four gates, Divvy docks, free entry and the hours to plan around.

Millennium Park lawn and Jay Pritzker Pavilion trellis beneath Michigan Avenue towers

Biking to Millennium Park: Routes, Bike Parking and Rules

How to bike to Millennium Park in Chicago: Lakefront Trail and Divvy access, where to lock up, park hours, and the rule that bicycles stay outside.

The Chicago skyline across the water, seen from the Adler Planetarium Skyline Walk on Museum Campus

Biking to Museum Campus: Route, Bike Racks and Divvy Stations

How to bike to Chicago's Museum Campus: the Lakefront Trail route, the Roosevelt Road approach, bike racks at the Field Museum and Divvy docks at each museum.

Aerial view of Navy Pier and the Chicago skyline from the southeast

Biking to Navy Pier: Trail Route, Divvy and Where Bikes Can Go

How to bike to Navy Pier in Chicago: the Lakefront Trail approach, the Divvy dock at Polk Bros Park, rentals at the pier and where bike riding is banned.

The Lincoln Park Zoo entrance sign on a granite base with bronze big cats, and the zoo building behind

Biking With Kids in Chicago: Routes, Rentals, Gear and Free Classes

How to bike with kids in Chicago: the Lakefront Trail, Lincoln Park and Big Marsh, child seats and trailers, kids' bike rentals, and the City's free classes.

A light-blue bike standing in grass beside a paved lakefront path in Chicago

Buying a Used Bike in Chicago: Where to Shop and What to Check

Where to buy a used bike in Chicago, from nonprofit shops to neighborhood stores, with the checks to run on frame, brakes and serial number before you pay.

The Gold Coast skyline lit at dusk, seen across Lake Michigan from North Avenue Beach

Chicago Beaches by Bike: A Lakefront Trail Guide From Calumet to Juneway

How to reach Chicago's lakefront beaches by bike: beach addresses from south to north, season and lifeguard hours, beach rules, and Divvy-friendly rides.

A bike workshop wall of hand tools and wrenches above a worn repair bench with a vise

Chicago Bike Shops for Repair: Tune-Up Prices, Locations and Hours

Chicago bike repair shops compared: published tune-up prices at Kozy's, Village, REI, Comrade, Small Shop, Boulevard and Curbside, with addresses and hours.

Cyclists on the Lakefront Trail beneath the Gold Coast towers on a clear September day

Chicago Weather for Cyclists: Temperatures, Wind and Alert Levels

Chicago weather for cyclists from the National Weather Service: monthly highs and lows, snow and freezing days, wind and wind chill thresholds and heat alerts.

Rows of cone wrenches with red and blue handles hanging on a pegboard wall in a community bike shop

Community Bike Shops in Chicago: Open Shops, Earn-a-Bike and Free Bikes

Chicago's nonprofit bike shops: The Recyclery, Working Bikes, West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works, with hours, repair prices and free-bike programs.

A bicycle inner tube with a round patch over a repaired puncture

How to Fix a Flat Bike Tire: Patch or Replace the Tube

How to fix a flat bike tire: remove the wheel, find the hole, patch or replace the inner tube, refit the tire, plus where to get a flat fixed in Chicago.

Buckingham Fountain with its central jet and the Chicago skyline behind

One Day in Chicago by Bike: A Route From Millennium Park to Navy Pier

A one-day Chicago bike itinerary on the Lakefront Trail: Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Museum Campus, Navy Pier and the Riverwalk, with rental costs.

Bicycles stored in a two-level indoor bike rack

Where to Store a Bike in a Chicago Apartment

Where to keep a bike in a Chicago apartment: the building bike room, indoors versus garages, the zoning rules, and public racks and corrals when space runs out.

Photo credits (16)

TheWxResearcher / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · source
Beyond My Ken / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
AlphaBeta135 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · source
Daniel X. O'Neil from USA / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · source
Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Chris Rycroft from Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · source
Sea Cow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · source
w_lemay / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Downtowngal / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
TheWxResearcher / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · source
4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · source
Schumi4ever / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
An Errant Knight / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Eric Fischer / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · source