TRAIL MIX

Test the mettle of your pedals


William Shakespeare lived in Chicago. Why else would the man say "Summer's lease hath all too short a date"? No truer statement could be made about the small window of sunshine and warmth we are afforded each year. Wasting no time, of course, you seize this opportunity to wrestle your bicycle from the storage space, rifle through your closet for (if you must) a pair of spandex biker shorts (I know, I know... chaffing), and then, it's time to hit the trail. And in Chicago, there are lots of 'em. A hundred miles of designated bicycle paths, to be exact. Illinois, to glance at the larger picture, boasts more than 1,000 long miles of scenic paths of peddling pleasure. But where to start? For some of us, a two-wheeler is just the right solution to an expedient beer-run. To other cyclists, with more lofty and health-conscious goals, Chicago and the Land o' Lincoln have much to offer.

Perhaps a good place to start is by contacting the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, and, for $6.95, ordering a copy of its "Chicago Bicycle Map." You can also ask for the "Chain of Events Calendar" while you're at it. The CBF has events slated throughout the sunshine season. Want to get out of the city? How about trying the Interplanetary Bicycle Ride--a Peoria event that blasts off along "The Guinness Book of Records"' largest scale model of the solar system. Contacts: Chicagoland Bicycle Foundation, 417 South Dearborn, Suite 1000, Chicago 60605-1120, (312)427-3325; Interplanetary Bicycle Ride, Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1125 West Lake, Peoria 61614-5985, (309)686-7000; The American Discovery Trail Society of Illinois, (630)985-3895.

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