Chicago's "Tour Da Lakefront" Challenge

Once again, Chicago Park District is sponsoring a "Tour Da Lakefront" biking challenge this summer, from Memorial to Labor Day. The idea is to encourage people to bike the length of the lakefront bike path (or most of it), from Rainbow Park on (3111 E. 77th) to Margate Fieldhouse (4921 N. Marine). You check-in at one end of the trail to get a time stamp, then you have to present your card at the other end of the trail within 3 hours. Though the 18-mile length may seem intimidating, 3 hours is actually more than enough time to get from one end to the other. (Depending on traffic/wind speed, I generally bike 16-18 mph.) For your efforts, you will receive a free t-shirt and the satisfaction of knowing you've seen more of Chicago's lakefront than 95% of the population.

Now, this is fine and dandy, though I am a little worried that we are encouraging newbs to bike more on Chicago's most congested bike path. This can only cause additional biker rage. Also, as a purist, I feel that people should be forced to bike to the northern terminus of the lakefront trail (at Hollywood, another mile north), or you're not biking the entire length. However, I suppose that Margate Fieldhouse is the most convenient check-in point in the area.

Moving on. Though I've biked the lakefront path many times, I never got around to formally doing the "Tour Da Lakefront" challenge last summer. So, I decided to do it today, while attempting to improve the state of my tan lines. (My back pretty much has all of Michael Jackson's skin tones. Too soon?) I called Margate Fieldhouse to make sure they were open on Sundays, and they told me that the Rainbow Beach office was actually closed for the day, so I could bike north and check-in (by 4:30 pm), but if I biked south, it'd be purely for kicks and giggles. Fair enough. I didn't really care where I checked-in because I planned to bike both legs to get home.

A little over an hour later, I presented myself at Margate Fieldhouse. (Exit at Lawrence and take your first right to get there.) There were plenty of t-shirts left, though they were mostly in large sizes. After a bit of rummaging, the lady was able to find a medium, which of course, still looks ludicrously large on me. Oh well, I no longer have a dearth of cyling t-shirts in my wardrobe!