Spring Cycle Camp '25
Events We Ride
Individually, we take on rides from Colorado's Triple Bypass to climbs in the French Alps to local criteriums, sanctioned either by American Bicycle Racing or USA Cycling. We ride the events listed below more or less as a club. We also organize a spring pilgrimage to North Georgia, tackling climbs featured in the Six Gap Century and the old Tour of Georgia.
Grand Fondo New York — Sunday, May 18, 2025. An intense, European-style fondo for lovers of green kits.
Grand Rapids Grand Fondo — Sunday, June 21, 2025. What's it like? No clue. This is our first year riding. Join and find out!
Dairyland Dare — Saturday, Aug 2, 2025. Hilly, bucolic Wisconsin splendor in serving sizes from 50k to 200k.
Ride across Wisconsin — Sat, July 12, 2025. New format for '25: One-day only, a 180- or 100-mile loop that starts and ends in Eau Claire. Road, not gravel, this year. Cows, as usual.
Race the Lake — Sunday, Aug 17, 2025. Circumnavigate Lake Winnebago. Fast or chill: wave start times, from 25 to 15 mph.
Bike the Drive — Sunday, Aug 31, 2025. DuSable Lake Shore Drive as it ought to be—and a key fundraiser for safer and more equitable non-car transportation in Chicago. Combine coupon code LastMin10 with an Active Transportation Alliance membership for best pricing. A group of us ride from Pickwick to the north entrance of DLSD, then bike home after the event. Details:
55- and 30-mile options: Meet at the Pickwick, time TBD. It's super quiet, so we take a direct, 9.6-mile ride (Strava link, GPX file) to muster at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, 5649 N Sheridan Rd. If you skip the first 9.6 miles, join here before we enter DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Hollywood. DLSD is a 30-mile loop. We rest halfway, at Museum of Science & Industry, for food & T-shirt pickup. Rubber bands will help fit that shirt into a jersey pocket. After, muster again at St. Andrew's before heading home on bike-friendly roads (Strava, GPX). • Driving, you unfortunate soul? Try Grant Park South garage. Volunteers guide cyclists riding up the garage ramp onto DLSD. • Metra or CTA? Take the Blue Line to Monroe and Dearborn, 1/2 mile from Grant Park. CTA relaxes its "2 bikes / car" limit on this day. Or board Metra to Ogilvie, then ride the 1-mile bike lane to Grant Park (Washington outbound; Randolph back). 2025: Metra leaves PR at 7:51 AM and returns 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM; no extra trains added this year.
Door County Century — Sunday, Sept 7, 2025. An overnight or weekend. A regular one for PRC stalwarts. This one sells out early!
North Shore Century — Sunday, Sept 21, 2025. Pay money to ride our usual routes.... but in support of a good cause! 2025 event will start from Gillson Park, Wilmette.
Apple Cider Century — Sunday, Sept 28, 2025. Tour Michiana backroads before the season wraps up.
Hot Chocolate Ride — Saturday after Thanksgiving? Depends on weather. Not a fancy pre-register thing. Just PRC folks braving the cold together to wrap up the season. And drink cocoa.
Where We Chat
Need a buyer for your old ride, or a partner for an impromptu ride? Got a photo to share? Join Park Ridge Cycling's Facebook group. Not an email fan? You'll see our weekly ride times posted here, too.
You can follow every cyclist in town—or just join our Strava club. Club rides will appear in your feed separately from the activities of you and folks you follow individually. Discover new local routes or simply add a post. You can specify whether your rides are visible to the club, to your followers, or just you. Strava's club FAQ is here and privacy details here.
Sponsors of P.R. Cycling
We'd recommend these spots anyway.
That's why we're so proud to have them as sponsors!
Wheel & Sprocket — Our very own LBS. Great service and bikes of every type. Large stock on hand, plus access to anything at Wheel's other Illinois and Wisconsin shops. Village Green Shopping Center, 672 N Northwest Hwy, Park Ridge.
Beer on the Wall — End point of our Monday rides. Extensive beer list, a friendly vibe, and fine food from their next-door companion, Off the Wall Café.
Hansa Coffee Roasters — Beloved Lake Bluff and Libertyville café stops. You're independent. So why drink chain-store coffee?
Other Places We Go
Lee Physical Therapy Chicago — One-on-one PT. Deep experience with athletes to address injuries and their underlying cause. Arlington Hts., Chicago, and home visits.
Peregrine Bicycle Studio — The best bike fitter in Chicago, plus road bike sales and service. Set up a new bike or get to love your old ride more.
Active Transportation Alliance — Advocate for safer and more equitable non-car transit throughout the Chicago area and, of course, Bike the Drive's organizer.
Biking in Park Ridge — Local route map and a city plan for better biking.
Pothole or other danger? Report a road hazard to the Park Ridge public works dept.
Ride Illinois — Advocate for biking statewide. Maps, bike laws, and more. Check out their safety quiz. R.I.'s list of local Illinois clubs is here.
