Literature – Chicago Bike Adventures

Sacred Smokes (Theodore C Van Alst Jr, 2018) Map

August 13, 2026August 13, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike leaning on the bottom of a 1920 four story brown brick and tan terra cotta former hotel now apartments.

Tales of a Native American teen in 1970s/80s far northside Chicago

My Favorite Thing is Monsters 1 (5 Photos)

January 30, 2026August 13, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike leaning at the side of the entrance of a grey terra cotta one story corner Beaux Arts train station.

Five photos from CBA’s My Favorite Thing is Monsters map

My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Emil Ferris, 2017 & 2024) Map

October 27, 2025January 30, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bicycle standing in front of a rainbow wheel sculpture in front of a red brick and white terra cotta theater and a one story orange painted restaurant with thin yellow and red marquee that reads Pancake House.

Forty plus graphic novel locations mapped

Division Street (Studs Terkel, 1967) Map

October 1, 2024July 21, 2025 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike standing in front of a massive Beaux Arts white terra cotta and gold spandral former hospital

Over one hundred book locations mapped

The Spook Who Sat by the Door (5 Photos)

February 21, 2023March 7, 2023 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike leaning at front of the Fountain of Time, a large horizontal tan cement sculpture with one figure's back to the camera and many others facing front ensembled into a wave like formation.

Five photos from CBA’s The Spook Who Sat by the Door Map

The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1969) Mapped

February 14, 2023February 27, 2023 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike leaning on the black two story arched wooden door of a grey limestone Art Deco armory building with soldier detailing.

Dan Freeman turns his CIA training on the oppressor in Chicago’s South Side.

So Big (Edna Ferber, 1924) Map

May 2, 2022February 18, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike at front of a common brick three story church with a five story pointed roof corner tower.

Edna Ferber’s Selina Peake makes her own way in turn of the century Dutch community of Roseland

Indemnity Only (6 Photos)

April 6, 2021January 8, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike standing in front of a pale blue white trim wooden 1880s three story single family home.

Six photos from the CBA map for Indemnity Only (Sarah Paretsky, 1982)

V.I. Warshawski’s Chicago

March 29, 2021January 8, 2026 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike looking out over a frozen harbor with the high rise apartments near and the Chicago skyline in the far distance.

The V stands for her first name.

Native Son’s Chicago 1 (5 Photos)

October 5, 2020April 6, 2021 SteveLeave a Comment

A tour bike standing on the sidewalk in front of a eighth story red and tan brick a building with three arched windows at the center of the second floor.

5 existing locations from Richard Wright’s novel of 1930’s Chicago

    
 
 
        
   Michael Reichart 
 August 11, 2026
 
 
   Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We hired Steve for a ride around parts of the city we don't normally think to bike.   It turned out being an excellent idea thanks to Steve.  He rode us all along the west and south sides of the city.   If you are thinking of going on a bike ride you cannot go wrong with Steve. Very knowledgable about the city and hits history.
  
  Posted on Google  
 
 
 
       
   Beth Stevens 
 November 11, 2025
 
 
   Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly recommend taking advantage of this great way to see Chicago neighborhoods up close. Biking is a great way to comfortably cover a lot of ground and really connect with this very bikeable city. Steve was a great guide, organized, informative, balanced the pace, and was very communicative leading up to our meeting.  And the bikes were comfortable too. This was one of the highlights of our Chicago visit and of our two week road trip!
  
  Posted on Google  
 
 
 
       
   Dean Bottrill 
 September 30, 2025
 
 
   Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My wife and I contacted Chicago BA to enquire about a Blues Brother bike tour of Chicago. we were looking to cover as much ground around Chicago to see as many of the film locations as possible. Look no further if this is the type of bike tour your after. Steve did a great job from start to finish, Great Chicago history, art locations and picture opportunity's. And not forgetting the beer stop. We had a great day and memories that will last forever. Keep up the great work Steve.
  
  Posted on Google  
 
 
 
       
   Theodore H 
 August 2, 2025
 
 
   Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a fantastic time with Chicago Bike Adventures on a guided ride through the city in November 2023. Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about Chicago’s vibrant street art, architecture, and history. The route was thoughtfully planned—combining iconic spots like The 606, Wrigley Field, and the Henry Rokham House with stunning murals from artists like Hebru Brantley, Max Sansing, Sick Fisher, and more. Riding through the city on a crisp autumn day made the experience unforgettable. The pace was relaxed and well-suited for photo stops (and there are plenty!). Highly recommended for anyone wanting to discover Chicago’s neighborhoods in a unique and active way. We’ll definitely do another tour next time we visit!
  
  Posted on Google  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, 
based on 14 reviews 
     Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

We had such a great time on our bike and brewery tour with Steve! We visited three different breweries and got to explore parts of Chicago we never would have... read more

Karen M.
8/31/2026
Steve was amazing. Very personable and knowledge about all things Chicago. We did the street art and west side tour 1/2 day tour. We ended up riding... read more

Edmund C.
12/17/2024

Eckhart Park, not Wicker Park - To clear up some confusion here, this is indeed a fabulous house, but Eckhart Park (park district) is in the city of Chicago and Wicker Park is a southern suburb... read more of Chicago.

Jeannie J
February 12, 2024
Awesome Chicago Street Tour - Steve did a fantastic job touring us through Chicago. We appreciated the pre-ride survey Steve sent so that we could provide input on what we wanted to see. ... read more Awesome job Steve!

StillerSt
August 30, 2025
Brilliant full day tour of Chigago - Over many years, and countless cities, the first, and most important research for me is a bike tour. This is simply the best way to find your bearings and cram... read more

markwZ7248RV
March 24, 2023
Fantastic ride! - Steve was a great tour guide as we biked through Chicago. His pre-ride survey allowed him to tailor the ride to some of our interests. We were super confident navigating... read more

amyek-6
March 21, 2021
Great time - Nice guy, knows a lot about Chicago. And you see parts of Chicago you would not without him. Knows about buildings and streetart. Had a great time.

Luc K
May 18, 2023
Our great hometown, Chicago! - As local residents, we wanted a fun adventure over July 4th (and during the pandemic). Steve created a perfect tour!

We went west for ethnic street art, and... read more

ChicagoUrban
July 5, 2020
Definitely Book a Chicago Bike Tour With Steve - Highly recommend taking advantage of this great way to see Chicago neighborhoods up close. Biking is a great way to comfortably cover a lot of ground and really connect with... read more

Beth S
November 11, 2025
Great way to see Chicago!!! - We had a great time with Steve, who was informative but kept it fun! Great route and the only way to see and understand the History of Chicago. Would strongly... read more recommend this as a must do activity.

I3968DGjamesc
May 28, 2025
Great Customized Bike Tour of Chicago - I spent an amazing 4.5 hours touring Chicago neighborhoods with Steve. He knows an amazing amount about the art, architecture, and history along the ride. He totally customizes the tour... read more

ColinKnightMD
August 17, 2021
Great Addition to My Trip - This is a great way to see more of Chicago and develop an understanding of the communities and history of the city overall. Steve takes great pictures and shares them... read more

D2057BUshannonh
March 22, 2021

Steve took us on a wonderful tour and showed us parts of the city that we wouldn't discover as a tourist. We also learned a lot about Chicago. And we... read more felt very comfortable with Steve.

Wiebke
June 1, 2024

This bike tour with Steve was a great way to kick off my visit to Chicago and visit places that were off the beaten path outside of the downtown area.... read more

Rebecca
June 1, 2024

Great tour

Nellie
July 1, 2024

Steve was an incredible host with boundless energy and detailed knowledge of the diverse historical sites and landmarks in Chicago. We saw a beautiful cathedral, learned about the devleopment... read more

Yvonne
May 1, 2024

Had a great tour with Steve. The personalized tour is a nice touch and he really made an effort to focus on what we were interested in. The ride is... read more

Hema
September 1, 2024

This is an amazing tour and way beyond our imagination.

We, a group of 7, would love to explore more in this amazing cuty 'Chicago' and thought it would... read more

JenFu
October 1, 2023

Steve was great. You are asked to fill out a form before the trip, so that Steve can adjust the tour to specific interests and abilities. Steve was easy to... read more

Blake
April 1, 2024

Steve is a cozy person amazing guide, the price is worth just to hang out with Steve for a while🙂

Fredrik
April 1, 2024

Steve was great. He provided a survey up front to learn about our interests in advance of the tour and went out of his way to effortlessly swing by a... read more

Wendy
August 1, 2024

We loved this tour and really felt that we got much better sense of Chicago because of it. Steve tailored the tour to our interests and had great info about... read more

Satara
July 1, 2024

Category: Literature