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Chicago Bike Adventures

Custom guided bike rides through Chicago's neighborhoods.

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Tag: 1930s

Richard Wright’s Native Son Mapped

September 28, 2020December 8, 2025 SteveLeave a Comment on Richard Wright’s Native Son Mapped
A tour bike standing at the curb in front of two twinned three story red brick apartment buildings with curved corner bays.

Bigger Thomas’ Bronzeville of 1930s Chicago

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Posted in Literature, Maps, Native SonTagged 1930s, african american, book locations, bronzeville, englewood, hyde park, kenwood, literature

Archives

A book cover for 100 Things to do in Illinois Before You Die with blue text that says We're in the Book!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Michael Reichart profile picture 
 
 
 Michael Reichart 
 
August 11, 2026
 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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 Google 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Beth Stevens profile picture 
 
 
 Beth Stevens 
 
November 11, 2025
 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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 Google 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Dean Bottrill profile picture 
 
 
 Dean Bottrill 
 
September 30, 2025
 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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 Google 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Theodore H profile picture 
 
 
 Theodore H 
 
August 2, 2025
 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex 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 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, 
based on 14 reviews 
   
 
 Verified by Trustindex  
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Yelp

  •   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 about 9 miles and he offered to extend it, but we had a prior dinner engagement. He even sent a detailed map of our tour plus some excellent photos he took along the way. Highly recommend!

    thumb Edmund C.
    12/17/2024

  •   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 seen on our own, which made the experience even more fun and unique.
    Steve was a fantastic guide--friendly, knowledgeable, and easygoing--and he can customize the bike tour based on your interests, comfort level, and what you'd like to see. It was the perfect combination of sightseeing, biking, and great local breweries.
    Highly recommend Steve if you're looking for a fun and different way to experience Chicago!

    thumb Karen M.
    8/31/2026

TripAdvisor

  • star rating  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 based on your interests. After the trip he provided me with a detailed map of the route with photos of some of the stops and with informational links. A+ experience.

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb ColinKnightMD
    August 17, 2021

  • star rating  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.

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb Jeannie J
    February 12, 2024

  • star rating  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!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb StillerSt
    August 30, 2025

  • star rating  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 in as much as you can, preferably with a knowledgeable guide. Steve gets full marks on all counts. The fact that you get a full day, and not the usual 3-4 hours justifies the cost. As the weather was unpredictable and we only had a window of two days, Steves flexibility and communication was the key. We had a fabulous 6+ hours, just three of us and all the places we wished to experience and view duly noted and planned meticulously! Can't recommend this venture enough, by far the best cycling tour ever undertaken.
    You really do meet as strangers and leave as friends. Great to get Garmin routing and pics taken along the route, and sent to us two days after arriving back home to the UK. There are other tours available, but not like this!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb markwZ7248RV
    March 24, 2023

  • star rating  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 south for architectural, social and Black history (Bronzeville, Jane Adams, Ida B. Wells) and musicians (Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Thomas Dorsey, Muddy Waters). Steve is easy and spontaneous as he creates context throughout, tying many pieces together.

    We came away with a more intimate connection to our great hometown, Chicago! Hope to do another tour with Steve soon!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb ChicagoUrban
    July 5, 2020

  • star rating  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 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!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb Beth S
    November 11, 2025

  • star rating  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.

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb Luc K
    May 18, 2023

  • star rating  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 with you after the tour. Depending on the weather make sure you dress appropriately!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb D2057BUshannonh
    March 22, 2021

  • star rating  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 the streets with Steve in the front. The street art was amazing as was the ride along the old L tracks and along the lake. Highly recommend. We will be back.

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb amyek-6
    March 21, 2021

  • star rating  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.

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb I3968DGjamesc
    May 28, 2025

Airbnb

  •   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 few esoteric places upon requests we had during the tour. He was super friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. We felt comfortable on the bikes and we do not cycle in our home city. He has an immaculate storage unit with a bike library. We felt like we had a friend in the city to show us around which was fantastic.

    thumb Wendy
    August 1, 2024

  •   I enjoyed a personalized bike rid through Chicago with Steve. This was a great way to see other parts of Chicago without hoards of tourists. Based on my interests, there... read more were trips to various neighborhoods to see architectural gems, street art, parks and other areas worth biking. Steve was personable and a great guide.

    thumb Jeff
    October 1, 2024

  •   Great experience. I appreciate how thoughtful the route and information shared was.

    thumb Joel
    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 the history and architecture of the areas we explored. We used Steve’s bikes and found them to be well maintained and comfortable to ride. Even our 14 and 15 year old sons gave the tour a big thumbs up. Thank you Steve!

    thumb Satara
    July 1, 2024

  •   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 communicate with and gave us a wonderful taste of Chicago on bikes. I would totally do this again and have Steve show us around a different part of Chicago.

    thumb Blake
    April 1, 2024

  •   Great way see part of Chicago ...Being active bonus too...also accomodated my schedule so can join awesome bike ride...Steve personilization of journey adds special touch!

    thumb Olga
    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 be a fun to visit the city via cycling.

    As we did not carry our own bikes with us, Steve was so kind to provide each of us a bike and a helmet before the tour.

    Steve is vey reponsive and easy going. He also offered us different options for the customized tour including the intro of building, archtecture, murals and my favorite spot - The Wrigley field.

    We had a lot fun on cycling, photo shooting, filming and sightseeing.

    This is one of my unforgettable trips and definitely will come back to ride again with Steve in the future.

    Warm regards,
    DK

    thumb JenFu
    October 1, 2023

  •   Steve was amazing. The best sightseeing experience we had in Chicago. We learn a lot about the local culture, the history of the city and all this in a pleasant... read more and interesting way. I want to go back to do more tours with Steve. Worth every minute.

    thumb Márcia
    October 1, 2024

  •   Steve's bike tour was an amazing and unique experience!! He weaves together a rich tapestry of art, culture, and social history. He also did a fantastic job at intuitively guiding... read more the bike ride. So much so that I barely had to think of where we were going and could focus more on all of the amazing things there were to experience along the way. The tour was a highlight of my trip and I regret there is not the opportunity to experience such a tour elsewhere.

    thumb Sarah
    November 1, 2023

  •   Steve is very thoughtful & thorough. He’s a great host/guide for the Chicago visitor.

    thumb Sarom
    March 1, 2024

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      • Adapted Synagogues
      • Bank Buildings
      • Christian Scientist Churches
      • Church Conversions
      • Disused Firehouses
      • Frank Lloyd Wright
      • Green & White Brick
      • Historic Public Schools
      • Michaelsen & Rognstad
      • Movie Theaters
      • Movable Bridges
      • Preservation Chicago
        • 7 Most Endangered Structures of 2017
        • 7 Most Endangered Structures of 2018
      • Southern Exposure (Lee Bey, 2019)
      • Worthmann & Steinbach
    • The Arts
      • Literature
        • The Coast of Chicago (Stuart Dybeck, 1990)
        • Indemnity Only (Sara Paretsky, 1982)
        • The Jungle (Upton Sinclair, 1906)
        • My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Emil Ferris, 2017 & 2024)
        • Native Son (Richard Wright, 1940)
        • Print Chicago
        • Sister Carrie (Theodore Dreiser, 1900)
        • So Big (Edna Ferber, 1924)
        • The Spook Who Sat by the Door (Sam Greenlee, 1969)
      • Movies
        • The Blues Brothers (1980)
        • The Dark Knight (2008)
        • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
        • The Fugitive (1993)
        • V.I. Warshawski (1991)
        • Stranger than Fiction (2006)
        • While You Were Sleeping (1995)
      • Public Art
        • Art Sculpture
        • Monuments and Memorials
    • Chicagoland Breweries
    • History/Geography
      • 1895 Boulevard Bike Ride
      • Chicago River and Water System
      • Division Street (Studs Terkel, 1967)
      • Eastland Disaster Victims
      • Notorious Chicago
      • A People’s History of Chicago (Kevin Coval, 2017)
  • Blog
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