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Chicago Bike Adventures

Chicago Bike Adventures

Custom guided bike rides through Chicago's neighborhoods.

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Tag: modern

Stranger than Fiction (2006) Map

May 16, 2022November 7, 2022 SteveLeave a Comment on Stranger than Fiction (2006) Map
A tour bike standing next to a tight spiral Brutalist style 5 story ramp to car parking.

Harold Crick hears a woman’s voice narrating his life and his impending death

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Posted in Maps, MoviesTagged brutalism, little village, midcentury modern, modern, movie locations, south side, uic, ukrainian village

Looking Around 18 (10 Photos)

October 29, 2019November 11, 2019 SteveLeave a Comment on Looking Around 18 (10 Photos)
A tour bike leaning on the Art Deco stone business facade that reads ACME vertically to the left of the door and INDUSTRIAL above it.

Late September and October sites seen from the bike.

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Posted in Looking Around, PhotosTagged art deco, aztec, bronzeville, churches, cicero hine, douglas, jas petersen, meeting of styles, midcentury modern, modern, north kenwood, oakland, pilsen, queen anne, schools, street art, the gap, west town
A book cover for 100 Things to do in Illinois Before You Die with blue text that says We're in the Book!

Yelp

  •   If you want to get to know Chicago more personally, try this out. This was one of my favorite experiences during my three day stay at Chicago. I did all... read more the tourist must-dos but it was nice to bike around neighborhoods and to feel what exactly the locals see everyday. Steve was great with everything from picking out/adjusting a bike for my size to explaining fun little details of Chicago. If you love being active and want a new experience while traveling, this would be great for you.

    thumb Somang L.
    8/28/2019

  •   Absolutely loved this bike tour with Steve. Our tour was customized to what we wanted to see. Steve included stops in between our requested stops so we could learn and... read more enjoy more about this beautiful city. Steve was patient with us and accommodating to our level of bike riding, making sure we were following behind and letting us know our route ahead. Steve took pictures and put them together on a map showing where we had been. He also included photos from the movie sites we stopped at so we could compare our pictures with the movie. It was awesome! I will recommend Steve to friends and book again!!!

    thumb Stacie A.
    9/25/2023

  •   A fantastic bike tour, personally tailored to your interests. We did a 3-hour ride with a group of four who signed up together, but you can also sign up alone... read more and be paired with others.

    Steve is a friendly and knowledgeable guide. We had a rider who hadn't ridden a bicycle in years and Steve's loaner bike and helmet worked out great.

    Highly recommend the "bike the boulevards" route and on through Pilsen and Chinatown. Great history and architecture.

    Thanks, Steve!

    thumb Alex H.
    7/12/2019

  •   Steve is great and love the tours. My wife took me on one a couple years ago and we went again while some friends were in town last week. Great... read more way to see the city and each tour is customized based on what you are interested in learning about and how far you want to go. Highly recommend!

    thumb Jason K.
    8/16/2022

  •   My friend from out of town wanted to visit me in Chicago for my birthday. Instead of going out to a fancy dinner, we decided to go on an... read more adventure with Chicago Bike Adventures. It was a great! I live in Chicago and love to bike. I wasn't sure if I would see anything new or unexpected on my trip because I live here, but I certainly did! Steve is extremely knowledgeable and knows about all the hidden gems! He customized the tour for just me and my friend and one other woman that joined us that day. It was great to be able to see all of the things I wanted to see (like street art, history, and planning stuff) and not get into the things I didn't care as much about. I'm sure there are many more customized adventures that he is prepared to give!

    We saw a lot of really fantastic street art. We also stopped by a brewery in Pilsen, Lo Rez. I highly recommend it! Steve was extremely knowledgeable about all of the things and places we visited. He was also very approachable and fun to ride with. He even lent someone a pair of socks so she could be a little warmer on the ride. Great guy.

    It was great how Steve knew which route to take. He clearly did a lot of research in finding the best way to get around. I ride my bike in Chicago so I know how difficult it can be getting around if you don't find a bike lane, or a less busy street. The ride that day was very pleasant and stress free.

    Oh! I should mention that it was 33 degrees when we did this trip and I still loved it! We bundled up and kept warm by moving.

    I would definitely recommend this for a visitor or a local!

    thumb Emily E.
    1/25/2019

  •   I found Steve of Chicago Bike Adventures on Trip Advisor. They also have a website: https://chicagobikeadventures.com/about/

    I wanted to enhance a four day holiday in Chicago... read more with something more interesting than the usual Red Bus or Architectural River Tours which, while worth doing, are things I had done before. Steve's tours involve riding cycles around the northern neighborhoods of the city for 5 hours while he explained the sights. Before the tour, you are sent a questionnaire which asks about your size, bike riding expertise, and interests: History, architecture, sports, churches, etc.

    I chose a cold day in December and was the only person on the tour which meant I got Steve all to myself. When I arrived a the beginning of the tour, Steve was waiting with a helmet and a well tuned bicycle adjusted for my size and ready to go.

    We started with a tour of the immediate neighborhood. As we rode He explained the local history and pointed out landmarks. The pace was just right, we kept moving to stay warm, it was about 30 degrees F, with stops at various points of interest. Steve teaches in the Chicago schools when he is not giving bicycle tours and we got along famously. As the tour went open we explored the University of Illinois, street art, the trendy new neighborhoods that are attracting tech workers and historical sights going back 100 years.

    One of the best things about a small group tour is the ability to get to know a local, ask questions and get a sense of what it is like to live in the city you are visiting. This is much better than hearing a recording of the points of interest as you drive by on a bus filled with other tourists.

    Later Steve took me to a local taco place for lunch. The food was very tasty and we continued our discussion of Chicago, one of the most interesting cities I know.

    After 5 hours and 12 miles of bike riding I was tired and very happy to have taken the tour. I suspect you will be just as satisfied if you take one of Steve's bike tours. Although the route is chosen carefully to minimize congested streets, you will be riding in a big city for hours so you should be comfortable riding a bicycle in traffic.
    John Kelly

    thumb John K.
    12/28/2018

  •   I spent an amazing 4.5 hours riding 15 miles on a totally customized bike tour with Steve. He knows so much about the art, architecture, and history along the way... read more (he is a retired teacher so it's not surprising.) After I got home he even provided me with a detailed map of the ride that included photos of me along the way with informational links about the scene shown. A+ experience.

    thumb Colin K.
    8/17/2021

  •   This was by far the best day of my vacation in Chicago. A bike tour is the best way to see a city, and Steve's street art bike tour was... read more such a great experience. We saw great popular murals and tons of never seen or known about before. Steve knew the answers to all my questions about the artists, the collaborations, the backgrounds of the pieces and more. On top of that I felt very safe the whole and trusted his urban biking skills. It was truly a memorable experience and I can't wait to take my friends with me next time I go!

    thumb Naima B.
    10/29/2019

  •   Steve created a wonderful memory for us while on a short trip to Chicago. Our group of girls had a mix of biking experience and he went out of his... read more way to ensure we all felt comfortable. This tour was a comfortable pace filled with local art and history of each space. The ability to ride through the city made us feel like a local even though my riding skills may have indicated otherwise. Thank you Steve for making us feel like a priority to you and your city. Would love to come and do this again.

    thumb Amy H.
    4/29/2021

Airbnb

  •   It was a great experience! Highly recommend to anyone, including Chicago’s residents! Great way to see the city and learn curiosities outside the mainstream turistic sights. Steve was very knowledgeable,... read more friendly and accommodating. If you still considering, just do it!

    thumb Pedro
    September 4, 2020

  •   An incredible way to see the City! Winding through alleys, neighborhood streets and parkways Steve shared his diverse knowledge about street art, architecture, local history and community culture. Casual and... read more conversational, our tour felt like a day trip with a friend. I learned about things that were of interest to me. Plenty of stops along the way. The map of our ride with photos was truly a bonus. Thanks for a great day Steve!

    thumb Stacey
    September 10, 2019

  •   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 of Chicago neighborhoods, biked across the serene Humboldt Park as well as checked out some street mural art, all quite a delgihtful treat!

    thumb Yvonne
    May 30, 2024

  •   Great customized bike tour of Chicago with knowledgeable and capable guide. Steve was awesome. Very friendly and engaging. If you want to ride around and learn about different neighborhoods... read more and their histories or if you just want to ride around the city Steve is your guy.

    thumb Seth
    August 13, 2018

  •   Great way to see the city! Really enjoyed Steve's company, and vast knowledge of Chicago's history. Our ride was tailored to our interests, which made the experience uniquely special.

    thumb Preetal
    July 11, 2022

  •   Steve was an amazing host on this bike experience! My partner and I lucked out with it just being the two of us on this tour, so we had the... read more luxury of going at our own pace and Steve was always so patient when we took our time at certain spots. He sends a survey far in advance so that he can map out the group’s route to meet everyone’s preferences. Steve has a variety of knowledge about Chicago and it made for fun and entertaining conversation during our time together. I highly encourage everyone to give this experience a try!

    thumb Vanessa
    August 27, 2022

  •   Great tour!! Steve let us customize our tour to explore things our group was more interested in.

    thumb Pratyush
    July 3, 2021

  •   Steve was really patient and knowledgeable. I’m amazed by the amount of details he dishes out in his explanations. Really worth the time and money!

    thumb Jan
    August 5, 2022

  •   Steve is a cycling encyclopedia. My wife and I did this tour on our first full day visiting Chicago, and we are so glad we did! The personalized tour highlighted... read more all kinds of things we were already interested in but couldn’t have learned anywhere else. If we ever come back, this is the kind of activity we could book again and have a completely different (and still fascinating and engaging!) tour.

    thumb Kate
    October 9, 2020

  •   We booked on to the tour for our first day in Chicago (borrowing two of Steve's lovely bikes), and what a fantastic way to start the trip and blow off... read more the cobwebs of any jetlag! We saw so much of the wonderful city of Chicago and Steve really brought all of the amazing areas we visited to life with his informative, interesting, and personable storytelling. Steve took our requests into account and we had an amazing time visiting some super cool neighbourhoods, seeing some amazing architecture, and checking out plenty of beautiful street art murals. We couldn't recommend Steve and his tour more. It's early days, but we've no doubt this will be one of the highlights of our trip.

    thumb Annabel
    April 19, 2023

TripAdvisor

  • star rating  I highly recommend this bike tour. Steve does a great job of gathering your info before hand and tailoring the ride to you. I was lucky to be the... read more only rider that day so the experience was very personal. Steve does a great job leading you on the bike and I felt very safe

    tripadvisor logo
    dazelr
    September 1, 2019

  • star rating  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
    AmyK
    March 1, 2021

  • star rating  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
    Colin Knight
    August 17, 2021

  • star rating  Thank you Steve for an informative, detailed and unforgettable bike tour through Chicago‘s suburbs, but also for showing us Chicago from a completely different side. The ratio between riding the... read more bike and receiving information was perfect!

    tripadvisor logo
    avatar thumb Kai H
    July 19, 2018

  • star rating  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
    Shannon H
    March 1, 2021

  • star rating  This was a great experience! Steve was great, informative, and truly wanted us to have a great time. This is highly recommended and a great way to see the city... read more in a totally different way! His expertise in history exponentially added to the already great...More

    tripadvisor logo
    John R
    November 1, 2019

  • star rating  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
    amyek-6
    March 21, 2021

  • star rating  I read the reviews about how awesome Steve and his Chicago bike tour is ahead of visiting Chicago...and they were all true. Steve is a super laid back guy that... read more knew every inch of incredible Chicago. This was my first visit to the city and after our 5+ hour tour, I felt

    tripadvisor logo
    Steven K
    October 1, 2019

  • star rating  A must if you come to Chicago. You’ll see a different side to the city and Steve will customize the experience for you. See different neighborhoods, learn about the history,... read more take great photos and enjoy a drink!

    tripadvisor logo
    ana_rg123
    March 18, 2020

  • star rating  Very knowledgeable of the city of Chicago. Very considerate and safe lead bicyclist. Great way to explore the city! Highly recommend.

    tripadvisor logo
    Meadow C
    August 27, 2019

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