Did You Know?
Have fun. Enjoy the ride.
Chicago’s biggest cycling event is back and better than ever for its seventeenth year!
This year, MB Bike the Drive will be held on Sunday, May 27. Enjoy nearly 5 hours of car-free riding on the city’s scenic Lake Shore Drive, which will be closed to all auto traffic for the event. A post-ride festival including live music, giveaways and breakfast (pancakes, anyone?) will take place from 8 a.m. to Noon in Butler Field.
This unique event is open to riders of all ages and skill levels, making it a perfect event for the family. And if you’re a seasoned cyclist looking for a challenge, you can snag a special bib at packet pick-up to become a 30 Mile Challenge participant and track your mileage with an app!
Active Transportation Alliance is proud to offer 200 complimentary MB Bike the Drive registrations to local youth groups who otherwise would not be able to participate in the event. If inaccessibility to bikes is an obstacle to your organization’s participation, NEW this year, we will have a limited number of bikes and helmets that can be lent out to recipients of the youth scholarship! You can download applications in English or Spanish, and please note that all youth must be accompanied by a adult chaperone.
We look forward to seeing many former MB Bike the Drive participants return this year. One of those dedicated riders is Bill Verzal, who lives near the Wisconsin border and rides about 100 miles on the day of the event each year. To those new to the event, he offers this advice: “Have fun. Enjoy the ride. I’ve often considered a higher end bike to cut down my times, but then I realize that the times for me are not what drive me. It’s the experience.”
So, come join the experience! For more information on MB Bike the Drive, check out our Facebook event page or read the event FAQs.
Proceeds will benefit Active Transportation Alliance, a member-supported advocacy organization that serves as Chicagoland’s voice for better bicycling, walking, and transit. Please consider becoming a member when registering.
Have questions about registering or volunteering? For registration inquiries, please contact Kerry Holsinger at kerry@activetrans.org. For volunteering inquiries, please contact Gabby Petrelli at gabby@activetrans.org.
Ride Lake Shore Drive car free and care free in true VIP fashion! Enter to win the MB Bike the Drive Weekend VIP Experience. Winners will receive:
- 4 VIP Entries to MB Bike the Drive, May 27
- 4 hybrid bike rentals
- A Signature Room at the Fairmont Hotel
- Gift cards from Lettuce Entertain You and MB Financial Bank
- Chicago Blackhawks practice from the Executive Viewing Area at MB Ice Arena
This blog post was written by Sarah Clarke, MB Bike the Drive Events Intern.
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