A picture-perfect "Bike the Drive"

Current Seasonal Total: 476.3

On Sunday, May 30th, I participated in my third consecutive "Bike the Drive." As before, Tammy and I made a mini-vacation from this Memorial Day weekend, staying at the Fairmont Hotel from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. We visited Navy Pier, saw the Shrek 3-D movie, and enjoyed the beautiful landscapes and cityscapes in and around Grant Park.

On the morning of the ride, I awoke at 4:45 a.m., dressed, and affixed my rider number to my Livestrong jersey. I packed my knee warmers and wore my arm warmers, along with black shorts and Livestrong jersey. This year, I brought along an old digital camera with me to capture better photographs then my Razr phone is able to take. [I ended up taking pictures with both]. I took the elevator 14 floors down to the lobby, where I spied fellow cyclists preparing to ride. We were staying in the official hotel for "Bike the Drive," which explained why I saw many more cyclists in my hotel than in my two previous years.

When I stepped outside, I was surprised to discover how warm it felt. The temperature was in the mid-60s with no wind, and it took me only a few seconds to realize that I didn't need the arm warmers that I had slipped on just a few minutes before. I removed them and placed them in my bike bag. I would need no extra layers today! Starting at the Fairmont Hotel, I rode south on Columbus Drive and turned left onto Upper Randolph Drive. I spied a few cyclists ahead who appeared to know exactly where they were going, so I followed them to the walkway that leads south past the Cancer Survivors Garden and to Monroe Street. I took Monroe to Columbus to Jackson. After riding almost exactly one mile, I approached the starting point on the corner of Jackson and Lake Shore Drive.

WOW! It was approximately 5:36 a.m. and I was beginning the 2010 edition of "Bike the Drive!" Turning northward on LSD, I followed the natural curves of this most beautiful drive and (for the second straight year) witnessed an orange sun rise over the carousel wheel at Navy Pier. I took a couple of photographs before resuming my ride. About a half-hour later, I reached the northernmost point of the loop at Bryn Mawr Avenue, where ride organizers had set up a very well-stocked rest stop. I parked my bike at 6:16 and enjoyed a banana and a couple of mini Clif bars before heading southward the full 15 miles to the course's southern limit. The sky, which had turned partly cloudy after a clear sunrise, was clearing once again, and I felt the sun warming my left cheek. I now rode with sunglasses.

Just like last year, I had chosen to start my ride northbound so that I'd have the opportunity to travel this section of LSD twice. In my opinion, the southbound section of LSD just north of the Drake Hotel and the John Hancock building is the most picturesque segment of the entire ride. I passed trees on my left and high-rise Gold Coast condos on my right, and stopped several times to capture a photo or two. I retraced my path back to the start/finish line, rode past the rest stop there (since I had eaten enough "up north") and continued southward past the Museum Campus, Soldier Field, and McCormick Place en route to the Museum of Science and Industry.

With a less picturesque stretch of road now ahead of me and with the wind behind me, I felt the urge to increase my speed. My cadence increased, and I reached the Museum of Science and Industry at about 7:52. At MSI, ride organizers had set up another large-scale rest stop, which was absolutely crammed with people. Mini Clif bars were replaced by mini muffins, but otherwise the provisions were similar. After about 15 minutes, I resumed my ride, heading back north toward downtown. This section of Lake Shore Drive, with the looming, extraterrestrial appearance of Soldier Field and a panoramic view of the entire Chicago skyline, is another picturesque segment. At about 8:40, I passed Grant Park for the second time, heading north.

Realizing that my time was limited, I only rode to the half-way turn-around at Fullerton Avenue, which I reached at 8:53. I turned around and headed south for my final leg. Two hours after passing the same manicured landscapes and cityscapes, I tried to look everywhere simultaneously, knowing that my Bike the Drive experience was nearing its end.

At 9:19, I turned from Lake Shore Drive onto Monroe Street and worked my way onto Butler Field, where the post-ride festival was in full bloom. I eventually found my wife, who greeted me enthusiastically. Once again, cyclists were everywhere. An ocean of cyclists, bicycles, and vendor booths filled much of Butler Field with an aura of excitement and positivism -- a natural high.

At the post-ride festival, I met up with childhood friend Bob Gould and his girlfriend Liz, and we chatted awhile before listening to some songs by American English, an outstanding Beatles tribute band. Tammy and I left the field and walked back to the hotel, with my bicycle in tow. The shower back at my hotel room felt wonderful, and signaled the transition to Chapter 2 of our Sunday, which would start with lunch at Harry Carey's Tavern at Navy Pier. A speedboat ride and 3-D movie followed.

The weather had been perfect, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures that rose from the mid-60s at the starting time through the 70s by ride's end. Light winds had blown from the southeast. It was a big improvement over the 2009 ride, when it was so cool that I wore long tights and long sleeves the entire ride. In the end, I rode 38.3 miles, bringing my seasonal total to 476.3 miles.

My pictures can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/80922822@N00/sets/72157624176456858/.