CHICAGO — Pedal, eat, repeat.
The 2014 installment of the annual 4 Star Bike & Chow ride will bring cyclists to the South Side, from Bronzeville to Blue Island, with local restaurants fueling the pedal power.
"It's a pretty cool ride. You learn about Chicago. You're biking to places and seeing things you wouldn't normally see," said Ethan Spotts, a spokesman for the Active Transportation Alliance.
Casey Cora details the race that encourages you to fill up along the way:
This year's installment takes place Sept. 7, when riders will launch at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus and choose one of four courses — 12, 20, 40 or 62 miles, each one dipping further south, all the way to neighborhoods like Hegewisch, Pullman and Calumet Park.
Along the way, riders can stop at one of four rest areas — Bridgeport's McGuane Park, the Chicago Velo Campus in South Chicago, the Historic Pullman Foundation and Chinatown's Ping Tom Memorial Park — to refuel with water stations and food vendors, who will trade punch cards for food samples.
Spotts said the menus are still getting ironed out, but riders can expect pizza, fried chicken and waffles, organic American food and "possibly Mediterranean and Chinese food.
"It could be a pretty wild menu this year," he said.
The rides are appropriate for cyclists of all ages and skill sets, Spotts said, but the longer routes are usually filled with experienced riders.
"It's a self-guided tour. We give you a map with points of interest but the streets are marked with paint and volunteers will point the way," he said, adding that the routes are staffed with bike mechanics and riders and motorists to "sweep" the route for safety issues.
Whatever route a rider chooses, they'll end up back at the UIC campus for a party that includes music and beer vending by Revolution Brewing.
The event is an offshoot of the alliance's decades-old organized rides along the lakefront and boulevards, which have now expanded to include routes that burrow into the city's neighborhoods.
It's just one of the group's big cycling events throughout the year — the alliance is also behind "Bike the Drive" and the "Bike Commuter Challenge," which this year saw 6,000 people and 900 Chicago companies participate, Spotts said.
Registration for the rain-or-shine event costs $37 per rider, or $32 for alliance members. Teens younger than 17 cost $15. Kids are welcome, but they'll need to paid for (also $15) unless they're getting towed in a trailer.
Prices will rise by $5 after Aug. 25.
The organization is also offering a discounted registration and membership combo for $61.
Have questions? Organizers say they can be reached by email at 4starinfo14@activetrans.org or by calling 312-427-3325 or at the alliance offices at 9 W. Hubbard St., Suite 402.
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