Biking from Chicago to Milwaukee, WI

Hello I would like to know if anyone has ever done a bike trip from Chicago to Milwaukee and if you have any advice and tips. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on October 26, 2012 at 10:53am

Between North Chicago and the state line the path is gravel and goes past nothing in particular. There are a few parks where you can get water, but wasn't particularly scenic or that pleasant because of the dust and lack of shade. From roughly Loyola to the state line using the Green Bay Trail and old North Shore line is roughly 40 miles. One of these days I need to finish the trip up to Milwaukee, but I don't particularly like the trail such as it is. On the other hand I should get used to it since next year I really want to bike the old Western Maryland track between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, and maybe the old C&O canal from there to Washington.

Jared said:

All of the above. You can use a bike path up to Kenosha then a series of back roads as an alternative.

Charles Cooney said:

So what is Sheridan like above Ft. Sheridan? One poster says to avoid it (esp through Zion). Is it quality of street, amount of traffic, no shoulder, or all of the above?

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Permalink Reply by Cameron 7.5 mi on October 26, 2012 at 11:05am

The trail through North Chicago and Waukegan is pretty terrible (it's more like a gravel sidewalk, than what you conventionally think of as a trail). I would recommend taking Sheridan Rd from Great Lakes Naval Base to Zion. The trail gets better again in Zion, but whenever I've ridden up there I've been headed to Illinois Beach State Park, so I don't have a great recommendation for where to cut back to the trail.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Beatch on October 26, 2012 at 11:11am

I rode up to Milwaukee from Chicago for the first time last weekend riding mostly on the trails. Although the trails are safe and easy, they definitely slow you down. Next time I do that ride I will do it mostly on roads.

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Permalink Reply by James Hartman on November 29, 2012 at 9:11am

Good question? Yet to do that? Google maps very helpful.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on November 29, 2012 at 10:39am

1999 EBC route to South Milwaukee. Once you get there you can find an excellent trail that goes all the way north towards Brown Deer through the city.

http://www.evanstonbikeclub.org/cuesheets/cue%20sheet%20pdf/4-c-sou...