The Chainlink

A friend is having a bbq/pool party out in the suburbs this Saturday, and if the weather co-operates, I'm thinking about biking to it, rather than driving.

My concern is safety. This is the general route I'm thinking about taking: http://goo.gl/bsG7i

I'm a bit afraid that, since I'm returning after dark, my trip through Austin etc won't be safe.  I'm not too worried.  I may be a woman, but as a 6' woman who's generally pretty good at having an air of, "you don't want to fuck with me, mate" when necessary, I've never had any issue of walking/biking in darkness beyond the normal catcalls/shouting.

Plus, I ride a hybrid, with a rather upright posture.  When I combine that with a safety vest and my terrifyingly bright front light, I've had many people comment that they thought I was the police.

Does anybody have any advice?  (apart from putting on plenty of sunblock!)  Or encouragement of, "yeah, do it girl!"  I've never traveled out to the suburbs by bike before.

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Adding my 2¢...

  I ride out to St. Charles about 4 times a year from the north side, going through Lombard, which is where one has options to continue on IPP or transfer to the Great Western Trail, going NW to Sycamore and beyond.  For the past several years, I've basically honed this route, which was informed via Google bicycle directions.  For the record, I am a skinny white male, 155Lb, 5'10" and I usually head there during daylight (like you for friends/relative suburban BBQs) and arrive back well after dark, a few times in the 2-3 am timeframe when I missed the last Geneva train.

  In over 10 years of doing this, only once, about 3 years ago, did I experience any incident.  This sole situation was while riding south on 25th Ave. (Friday afternoon), a little north of the IPP.  A group of teenagers were throwing rocks and pieces of asphalt at me from the opposite sidewalk, across 4 lanes of traffic!  It was certainly potentially deadly and certainly unnerving as I didn't realize they were actually throwing anything until I heard one whiz just past my ear, but that's unfortunately just how a lot of young men at that age get their kicks, and can happen anywhere.  Other than that though, nothing.

Google bicycle directions are pretty spot on in my experience and will try to keep you off of roads like 25th ave.  In fact, their directions do divert you just east of 25th, but through a maze of blocks where some of those teenagers and/or their parents and siblings live and I have tried that route too, but deemed it potentially more hazardous and now pretty much stick to 25th, timing my progression with the waves of traffic which are regulated by the lights.  One caveat:  25th ave has 2 freight train crossings and once, I was actually stopped for close to an hour by a train that crawled for about a half hour and then stopped.  I'm not sure how one can predetermine freight train traffic, but maybe there's an app for that.

I would also add that when I've done it on weekends, probably summertime, I've almost always seen a CPD SUV on the path in the Maywood area displaying a presence.  I have never seen any group hanging out or blocking the path either, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen to some.  Once you're west of Maywood, I don't think there is much to worry about at all, the surrounding affluence seeming to increase with each town heading west to the fox river.

I prefer to ride (on a mostly deserted suburban path) with my headlight off, as I prefer for my vision to adjust to the dark and be able to see greater distances than a headlight allows.  There is wisdom also that this makes you less visible if you are coming up on a group intent on confronting a path rider.  Prudence would dictate taking a flat kit and/or spare tube and the confidence to use them, a chain tool, rain slick of some kind, $20, and your smart phone and charger as minimum, and then add according to your desires and hauling capacity.  The Chicagoland bike map has been rendered less necessary with smart phones, but I don't have to rationalize that a map is a good thing to have too. 

I have my entire route posted on a private google page and can send a link to anyone truly interested but in the vein of paranoia, I'm just pasting a screen grab of the relevance.  It is a good ride, especially all the way to the Fox River.  Lombard is usually about 2 hours at a 16 mph average.  Try it!



IPP=Illinois Prairie Path.

There is nothing unusual or extreme in stating the obvious. Dark untrafficked areas are not where you should be at night. Christine asked if persons here thought it was safe. If you want to advise that it is safe and want to be accountable for that opinion go ahead.



h' 1.0 said:

+1.

I keep my ear to the ground and can't think of any assaults I've heard of on the Prarie Path in recent years.

Surely a statement such as this must be based on first hand knowledge of some occurrence or occurrences?

Hopefull John will come forth as I believe it will benefit all of us to know what specific risks we're facing and precisely where.

peter moormann said:

An interesting strong opinion John. 

Can you please tell us of  the events that lead to your conclusion regarding the differing levels of unsafeness.

I'm curious as I live in Forest Park and ride IPP often and have not heard of any incidents.

thanks

petem

John C. Wilson said:

IPP is Illinois Prairie Path. After dark it is less safe than a Chicago park after closing time.  There are old railroad frontage streets along most all of the IPP route and those are better than the path anywhere east of I-294. In the daytime.  After dark don't be on the path. Having lights just makes you an easier target.


Peter

The IPP in Forest Park is a 500 foot stub of sidewalk that ends in a parking lot. It serves to connect the Des Plaines el station to the Circuit Court of Cook County, the County Clerk's office, the Sherriff's Police office. Traffic on that section of Prairie Path is County workers. The complex of County legal offices serves to keep the Maywood riff-raff separate from Forest Park. And it's an open area. Cemetery on one side, rail yard on the other and not much else. I am quite sure you know all this.

Forest Park is a nice suburb. May God bless your real estate values. Wonderful historic architecture, renovated and lively historic downtown. Nice place to ride a bike. Des Plaines River Trail is right there. Oak Park, an international destination, is right next door.  Oak Park is a nice place to ride a bike too. But you prefer frequent rides into the ghetto of Maywood and the gloom of Bellwood. Sure you do.

I don't believe you Peter. I don't trust you. Original poster asked about a route that goes through a lot of jurisdictions. I don't think you know jack about Bellwood or Berkeley, Peter. I don't think you've ever enjoyed an Italian ice on Electric Avenue, which is a hell of a better place to ride than the adjacent Path.

I'm not defensive, Peter. I'm offended.


peter moormann said:

John,

You seem a bit defensive regarding my question.

I made no mention about my safety or riding in the dark.

Only wanted some clarification on the real dangers of IPP in Maywood. 

I believe you have no specific incident which verifies your opinion, only fear, correct?

John C. Wilson said:

Streets have traffic, residents, potential witnesses, sight lines, police patrol, lights. IPP has none of those. If you feel safe after dark based on very local knowledge good for you.

peter moormann said:

An interesting strong opinion John. 

Can you please tell us of  the events that lead to your conclusion regarding the differing levels of unsafeness.

I'm curious as I live in Forest Park and ride IPP often and have not heard of any incidents.

thanks

petem

John C. Wilson said:

IPP is Illinois Prairie Path. After dark it is less safe than a Chicago park after closing time.  There are old railroad frontage streets along most all of the IPP route and those are better than the path anywhere east of I-294. In the daytime.  After dark don't be on the path. Having lights just makes you an easier target.

Allllrighty then.....

At this point in the discussion I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the excellent post from Dirke above.

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