When do you commute?

I was just curious about what time most of the bike commuters are out there. Usually my ride to work is pretty deserted but I was up and out a couple of hours earlier than normal this morning and I was surprised by the increase in cyclists out there.

It seems there is a legitimate cycling rush hour, what time do you think that is?

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Permalink Reply by Reba 4.0 mi on December 20, 2012 at 11:28pm

Ukrainian Village to Union Station-ish, 8ish (if I leave before 8 I literally run into the idiot parents who double park in the bike lane on Augusta and shove their children out into traffic to get them to one of the three elementary schools on my route), and I typically commute home after 5:45 to avoid the rush of buses that pile up on Canal and Adams.

I also ride the side streets as much as possible. Milwaukee Ave terrifies me! But I see quite a lot of folks heading across Augusta and down Wood in the morning, and there's still a fair number with me going north on Morgan at night too. It seems the colder it gets, the more smiles and hellos I get as well. That's nice!

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Permalink Reply by Manny FU...Really!? on December 20, 2012 at 11:38pm

Brighton Park to Downtown

I leave the house between 0630 and 0700

Archer to Halsted, Halsted to Monroe, Monroe to Canal.

Reverse route back home, leaving after 1630 (4:30 pm)

Haven't seen many riders lately (especially on Archer), Halsted has quite a few the rest of the year.

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Permalink Reply by dan brown on December 21, 2012 at 9:15am

hey manny - do you work at (or near) monroe/canal ? wow - I face 10 s. riverside from my desk all dat long...

Dan

Manny Fuentes said:

Brighton Park to Downtown

I leave the house between 0630 and 0700

Archer to Halsted, Halsted to Monroe, Monroe to Canal.

Reverse route back home, leaving after 1630 (4:30 pm)

Haven't seen many riders lately (especially on Archer), Halsted has quite a few the rest of the year.

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Permalink Reply by Kara B on December 21, 2012 at 9:55am

I'm on Archer in McKinley Park around 7:30-7:45 am from Leavitt to Loomis, after which starts a very snaky route to get downtown that also includes portions of eleanor, blue island (i'm still waiting for my ride-by cameo on chicago fire, which they film at the blue island fire station :) ), roosevelt, halsted, etc.

Still looking for a comfortable route into the loop from the south/west. I take Washington in now, which is ok but not awesome.

I've taken Canal in a few times, but it seems a remarkably poor choice for a bike lane given all the buses and cabs and pedestrians and food trucks etc that converge on union station...

on the way home - I have taken the DesPlaines protected bike lanes (!!) home the past few evenings - but there's no great way to get to them from the Loop during rush hour. The Monroe bike lane is great - but it ends at the Northwestern train station, where the cab-induced chaos makes it feel kind of, uh, chaotic - and is followed by the street opening up to 4 (?) lanes (none of them for bikes) and cars going nuts for the 2 blocks before the kennedy.

Manny Fuentes said:

Brighton Park to Downtown

I leave the house between 0630 and 0700

Archer to Halsted, Halsted to Monroe, Monroe to Canal.

Reverse route back home, leaving after 1630 (4:30 pm)

Haven't seen many riders lately (especially on Archer), Halsted has quite a few the rest of the year.

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Permalink Reply by Apie (10.6) on December 21, 2012 at 10:01am

Leave Harwood Heights at 7:15am arrive in Loop at 8

Leave Loop at 4:40pm

I ride during peak commuting hours, IMO.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi on December 21, 2012 at 10:51am

What about taking Jefferson to Harrison to Dearborn?

Kara B said:

Still looking for a comfortable route into the loop from the south/west. I take Washington in now, which is ok but not awesome.

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Permalink Reply by Kara B on December 21, 2012 at 10:58am

i was actually thinking about that - except it puts me a few blocks east of my destination. which - i just rode my bike 6 miles but can't go two blocks out of my way for a safer/more pleasant ride?! and yet, it's sort of true...maybe my new year's resolution can be to get some sense :)