Bike the Drive
Bike the Drive Credit: Doug Knuth/Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Whether you like to bike long and hard or drunk and bare-assed, there’s an organized ride here with your name on it, from a trip across the state to a tour of suburban eateries. —Sam Adams

FBC (Fucking Bike Club) Full Moon Fiasco Every full moon this unofficial group meets up for a boozy ride, at the conclusion of which they line up for a bare-assed group photo. Each ride ends at a different bar. a Next is Fri 5/28, 8 PM, Gannon’s Pub, 4264 N. Lincoln, fbcchicago.blogspot.com. F

Bike the Drive The city closes Lake Shore Drive to cars and opens it to bikes for this annual event, which benefits the Active Transportation Alliance. Costumes encouraged. A postrace festival with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, music, and sponsor booths is $7 and runs from 8 AM to noon. a Sun 5/30, 5:30 AM start, entry to the drive stops at 9 AM, event ends at 9:45 AM, 312-427-3325, ext. 225, bikethedrive.org, $40 online till noon on 5/29, $55 day of.

Chicago Nomads’ Southwest Suburban Bike and Wine and Dine This laid-back tour stops at Parmesan’s Wood Stone Pizza for appetizers, Jenny’s Steakhouse for the main course, and the Frankfort Creamery for dessert. The six-mile ride takes two to three hours. a Sat 6/5, noon, 11000 W. Lincoln Hwy, Frankfort, chicagobikes.org/drupal/node/220.

Fork and the Road Tours of 15 to 20 miles, ridden at a leisurely pace and organized around food themes. Upcoming themes include dumplings, barbecue, and Mediterranean food; the first tour of the 2010 season, Sat 6/5 from noon to 5:30 PM, will visit classic diners.  forkandtheroad.com, $50-$60.

Udder Century The 28th Annual Udder Century Ride offers routes of 31, 50, 62, 75, or 100 miles and a pasta dinner at the finish. a Sun 6/6, registration and start from 6:30-10 AM, Donley’s Wild West Town, 8512 S. Union Rd., Union, mchenrybicycleclub.org, $20-$27, $8-$10 kids 6-12, free for kids under 6.

American Lung Association’s Lake Tour Bike Trek Participants can choose between a three-day ride starting Friday or a two-day ride starting Saturday; riders cover about 50 miles per day. Starts in Crystal Lake and ends in Lake Geneva. a Fri-Sun 6/11-6/13, 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14, Crystal Lake, 312-781-1100, laketourbiketrek.org, $75 registration (includes lodging and meals) plus $500-$600 fund-raising minimum per rider.

Bike the Boulevards Tour portions of Chicago’s “emerald necklace” and the 12th Ward. The afterparty includes food, performances, and a raffle for 40 new bikes. a Sat 6/12, 9 AM-2 PM, 4555 S. Western, 773-523-8250, chicagobikes.org/drupal/node/197. F

World Naked Bike Ride Politically inspired riders meet at a location to be disclosed by e-mail a few days before for a colorful, attire-limited ride through the streets of Chicago. a Sat 6/12, 6 PM-midnight, chicagonakedride.org. F

Le Tour de Shore This benefit ride for Maywood Fine Arts starts in Chicago and goes to Gary the first day (66 miles) and Sawyer, Michigan, the second (32 miles). a Fri 6/18, 7:30 AM, McDonald’s Cycle Center, 239 E. Randolph, letourdeshore.com, $70-$78, optional $24 bus ride back to Chicago.

Chicago Bikexposition Lee Diamond of Big Shoulders Realty has been leading free monthly narrated bike tours of Chicago neighborhoods for the last few years, but this month’s will most likely be the last: he’s decided not to continue the rides. This tour of Garfield Park focuses on the area’s history and architecturally significant buildings; it’ll be about 15 miles long and take four to five hours. a Sat 6/19, 1 PM, 100 N. Central Park, 773-481-0244, bigshouldersrealty.com/things/tours.php.

Bike and Dine Series of 12- to 25-mile tours of suburban eateries. Each lasts between three and five hours. See Web site for details. a Sat 6/26, Oak Park; Sat 6/26, Homewood; Sat 7/24, Brookfield; Sat 8/21, Geneva, 312-427-3325, ext. 242, activetrans.org/bikeanddine, $50.

Bicycle Illinois A ride across the state—500-600 miles—with overnight stops in Carbondale, Centralia, Effingham, Champaign, and Kankakee, ending in Chicago. a 7/10-7/17, 877-868-7455, begins in Cairo, bicycleillinois.com, $625.

The L.A.T.E. Ride Thousands of cyclists participate in this 25-mile event, which will follow a new route this year. There’s a breakfast by Goose Island after the ride ($7). Proceeds benefit Friends of the Parks. a Sat 7/10, midnight, registration and live music start at 10:30, Buckingham Fountain, 500 S. Columbus, 773-918-7433, lateride.org, $40-$45.

Ride for AIDS A two-day, 190-mile ride from Evanston to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and back. Proceeds go to the Test Positive Aware Network. a Sat 7/10, Northwestern University, 773-989-9400, ext. 246, rideforaids.org, $85 registration fee (includes meals and lodging), $1,000 minimum fund-raising.

Cowalunga At this fund-raiser for lung-disease awareness, choose a one-day (65 miles), two-day (130 miles), or three-day (190 miles) tour beginning in Gurnee Mills; the longest route ends in Hubertus, Wisconsin. Sights include Kettle Moraine State Forest and plenty of cows. a Sat 8/7-Mon 8/9, check-in Sat at 7 AM, Gurnee Mills Shopping Mall, 6170 Grand, Gurnee, 312-628-0212, cowalunga.com, $25-$175 registration, $50-$1,000 required fund-raising.

The Wright Ride This architectural tour focusing on the work of Oak Parker Frank Lloyd Wright has four distance options: 18, 25, 50, or 62 miles. a Sun 8/15, 6:30 AM, 1118 Westgate, Oak Park. oakparkcycleclub.org/wright_ride, $20, free for kids under 12.

Boulevard Lakefront Tour Starts and ends at the UIC campus; choose a 15-, 35-, or 62-mile route. Party with live entertainment follows. a Sun 8/29, 6:30 AM-5 PM, UIC Campus, Morgan and Taylor, 312-427-3325, ext. 251, boulevardtour.org, $25-$30, 17 and under $12.

North Shore Century The Evanston Bicycle Club’s annual event has route options ranging from 25 to 100 miles, with the longest route ending in Kenosha. Riders can choose their own start time once registered; course closes at 6 PM. a Sun 9/12, registration starts at 6 AM, Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge, evanstonbikeclub.org/nsc/index.asp, $17-$25, $10 under 16.