Once a year, the City of Chicago closes Lake Shore Drive for a five-hour bike ride beginning at 5:30 AM.  The route runs from Bryn Mawr Avenue on the north to 57th Street on the south--a 30-mile loop.  It draws the hot shots zipping along on their light-weight racing bikes.   Their apparel is all Italian--colorful Italian jerseys and tight lycra shorts.  But the majority of bikers are couples and families.  The entire event has a nice vibe to it.  

Bike the Drive was first held in 2002, but became a Memorial Day weekend fixture in 2004.  It is sponsored by the Active Transportation Alliance, which uses the event to fundraise.  Cheap it is not.  Same-day registration is $66.  Riders who are 17 or under pay just $17.  In past years, over 20,000 people have participated.

Today was a particularly nice day, so people were in high spirits.

Photographer's Notes:  I find this event to be a bore photographically.  It has a high "slub" factor.  When I set out this morning, this is the photograph I had in mind, but it is too nice of a day for this to be a truly interesting photograph.