Long summers, big parks and a bike-friendly culture make cycling a particularly pleasant way to explore the Windy City. Join a group for Chicago bike tours with knowledgeable guides or rent a bicycle to see the sights on your own.

Easy, Breezy Sightseeing Tours

Your first Chicago bike tour will be casual and uncomplicated when you rely on the pros who've made sightseeing on wheels a long-standing tradition. Take the two-plus hour, family-friendly Lincoln Park Bike Adventure hosted by Bike and Roll at the Navy Pier, and enjoy cycling around pretty urban scenery. For purely grown-up fun, join the Bikes and Brewery tour starting in Millennium Park with stops for food on the way to the destination taproom. Get a peek into the lifestyles of Chicago's rich and famous during Bobby's Bike Hike Lakefront Neighborhoods bike tour. Or get down and gritty on two wheels riding the Southside Gangster Neighborhood tour.

More Wheels, More Family Fun

If you think two-wheel transportation around the city is a kick, wait 'til you try surrey-style biking. Four wheels, four seats and a canopy make the pedal-powered super-bike a big hit for family cruising at Wheel Fun Rentals on Foster Beach. Or maybe you'd prefer a calmer, casual afternoon ride. Lakeshore Bike offers road bikes for that very purpose, as well as triathlon bikes in case you're feeling particularly athletic. Locks and helmets are provided with these Chicago bike rentals.

Doing It Divvy Bike Style

You'll see them all around the city—Divvy stations with rows of Divvy bikes ready for anyone to rent and ride. First, buy a day pass at the station's kiosk. Follow the instructions to unlock the bike and then ride to the Divvy station nearest your next site of interest. Lock up the bike, go have fun and pick up another bike when you're ready to pedal to your next destination.

TIP: Keep each ride under 30 minutes as extra usage fees apply for longer times. For easy navigation, a map of all 580 Divvy stations is available on an app for Android and iPhones.

Parks Made for Pedaling

Slip away from the big-city hubbub to the peace and quiet of the Chicago Botanic Garden, it's about a 20-mile ride north of the city. Bike rental kiosks make it easy to ramble and roll through the carefully manicured landscapes and native plant gardens. The speed limit in the garden is 8 mph, but if you want to cut loose and ride like the wind, head for the Forest Preserves of Cook County paved paths that start just beyond the botanic garden boundaries.

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