This is a nice little walking trail, part of the Des Plaines trail system, but I enter further…read morenorth, not on Harlem In River Forest as Yelps cites as an address. I park and enter the trail in River Grove, about a mile north of Russel's Barbecue restaurant, about .75 miles north of Evans Field, which is all part of the same trail system. Jerome Huppert Woods has plenty of free parking and easy access to a fairly even trail, although parts of the trail are in full sun, so quite hot in a sunny summer day like today. Some neat graffiti art to check out. No animals today, but I believe deer come by every so often. We had to step aside frequently for bikers, but only encountered a handful of other hikers. I don't believe I saw any portable potties, so come prepared. No water either, and not much shade, so bring a water bottle.

While driving by this park doesn't look like it has much to offer, but as you all know looks can be…read moredeceiving and I think that's the case here. While the trails for hiking and mountain biking are tame they are part of the larger Des Plaines River trail and are well maintained and give you a chance to walk over and look down on the Des Plaines river from a much nicer location than most pedestrian bridges. This park also offers a lot of geocaching options (16 last I checked) which always adds to the excitement of a good hike. Closer to North Ave. there is also a picnic area with a covered pavilions and enough room for a large group and field space for soccer or football. They have another large picnic area on Thatcher as well.

Appreciate this place! Great, honest service! Good selection of bikes for a small place. Test…read morerides available. Bought a LIV bike in 2024 handle bars were too low, but they came up with an inexpensive solution and I'm enjoying comfy rides ever since! Just brought my Electric HEYBIKE MARS 2.0 for intermittent squeaky breaks. Though busy, the tech took a few minutes to diagnosed and thoroughly went over the problem a long with some additional e-bike education. Had to leave it there until they could get to it. I understand why --great place! Recommend!

I live an hour away but Rudy's had a brand I was looking for and they were able to answer a bunch…read moreof questions for me and help me avoid shipping fees (the bike brand is mostly sold online). I ordered it with a deposit and they kept in touch throughout the process. I was pretty excited by the time I was able to drive out and pick up my new ride. What was very cool was how the folks working there came out to meet me and talk bikes for a bit. I got the impression they were genuinely excited for me. Anyhow, if you need a bike, bike service, or parts, I highly recommend Rudy's Cycle and Fitness (even if you're not super close). Can't beat a shop run by legit cycling fans.

Reading their Yelp reviews is what made me come here to get my first adult bike, and let me tell…read moreyou, the reviews were accurate! The staff here was extremely friendly and helpful. They let me take out and try as many bikes as I wanted without making me feel bad. I bought a car mount while I was there, and they assembled it for me and even helped me mount it on my car! Theu also mounted my water bottle holder, my bell, and my new seat for me (and then they had me get on the bike and adjusted the seat to the perfect hight! As other yelpers have mentioned, you get three free tuneups with a bike purchase, which is fantastic! This place really has incredible customer service, which is unfortunately getting increasingly rare these days; what's more, though, is that I completely trust the brothers who run this shop to help me get what I need without making unnecessary, extraneous purchases (though there is a part time employee who was a salesman in a previous life, so he might convince you into more purchases if you're not sure of what you need). I would recommend this bike shop to anyone without hesitation. If you're in the market for a bike, at least go check it out!

Family business since 1911. Nice staff. I brought three bikes to them for minor repair. The bikes…read morewere fixed same day at reasonable cost. We also purchased a new bike and helmet for my daughter. With the purchase, you receive three free maintenance check ups. A very nice local business to support.

This shop is great. They service bikes they've sold there for waaay longer than the posted 1 year…read more I brought my bike back for a tune-up 6 years after I bought it. They tuned it up for free. I bought a very nice beach cruiser for my 6-year old daughter at a very good price. High quality at a box store price and they assemble it for you professionally. They have affordable prices and they also carry the high-end stuff for the serious biker. Oh and BMX, BMX, BMX. I wish I knew of this store when I was a kid. I have found the owners very nice and friendly, I don't know what some reviewers were talking about.

A great mom and pop business, with excellent service and great prices. You could consider this old…read moreworld quality.

I have taken my bikes in twice to WnS. Both times, I had excellent service. Last summer, they…read moremanaged to squeeze me in despite being extremely busy. Had my Lemond Zurich handle bars taped up and the bike looked over before riding RAGBRAI. Great job on the taping and it was a relief to know that the bike was in condition to ride across Iowa (even though I wasn't). Just got my Poprad back from the shop. Went in for a clean up. I was blown away by the job they did. The bike looks almost new again. Thorough work which is noticeable even by just glancing at the frame and drive train. Upon closer, inspection their work is even more impressive. See pics. Justin has always been most helpful every visit. Informative but never condescending, unlike some bike shop employees. He helped me pick out a good tape for my handlebars and recommended some great saddles for my road bike. Helped to order a new chain, too. And gave great instructions on how to clean up and maintain my disk breaks. He's always willing to take time to help and share his knowledge of bikes. Glad this shop is in Oak Park!

So grateful to have this excellent shop in Oak Park. I bring all my bikes here (hybrid, cross,…read moreebike). The service is great. Drop off and pick up is always a breeze and the team is knowledgable and personable. Mostly recently brought my cross bike in for a full annual tuneup, chain replacement and new bar tape. John did fantastic work and I'm excited to have my bike tip top for a race at the end of the month. Highly recommend these folks.

Skokie Lagoons is huge! Biking, hiking, fishing, kayaking, canoeing- it has it all. I had no idea…read morethis place existed, but I'm so glad to have been introduced to it. Was here recently to rent kayaks and it was great. Chicago Kayak and Canoe rental company sets up camp, and it was very busy with school groups and families on a recent beautiful September 2016 Chicago weekend. Kayaking the Lagoons you're bound to see cranes, heron, a few other people kayaking, and get lost in nature. From time to time there is algae on the water and it can be smelly. We went right into a cove of algae where nobody else was going, and it felt like something out of the movie Adaptation. I was jealous of all the fishing going on, and hope to be back for that. It's only 5 miles from Chicago Botanic Gardens, so if you park here you can bike on in for free, and have an easy short ride. A lot of people reviewing Skokie Lagoons complain about the trash, and how people leave lunch garbage and bottles laying around. To me that's not a reflection of the place itself- do your part- pick up some trash before you leave, or pull a bottle or two out of the water. Or just stay away, because I'll be back, and the less people the better!

Wanted to give 5 stars but then I accounted for how many times MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES and I…read morereconsidered... This, like many other bike paths (talking to you lake shore path in the city) is filled with entitled A-hole bikers...Yup, go ahead and be mad that I just lumped all bikers into the a-hole category, but I say this as a biker myself, and after Sunday, you know what, I'm still mad about all the douchery I encountered on bikes, so I will write on. I am often also found running on said paths, and for some reason, there are bikers on this path that are under they impression they should have been picked up for the Tour De France and missed their calling, and now their only chance to go 70 mph on their road bike is inches past my arms on this quaint path on a SUNDAY. You have been warned. Sure, it's not all of "them' but the majority of people here do not adhere to that whole, stay in your lane, don't ride double in your lane on a bike, and STOP hating people for running on the VERY edge of the path that is YES, for both running and biking. A for crying out loud, DON'T cut back in, inches from the tip of my tennis shoes!

This review is a hearty, full throated recommendation for Bikefix in Oak Park, Illinois. As their…read morename makes clear they fix bikes, but so do lots of places. They know their stuff, they're more than willing to explore various fixes for tough problems and to give advice about the alternatives. Their work is careful, thorough, and above all, expert - powered by the kind of knowledge that can only be gained by years of experience. I'm a long-time rider who has had enough experience with bike shops and mechanics to know that all bike mechanics aren't equal and neither are all bikes or their problems. I can also swear from experience that even "simple" problems may be symptoms of something more serious that's going wrong and needs fixing before your bike is fun and safe to ride again. And I know that bike that's properly set up is a pleasure but a bike that's badly setup or needs work is just miserable. Every bike rider should have a really good mechanic and Bikefix is simply the best of the best.

Very experienced people on all things regarding bicycles. Kurt took time on several repairs, bike…read moresizing for my body & riding style for purchases. I have been a rider for 50+ years and wretched back in the '70s. I couldn't be happier at my finding a true shop and staff.

This is an awesome bike shop. I went in looking to buy a fat bike and the guy helped me decide that…read moreit really wasn't for me. There was no pressure. He just helped me out. I bought a number of accessories from him that I needed for my bikes (I have many!) I really love that they have an appointment system for bike repair. You don't have to leave your bike there hoping they will get to it within the next two weeks. I definitely recommend this bike shop.

I had some major surgeries recently and so looking forward to getting on a bicycle again! Recently…read morewent to the store for the first time and Ian and Steve both helped me that day! Of course I had a lot of questions and some decisions to make to ensure I was making the right purchase. Thank you so much Steve and Goodspeed Cycles! You both were extremely knowledgeable and went out of your way and above and beyond to make this happen for me. I will be picking up my cycle in the next few weeks! This is wonderful and family-owned business and all the employees definitely take pride was my observation. Please know that sometimes there might a small wait while they are assisting other customers. It is definitely worth that wait so they can then provide you with the best experience with your purchase and they will certainly take the time to make sure you are making the best choice for your cycling needs! I hope to be able to make some of the weekly group neighborhood rides they do. Check out their website or call for more info!

I frequent the Prairie Duneland trail starting in Hobart because it is close to where I live…read more Trailblazers is located right where I start my walks on the path! Previously my mom had bought a bicycle here but I had never visited the store. Since I was in the need of a new bike, since my original bike was accidentally donated, I figured this was a great place to start after my mom had such a good experience. Social distancing measures are still under affect so when I stopped by only four customers were allowed in at a time. While I did have to wait a bit to be helped it was worth it for the customer service. When I mentioned what I was looking for the employee (who I believe was one of the owners) was very knowledgeable and pointed me in the right direction. Of course it is best to test drive a bike just like a car so I rode around the parking lot for a couple of laps while he explained how to shift gears and shared other information about the bike. I ended up trying two the second being the one I ended up buying! It rode similar to the first but has that retro look which I was sort of looking for. Overall the experience was amazing and I will definitely stop by again especially because I want to try one of their protein shakes.

Why Trailblazers Bike Barn Is Just Awesome A Full-Service…read moreGem with Real Heart Trailblazers Bike Barn isn't just any old bike shop--it's a full-service bicycle boutique where you can breeze in for a bike tune-up, browse new rides, or stock up on accessories. They've got everything covered: sales, maintenance, repairs, and more. Chill Factor: The Recovery Café Need a pit stop after cruising the trail? They offer health drinks, smoothies, and refreshments, plus a comfy seating area to catch your breath--or just people-watch like a pro Trailblazers Bike Barn feels like your local ride's clubhouse--only cooler, because they actually know your favorite trail.

Enter near the Trailside Museum, in the parking lot on the south side of Chicago Avenue, then…read morefollow the trail south. There is a large field across Chicago Avenue, around the parking lot north of Chicago Avenue, but that area of Thatcher Woods is much less interesting. Go south instead. Along the path going south, I saw deer, ducks, chipmunks, and loads of birds. Local children have been building structures on the woods, so it is fun to grab some branches and add to those creations. The deer cane up so close, within 10 feet at times. Wear shoes that can get muddy. It was a bit soggy today, but the trails are definitely still passable.

Haven't been here in a while but I love this first preserve! Been here for a few events. It's a…read morelittle of country within the city limits. Great little place to get you in touch w nature. Check it out when you need to get away but stay close.