Family Bike Camping in June with Out Our Front Door out of Chicago, IL

A 3-Day Bike Camping Adventure for Kids and Families, Camp Sullivan (CAMP GEAR INCLUDED)!

EVENT DETAILS

Start: will be on the South Side at the historic Beverly Bike and Ski, one of the oldest bike shops in Chicago.

Meet: 9:30 am Saturday morning August 5th; Depart: 10:00 am

Ride to and Overnight: Camp Sullivan 14630 Oak Park Ave. 60452

Return to start point by Bike 4:30 pm Sunday afternoon August 6th

Registration comes with Guided Tour, Campsites, and ALL CAMP GEAR including tents/sleeping bags, and food for all meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.

You can bring your tent and camping gear on your bike, but there will be free gear to use at the campground.

Day 1: 20ish Miles | Day 2: off day with short mileage rides around the area| Day 3: 20ish miles

Ridership Level: Easy

All Are Welcome

TRIP DESCRIPTION

Explore the beauty of the extensive forest preserves in the Southwest Burbs. The group will start in Beverly and wind through the most southwest neighborhoods of the city and eventually get on the Cal Sag trail. The group will roll along the trails of the forest preserves. Along the route, the group will take plenty of breaks and will even have a picnic before arriving to Camp Sullivan.

This is a special ride because Out Our Front Door is partnering with the Cook County Forest Preserves and their CLIC program which provides all the camping gear the group will need from tents to sleeping bags to cooking gear. So all you need to do is show up with a bike, some snacks and personal gear, and away we go!

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Two Night/Three Day Tent Campsite Reservation
• Tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads
• Interpretative Trail Guides/Ride Leaders
• Campfire & Camp Snacks
• Meals from Saturday Dinner to Sunday Lunch

Transfers: There are limitations for ticket transfers, but may accommodate in the event certain criteria are met. You may review this updated Transfer Policy flowsheet to determine what next steps you need to take.

WHAT TO BRING

• Your kid(s) and bikes and all necessary camp gear (including plates, silverware, and cups for meals
• Friday sack lunch, though we will be able to stop at a store/restaurant and/or order delivery
• Bike lock, spare inner tubes, bike lights, & helmets
• Personal Items and changes of clothes

TICKET PRICES AND ADD-ONS

The base ticket price for this event is kept low with the majority of it going to cover the cost of the campsites, food, and supplies. The guides are all volunteers, as OOFD is mainly volunteer run.

So when checking out, please consider the ticket price add-ons and pay what you can to either help grow OOFD and their programs as well as help provide these incredibly low ticket prices to keep Out Our Front Door rides, prices, and organization radically inclusive.

WHY JOIN OUT OUR FRONT DOOR?

If you love biking and camping but aren’t sure how to combine the two, Out Our Front Door offers a supportive communal experience with accessible bike camping rides designed by fellow parents. The goal is to help you and your kids go from riding in the neighborhood to riding in nature; Out Our Front Door provides the organization, logistics, ride support, food, and community of family cyclists to make your first bike camping adventure fun, worry-free, and successful.

WHO SHOULD COME?

This ride is designated as EASY. That means it’s suitable for first-time bike campers or beginners and open to all. This is Out Our Front Door’s most accessible and low-stress route departing from downtown Chicago.

This is a family ride; you should come if you are a parent/guardian with minor child(ren) who will accompany you. If you have a bike in good working order that can carry your kids and gear, can ride for ten miles or more at a time, are up for a communal family adventure, and possess a positive attitude, then you can complete this ride.

WHAT ABOUT MY KIDS?

Bring them! For this ride, the organizers divide children into three different categories:

• Full-time Passengers are children who ride on their parents’ bicycles for the entirety of the route. Out Our Front Door has had kids as young as 9 months and as old as 9 years be full-time passengers. You’ll want a bike seat, trailer, or cargo bike to carry these kids.
• Little Kid Riders are part-time passengers on their parents’ bikes and part-time riders of their own bikes. There is a designated 4.5-mile Little Kid Rider Segment designed to let them ride on the safest, easiest section. Little Kid Riders are usually age five to eight, typically riding bikes with wheels up to 20”, who can keep a pace of at least 5-6 mph for up to five miles (think Kidical Mass). When not riding the 4.5 mile Little Kid Rider Segment, these children and their bikes are carried by their parents. You’ll want a tow hitch and/or cargo bike to carry these kids and their bikes.
• Big Kid Riders are full-time riders who plan to ride the whole 24 miles. They are usually age 8 or older, ride a bike with 20” tires or bigger, have previous experience doing 20+ mile rides, and can keep a pace of 10-12 mph (think Critical Mass). Prior long ride (20+ mile) experience is required for Big Kid Riders. (Join us on a Family Day Ride to get your Big Kid Rider in shape!)

THE ROUTE

• This ride is categorized as easy. It features a lovely mostly off-street bike path route with a designated section for Little Kid Riders.
• If there are little kids that want to ride part of the route, the organizers will establish a safe section of the route so that everyone can all slow down and go their pace. Oftentimes, if the little kids can’t ride the whole distance, the parents will then attach the small bikes or tow them for sections of the ride.
• The organizers expect the whole ride to take three to four hours, including breaks.

THIS IS BIKE CAMPING

Bike camping offers a total sensory experience, where the journey is as important as the destination. It’s like backpacking by bike. With this adventure, Out Our Front Door offers families – beginners and experts alike – an opportunity to experience bike camping beyond the city.

ABOUT THE GUIDES

Family rides usually have a 1:5 guide to participant ratio to ensure a safe and smooth experience. Guides will have a bike tool kit, an air pump, a presta/schrader valve adapter, tire lever, chain breaker, and a crescent wrench (for those older bikes), a multi-toolkit, lights, and an emergency packet. Out Our Front Door guides will help you with any needed repairs. *If you have any of the above items, please bring them along at your own convenience.

Out Our Front Door guides work with historians, biologists, forest rangers, and leading people in their fields to deliver a one-of-a-kind story to remember. They have set up multiple break points along the way in all the right places to ensure you and your kids can go the distance. If this is your first time out on a long ride, you’ll be surprised by how far you and your children can actually go.