Les Jacobson: Evanstonian Rides a Bike Around Chicago – Everything

It all started with a trip for coffee.

Steve Hoffner completed an epic bike ride last week, traveling every street in Chicago – a total of 4,265 miles.

His two-wheeled journey began in 2001, when he drove from his home on Evanston’s north side to the Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood to buy Sputnik coffee beans, his favorite coffee.

“During this trip, I fell in love with exploring more of the city: driving along the boulevards, looking at the architecture, talking to people, smelling the chocolate factories, bakeries, and taquerias,” he wrote on his website.

What started as a whim became something of an obsession. Hoffner, 47, who works in analytics at a small consulting firm in Evanston, would set off on his Cannondale Super Six most Saturdays and Sundays (and some weekdays) as early as 6:30 a.m. so he could get home by mid-afternoon to join his family (wife Coray and children Elliot, 16, and Sawyer, 11), averaging 70 to 80 miles a day.

He started by randomly exploring some of the city’s North Side neighborhoods, such as Albany Park and Lincoln Park. “Eventually, it became more strategic,” he said, aided by two navigation apps, wanderer AND food.

Dead Ends and Dogs

There were two problems. At first he ignored the dead ends, but then he realized that if he wanted to ride every street, he would have to go back, which required “many more miles of riding.” The second problem was the dogs. Twice chased by German shepherds who seemed determined to catch up with him, he had to dismount to block their path with his bicycle.

On the other hand, the people were great. “When I told people about this project, they often asked if it was safe to drive everywhere,” he said. “Any neighborhood is safe if you get there early enough,” a retired Hegewisch police officer told me.”