Skip to main content
Home2020 Bike the Major Taylor Trail

Bike the Major Taylor Trail - Sunday, June 7, 2020



We had glorious weather and trail conditions to kick-off the season’s first bike ride on the Major Taylor Trail starting at the Dan Ryan Woods parking lot at 83rd and Western and winding through city park and forest preserve and into the city’s Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods.  We made a short stop in Whistler Woods near 134th Street at the Little Calumet River, to view and read the mural describing Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor’s championship bicycle racing career at the turn of the 20th century in the United States, Europe and Australia.  Taylor was the first African-American bicyclist to win a championship, and only the second African-American to win a championship in any sport. 

We then biked a mile or so in Whistler Woods on the Cal-Sag Trail.  On the return trip, we enjoyed a great added bonus biking along Beverly’s Longwood Drive to see the varied late 19th and early 20th century residential architecture and the Beverly mansions on the ridge on the west side of Longwood. 

In all, it was about a 20 mile round trip ride on a beautiful Sunday morning. 

We want to give a shout-out to Pat & Eric for helping with the ride. We all had a great time. 

Pat Janezich
--Assistant Leader