Originally Posted by Hiro11

Going strong here in Chicago. New guys show up for our road group all the time. There are lots of local crits. The gravel scene has exploded and there are now local events most every weekend from March to November. The Cross Cup grows every year in participation and spectators. Palos and other mountain bike areas are overrun in the summer. You see tons of fatbikers in the winter.

It's ironic as this is likely one of the worst places in the country to ride a bike: tons of traffic, no hills, terrible winters, very little mountain biking, some of the most boring roads anywhere, endless strip malls, unsympathetic police... and yet they make something out of nothing here.