The Arlington 500 is a recreational bike ride sponsored by the Arlington Heights Bike Club annually in the spring. It attracts hundreds of cyclists to roads in Cook and Lake County and offers several distance options.
Traditonally The Arlington 500 was held during May the Sunday after Mother's Day. After a few years of rather poor weather, the ride was moved to the first Sunday in June. This ride is classified as an "invitational bike ride" as many local bicycle clubs hold similar events and "invite" cyclists of all skills to participate.
The name of the ride, "The Arlington 500", is a nod to the Arlington Race Track, as one route choice of the bicycle ride approximated 500 furlongs for many years.
The Arlington 500 is a fund raising event for the club, and the club members participate in supporting the ride by providing registration, SAG support, rest stop support, pre-ride advertising, pre-ride route verification, and more. In many years a local bike shop has provided pre-ride mechanical support for last minute issues.
The Arlington 500 originated around 1978. It was originally known as the Arlington Adventure. The first starting point was Recreation Park in Arlington Heights with subsequent moves to Frontier Park, Fremd High School, Wheeling High School, Barrington High School, Lake Zurich High School, and back to Barrington High School.
A few cue sheets for the Arlington 500 in past years. These cue sheets are provided for historical curiosity only. There is no guarantee that roads which were safe for cycling in past years are currently safe today and cyclists should resist using them without careful examination of the roads.
In the earlier years of the Arlington 500, riders were given patches which they sewed onto vests or bike bags
Photo Albums from the Arlington 500
