Bikers reign on Lake Shore Drive during Bike the Drive

Lake Shore Drive will remain closed to cars after 10 a.m. today, the one day of the year when cyclists reign for five hours along the iconic thoroughfare.

More than 14,000 riders registered for Bike the Drive, the annual fundraiser for Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit working to make biking, walking and public transportation safer across the region. Earlier this week, organizers fretted that registration figures were falling short of this year's 20,000 participant goal, but held out hope that the warm sunny weather would draw more riders. Ted Villaire, marketing director, could not confirm final registration numbers this morning.

'It's tiring, very tiring,' said Max Silverman, 11, of Chicago who looked forward to calculating how far he had pedaled this morning. 'It's fun. It's kind of weird to think you're biking somewhere cars normally do, down at like top speed.'

While there was at least one bicycle collision near 35 ^th Street and the road was crowded with cyclists cruising at a variety of speeds, rider Jason Rosenthal said most of the bikers sharing the road remained courteous and cordial.

'It's a long road and there's a lot of space,' he said. 'It's very surreal to be out here on Lake Shore Drive with no cars. I'll definitely do it again next year.'