There`s no excuse for tromping along on a treadmill this summer. Get out of the house or the health club. The great outdoor sports are awaiting.
In the Chicago area, you`ll be hard-pressed to think of sports gear you can`t rent either by the hour or the day-from canoes to climbing shoes, horses to hang gliders. You can even rent scuba diving equipment to explore the murky depths of Lake Michigan.
Just remember, when renting, ask about extra costs. For Rollerblading, kneepads or wristguards can be rented at an extra cost, and often a hefty deposit is required for bikes or boats.
But, hey, it`s a great way for the uninitiated to sample a sport. And, for those in the market to buy equipment, it`s a chance for a few test spins. Here are some places to check out for rental gear:
Bicycles
Bikes Plus, 1313 N. Rand Rd., Arlington Heights, 708-398-1650; 28686 W. Northwest Hwy., Barrington, 708-382-9200; 343 W. Golf Rd., Schaumburg, 708-843-9150. Road and mountain bikes, $15/day, $10/second day, $7/additional days; tandems, $25/day, $15/second day, $10/each additional day.
Don`s Bike Shop, 25945 S. Egyptian Trail, Monee, 708-534-2453. Rebuilt road bikes, $25/day.
Edgebrook Cycle & Sport, 5404 W. Devon Ave., 312-792-1669. Road bikes, $3.50/hour; tandems, $8/hour.
Erehwon Mountain Outfitters, 644 N. Orleans St., 312-337-6400. Mountain bikes, $25/day.
Mill Race Cyclery, 11 E. State St., Geneva, 708-232-2833. Hybrids and mountain bikes, $7/hour, $5/each additional hour.
Schaumburg Schwinn Cyclery, 1228 N. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, 708-882-7728. All-terrain bikes, $15/day, $10/second day, $7/each additional day; tandems, $25/day.
Turin Bicycle, 1027 Davis St., Evanston, 708-864-7660. Mountain bikes, $15/day, $20/overnight.
Village Cycle Sport, 63 Park & Shop, Elk Grove Village, 708-439-3340. Road bikes and mountain bikes, $7.50/two hours, $15/day; tandems, $15/two hours, $25/day.
Boats (general)
Busse Boat Rental, Busse Lake, Higgins Road and Illinois Highway 53, Elk Grove Village, 708-439-5008. Rowboats and paddleboats, $5/hour, $15/day;
motorboats, $8/hour, $30/day.
Chicago Park District, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2200 Cannon Dr., 312-280-5151. Paddleboats, $4/half-hour (one to three people), $7/hour (one to three people), $7/half-hour (five people).
Jet Funn, 109 Nippersink Blvd., Fox Lake, 708-587-4FUN. Power and pontoon boats, $55/hour, $165/half-day.
Offshore Marine, River Tree Court, 701 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, 708-362-4880. Kayaks, $35/day, $60/two days.
Tampier Lake, 13100 Wolf Rd., Orland Park, 708-361-1336. Rowboats, $4/
hour, $13/eight hours; motorboats, $7/hour, $22/eight hours.
Boats (canoes)
Chicagoland Canoe Base, 4019 N. Narraganset Ave., 312-777-1489. $30/day, $15/second day.
Offshore Marine, River Tree Court, 701 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, 708-362-4880. $35/day, $60/two days.
Boats (charter)
Captain Joe`s Charter Boat, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., 312-489-2536. $6.50/person/hour (up to 150 people).
Historic Chicago Fireboat and The Islander, Lower Wacker Drive at the Wells Street Bridge, 312-855-0664. $1,050/three hours (up to 120 people).
Musette 2, Navy Pier, Streeter and Illinois Streets, 708-438-3303. $350/
hour weekdays with three-hour minimum, $400/hour weekends with three-hour minimum (up to 55 people).
Schooner Charlotte Ann, Burnham Harbor, 1362 S. Linn White Dr., 312-643-3400. $350/hour (up to 32 passengers).
Boats (fishing)
Chicago Sportfishing Association, Burnham Harbor, Waldron Street and Lake Shore Drive, 312-922-1100. $395/six people (for five hours).
Rainbow Sport Fishing Charters, Madison Street and Lake Michigan, Waukegan, 708-428-8978. $250/six people (for five hours).
Boats (sailboats)
Chicago Park District Rainbow Fleet, North Shore Beach, 6800 N. Farwell Ave.; South Shore Beach, 7100 S. Lake Shore Dr.; Burnham Harbor, 1362 S. Linn White Dr., 312-294-2270. Sailboats (13-foot), $10/hour, $15/two hours at all locations; 16-foot catamarans, $15/hour, $25/two hours at North and South Shore beaches; 20-foot sailboats for people with disabilities, $25/two hours at Burnham Harbor.
Chicago Sailing Club, Belmont Harbor, Lake Michigan at Addison Street, 312-871-7245. Sailboats (22-foot), $35/hour weekdays, $40/hour weekends.
Offshore Marine, Illinois Beach State Park, 17th Street and Sheridan Road, Winthrop Harbor, 312-549-4446 or 708-362-4880. Catamarans and 14-foot sailboats, $25/hour.
Sailboats, Inc., Monroe Harbor, 1229 N. Branch St., 312-943-2200. Sailboats (27-foot to 41-foot), $500-$1,100/two days.
Active Endeavors, 605 Dempster St., Evanston, 708-869-7073. Tents, $25-$35/one to seven days.
REI, 8215 Golf Rd., Niles, 708-470-9090. Tents, $35-$45/one to three days, $55-$65/four to seven days; frame backpacks, $18-$21/one to three days, $23-$26/four to seven days; climbing shoes, $14/one to three days, $25/four to seven days; sleeping bags, $18/one to three days, $23/four to seven days.
Hang gliding/parachuting
Raven Sky Sports, hang gliding sites near Lake Geneva, Milwaukee, Michigan City and McHenry County, 708-360-0700. $50-$85/day, including lessons, flights and equipment.
Hinckley Parachute Center, U.S. Highway 30, 2 1/2 miles west of downtown, Hinckley, 708-377-9219. Training, equipment and one jump, $140-$155.
Horses
A Glenwooded Acres, 1465 Glenwood-Lansing Rd., Lansing, 708-895-1810. $8/ hour.
Hawthorne Hills Stables, Rand Road and Old McHenry Road, Wauconda, 708-526-0055. $15/hour with guide, $20/1 1/2 hours without guide.
South Forty, Bode Road and Illinois Highway 59, Streamwood, 708-830-4895. $12/hour.
Wedgewood Riding Center, 699 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, 708-537-9610. $15/hour, no beginners.
Willow Brook Acres Riding Club, 9501 Austin Ave., Morton Grove, 708-965-1632. $16/hour.
Hot-air balloons
Enchantment Balloons, 1008 Karen Dr., Joliet, 815-741-4700. $150/person.
Sky Rides, 17306 Delia Ave., Plainfield, 708-904-4600. $150-$175/person.
Windy City Balloonport, U.S. Highway 14 and Illinois Highway 22, Fox River Grove, 708-639-0550. $125-$175 per person (champagne and hors d`oeuvres on landing).
Rollerblades or in-line skates
Active Endeavors, 605 Dempster St., Evanston, 708-869-7073. $5/hour, $15/ day, $20/overnight.
Ahern`s Cycle and Fitness Centre, 8553 W. Ogden Ave., Lyons, 708-477-8663. $10/three hours, $18/day.
Bikes Plus, 1313 N. Rand Rd., Arlington Heights, 708-398-1650; 28686 W. Northwest Hwy., Barrington, 708-382-9200; 343 W. Golf Rd., Schaumburg, 708-843-9150. $9/day, $6/second day, $4/each additional day.
City Sweats, 2467 N. Clark St., 312-348-CITY. $7/hour, $19/three hours or longer.
Mission Bay Ski & Bike, 12 E. Main St., Dundee, 708-426-0001. $5/hour, $20/day.
Mondo Londo, 247 E. Ontario St., 312-751-1446. $7/hour, $20/day.
Ofischl Sports, 1521 Sherman Ave., Evanston, 708-475-7777. $5/hour, $15/
day.
Tan Your Hide, 530 W. Diversey Pkwy., 312-525-7725. $7/hour, $17/day.
Village Cycle Sport, 63 Park & Shop, Elk Grove Village, 708-439-3340. $8/ two hours, $16/day.
Scuba
Adventures in Scuba, 1730 W. Fullerton Ave., 312-935-DIVE. Complete package (all equipment necessary for diving), $150/weekend.
Berry Scuba, North Pier, 435 E. Illinois St., 312-224-PIER; 6674 Northwest Hwy., 312-763-1626; 1717 Rand Rd., Palatine, 708-358-3848; Yorktown Shopping Center, Highland Avenue and Butterfield Road, Lombard, 708-495-2822. Complete package (all equipment necessary for diving), $68.50/weekend.
Illinois Institute of Diving, 1017 W. Diversey Pkwy., 312-929-0500; 436 Roosevelt Rd., Glen Ellyn, 708-858-8884. Complete package (all equipment necessary for diving), $50/day, $75/weekend.
Ocean`s Door, 225 E. Deerpath Rd., Lake Forest, 708-295-0787. Complete package (all equipment necessary for diving), $50/day, $75/two days.(
Underseas Scuba Center, 611 N. Addison, Villa Park, 708-833-8383. Complete package (all equipment except tank), $45/day, $22.50/each additional day; tanks, $8/day.
Volleyball
Spike It Sports, 3054 N. Sheffield Ave., 312-528-7448. Net, boundaries, poles and stakes (for beach or grass), $25/day.
VBC, 4200 N. Clark St., 312-472-4195. Net, boundaries, poles and stakes
(for beach or grass), $50/day; volleyball, $20/day.
Water skis/Jet skis
Jet Funn, 109 Nippersink Blvd., Fox Lake, 708-587-4FUN. Jet skis and wave-runners, $25/half-hour, $40/hour.
Munson Marine, U.S. Highway 12 and Illinois Highway 120, Volo, 815-385-2720. Water skis, $10-$15/day.
Windsurfing
Chicago Park District Rainbow Fleet, North Shore Beach, 6800 N. Farwell Ave.; South Shore Beach, 7100 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312-294-2270. Windsurfing boards, $10/hour, $15/two hours.
Offshore Marine, 919 W. Irving Park Rd., 312-549-4446; River Tree Court, 701 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, 708-362-4880. $35/day, $55/two days; or rented from Illinois Beach State Park, 17th Street and Sheridan Road, Winthrop Harbor, $20/hour, $15/each additional hour.
Windward Sports, 3317 N. Clark St., 312-472-6868. $15/weekdays, $25/
weekends and holidays; also at Montrose Beach or Wolf Lake in Hammond, Ind., at $10/hour.
