It wasn’t so long ago that a crusty Chicago columnist despicably described bicyclists as “mosquitoes of the road,” but environmentally friendly riders are finally getting a little respect in this town. The ninth annual “Bike Chicago 2000” is a month-long series of 85 events that take the internal combustion engine down a peg, starting Friday evening with “Mayor Daley’s Lakefront Bike Ride,” a 13.5-mile scenic tour of the shoreline. Starts at 6 p.m. at Queen’s Landing (Congress at the lake); registration is $10. For other event details, call 312-744-3315 or visit www.ci.chi.il. As long as you’re heading for the water, why not check out the “Chicagoland Safe Boating & Water Celebration”? Navy Pier’s weekend-long event honoring nautical prudence opens at 10:30 a.m. Friday with the dedication of the Shipmaster’s Memorial Statue, and continues through Sunday with a full raft of safety and rescue demonstrations. 312-595-PIER or www.navypier.com.
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