Back in 1989, we called our after-midnight bicycle ride "Insomnia Cycle". Friends of the Parks co-hosted the event with AYH (American Youth Hostels). A handful of volunteers sat at a card table with a lantern, a cash box, and a few pens to register 350 riders at Buckingham Fountain. A volunteer drove his station wagon, our first official repair vehicle, along the 25-mile route. Even rain did not detract some die-hard cyclists from venturing out for our first after-midnight ride (we held a second ride the following weekend anyway!) Immediately after the ride, we decided to consult the trusted Farmer’s Almanac to find a weekend that had the least amount of rainfall over the previous 100 years. That’s how we chose the mid-July weekend that has been consistently rain-free for us for 20+ years! The Chicago Tribune called the ride "one of the more bio-rhythmically disturbing fundraisers ever mapped out." The route included one rest stop at AYH in Uptown (6318 N. Winthrop) and incorporated Lower Wacker Drive on the way back to Buckingham Fountain for breakfast.