Families and friends, avid cyclists and weekend warriors biked through the car-free lanes of Lakeshore Drive on Sunday, May 28.

Bike the Drive had its best showing to date, with approximately 20,000 cyclists taking part in the festivities. Lakeshore Drive closed from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. so cyclists could enjoy a safe and peaceful lakefront pedal.

Riders turned north on a 15-mile tour of the Gold Coast and challenging bridge climbs along Lakeshore Drive, or they turned south for a flat route to the Museum of Science and Industry and 57th Street. Some cyclists rode both routes twice for a 60-mile training ride, while others enjoyed a leisurely stroll with their children.

Even early in the morning, cyclists came back from the routes dripping with sweat in the 80-degree heat. Riders downed 30,000 cups of water at the three aid stations set up along the routes. After riding, participants lounged in the park enjoying music from local bands and scarfing down a hearty pancake breakfast.

Bike the Drive benefited the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

Cyclists hit the streets as the sun rises on a cloudless day.

Families relax in the shade near the Chase bike valet, which offered riders a safe bike storage location while they attended the festival in Grant Park.

At the GT stunt area, Davoud Maclin, 13, fluidly dances the robot for spectators. He won a GT T-shirt for the performance.

A rider dressed as Superman pedals along, his cape flowing with the wind.

Megan Finke, 29, Jenaeth Higgins, 26, and Patrick Finke, 31, relax in the sun after their ride.

Dick Buist's shark bike was originally supposed to be a fish, in honor of the Grand River near his hometown, Grand Rapids, Mich. He made it into a shark instead because the nose "looked more like a shark than a fish."

The pancake line stretches halfway through the festival grounds. Cyclists will finish 17,000 pancakes by the end of the day.