First Friday Ride

Time: February 3, 2012 at 8pm to February 4, 2012 at 12am
Location: Wrigley Field
Website or Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q…
Phone: three 1 two - 9 three 3 - six 9 three 6
Event Type: social

Happy Birthday Clark

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960), known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh. His performance earned him his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor; he won for It Happened One Night (1934) and was also nominated for Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). Later movies included Run Silent, Run Deep, a submarine war film, and his final film, The Misfits (1961), which paired Gable with Marilyn Monroe, also in her last screen appearance. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Gable seventh among the greatest male stars of all time. He was nicknamed 'The King of Hollywood.'

Bicycle Friendly

Cafe 57 is a coffee connoisseur’s piece of heaven under the Metra train tracks at 57th & Lake Park. A short walk from the Univ. of Chicago.


Nestled conveniently in Hyde Park, Cafe57 is a place for the community, whether you’re a cyclist, student, or commuter.

Perspective

The big sports news Sunday was that LeBron James rode his bicycle to work. Very admirable. My buddy rides his bike every day 11 miles each way, as long as the weather isn't terrible. I see his bike in the work rack over 200 times a year.

E.T. 30 years later

Tell E. T. to phone home and tell his alien buddies all the good things going on at 24th and Western

Bobby's Bike Hike

Bobby's Bike Hike is a great value - providing signature guided bicycle tours of Chicago's lakefront and neighborhood attractions, all appropriate for every age and fitness levels. Bobby tours Chicago in style, with deluxe Schwinn Cruisers complete with cushy seats, fat tires, and annoying bells :). Their hand-selected guides are chock full of historical information which is sure to inform and entertain you on your journey. The folks in the shop are friendly and helpful and they will take the time to teach you the ropes before sending you on your way. Tours include the Lakefront Neighborhoods Tour which was Voted Best Chicago Tour two years in a row, the City Lights at Night Tour which is a healthy way to see the City aglow, Bobby's 'Tike' Hike for families with younger riders, and the Bikes, Bites, & Brews Tour which is a 21 and over tour which samples Chicago's favorite food and drinks.Bobby's Bike Hike also provides customers with bike rentals if the tour is not your thing. A FREE helmet, lock, map and route suggestions - the lakefront bike trail is 22 miles long and right outside Bobby's Bike Hike shop. Chicago is incredibly flat with so much to see right along the lakefront. Keep on biking Chicago!

'Bicycle Portraits' part deux

Gabrielle Raaff is a painter who lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa

"Bicycle Portraits"

Last year, they covered the efforts of Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler, who set out to turn stunning portraits of cyclists in South Africa into a spectacular book. It appears that their fundraising efforts on Kickstarter, and elsewhere, have paid off, and it is now possible to own one of several volumes from their Bicycle Portraits series. These books feature photos of South Africans and their bikes — depicting a population of people of all colors, sizes and walks of life. Each portrait is also paired with an individualized watercolor by South African artist Gabrielle Raaff, which shows the location of the bike and its owner.



Read more: 'Bicycle Portraits' Feature Cyclists from All Walks of Life |

Volunteer

A bit of fragrance
always clings to
the hand that
gives roses.

CHINESE PROVERB

Be that hand

4 Paws Brewing

4 Paws Brewing is launching a bicycling tour program of craft breweries in Chicago, IL. The tours will expose people to different areas in the city that are committed to local microbrewing or the history of brewing in Chicago. We love beer, bikes, history, and the earth so what better way to celebrate all 4 things than biking your way through a tour and enjoying some delicious brew!

Tours begin Summer of 2012

Winter Happy Hours

Boulevard Bikes
2535 N. Kedzie Blvd
Bring a beermug and a friend and come enjoy real live music every Thursday throughout the winter at Boulevard Bikes. Checkout the facebook page for an updated listing of performers. Bring your kids!

A Class Act

Paul Newman

January 26, 1925 - September 26, 2008

But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

How Much Can I Save Bicycling To Work?

http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/bike

Chicago Craft Beer

Metropolitan’s Flywheel
It’s a steamy Friday in July—no, August—and you’ve just cycled your ten-mile commute home from work. You’re sweaty and thirsty, so what do you do? Crack open a Flywheel, stat. With its grapefruit aroma and grassy zing, this revitalizing pilsner is the perfect reward for a hard-core pedal pusher but, unlike some watery alternatives, is by no means a pushover itself. 5.2% ABV. $9.79 six-pack.

I don't know about patent leather shoes...

Are you sure you want the one with the green rim?

Chicago Winter Bike Swap

The 2012 Chicago Winter Bike Swap will be held on January 21 from 9:30-3:30 at Harper College

$5 admission for adults-Kids 12 and under free
FREE PARKING

The CWBS is returning for the fifth year as the premier event for HUGE SAVINGS on everything for the bike.

Winter Bike to Work Day

Streets for Cycling Plan 2020

The first meeting for the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 at Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N Central Park Avenue, Chicago is on Wednesday, January 18, at 6 PM

Golden Globe Nominee

The Kid with a Bike (French: Le Gamin au vélo) is a 2011 drama film written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, starring Cécile de France and Thomas Doret. Set in Seraing, it tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who turns to a woman after his father has abandoned him.[1] The film was produced through companies in Belgium, France and Italy. While it does not deviate from the naturalistic style of the Dardenne brothers' earlier works, a brighter aesthetic than usual was employed, and the screenplay had a structure inspired by fairytales. Unusually for a film by the directors it also uses music. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and won the festival's Grand Prix.

The Craftsman Experience

Learn all about The Working Bikes Cooperative, a not-for-profit organization which repairs discarded bicycles for charity.

Meet other Chicago-based bike groups, or swing by to give your bike a quick tune-up with Craftsman tools!

Join the bike party at 5pm for some games, get tips on braving the winter on your bike and enter your beautiful bike in our Show Off Your Sweet Ride Competition!

5:00 pm Bike Meet-up, Games & Tips
7:00 - 7:30 pm Live Broadcast
- at the Craftsman Experience

You meet the nicest people...

on your bike!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thank You

Paper Boys

Remember when your parents daily newspaper was delivered by a paperboy? In high school I worked at the news agency. We stuffed the ads section into the newspaper. My brother had the biggest route in our home town. He delivered 50 newspapers daily. Not only was he responsible for delivering the paper, he had to roll and tie the papers, with a wax paper on wet days, and he also had to collect each month. Now it's a man with an old station wagon who isn't held to the stop sign laws.

22 Days Late...

but Winter has arived in Chicago

Democracy is not a spectator sport

Part of a new, yearlong arts and education initiative in Chicago, a benefit performance of “The People Speak, Live!” produced by Voices of a People’s History takes place at Metro, Tuesday, January 31st, 2012. Bringing to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people who made the United States what it is today, the evening pairs Academy Award®-winner Matt Damon with local Chicago talent for dramatic readings and songs of the actual words of rebels, dissenters, and visionaries from America’s past--and present.



Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Matt-Damon-to-Take-Part-in-THE-PEOPLE-SPEAK-LIVE-Benefit-131-20120110#ixzz1j9xFBVwi

Wishbone

Although the hearty Southern fare at this West Loop spot may not exactly inspire exercise, the discount for showing your helmet – 15 percent off an entree – is a pretty compelling reason to arrive by bike. The helmet discount is to promote safety, but bike racks, large windows for keeping an eye on your bike and an 80-person patio also promote relaxation. A second location on Lincoln Avenue offers a good pit stop for a Lakeview bike trip as well.

The Holidays are over. Time to get back to school

The goal of the Doemens Beer Sommelier course is to impart knowledge regarding beer on a level that enables the certified sommelier to advise customers of breweries, distributors, retailers and restaurants & bars on the production of beer, dominant characteristics of beer styles, how to select the right beer for pairing with the dish of their choice and the positive health benefits of moderate beer consumption. Beer sommeliers will also learn responsibilities in maintaining quality of the beer served to the guest and its perfect presentation, and students will learn to create beer menus, advise cooks & staff on beer meals and organize beer purchases.

This course is completed with an evaluation of papers regarding the creation of a beer meal and a beer menu, with a practical sensory test to detect and describe different beer varieties and categories as also sensory beer defects, an oral exam in the beer presentation sector in gastronomy and two written exams after the first education phase and at the end of the course. Successful completion of this course you will be granted the title of Doemens Bier Sommelier, which also makes you eligible for participation in the annual Doemens Bier Sommelier World Championship. Check it out @ Siebelinstitute.com. Classes start online January 22, 2012

Spok

"The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have."

Leonard Nimoy

Benefits of a Bicycle

No further verbiage required...

Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest: It's a love hangover!

Saturday, January 21, 2012
Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall
Madison

Blue City Cycles

Welcome Back

reopening on January 10, 2012 at Noon

Colorful Art

The next time you are in Historic Federal Hill, Baltimore, MD., stop by the Mark Cottman Gallery. It features exclusively the art of Mark Cottman. His artwork expresses passion and humor, captures the imagination and inspires the viewer to appreciate Cottman’s vision.

Breaking Away

I watched Breaking Away over the holiday break.
The classic "us vs. "them"
The quarries are on the bucket list.

Happy Birthday Elvis

Elvis Aaron Presley January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

Festival Time!

Bike Winter Film Fest

Date: Sunday January 8, 2012 - 1:00pm - 11:00pm

Facets Multimedia

1517 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago IL 60614

A cozy laid back way to celebrate life on 2 wheels while hanging out on a January Sunday in the warmth of your fellow bike-people.

Films will include shorts and documentaries of interest to recreational and transportational cyclists.

Family-friendly content guaranteed for the first 2 1/2 hours.

There is no admission fee but donations are accepted at the event to help pay for the space and assure future events.

Concession purchases also appreciated to help support our host.

It will be in the small theater (capacity 33 seats).

Indoor parking will be available-- wheel it on in!

Feel free to send suggestions for films, especially kid-friendly, to filmfest@bikewinter.org for consideration for future events, and if you have a film of your own to share most definitely submit it!

Feel free to come and go as your schedule permits throughout the day.

Contact:
filmfest@bikewinter.org

"Peddling Fine Food & Drink"

Handlebar Bar & Grill, 2311 W. North Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60647

Anytime more than two inches of snow fall in Chicago, swing by The Handlebar for a Snow Ride departing at 7:00

Todays thought...

"If you ever need a helping hand, it is at the end of your arm. As you get older you must remember you have a second hand. The first one is to help yourself. The second hand is to help others."

- Audrey Hepburn (1929 - 1993)

This Month in History

January 17, 2012 Muhammad Ali celebrates his 70th birthday.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"

Happy New Year!

from your friends at the Working Bikes Cooperative