10 THINGS FOR THE CYCLIST TO DO ON A RAINY DAY

10). work on your bike.  If nothing else, check your tires for proper inflation
9).  stay in and listen to some tunes you haven't heard in a while
8).  spend some time looking at items at Working Bikes that you have not seen before.  A great time to talk to and get to know the staff.  Tell Rosa I said "Hi!"
7). stay in and catch up on your reading.  Books or mag's
6).  Take a nap with the window open and listen to the pitter pat.  How often do we get a nice gentle rain?  There are not severe anything being broadcast at this moment in time. 
5).  visit a local establishment for lunch and people watch
4).  Volunteer at Working Bikes today.  You get a great feeling of satisfaction before, during, and afterwards.  Work at your own pace.  Quite a departure from your regular job.
3). Donate that old bike in your garage, or drop off your neighbors donation.  Thank You!
2).  Buy a bicycle.  We have a huge selection. 

1).  Ride in the rain.  Get a little, wet, dirty, and cold.  Follow that up with a warm shower and a bowl of soup

Tour of Irving Park June 2, 2012

Irving Park, Chicago Community Area #16 sits 7 miles northwest of the Loop. Prior to being annexed to Chicago in 1889, the suburban communities that make up today's Irving Park Community Area fell outside the city's post-fire ban on wood-frame construction. The result is a community rich with some of the oldest surviving construction in the city. After Irving Park joined Chicago, the area experienced even greater prosperity spurring decades of significant architecture development creating one of the greatest built environments in all of Chicago. It features comfortably nestled neighborhoods such as the Villa, (a registered National and City Historic Landmark), Old Irving, Independence Park and Grayland. On the tour, they will take in beautiful works of architecture such as Dwight Perkins' Carl Schurz High School, the Henry V. Peters House by Walter Burley Griffin, St. Viator by Charles Wallace and dozens of other truly special buildings.

The tour is just shy of 17 miles. The ride is at a slow and relaxed pace and all riders must wear a helmet.
contact bigshouldersrealty.com  Old poster, but current event

Bicycle found 42 years later

WELLFLEET, Mass. — The little girl thought she had lost her new bike forever when she tumbled off a rickety bridge over a muddy stream in Wellfleet, Mass., 42 years ago.

But the bike has been found — by the now-grown woman’s own wife.
Lisa Brown tells the Cape Cod Times (http://bit.ly/KX6O8h ) she was 11 when she lost control while riding over the Herring River in 1970 and fell in. She came up “smelling like a snapping turtle” but could not locate her bike in the muddy depths.
Brown’s wife, Deirdre Olinger, was walking along the stream this spring when she spotted a rusted bike tangled in the undergrowth about a quarter mile from the bridge.
Brown, tipped off by the banana seat, knew immediately it was hers. She describes the discovery like “finding a long lost friend.”

Art Encounter

ART SOUNDS

a music, live art, wine
and mingling event
for young professionals
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

6-8pm

Zolla/Lieberman Gallery

325 W Huron St.

Chicago, IL 60654

Join them for music food and drink as you watch art being created!

At this live painting event,

artist Dustin Harris will improvise, creating a new piece of art as a d.j. spins, both reacting and creating in relation to the other.

Dustin Harris' work spans from tagging and bombing to murals and bike restoration. His response to the music and to the energy of Chicago will create a unique and vibrant work.



Contact Stephanie:

artencounter.stephanie@gmai

We're Number 5!

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's commitment to making Chicago more bike-friendly seems to be working.


Bicycling Magazine gave The Windy City high honors in its ranking of the top 50 best cities for bicyclists. Chicago came in at No. 5.

Shortly after taking office, Emanuel announced his pledge to make Chicago "the bike-friendliest city in the country," and proceeded to add two miles of bike lanes within his first 100 days in office.

The city expects to add 100 miles of separated bike lanes over the next four years, per its Streets for Cycling 2020 program.

As far as why Chicago is so friendly to cyclists, Bicycling Magazine notes that about 51 percent of rush hour traffic in Chicago is just from bicyclists. The magazine also points to other funded projects like a new bike path on an elevated railway and expanding Chicago's bike-share system dramatically.

Portland Ore. was named the number one most bike friendly city, with Minneapolis, Minn., Boulder, Colo., and Washington D.C. following in the second through fourth spots.

Thank you NBC Chicago

Memorial Day

For those who fought and died

For the families who have cried

Give a prayer or just stand silent
Remember what their lives meant
And it's okay to shed a tear
For this land we hold so dear

The souls of soldiers past
Will forever a shadow cast
Upon this land from coast to coast
And unto them I pledge this toast

Today, and everyday, we thank those who have served this great land. 

Chicago Beaches

The Chicago Beaches open today.

See you out there!

Bike Uptown

Bike Uptown to Host Bicycle Tour of Historic Uptown Sites Sat., May 26, 3:00 p.m.


Bike Uptown will host a free bicycle tour of historic Uptown sites on Sat., May 26,beginning at 3:00 p.m. and followed by social time at 4:00 p.m.

The public is welcome to join 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman and Bike Uptown on a leisurely bike ride to discover more about Uptown's unique history.

The tour will visit: the Hutchinson Street Historic District, the Peace Garden, Montrose Peninsula and The Dock, the Aragon Ballroom, Essanay Studios and finish at Big Chicks restaurant for socializing and nourishment.

The tour begins on Sat., May 26, 3:00 p.m. at Uptown Bikes, 4653 N. Broadway St., and finishes at 4:00 p.m., Big Chicks, 5024 N. Sheridan Rd., for socializing until 6:00 p.m.

Bike Uptown http://bikeuptown.org/ is a local organization that advocates for calmer Uptown streets for walking, biking and using transit.

(The poster is from last year, but is applicable to this years event also)

Bike Safety at McKinley Park

Bike Safety @ Mckinley Park

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

2210 W. Pershing Road

Chicago, IL , 60609

312.747.6527

Fee: $0

Age Range: 6-12 years of age

Bike Safety Month activities at McKinley Park. Bring your bike and learn the rules of the road and other safety measures.

Fun in Bend, Oregon

The Old Mill District and Cycle Pub announced that the newest way to enjoy beer in Bend, Oregon debuted at the Bend WinterFest in Bend, Oregon. The Cycle Pub, sponsored by the Old Mill District, seats 16 people who seek to enjoy two of Bend, Oregon’s top passions: cycling and microbrews. In short, Cycle Pub is a non-traditional bike where riders sit at a “bar” while pedaling around the scenic area and enjoying beverages.

The NATO gift bag

Each NATO Summit attendee--and every journalist covering the world leaders last weekend at McCormick Place--got a Chicago themed gift bag with food made in Chicago, music made in Chicago, suggestions where to sight-see in Chicago and personal welcomes from Chicago students.


If you get that the emphasis is on Chicago, then you got it right. The gifts are courtesy of the Chicago NATO Summit Host Committee, with the items intended to promote the city.

It's common for host committees of big events--the political conventions, the last NATO Summit in the U.S., --1999, in Washington--to highlight the locality with small gifts with the hope the recipient either lingers for a few more nights, returns at another time or passes along a recommendation about the host venue to friends.

A welcome letter in a souvenir notebook states, "We hope you can extend your stay here and experience some true Chicago-style hospitality. But if you can only sneak away from the NATO Summit for an hour, we thought we could identify a few highlights to make sure you don't waste the opportunity."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's wife, Amy Rule, offered some of her Chicago favorites, including checking out Millenium Park and North Avenue Beach, and the walks along the Chicago River.

The bag itself is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and is modeled on a bike messenger bag--to underscore that Chicago is a "bike-friendly" city--designed by JinJa Davis Birkenbeuel, president of Birkdesign Inc. There will be two logos on the bag-from NATO and the host committee..

Each bag contains:
*A welcome note from a Chicago student.
*A Chicago bike trail map.
*Snacks from Chicago companies--Popcorn from Garrett Popcorn Shops; "Chicago Truffles" from Vosges Chocolates; "Summit Trail Mix" from Fisher Nuts; Quaker Oats Yogurt and Granola Bars; Orbit gum from Wrigley; Milky Way from the Mars Chicago factory and a "NATO cookie" from Manny's Deli.
A free download of music from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
*The notebook with tourism ideas from Rule and others--and a lot of "fun facts" about Chicago, such as "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama were both born in Chicago" to the lesser known to outsiders, "Western Avenue in Chicago is the longest continuous street in the US."
*Chicago flag pin, visitor guide, map, "Explore Chicago" buttons and materials about NATO.

B.E.N. Capetown Shipping Party Tomorrow

We will be filling another container with bikes, etc., this one bound for The Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) in Cape Town, South Africa ...

To join in and help with loading, come along to Working Bikes at 2434 S. Western Avenue in Pilsen, from 10am until we're done - perhaps around 4pm?

Happy Birthday Christian!

Christian Vande Velde (born in Lemont, Illinois) is an American professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for Garmin-Barracuda. The son of United States Bicycling Hall of Fame inductee John Vande Velde, Christian became professional in 1998 for US Postal.


He twice rode on the Tour de France team that brought Lance Armstrong to victory, in 1999 and 2001.

Bike and Ride

It’s easy to bike around Chicago with CTA’s Bike & Ride initiatives.

Bicycles are welcome on CTA buses and trains throughout the year. You’ll also find bike racks at or outside most CTA 'L' stations... and bikes ride free, with any paying customer!

Bike The Drive

Sunday, May 27!

Kick off the Summer with thousands of cyclists in the only car free bike ride on Lake Shore Drive. Enjoy the city skyline and stunning views of Lake Michigan on the only day of the year when Lake Shore Drive is open to cyclists - and closed to car traffic! The event is family friendly and great for bicyclists of all types. Registration includes hours of uninterrupted bicycling, volunteer support, access to rest stops and a post-ride festival.


Support the mission of the organization by adding an Active Trans membership when registering. This amazing bike ride is a fundraiser for the Active Transportation Alliance, Chicagoland's voice for better biking, walking and transit. Get Event Details And An Online Discount

The Illinois Prairie Path

The Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) was the first successful "rail-to-trail" conversion in the United States and inspired a national rail-to-trail movement in the United States in the mid-1960s. The trail is named for its rare segments of original, thousand year-old prairies. The Illinois Prairie Path corporation (IPPc) is a non-profit group of caring, involved private citizens who aid municipalities in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties maintain and expand the Illinois Prairie Path to ensure that it remains a safe, public, multi-purpose trail. With 62 miles of biking, hiking, jogging, equestrian, and nature trails, people donate their time, talent and resources to preserve and protect this amazing natural resource.


Today, The Illinois Prairie Path corporation and it’s volunteers are focused on recreation, prairie restoration, land preservation and beautification, conservation of natural resources and ecosystems, preservation and interpretation of historic sites, and the connection of IPP to other trails to form a regional network of greenways.

Zoo-De-Mackinac Bike Bash

Zoo-De-Mackinac Bike Bash


May 18, 2012 - Friday ... May 20, 2012 - Sunday

Boyne Highlands Resort

It's a weekend of two huge parties, with two great bands, a lot of sunshine, one awesome island, views of the mighty Mackinac Bridge, and one of the most scenic 51 mile bicycle rides in the country thrown in for good measure! 3,500 participants in 2011!

Registration Fee: $55 to $70

Start Time: 8:30 AM

Contact

Zoo-De-Mackinac, Inc.

Greg Drawbaugh

313.821.8414

greg@zoo-de-mack.com

www.zoo-de-mack.com

Ed Rudolph Velodrome - Northbrook

Opening Day - May 17, 2012

The Avengers

The Original Avengers rode bicycles.

Happy Birthday David Byrne

Yesterday was David Byrne's birthday.  David is an accomplished musician and is also a bicycle advocate. 

David Byrne and the New York City Department of Transportation, in conjunction with New York art gallery PaceWildenstein, have unveiled nine unique bicycle racks designed by DB and installed in various locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. An avid bicyclist for almost 30 years, Byrne was invited to join the panel of jurors selected by the DOT to judge a design competition for outdoor and indoor bicycle racks. Inspired by the city's initiative, he submitted some original design ideas of his own named after specific locations and neighborhoods, which the DOT enthusiastically agreed to install. The bike racks are now on permanent loan to the city, and wil remain in their locations.

CLUB 50 BIKE RIDE


SATURDAY, MAY 19

10:30 A.M.

Meet at

Hackney’s on Harms Road

1241 Harms Road

Glenview, IL

Join Club 50 for one of their favorite rides – from Hackney’s in Glenview to the Chicago Botanic Garden and back, about 18 miles.

Be sure to bring your helmet and some water.

They will allow time for everyone to tour the beautiful gardens before coming back to Hackney’s.

Following the ride they will have lunch on the terrace. If you’ve never had a Hackney’s burger and onion rings, you’re missing a real treat.

For info email Club50_130@yahoo.com

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day!

Calling All Educators!

Energy Bike Workshops for Educators


The Working Bikes Cooperative offers workshops on the construction and use of bike-powered machines in the classroom. There is no cost for the workshops. Instruction is available for groups of teachers. Direct inquiries to lee@workingbikes.org or phone 312-371-4286. Please visit workingbikes.org for more information.

Bike-powered machines can be used to teach physics, mechanics, electronics and renewable energy. In addition they can be used for fitness programs, emergency power generation, off the grid power needs, festivals, indoor/outdoor recess exercise activities, earth day events, camping trips or for charging cell phones, laptops, IPODs and TVs.

There is a lot of current interest in bike machines due in part to shows like the Discovery Channel's Invention Nation, YWCC's City Science program, the efforts of Ed Begley Junior as well as the efforts of the Working Bikes Cooperative to popularize bike machines. There is also a lot of interest in renewable energy and the green collar jobs of the future.

The bike-powered generator that we build includes the following components: DC permanent magnet motor (generator), bicycle trainer (stand), generator bracket, multi-meters, v-belt and a sheave (pulley).

Many home appliances have universal motors which operate on direct current as well as alternating current. A bike generator can power these appliances. Some examples of these appliances are blenders, coffee grinders, electric drills, and sewing machines.

Some consumer electronic devices and lamps use switch mode power supplies. These will run on a wide range of voltage inputs. These include portable dvd players, portable tvs, florescent lamps and chargers for cell phones, smart phones and mp3 players.

Educators can attend a workshop to learn how to configure their bike generator to directly run appliances. Educators will also learn how to measure the output of their bike generators using a volt meter and an amp meter.

National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month. And as a friend told me yesterday, "Biking feels like flying!"

It's true: On a bike, you can smell the flowers, feel the wind in your face, beat the traffic, and help the climate.
Everyone deserves access to clean, affordable transportation choices like biking -- but many communities don't have the infrastructure they need to safely replace car trips with biking. With your help, we can do better.
Celebrate Bike Month with the Sierra Club by telling Congress and your governor: Our communities need safe biking options.
What happens when a community gets safe biking options?
Well, thanks to a Department of Transportation pilot program, several communities in Missouri, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have seen more bikers and pedestrians, safer streets, and an estimated savings of 7,701 tons of climate pollution every year since 2010. 1
Biking isn't just fun -- it also beats paying $4 at the pump. If American drivers traded just one weekly four-mile car trip for a bike ride, we'd save $4.6 billion and 2 billion gallons of gas every year.
Tens of thousands of Americans will spend a little extra time on their bikes for National Bike Month, and I hope you'll join them. Start by letting decision makers know: We need safer biking infrastructure.
Tell Congress and your governor about these successes, and let them know: We need them to work with transportation officials for safer, climate-friendly transportation options.
We're proud to be partnering with the League of American Bicyclists, the National Council of La Raza, and other allies to make Bike Month a big success. Join us by contacting our elected leaders today -- and then hop on a bike for a new look at your community.
Thanks for all you do for our environment,

Ann Mesnikoff

Sierra Club Green Transportation Director

Chicago's Urban Bike Adventure

For only $40, register you and a friend for Chicago's Urban Bike Adventure (an $80 value)!

The Urban Bike Adventure is designed for all skill levels -- from the casual biker to the commuter to the triathlete. Teams are given a clue sheet and must find various checkpoints around the city. Teams may plot their own course and make it to as many checkpoints as possible within three hours. After the race, the top 10 teams receive medals and there will be a chance to win prizes and goodies (best costume, most unnecessary mileage, etc).

Riders are allowed to ride any kind of bike (street, cruiser or mountain), but they must wear a helmet at all times. They are also encouraged to bring a smart phone or GPS for mapping a route as well as a small amount of cash for any small purchases that need to be made to complete a challenge. Sample challenges include:

•Bowling a strike

•Building a sandcastle

•Kicking a goal

•Boarding a paddle boat

Chicago's Urban Bike Adventure will be on May 12, 2012 in a location TBA. Packets with a t-shirt and bib can be picked up at 11am and the race begins at noon.

Purchasers of this deal will receive a promotional code via email from Urban Bike Adventure redeemable at: urbanbikeadventurechicago.eventbrite.com.

The Garden - Chicago Dirt Jumps

The Garden is a set of dirt jumps located right in the City of Chicago. There are 3 jump lines and a pump track with multiple routes. The Garden is free, open to the public, and has terrain for all ages and skill levels.

Chicago's Clark Park 3200 N Rockwell

Celebrate National Bike to School Day, May 9th

For many years, some schools around the nation have been setting aside a day that celebrates biking to school. There's never been a national event recognizing this vital activity that allows kids to get active, experience a taste of independence and get to know the community in which they live.
There's never been a national event—until now. Wednesday, May 9, 2012, schools and youth organizations across Illinois and the U.S. will celebrate the first-ever National Bike to School Day. Will your school be one of them?
Celebrating the inaugural National Bike to School Day is easy, and you can give it an extra boost by offering incentives or contests to reward anyone who chooses to bike to school.
Register your school or organization on the website www.walkbiketoschool.org for a chance to win a new bike rack! The website also offers resources on ways to make your celebration a success.

The National Bike Challenge is an opportunity to challenge yourself to ride more often. Record your rides, and add up the miles you’ve ridden, the calories you’ve burned, and the gas money you’ve saved. You can connect with other riders in the challenge, or embrace the spirit of competition by winning points for your employer, your community, or your state. You become eligible for prize drawings after you’ve logged just three days on your bike.
You’ll be part of a team of more than fifty thousand riders logging over ten million miles, demonstrating the power of the bicycle to build healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy planet.

Check out nationalbikechallenge.org

Lincoln Park REI - Overnight Bicycle Touring Basics

Date: 5/10/2012

Event Fee: Free

Place: Lincoln Park REI

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CDT)

Instructor: Trails for IL

Group Size: 50

Bicycle Touring can be an amazing way to travel. Travelling by bicycle allows you to take in the experiences of the road or trail, enjoy often missed local attractions and connect with the world around you in a very personal way. Join REI and Trails for Illinois for a class on overnight bike touring. This introductory class will teach the basics of planning an overnight bike trip. They will also take a look at the gear, the bikes and the camping tools to make the trip successful, and talk about great local places to travel by bike! Looking for a chance to participate in an overnight bike trip? Join Trails for Illinois on their upcoming GITy Up! ride and experience bike camping first hand!

The Village of Homewood

 

The bike-friendly village of Homewood will be even more so by September if things go as planned.

Ten main streets will have dedicated or shared bike lanes, and there will be more bike racks around town and route signs specifically for bicyclists.

The village board on Tuesday approved using $48,000 from its motor fuel tax fund to implement the long-awaited plan. The village had to match a portion of a $114,000 federal grant it received in 2007 from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, the goal of which was to get people out of cars and onto bikes.

The project was delayed for five years as the village waited for the Illinois Department of Transportation to get approval to alter some roads not under its jurisdiction, according to assistant village manager Jim Marino.

“It was an arduous process,” Marino said.

An engineering study was completed in 2010 by T.Y. Lin International Group. IDOT is to solicit bids on the project this month, and construction is expected to begin this summer.

“There will be restriping of some of the roads to designate dedicated or shared bike lanes, bike racks, signage, route signs to indicate designated routes, and destination signs to direct cyclists to parks, the village hall, the library or other destinations,” Marino said.

If the bidding process is on schedule, the project should be completed by September, he said.

The streets designated to also be used as bike routes include the entire length of Ashland Avenue in the village, and portions of Ridge Road, Dixie Highway, Maple Road, Center Avenue, 187th Street, Willow Road, Harwood Avenue, Park Avenue and Western Avenue.

The village’s long-term goal is “to interconnect our bike routes with other existing or planned routes throughout the south suburbs,” Marino said. “In time, we may be able to expand the routes as funds become available.”

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

¡Incluye a Working Bikes en su celebración de Cinco de Mayo!  Vengan al restaurante Mariscos La Islitas al lado de Working Bikes para disfrutar una comida deliciosa.  Luego, pasen a Working Bikes para todas sus necesidades de bicicletas. 

Cinco De Mayo

Saturday is Cinco De Mayo

Pilsen is the place to be.

Stop by Working Bikes.  Buy a bike and help others who are less fortunate. 

The Mechanic

Aaron Brown

If you have purchased a bicycle from Working Bikes in the last 7 years, Aaron has made sure it was road ready before you ever took that first ride.  Bikes come into the Co-Op and are sorted into ones that we will ship to our partners overseas in developing nations, ones we will place locally, children's bikes, and bikes that we will prepare for sale.  It is the proceeds from these sales that fund the shipments to the overseas partners. 

Aaron has prepared over 4,000 bicycles that have been placed on the sales floor and returned to the streets. 

Our bicycles come with a 30-day guarantee.  Thank you Aaron for your dedication and hard work.  Continued success...

David Beckham

Happy 37th David.  Keep on bicycling!

The Frankfort Bike Drive

The good folks at the Frankfort Bike Drive collected 160 bikes for Working Bikes this past weekend. 

Great Job!  Your efforts will improve the lives of 100's of people.