Have a safe New Years Eve

Ride your bicycle to some free culture

Working from his studio in the Loop, Chicagoan Tom Bachtell's distinctive drawings and caricatures appear each week in "The Talk of the Town" and other sections of The New Yorker where he has been a regular contributor for some 20 years. Tom’s work is seen in many other national and international publications, from Entertainment Weekly to Newsweek, Forbes to Bon Appetit, Town and Country to Mother Jones, as well as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, The New York Observer, London’s Evening Standard, and Poetry magazine. His ad campaigns range from the late Marshall Field's department store to Lands' End mail order to the chamber music series at The University of Chicago. Cal Performances, the performing arts presenter at the University of California, Berkeley, commissioned a series of original drawings for their 2011–2012 season.


Trained as a pianist at the Cleveland Institute of Music and with a liberal arts degree from Case Western Reserve University, Tom is self-taught as an artist. Working primarily in brush and ink, Tom's drawing style pays homage to many of the classic American illustrators and cartoonists of the 1920s and 1930s. He has drawn countless celebrities and politicians -- including more than his share of George W. Bushes. Tom is the illustrator of When I Knew (HarperCollins), edited by Robert Trachtenberg, and a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He frequently portrays musicians, doing regular work with the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and Awards (Kalamazoo, Michigan) and the Risør International Chamber Music Festival in Norway.

Exhibits of his work have been shown at the offices of The New Yorker and in Chicago at The Cliff Dwellers as well as at the invitational exhibitions Drawing the Candidates at The New York Times and Politics ’08 at the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan. His illustrated talk, How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Start Drawing Mariah Carey: My Life As a Cartoonist, was commissioned as a Marquis Lecture at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has also been given at The Arts Club of Chicago.

An active chamber pianist, Tom also performs and teaches swing dancing, particularly the Lindy and the Balboa.

Dates: November 12, 2012 - February 24, 2013

Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 6:30 pm; Sundays 10 am - 5 pm

Location:

City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower

806 N. Michigan Ave

Chicago, IL 60611

Our friends on the East Coast

Here's to those hearty souls who ride no matter what the weather.....

Critical Mass

Critical Mass Monthly Bike Ride


Dec 28 2012 - 5:30pm..50 W Washington, Chicago, IL

.Daley Plaza

Critical Mass is a bike ride plain and simple. The ride takes place on the Last Friday Of Every Month (in Chicago anyway). A Critical Mass is created when the group of riders comes together for those few hours to take back the streets of our city. The right of the people to assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution, and Critical Mass helps people remember that right. The Mass itself has no political agenda, though, no more than the people of any other community do. Critical Mass is open to all, and it welcomes all riders to join in a celebration of riding bicycles. Why? Because bikes are fun!

.

Who got a new bicycle for Christmas?

Donate your old bicycle to Working Bikes to help us fulfill or mission:

Working Bikes gives new life to old bikes and independence to those who ride them, in the underserved communities of Chicago, Africa and Central & South America ...

Drop it off, or if you need transportation we can pick it up

Ride your bicycle to work

LeBron James, seen here riding to a day game last season, has been riding to Miami Heat home games more frequently this year.

Relive the biggest highs and lows of LeBron James' basketball career.MIAMI — If you saw a 6-foot-8, 250-pound guy riding a bicycle late at night in Miami, that might indeed have been LeBron James.

The Heat star forward turned some heads last season when he biked to a home day game against the Chicago Bulls. As for this season, James said he's biked back and forth to three games and they've all been at night.

"I got lights on my bike. I'm dead serious," James said.

Riding his bike 45 minutes to games and also to some practices this season is one reason James believes he's in the best shape of his life. It's hard to argue considering James' 22 points in Tuesday's 103-92 win over Minnesota at AmericanAirlines Arena marked the 43rd consecutive playoff or regular-season game in which he's tallied 20 or more.

"I've got a personal vendetta against myself right now," James said.

When asked why, James said it was "because I don't like me." He then said he was joking and gave the real reason why.

"I want to get better," James said. "I want to maximize everything I can't waste an opportunity each and every day to compete and to get better as a player. I want to be the best and I got to push the button sometimes.

"I'm just challenging myself. I just got a challenge with myself. I feel like if I'm in the best condition I can be in, it's going to help our team. If I feel like I'm in the best shape I'm in, then we're going to be a better team."

The way James has gotten himself in shape, he might be a candidate for next summer's Tour de France. James went so far last Saturday as to not use a drop of gas.

"I went without a car all day," James said of the day in which he scored 23 points in a 102-72 home win over Washington. "To (the morning) shootaround (on his bike). After shootaround. To the game. And (home)."

James insists he's "careful” when riding in the dark. Still, teammate Dwyane Wade said some on the Heat were concerned when he headed home after the Wizards game.

"Everybody was a little worried," Wade said. "But he's a grown man. So it's fine."

Still, the NBA is not exactly known for star players biking to and from games. Minnesota forward Lou Amundson used to cycle to games when playing with Phoenix from 2008-10. But he's hardly a star and also lived much closer to the arena than James, who said he can cut his riding time to 30 minutes if he goes very fast.

"He's a different animal," Wade said of James. "He's been riding a long (time), and it's great for recovery. But he's a different beast. What can you say?"

James said he gets recognized during trips. But just as it's hard to catch James in the open court, it's also difficult to do so when he's in full gear on his bike.

"People try to stop me but I'll be in a zone," James said.

James said he's been cycling more than ever, and it's quite evident. He said he never was tired while playing 42 minutes and getting 11 assists, seven rebounds and four blocks in Tuesday's win over the Timberwolves.

"He wasn't even breathing heavy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's been biking so much on his own. He biked to the game the other day. He's turning the corner right now in terms of his conditioning. It's world class, his conditioning."

At the rate James is going, he soon might be world class as a cyclist as well as a basketball player.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from your friends at The Working Bikes Cooperative

Ode to The Working Bikes Volunteer

From lawyers to managers, PhD's to clerks
They volunteer because they want to, they like the work
They are dedicated to a cause
They hustle, and toil, and triumph
So that others may know FREEDOM
They volunteer so those souls in developing nations
Can experience the wind in their face
As they pedal, and crank, and ride the bicycles we have gathered
Ride their bicycles to work, to advance, to succeed

The conditions at the Co-Op can be less than ideal
With the air on in the Winter
And the heat on in the Summer
But Lee is working on that

There are bicycles, and grease, and wrenches
And volunteers with different faces
From all kinds of places
And a common bond that brings us All Together

They load bicycles into shipping containers
Hey, do you know where that bicycle came from
From a basement or garage not fulfilling its' purpose
Thank you for donating it and
Giving an old bicycle a new home

Volunteers attend events and pedal a bike machine
They show how this simple machine can generate electricity
To show the virtues of a true Working Bike

They volunteer their time and expertise
And in return WB gives them satisfaction
And pride
So if you need a ride
Give Working Bikes a try
They ReCycle, They ReUse
They give of themselves

They are the Working Bikes Volunteer

Gifts that give back

Check out




http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20377730/helping-the-community-with-gifts-that-give-back



See you at Working Bikes!

"I'm a television star.  You got a problem with that?"

Christmas Reading

The Christmas Bike by Richard Paul Angelini

The Winter Solstice

The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north (Arctic Polar Circle) are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south (Antarctic Polar Circle) receive 24 hours of daylight.


Use the Sunrise and Sunset calculator to find the number of daylight hours during the December solstice in cities worldwide.

The sun is directly overhead on the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere during the December solstice. It also marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours for those living south of the equator. Those living or travelling south from the Antarctic Circle towards the South Pole will see the midnight sun during this time of the year.

On the contrary, for an observer in the northern hemisphere, the December solstice marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight. Those living or traveling north of the Arctic Circle towards the North Pole will not be able to see the sun during this time of the year.

Oh Christmas Tree...

Protected Bicycle Lanes

Chicago's campaign to broker an orderly coexistence, if not complete harmony, among motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians will begin to face its biggest test so far Friday.


That's when two-way protected bike lanes — outfitted with traffic signals for bike riders to obey — will open in the heart of the central business district, on Dearborn Street between Kinzie and Polk streets, the Chicago Department of Transportation said.

The $450,000 project covering about 12 blocks is a high-profile component of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to make Chicago one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world and to socially re-engineer how city dwellers choose to commute to work or just get around in a heavily congested urban area.

The mayor has vowed to install 100 miles of protected bike lanes in neighborhoods across the city by May 2015. The Chicago Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 calls for completion of a 645-mile network of bike lanes in eight years.

Only time, and warmer weather come spring when more people are bicycling, will tell how well the experiment works on Dearborn. The street remains one-way northbound for vehicles, but on Friday it will also have a northbound bike lane and a southbound bike contra-flow lane, both on the west side of the street.

During the busy noon hour Thursday as cars and trucks rolled by on Dearborn, passers-by on foot stopped to look at fresh pavement markings; newly unwrapped bike signals displaying the international symbol for cyclists in red, yellow and green lights; and metal signs posted above sidewalks instructing pedestrians to "look both ways" for bicyclists coming from the north and south before stepping off the curb.

"I predict this is going to be like a particle collider," Lane Scott, a 37-year-old clothing salesman, said as he stood in the closed bike lanes on Dearborn near Monroe Street waiting his turn to buy lunch at a food truck. The city's new food truck ordinance prohibits food trucks from parking next to protected bike lanes, officials said.

"I don't know who to feel sorry for — turning cars or pedestrians or bikers bumping into each other," Scott said as crews nearby conducted final tests on control devices that synchronize vehicle traffic signals with bicycle traffic signals and pedestrian walk signs.

From 2006 to 2010 there were 986 reported crashes on this part of Dearborn, city records show. Pedestrians and bicyclists accounted for 57 percent of accidents that involved injuries.

Tony Romano, a deliveryman, said he is resigned to bike lanes in the city and bicyclists "blowing lights left and right," but he would object if truck loading zones were removed.

"We need to get in, get out," Romano said. "I wish I had time to pedal around, but I have kids at home to feed."

Along the Dearborn stretch, CDOT has installed 38 bike traffic signals and 18 new left-turn arrow signals for vehicles, department spokesman Pete Scales said.

Detectors also were installed in left-turn lanes to sense when a vehicle is present. Signals are programmed to give bicyclists approaching intersections a red light and pedestrians a "don't walk" signal when vehicles are turning left, he said.

Asked whether bicyclists will be held to the same standard as drivers in terms of obeying the new traffic lights, city transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein wouldn't say exactly.

"It will be real clear what behavior should be for cars, pedestrians and cyclists," Klein said. "Having said that, there always is a learning curve. As more people are out there (bicycling on Dearborn), the more you are going to have peer pressure to obey the laws."

Cyclists who are caught running the bike signals, much like normal traffic lights, could receive tickets, Chicago police Sgt. David Villalobos said. He said he was unsure whether traffic police or local beat cops would enforce the new lights.

"I'll be the first to admit that I don't stop at every stoplight or stop sign," said Greg Heck, general manager at Trek Bicycles on Michigan Avenue. He said bike stoplights would make cyclists "obey the rules of the road a little bit better" and benefit motorists and cyclists by better integrating bikes into the regular traffic flow.

Under the new design, the section of Dearborn is separated into six sections, as opposed to the current three.

The 18-foot-wide northbound vehicle and parking lanes closest to the curb on the east side of Dearborn and the 10-foot-wide northbound vehicle lane will remain the same.

But the 20-foot-wide northbound shared vehicle-parking lane on the west side of Dearborn has been sliced up, creating next to the curb a 5-foot-wide southbound bike lane; a 4-foot-wide northbound bike lane; a 3-foot-wide buffer protected by plastic posts; and an 8-foot-wide parking lane.

Oh Christmas Tree...

Christmas Bikes

Here's how to pick the perfect two-wheeler


A bicycle is the ideal holiday gift for your child. Besides offering great fun, bikes build health and fitness on every ride, provide economical transportation, and help to prepare kids for driving. Plus, on Christmas morning, with the dazzling paint and shiny chrome and the promise of adventure, few presents provide such joy for your child.

From a parent's point of view, however, kids bikes can be confusing because there are so many different types. You could just ask your kid to explain, but that would ruin any surprise. You could also visit a bicycle shop to check some out, which we recommend. In the meantime, here is a guide to help get you up to speed.

Size Matters

The first step in selecting a bicycle is determining what size your child requires. Adult bicycles are selected according to frame size. Kids bikes, however, are sized (and referred to) according to wheel size, as follows: Ages 3 to 5: 10- to 12-inch wheels; Ages 4 to 7: 16-inch; Ages 6 to 13: 20-inch; Ages 9 to 13: 24-inch; Ages 10 to adult: 26-inch or 700c.

Fitting a bike is more than determining age and height, though. You must evaluate coordination and cycling experience, too. For example, taller children lacking confidence do much better on smaller bikes because they feel more comfortable and in control. And a coordinated 10-year-old with long legs might be ready for a full-size bike.

The most important factor is safety. Don't make the common mistake of buying too big a bike expecting your child to grow into it. Oversize bikes are dangerous and can cause crashes. They're also discouraging to ride. These things may turn your kid off to cycling. Besides, when they outgrow the bike, you can easily trade it in, sell it, or donate it to Working Bikes to buy the next-larger one.

When you're checking bike fit, make sure that the child can sit on the seat and place both feet firmly on the ground, which means he'll be able to hold himself upright and get on and off without difficulty. If the bicycle is equipped with training wheels, it's okay if the child reaches the ground with his toes only, because the training wheels support him. As he develops balance, gradually raise the training wheels so he gets used to leaning the bike to turn.

It's also important that children can comfortably reach the handlebars and steer. If the bars are out of reach, steering will pull them forward causing a loss of control. Plus, if the bicycle has hand brakes, it's crucial that the child's hands can reach and operate the controls. If the child doesn't have the hand strength to operate the levers, it's usually possible to adjust the brake system to make it easier for them, which a bike shop will help you with during the purchase.

Bike Types

Today, kids bikes vary as much as adult models. For tots, there are tiny "sidewalk" bikes not intended for street use. These get children accustomed to pedaling and steering and are great for getting them out of the house riding with the neighborhood hot shots on their tot rods.

BMX

Once they turn eight, many kids want BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross) models, which are ideal for everything from cruising to school and around town to trick riding and racing. Of all kids-bike categories, this is the most specialized with each type of BMX bike built for a specific purpose.

There are three different types of BMX bikes: the true BMX bike, the freestyle bike and the dirt jumper or just "jump" bike. Basic BMX models are great for all-around use on and off road. Freestylers are made for stunts and trick riding. They're built tough and usually have special features, such as pegs and street tires. Jump bikes are designed for rugged trail and jumping use.

Cruisers & Mountain Bikes

Also popular with kids are one-speed cruisers, and also mini mountain bikes. Cruisers offer style and wide handlebars and a wide cushy seat for an ultra-comfortable ride.

The mountain bikes have most of the features of adult models but are equipped with smaller wheels and/or frames to fit smaller bodies. This is the perfect choice if your child wants to join you on the local trails. Some models even include dual suspension for increased control and comfort on the rough stuff.

The Right Ride

If your child is very small, you might be able to pick out a bike for them. Once they get a little older, though, this gets tricky. Remember that it's their bike and keep in mind that they're more likely to want to ride and to get excited about biking if they've got the two-wheeler they like best. Because it's just as much about style as size, parents usually get it wrong on their own.

To find out what they want and keep the gift a surprise, check what your child's friends ride. You might also look for clues in magazine pictures or catalogs in their room. Or, bring your bike into the shop for service and keep on eye on the bike that attracts Junior's attention. These ideas should ensure that you pick a winner. Also, most professional bicycle retailers will let you return an unused new bicycle if it turns out that your child had her heart set on a different type.

Where To Buy

While it's true that you can purchase kids bikes at many department and toy stores, we recommend buying from professional bicycle retailers or Working Bikes. You may pay slightly more, however, you get a lot more, too.

Only bicycle retailers have the tools and expertise to carefully assess your child and fine-tune bike fit so that you get the right bike and a safe bike. Plus, because they normally guarantee new bikes, they stock only quality models tough enough to withstand even the most rigorous riding.

Bicycle retailers also professionally assemble the bicycles at no additional charge and usually offer a free mechanical check-up in 30 days or so, an important detail because parts usually require adjustment after breaking in. This tune-up will catch any problems and ensure that the bike runs trouble free.

Besides superior service, the bikes are superior, too. Where the chain-store models can sport moving parts turning on plastic bushings, the bike-shop models use serviceable ball bearings. Often, department-store bikes feature non-adjustable handlebars, which compromise the fit and adjustability. Construction is usually cheap steel alloy and plastic parts versus the high-tensile steels and aluminum parts found on bike-shop models. In the long run, these details add value because the bike is easier and more enjoyable to ride, breaks down less often and can be handed down to a sibling or fetch a good price when it's time for a bigger bike.

When you’re buying that new gift there’s one more thing to consider: getting a lock for it. Bike theft is a serious problem in many cities and purchasing a lock and teaching your child to use it will ensure that your wonderful present won’t tragically disappear. Plus today, lost keys or forgotten combinations are things of the past. Several manufacturers make sturdy, easy-to-use cable locks with resettable combinations. So you can use your child's birthday, or digits from your phone number or address to make sure they never forget.

Christmas Bicycle

Never too cold for those electric bicycle shorts

Working Bikes, In the News

October 6, 2012 1:51pm
By Paul Biasco, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

Pilsen, Little Village, Near West Side Newsletter
National DNAinfo.com Newsletters? Chicago

PILSEN — Lee Ravenscroft knew the most valuable thing on a scrap truck was a bike, and 13 years ago he set out to cash in on that knowledge.

What started as a small effort to buy the bikes off scrappers before they could sell them to a junk yard for a dollar or two, has turned into a cooperative that donates about 6,500 bikes a year all over the world.

The cooperative doesn’t advertise in a move to maximize its donations, but word of Working Bikes has spread throughout the city.

To fund the enterprise, Working Bikes sells about a quarter of the reclaimed bikes and, in the summertime, it is not uncommon for a line to stretch around the block for first pickings at some prime wheels.

“Initially it started with stopping bikes from going to melt yards,” said Bob Hogan, who commutes from Indiana to volunteer at the shop about twice a week. “The primary purpose of Working Bikes now is to send bikes to people in need.”

The organization's outreach stretches throughout the Midwest, and, on a normal day, about 20 or 30 bikes arrive at the loading dock and are packed into the co-op's back warehouse.

Three-quarters of the salvaged bikes are shipped abroad, most to Third World countries in Africa and South and Central America, but a portion of the bikes also are distributed domestically.

Most recently, the cooperative sent a shipping container filled with about 500 bikes to New Orleans.

Ravenscroft, 61, who is retired and lives in Oak Park, said a not-for-profit in the city requested the bikes following Hurricane Isaac.

“We had an organization up by Lake Oshkosh (Wisconsin) that got 1,000 bikes for us last year,” Hogan said. “It was like, ‘What!'"

Most of the bikes heading to Africa are sent in a shipping container filled with not only bikes, but parts as well. On occasion a volunteer will join the shipment to help those receiving the bikes learn how to repair and maintain them.

“For some, such as Cuba, we give them away to the 500 poorest families in the village,” Ravenscroft said. “For others, we donate them to NGOs who are set up like us.”

Lee Ravenscroft explains the process of refurbishing a donated bike at the Pilsen-area co-op he started called Working Bikes, which sends about 6,500 bikes around the world each year.

Working Bikes got its roots in the basement of a six flat in Pilsen moved into a muffler shop and is now housed in a warehouse in the Heart of Italy neighborhood on the southwest side.

Since moving into the new location about three and a half years ago, the cooperative has seen a boom in retail sales simply through word of mouth.

Pete Nichols, 18, started his freshman year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this fall and left his bike in his hometown of Atlanta.

"I was just looking for a cheap bike,” he said. “I heard that I should come early to beat the hipsters who take all the good bikes.”

It is not uncommon for an expensive road bike or cruiser to be donated to the cooperative, and, Ravenscroft said, many people didn't realize the number of bikes that could be donated because of such a donation.

“It costs $10 to ship a bike to Africa,” he said. “Someone brings in a $1,000 bike, we can sell that and you just sent 100 bikes to Africa.”

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20121006/pilsen/pilsen-area-co-op-turns-would-be-scrap-into-wheels-for-thousands#ixzz2Em4Nqbi4

Meet Sam Christiam

When it comes to figuring out where to put their money this holiday season, a lot of people surely have a packed list of gift ideas. For some kids, though, a place to run around would be enough to top their list for an entire childhood. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2010 that 80% of census blocks did not have a park—and therefore a safe place to play—within a half-mile radius.


As an avid cyclist and runner, I know that growing up down the street from my elementary school’s playground set the precedent for a lifetime of physical activity. And though my personal contribution to promoting childhood activeness is small compared to the work of organizations featured in Groupon’s The Big Give this holiday season—such as our campaign for KaBOOM!—I’m thankful that Groupon offers its employees the opportunity to help give others the same advantages.

Over the past year, Groupon has afforded me the good fortune of working with the amazing people at Working Bikes Cooperative. Though the organization’s main efforts focus on providing essential transportation to underdeveloped nations, it also undertakes local efforts to provide bicycles and other means of physical activity to children in Chicago. Personally, I couldn’t get around the city without an operational bike. Aside from the pure enjoyment I get out of it, it’s also the healthiest, fastest, and totally hippest way to get from point to point. So I naturally always jump at the chance to get another kid pushing the pedals.

Unfortunately, on my rides around Chicago I rarely see the number of suitable places to play that seem necessary for the children in this city. That’s why I find the efforts of KaBOOM! so important to children in Chicago and elsewhere. While video games and movies become outdated, it’s hard to say no to the good ol’ twisty slide. By donating to this awesome organization through The Big Give, you’ll actively support KaBOOM!’s efforts to give every child a safe place to play within walking distance.

Santa rides a bicycle

The Chairman of the Board would have been 97 today

Ride your bicycle to the Lincoln Park Conservatory

Lincoln Park Conservatory


2391 N. Stockton Dr.

Chicago, IL 60614

312.742.7736

Celebrate the holiday season with the Lincoln Park Conservatory, at the Winter Flower and Train Show NOW and running through Sunday, January 6, 2013. Admission is free and the conservatory is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year, the Show House is the perfect backdrop for family holiday photos where model trains wind their way through a miniature village set among a colorful pallet of Poinsettias.

Free

All ages; Family Friendly

An old-fashioned steam engine and freight trains traverse through a floral displayarranged in artistic splashes of color. Visitors escaping the cold can enjoy a beautiful Poinsettia display, with some varieties that are named to highlight the season, such as ‘Eggnog’, ‘Sparkling Punch and ‘Ice Punch’, all blended together with a ‘Peppermint Twist’ and ‘Ruby Frost’ varieties. The village, comprised entirely of natural materials including willow, spruce and birch woods, features a variety of Chicago-style homes and famous buildings such as the neighborhood bungalow, Chicago Theatre and Chicago Water Tower Place.

Have a Murray Christmas

Wishing you a Merry Schwinn Christmas

If you were on the Left Coast today...

Bikes, Boards, and Brews

Celebrate the Pacific Beach Culture and all the good things it has to offer. This event will bring you back to the endless summer days at Tourmaline Beach with surf boards, beach cruisers, beach inspired art and craft beer tasting at the Catamaran Hotel. Participants will enjoy 10 tasters from San Diego's best Craft Brewers, food pairings from local Pacific Beach Restaurants, plus live entertainment and more.


Participating Brewers: Left Coast, Lagunitas, Samuel Adams, Manzanita, Firestone Walker, Ballast Point, Stone Brewing Co., The Beer Company, Green Flash, Pacific Beach Ale House, Trumer Pils, Amplified Ale Works.

Participating Restaurants: Bonfire Grill, Sand Bar Sports Grill, Pacific Beach Ale House, Ciro's Pizzeria & Beerhouse, The Fish Shop, Duck Dive, Tap Room, California Kebab, Bare Back Grill.

Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit: bikesboardsbrews.brownpapertickets.com/

Ride your Bicycle to Holiday on Southport

Holiday on Southport


6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Sheil Park

3505 N. Southport

Chicago, IL 60657

312-742-7826

Free

Join the Park District for holiday arts & crafts, raffle drawing, holiday entertainment and Santa! Santa wants to help us bring a BIG present next year! Professional photos will be available with Santa for $10. Proceeds will benefit our new park!

The CTA Holiday Train

The Chicago Transit Authority is getting into the holiday spirit with the popular Holiday Train! Santa and his elves will ride the train passing out candy canes and season's greetings.


The spectacular train is an amazing sight - during the daytime and at night. The outside of the six-car train is adorned with holiday seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars.

Interiors of the cars are decked out with thousands of multi-colored lights, red bows, garland, and red and green overhead lighting. The hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes.

As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves to the boarding passengers from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar carrying his reindeer and decorated holiday trees.

Ride your Bicycle to North Park Village Nature Center

Who Cooks for You? Who Cooks for You?


1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

North Park Village Nature Center

5801 N. Pulaski Rd.

Chicago, IL 60646

312-744-5472

Free

Age Range: Pre-K

What do owls mean when they say that? Come and find out in this fun class. You will learn about these amazing hunters, open an owl pellet to see what they eat, and go on an owl prowl in the preserve. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Registration required at 312-744-5472.

Ride your bike to Lincoln Park Zoo

Come celebrate the holiday season at the Christmas Caroling to the Animals event at the free Lincoln Park Zoo. Enjoy singing your favorite carols in the unusual yet magical setting of this legendary zoo.


Expect to get in the festive mood and spirit during this Lincoln Park Zoo event. Rediscover classic carols while exploring this large and famous public zoo.

This two hour caroling session will allow you to tour the zoo while singing your favorite holiday tunes.

Enjoy the many dining options and the large gift shop on-site at Lincoln Park Zoo before and after your caroling jam.

Inside Knowledge: This Lincoln Park Zoo event only happens one week a year so make sure you put the date in your diary and don't miss out on a fun filled afternoon!

Make sure you bring your children and family members as Lincoln Park Zoo Animal Caroling is a very family friendly event and venue.

Clear your day free for this Lincoln Park Zoo event, as you will likely want to explore the zoo further after the caroling session.

Don't let the fog hamper your ride.

The temps for December 3rd are incredible.....

Ride your bicycle to the Toys for Tots Parade

Starting on a cold Chicago winter day in December 1978, a group of six friends lead by a Vietnam Veteran, jumped on their motorcycles to deliver presents to needy children.


Little did they know that the kindness in their hearts, would become one of the biggest charitable traditions in Chicago. For Twenty-eight years, Chicagoland motorcyclists have joined forces with the United States Marines, to assist their Toys for Tots program. It is held on the first Sunday in December...rain, snow, or shine. There is only one rule to participate: You must bring a toy and deliver it on a motorcycle. What unifies the thousands of volunteers is their heart felt mission to place a new toy in the hands of a child.

Riding participants should arrive at The Dan Ryan Woods with two things; a toy, and a motorcycle to ride. Non-riders can participate by bringing toys to The Woods, the Marine Corps Reserve Center, or anywhere on Western Avenue, along The Parade route.

The majority of the toys are given to the Marine Corps Reserve and they distribute them. The rest are delivered, by the riders who organize The Parade, to dozens of hospitals, orphanages, schools, and even private homes, wherever the need is the greatest.

Starts @ 9:30 am

Dan Ryan Woods

83rd & Western

Chicago, IL 60618

Heels on Wheels Fashion Bike Show

December 1, 2012, 6–11 pm

Casa Puertorriqueña, 1237 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622

West Town Bikes NFP

www.westtownbikes.org

West Town Bikes, NFP (WTB) is proud to announce their first Fashion Bike Show, Heels on Wheels. All proceeds will benefit the youth from Bike Club and Girls Bike Club to attend the annual Youth Bike Summit (YBS) sponsored by Recycle a Bicycle in New York at the New School February 15th-17th, 2013

Heels on Wheels is about empowering young ladies to ride their bicycles for transportation with confidence while keeping their own fashion style, one of the issues that Girls Bike Club promotes to their peers.

Come support the youth in Bike Club and Girls Bike Club who have planned and organized this event to help raise money to cover some of their traveling expenses. Bike Club and Girls Bike Club will be collaborating with other youth from across the nation on how to encourage other youth to ride their bicycles either for transportation, exercise and/or just for fun! Help get these youth to the YBS in NYC as they represent their clubs and the great work being done in the Humboldt Park Community.

Suggested Donation for Tickets: $10.00 and can be purchased at West Town Bikes/Ciclo Urbano located at 2459 W. Division St. or contact Coralee Montes at coralee@westtownbikes.org.

There will also be a live DJ, live performances from various youth including F.I.Y.A. Dance Group, step and repeat photo booth, silent auction, raffles, various hand-made items for sale, food plates for $5 and bike valet will be available. Please bring your wallets and dress to impress for an evening full of fun and entertainment as you support the youth doing great work in the community of Humboldt.