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!