Chicago Bike Blog

Where the heck is the Weber Spur Bike Trail?!

2009-06-09T09:04:27-05:00

In the last twelve years, we have walked down this abandoned trail track virtually every week. When we first moved int our house near the corner of Bryn Mawr and Kostner, there was an occasional rail maintenance car that went along the track. For many years, there has been nothing. We, and many of our neighbors use the right of way for walking, jogging, skiing, and as an access route to the adjacent LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve and Chicago River.

I have conducted nature walks with my kids along this track, spying on wildlife large and small, and picking out the native plants from the invasives.

Deer like to hang out in the clearing in the woods visible from the train track.

We have found praying mantises and their coccoons along the tracks.

Goldenrods, milkweed and native asters grow abundantly here, along with attractive but terribly invasive teasels.

A dilapidated rail bridge offers glimpses of the Chicago River.

This quiet and somewhat forgotten corridor is hardly a place of pristine and undisturbed beauty. It's strewn with broken glass, beer cans, discarded car tires and other debris that people frequently leave in places that no one seems to own. But with a little work, this route would make one heck of a bike path.

Imagine our surprise, when one day we came home to the sound of heavy machinery working, accompanied by loud metallic clanking. We went out to the track to see what was going on, and discovered that the track was being ripped out. The workmen said something about rails-to-trails, but were unable to provide any more information. They were simply hired by Union Pacific to rip out the track.

A call to alderman Margaret Laurino's office also produced no immediate insights. The person we spoke with was unaware of any plans for the railway corridor. However, she took down the information, and the next day we received a call from a representative from the Pulaski Industrial Corridor and explained that Union Pacific has lease the land it owns to be converted to a recreational trail.

I sent an email to Randy Neufeld of Active Transportation Alliance asking if he knew what was being planned. He wasn't sure, but forwarded my email to Keith Privett at the City of Chicago. Usually, bike projects create a buzz in the Chicago cycling community and among the neighbors. The proposed Bloomingdale Trail in Bucktown even has its own website, and last year, a short, one mile section of trail along the old Valley Line Rail was inaugurated with great fanfare. So, although what the lady from the Industrial Corridor said sounded really good, we were skeptical.

However, after a couple of days Keith Privett sent an email back, confirming the plans. He stated that a trail is being planned for the Weber Spur, which will run through Lincolnwood from approximately Touhy Avenue south toward Elston. He explained that Ald. Laurino herself is familiar with, and has long supported the trail project, but her office may not have known that the Union Pacific crew would be out there removing track metal already.

This is approximately where the new bike trail would be. It would give southbound suburban and northwest side cyclists access to downtown via the Elston bike lane, and northbound riders from the city access to the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park trail.

Exciting stuff. Why aren't more people talking about it?

If you thought you knew what we do...

2009-06-03T05:38:00-05:00

Many years ago, perhaps at the very dawn of mountain biking, a friend from college an I were on a hiking trail on Pike's Peak in Colorado. We didn't have very ambitious hiking plans, and we stopped frequently along the way to observe, take photos, and eat snacks. During one such stopover, we were passed by a cyclist struggling up a steep section of trail. We remarked penetratingly that it must be very difficult pedaling up like this. He replied that he would not have undertaken the climb on foot, because he was an amputee. He lifted up his pant leg to demonstrate the prosthesis.

If I knew little about life without a limb then, I do not know any more today. But I know that as a bike repair shop, we are sometimes called upon to modify existing bikes to suit folks living with artificial limbs. One of our earliest customers, who has since passed away, had been a competitive bike racer, but lost his legs to diabetes. We adapted a Raleigh step-through bike for him to ride around the neighborhood. He explained that there are few local and reasonably priced resources for people who have lost a limb, but wish to stay strong, active and independent.

Like Sean Plomann. A couple of months ago, I asked Ronnie at the shop to come and help me deliver a bike to him. I asked Ronnie to come along, because I knew the bike would need some modifications, and I didn't know if I could handle it myself. As it turned out, I would have been way out of my league. Sean greeted us at the door with a cane and no left leg.

He spent a little time putting on his prosthesis, while Ronnie and I set the bike in the trainer we had brought along. Even with the trainer, Sean had a little trouble balancing the bike when he first got on. He explained that once he started riding, he could learn to make appropriate adjustments to his balance without the weight of his left leg.

The bigger problem was that the thickness of the artificial foot with the shoe on it prevented it from staying securely in the pedal. We had anticipated that Sean' foot might need some retaining device, but the Powerstraps we brought along pushed his foot too close to the crank arm, so that every time he pedaled, the crank arm actually rubbed against his foot.

I was at a loss, but Ronnie seemed confident that the pedal could be modified to do the job properly. We left Sean with the bike and the trainer to practice what he could, while Ronnie set to work at the shop on creating the pedal adaptation.

Sean was 12 when he developed cancer. He went through chemotherapy for a year and a half, but continued to suffer for about 17 years. He walked with a cane, and eventually developed nerve damage which caused him extreme pain. He had the leg amputated 3 years ago, relieved to end the pain he endured. After going through physical therapy for about a year, he is now ready to move forward. And to ride his bike, despite being told it couldn't be done. Speaking for myself, having seen Sean fight for balance that first day on a trainer, it took a leap of faith to believe he could ride on his own.

But Sean knew what he was talking about. With the modified pedal being the only alteration to his otherwise stock Dahon bike, he participated in Bike the Drive last month. Although this year, after a mere couple of months on his new bike, he was only able to complete half of the ride, he doesn't see any reason why he should not be able to do the whole thing next year. He hopes that this undertaking will help encourage other persons with disabilities to pursue physical challenges, by showing that it can be done; and demonstrate to those in the non-disabled community who think otherwise, that persons with disabilities can accomplish such challenges.

Outside of cycling, Sean is Master's student in Disability Studies and Human Development in the field of Applied Health Sciences. He also has a graduate assistantship at UIC working for the Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities (CCSPD). He hopes to finish his Master's degree and then go on to earn a PhD so that eventually he can teach. Meanwhile, he's is trying to become more involved with organizations that promote disability rights, such as Access Living and Chicago ADAPT. He hopes that through activism and advocacy he can contribute to creating a vibrant community of persons with disabilities as well as trying to help build better communication and relations with the non-disabled.

The T-shirt Sean is wearing in these photos was created by his friend, Annie Hopkins, who is now deceased. The back of the T-shirt says "Embrace. Educate. Empower": embrace diversity, educate your community, empower each other.' It's distributed by www.3elove.com.

It's been very gratifying for us at Rapid Transit to work with Sean, and playing a small part in helping him achieve his dream of independent travel.

Brrr...

2009-06-02T11:12:21-05:00

My earlier comments about the weather notwithstanding, I think the powers that be are just messin' with us. On top of the doom and gloom economic news, the weather we've been experiencing in Chicago this spring seems designed to test the limits of all Chicago cyclists (and rent-paying bike shop owners in particular!).

Still, riding to get groceries this morning, white knuckles, and all, I delighted in the noise my tires made on the wet pavement, and waved with satisfaction to the drivers who gave me the right of way at every stop sign.

Off road

2009-05-29T08:16:13-05:00

Robby, Jimbo, Sam, Jason & Ronnie at Palos (Chris wielding the camera)

In the spirit of exploring various cycling styles, members of the Rapid Transit crew recently found themselves riding off-road in Palos Hills in the southwest suburbs. Back when we opened our shop 15 year ago, virtually all we could get was mountain bikes. Finding city tires for your bike was a challenge, let alone a whole urban bike.

Things are a little different today. It's been many years since we've stocked more than a couple of models of mountain bikes, and we put in a lot more miles on asphalt than on singletrack. So, to shake things up a bit, a few brave souls went out last weekend to explore the best in Chicago-area off-road trails.

In case you are wondering if these trails are challenging, here are some strategies that our strong urban cyclists utilized in conquering them:

Grinding and bike-assisted hiking.

Just hiking.

Vocalizing.

Triumphant cyclocross-style trotting.

Stay tuned for this weekend's shop recumbent ride!

Too good not to post

2009-05-28T12:21:50-05:00

If you've ever wondered who is behind the wonderful improvements for cyclists in Chicago over that past many years, read this (helmet tip to Rob Sadowsky):
Straight Dope Chicago: How come I have to pay $40 for Bike the Drive?

To serve and protect?

2009-05-24T06:43:01-05:00

"A veteran Chicago police officer was charged Saturday in the fatal hit-and-run that killed a 13-year-old boy who had sneaked outside to ride his bike with friends on the South Side Friday." according to the Chicago Tribune.

The off-duty cop was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, and failed to stop after he fatally struck the boy.

My deepest sympathy and condolences go out to Trenton Booker's family.

Down!

2009-05-23T06:53:28-05:00

(Who else? Bill Watterson)

Wish I could say I don't remember when I last fell of my bike. Unfortunately, I remember it vividly. It was May 19, 1991, less than four months before my scheduled September wedding. The place: the Chicago lakefront, just north of Oak Street Beach, long before the surface was smoothed, repaved and beautified with palm trees.
I accepted an idiotic dare to hop a block of concrete from my husband-to-be, and chickened out at the last minute, executing instead a classic face plant. This resulted in a vertical line of swollen black scabs that adorned my forehead, nose, upper lip and chin for several weeks. I was so bummed out, that when I caught a kid staring at me in the checkout line at Jewel, I stuck my tongue out at him.
Anyway, that was sheer stupidity. I've never fallen in the ordinary act of riding my bike down the street. Until this week.
There we were, many years after that fateful dare, riding peacefully down Lawrence Ave., approaching a red light at Western. I gently slowed down, shifting into a lower gear in my accustomed way, when I sensed that something was wrong. Very briefly. For presently, I was airborne, and conscious of landing heavily on my left side.
Luckily, the cars were not moving, stopped at the red light.
What happened? demanded Chris.
I didn't know! It seemed like everything I did was perfectly ordinary, and yet, I knew I had made a mistake an instant before I fell.
As we dragged our bikes toward Cafe Salmarie in Lincoln Square, I stared down at my handlebars dejectedly. And it slowly dawned on me what went wrong.

(Bracing my fingers on the handlebar, as I shift with my thumb)

My twenty-year-old bike sports Shimano Deore thumbshifters, the kind that are not really made anymore. As I shift into lower gears, I'm actually fighting several forces working against me: I'm pushing the chain onto the largest cog in the rear, I'm stretching the gear cable to its maximum tautness, and I'm fighting against the spring of the rear derailleur. All with my right thumb. So, to give that thumb more leverage, I take the fingers of my right hand off the rear brake lever, and brace them against the handlebar.

(Braking with my left hand only. Bad idea.)

Because I'm approaching the red light, and am conscious of the need to slow down, my left hand continues to squeeze the front break. The phenomenally effective Mathauser brake pads engage the front rim, the front wheels stays planted, while the rear one bucks up, and sends Justyna sailing onto the asphalt!....
The weirdest thing is, that this is what I habitually do. As we continued riding that day (I wasn't badly hurt), I realized I did the same thing each and every time I approached an intersection.
Chris' immediate solution was to switch the shifters on my bike. But, I pointed out, with these same shifters on my bike for the last twenty years, this was the only time I fell because of the shifting problem. I'm not sure this calls for a whole drivetrain makeover.
I think the lesson learned is this. Well... two lessons. One, don't stop the bike using only the front brake. Two, it's very hard to stay really focused. When we are comfortably used to something, we relax, and let our attention drift. Maybe I should get those shifters changed just to shake things up a bit, and start paying attention.

Crazy

2009-05-22T08:10:48-05:00

Yesterday, I waited for the light to turn green in the left turn lane of northbound Damen at the three-way intersection with Irving Park and Lincoln. I was on my bike, in front of a long line of cars. As soon as the light turned green and the road was clear, and I pulled out into the middle of the intersection, a driver of an SUV proceeding straight on Damen thought it fit to roll down his window to shout the words "You're crazy!" as he sped past me.

Crazy?

I have over twenty years of experience using my bike for transportation in Chicago. I am familiar with the laws pertaining to the use of bicycles on urban streets, and (with one important exception) obey those laws. I do not use any devices on my bike that distract me from concentrating on what I'm doing. I don't run red lights. I wear a helmet. I use hand signals. In all my street cycling, I try to act cautiously and predictably so as not to endanger or aggrevate others around me. And the vast majority of cyclists I see around me do all those things too.

Crazy is when you bike against traffic. Crazy is when you cycle on a street with your hands off the handlebars. Crazy is when you are in traffic with heaphones on. Or when you use your cellphone while biking.

Or driving.

And, speaking of driving, crazy is when you commit your entire life to a blind dependence on a car, and don't for a moment consider that there might be a better alternative. And even if this alternative doesn't work for you, it's crazy to make that decision for others around you. And crazy is deliberately startling a cyclist trying to concentrate on her maneuvers in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in Chicago.

Dream of independent travel

2009-05-09T09:01:13-05:00

You probably often walk into your local bike shop for quite prosaic reasons. Maybe you need a tube, or you need the drivetrain cleaned, or help removing the frozen seatpost, or pedal, or bottom bracket. And we help you out with that, because that's what we are here for. But if our job description read "removing stuck parts from bikes", life wouldn't be very exciting for us, and chances are, you'd receive mediocre service.

Rapid Transit Cycleshop is often described as the "urban" or "commuter" shop. I'm not sure that this does justice to what we actually do. What we did set out to do is to enable cyclists in Chicago to use their bicycles in ways that they envisioned, without judgment or intimidation. We wanted to participate in their vision. We have also always felt that transportation was a viable and appropriate use for the bicycle. And it simply happened that in a dense urban area like Wicker Park, there were quite a few people whose vision of the bicycle included transportation.When we opened the shop in 1994, we felt that much of the bike industry at the time, including bike companies and bike shops, were unresponsive to urban cyclists' needs, so we eagerly stepped in to fill the niche.

Perhaps the urban image that has grown up around us also has to do with our name. We deliberately called ourselves Rapid Transit, because we felt that bicycles were at least as sensible and efficient at public transit. For many years, we also used the tagline "We're Chicago's Transportation Alternative". Although this further played on the idea of comparing ourselves to the urban transit system (playing on the abbreviation of Chicago Transit Authority), what it meant to us, is that we offered folks who wanted to cycle real alternatives.

A bike, of course, is an alternative to a car, or train, or bus, or traveling on foot. However, we also felt that there were very few alternatives for the cycling public among the offerings of local bike shops. We wanted to change that. We were not after defining what a cyclist should be. We wanted to open up the possibilities of what he or she could be.

For example in 1994, with one Vision R40 in stock, we became Chicago's first recumbent bicycle dealer. Every year since then we have expanded or fine-tuned our recumbent offerings, and currently stock several brands and configurations of both recumbent bicycles and adult trikes. These are not traditionally considered "urban" bikes, yet a number of our customers use them extensively on the streets of Chicago.

For several years, we tried unsuccessfully to incorporate folding bikes into the mix. There simply were no US manufacturers or distributors who were set up to sell folders through a dealer network. Fortunately, several years ago that changed, and we now offer a selection of models from several different manufacturers, that give cyclists travel options simply not available with a standard bike.

Over the past fifteen years, we have seen many trends in bikes come and go. No one type of bike can fill the needs of a huge and diverse cycling population: not hybrid, not recumbent, not folding, not fixie, not road, not mountain, not Chinese, not even Dutch. Thus, we offer many different bikes, because there are many different kinds of cyclists.

Recently, we had a chance to revisit our old tagline, and really think about what it means. What does it mean to be Chicago's Transportation Alternative? It's not just who we are and what we offer. In fact, that's only a small part of it. What really matters is what you want, and how we can help that come about. Why do you want to bike? What are your dreams?

We noticed that many people coming in to look for a bike, to repair a bike, to get back on a bike, to find a different, more appropriate type of bike, were looking, in some measure, for freedom, autonomy, intependence. Freedom from traffic, from stress, from the city, from the car, from gas, from illness or injury, from convention, from routine. They expressed a desire to escape, in bigger or smaller ways, from something that was limiting or holding them back.

And our job, the way we see it, is to help them realize their dreams of independent travel.

What to do about the weather

2009-05-02T05:55:00-05:00

The old saying, you know, the one that says if you don't like the weather in Chicago, just wait ten minutes, has not been holding true this year. After a long wintry season, many of us were eagerly looking forward to the glorious warm spring days, but those have been few and far between. It seams that winter and springs have conspired to make us extra miserable this year.

I don't know why it is that the weather can affect our mood and actions to the extent that it does. Many decisions about our social engagements, recreational activities, fitness and transportation are influenced by the weatherman. Our outlook is subject to the whims of the elements. Our media both assume and dictate that people respond in predictable ways to the weather: if it is cold, we're supposed to feel lazy and crave comfort food; if it is sunny, we're to attack life with zest and vigor; if it rains, we're to stay indoors with a cup of tea and a good book until the skies clear.

But weather isn't good or bad; it just is. And since you can't change it, you might as well change the way you respond to it. We can learn to enjoy different types of weather at different times of the year. For urban cyclists who ride year-round, climate control has as much to do with gear as it does with attitude.

And here is where cyclists have an edge. Your attitude is practically guaranteed to change as soon as you get on your bike. If you ride out of doors and it's pouring rain, you're not going to get very far thinking: "I'm so miserable, it's raining..." More likely, you're gonna clench your teeth, brace yourself and take a determined plunge. And there is nothing like that can-do feeling of independence to give your attitude a healthy boost. By the end of the ride, you may even feel like that was really fun. On my best rainy rides, I've felt like a kid who got away with splashing in a puddle.

On the practical side, you may find that having a good rain suit and fenders on your bike helps your attitude remain positive throughout your ride. Similarly, a waterproof bag will protect your papers and belongings, so you don't have to stress about them as you battle the elements. A dry change of clothes is essential. Shivering in wet clothes all day might spoil your outlook on life.

It's not just cold and rain that keep people off their bikes. In the summer, you're more likely to be concerned about sweat and grime when you're on your way to work. Take a clue from a Japanese restaurant with their pre-meal steaming washcloth treatment. Make room in your bike bag for a small zip-lock bag filled with a washcloth (I vastly prefer this to baby-wipe type disposable cloths), and a small bottle of refreshing cleanser (Sea Breeze, witch hazel, or tea tree oil come to mind). Now, given some hot running water, your washcloth and five minutes at the sink, you'll come out looking clean, smelling fresh and feeling great.