Chicago Bike Blog!

Sometimes we party

Last Sunday we hosted a belated 14th birthday party for Rapid Transit Cycleshop at Goose Island Brewery. Staff, their guests, and even some of our former employees came for a night of pool, eating and drinking until the wee hours. (Well, actually yours truly had to leave a little earlier to retrieve her children from a generous friend, while Chris stayed until the bitter end to see all our guests off, and pick up the tab, of course.)
The photos came out blurry, but jolly nonetheless.

Party guests arrive by bike.

Cheers!

Rapid Transit Cycleshop offers new discount to CBF members

In observance of National Bike Month and the upcoming Bike to Work Week, we are stepping up our CBF discount program. We will be enticing card carrying members of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation with special perks.
Now through June 15, 2008 CBF members can enjoy:

• 20% discount on any merchandise, excluding bicycles
• $30 off on the purchase of any adult bicycle
  
• $20 off on the purchase of any child or youth bicycle

During the rest of the year, CBF members shopping at Rapid Transit still get a pretty darn good deal:

• 15% discount on any merchandise, excluding bicycles
• $25 off on the purchase of any adult bicycle
• $15 off on the purchase of any child or youth bicycle

These standard discounts are available to any current member of CBF, and apply to regularly priced merchandise in stock or on special order.

If you do not belong to CBF, sign up here, and you too can enjoy the benefits of membership.

Staff bikes: Alexi

The thing that I really like about Alexi's new bike is the color: the deep, rich, unapologetic sunset orange. The kind of orange that makes you eyes hurt a little if you look at it too long, and leaves the negative of itself on your retina after you close your eyes.
I am an absolute sucker for all things orange, bikes being no exception.
Apparently Alexi feels the same way about the color.

When I asked her what she likes best about this new bike named Hank, which she got from the Dutch Bike Company in Seattle, she said it was the ability to carry a case of beer and a large bag of dogfood, simultaneously. The rear rack, adorned with a very stylish pannier with a seahorse logo, will carry 70 lbs, while the front rack, which is easily removable, and does not turn with the front wheel when you are steering, will carry 50 lbs.

Carrying demanding loads, and standing up with grace, character, and an appropriate set of accessories, to the demands of urban riding is what the workhorses from Dutch Bikes are good for. One of our customers uses hers the same way most families use a minivan: to carry kids.

The best thing about Alexi's new bike is how she plans to use it. She is not a bike fanatic or Critical Masser. She has the same trappings and challenges of any car-dependent individual living in Chicago. All she wants to do is see if she and Hank can make a go of it for one year. 365 days of commitment to a bike. Can she do it? I think she can.
Keep up with the two of them on their blog.

Amanda Annis

Mandy Annis, a 24-year-old teacher and cyclist, was struck and killed by a driver yesterday in Logan Square. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathy go out to her family, fiance, her students, and all who loved her and will miss her.

50 Ways to leave your car

May in National Bike Day in the US of A. So, get out there, and do your share for the environment, and at the same time make your corner of the world a little more livable. Ride a bike.

Many people think bike commuting is for the dedicated few. Maybe you don't want to commit to that type of lifestyle. First of all, biking doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. You can use your bike when convenient, and still use the car when you really need it. Second, in Chicago, with gas prices reaching four bucks, and transit cuts always looming on the horizon,  biking may soon become THE preferred alternative to easing traffic congestion.

So, I've compiled 50 ways you can incorporate biking into your life, even if it is car centered. Try one, try them all:

1. Ride anywhere within 2 miles: grocery, post office, library, coffee shop, friend's house (click here for more)
2. Take you child to school (check out some options)
3. Ride to work
4. Ride to the train if your commute is long
5. Ride to work on casual Friday
6. Pick one car-free day a month, and have your whole household use bikes instead
7. Teach your kids the rules of the road by bike
8. Work at home? Spend your lunch hour riding a bike
9. Run your weekend errands by bike
10. Recycle by bike
11. Ride to your kids' games by bike
12. Take the kids to the park by bike
13. Bike to your workout
14. Skip your workout and ride your bike instead
15. Ride a bike on a date with your spouse or significant other; the further the restaurant, the more you can eat!
16. Bike to the movies
17. Bike to get bagels for your Sunday brunch
18. Visiting open houses? Ride a bike
19. Ride a bike to garage sales
20. Ride a bike to the farmers market
21. New mom? Get a baby seat and ride off the baby weight (baby has to be able to sit unassisted)
22. Traffic averse? Figure out places you can ride without going on a major thoroughfare
23. Ride to you hair appointment (caution: avoid updo's since they won't fit under a helmet)
24. Use your bike to get home after you've dropped your car off for maintenance
25. Ride to the Lake (there are many ways to do this while avoiding major streets; visit the Chicago bike map)
26. Out of cream for the morning coffee? Take a quick ride to the store
27. Bike to street and arts festivals
28. Explore some of Chicagoland's bike paths and trails (click here)
29. Ride the lakefront path on cool spring day (you'll have little competition)
30. Try a social ride to meet new people (click here)
31. Pick a day of the week to substitute biking for driving
32. Pick an errand you usually do by car, and switch to biking
33. Commit to a number of miles to ride each week or month
34. Show your kids it's possible to get places without a car
35. Ride to a natural area, then relax and enjoy your surroundings
36. Park you car along the bike path, and ride bikes to Navy Pier, museums and other downtown attractions
37. Park you car along the bike path, and ride to the Botanic Garden
38. Ride your bike to an evening class or workshop
39. If you participate in community gardening, ride your bike there
40. Never learned to bike? Consider an adult tricycle
41. Looking for a new home? Get a friend, and explore new neighborhoods by bike
42. Ride a bike to get ice cream or other indulgences
43. Combine biking and walking: bike to a shopping area or other attractions, lock you bike, and continue on foot
44. Keep your bike accessible, so you can get on at a moment's notice
45. Keep a pump handy, in case your tires get a little soft
46. Keep all your bike gear in one place to avoid running around at the last minute
47. Carry a backpack in case you find anything you want t carry home with you
48. Stash a packable windbreaker in case the weather turns cool
49. Carry a little cash for emergencies
50. Learn some basic things about your bike, so you don't have to depend on others: how to lock up, how to fill the tires, how to remove front wheel.

2008 Bicycle Commuter Challenge

From the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation comes this invitation to enter your workplace in this year's Bicycle Commuter Challenge:

How green is your workplace? The 2008 Bicycle Commuter Challenge is now open to all companies who want to compete to be the most environmentally friendly company in Chicagoland.  Sign up now at www.biketraffic.org/commuterchallenge.

Companies competing in the Bicycle Commuter Challenge strive to recruit the highest percentage of employees biking for part or all of their trip to work during Bike to Work Week, June 7-13, hosted by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. “Bicycle commuting transforms the atmosphere at work – it boosts the health and energy of employees, encourages team spirit, lowers costs, and builds the organization’s reputation for being green,” said Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

For organizations and companies competing in the annual Challenge, designated Team Leaders get their office excited about commuting by bike. They recruit co-workers, track team-members’ biking trips, and offer tips on making bicycle commuting easy and fun. Plus, team leaders distribute discount member cards to participating employees, which provide Bicycle Commuter Challenge participants the same discounts as Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members from May-July.

Participants can bike for all or part of their trip to work. They can also stop for a quick snack and tune up at Bicycle Commuter Stations located around Chicago and at suburban Metra stations. Teams face off against companies of similar size and type, i.e. public agency, business, non-profit and bicycling-related business. Winning Bicycle Commuter Challenge teams receive fabulous prizes and are honored at a luncheon.

“Public esteem is a big incentive in this competition.  It’s a sign of the vitality and vision of the organization when employees compete for health instead of parking spots,” Sadowsky said.

How to get more people on bikes?

The Commute by Bike blog posed a question the other day, which, in one form or another, has been plaguing the bike industry for years: how to get more people on bikes?

As someone who has done the on-the-ground work of getting people on bikes for well over a decade, I have a few ideas. Unfortunately, historically, the bike industry hasn't been known for paying attention to small, quirky shops that don't order bikes by the truckload. When, as fledgling shop owners, we first started going to the industry trade show, no one wanted to talk about bikes as transportation. They all thought it was fringe.

Fringe, schminge. A "fringe", no matter how small, can turn into a fiercely loyal following for a bike company or shop that reflects their views. A "fringe" can double in size, and, though still a relatively small percentage of the wider population, can represent huge gains for the company or shop that responds to its needs.

On the one hand, it was heartening to see the bike industry finally embracing bikes as transportation at last year's Interbike trade show. On the other hand, I couldn't help thinking, that with the exception of a few really forward-looking companies, bike commuting was being turned into one more "trend". The banners that once featured mud-spattered, tooth-baring mountain bikers were replaced by images of guys in peg-legged jeans weaving through traffic with huge messenger bags on their backs, and sunny women with willow baskets full of groceries on their handlebars.

Well, these things aren't bad in and of themselves. They do create an image of cyclists that is more mainstream, and perhaps more acceptable as an urban presence. It's just that I think these are relatively shallow efforts. We don't want bike commuting to become fashionable, because fashions come and go. We want to evolve urban culture to embrace bike culture as its essential component.

Rapid Transit Cycleshop is no longer a fledgling business, but we are still a very small fish in the bike industry pond. Nevertheless, we have grown our business nearly tenfold since we first opened, largely on our unwavering commitment to cycling as transportation. So, if anyone in the bike industry is listening, I have a few suggestions on how to get more people on more bikes more often:

• Non-intimidating image and non-intimidating bike shops. Huge dollars are spent on products and marketing targeting the enthusiast cyclist, someone who is already deeply invested in the sport. I believe the industry, starting with top level executives at major bike companies down to the corner bike shop, should devote equal, if not greater, attention to the novice, or someone who has not been on a bike in many years. Don't criticize their walmart bike. Don't bombard them with technical details. Don't overwhelm them with expensive accessories. Don't try to "convert" them. Listen to their questions and concern, and show them how they can incorporate a modest, ordinary bike gradually into their lives. Don't translate their needs into dollars. Don't try to immediately turn them into a Customer. See if you can first win their trust.
• Safer bike routes. The main reason more people don't ride for transportation is their fear of danger. Experienced bike commuters have learned the skills necessary to maximize their safety in traffic. But, like it or not, riding alongside speeding cars is intimidating to most folks, and this makes commuting by bike out of the question for them. Off-street bike trails, thoughtfully designed traffic signals, and traffic-calming measures would make bike commuting safer, not to mention more pleasant, for novice and experienced riders alike. Bike manufacturers and bike shops should make working with state and local authorities a priority, to create biking facilities that would enhance rider safety, and driver education programs to increase acceptance of cyclists and curb driver aggression.
  Realistically, these measures can take a long time to implement. To get people biking sooner, get away from visions of messengers dodging buses and taxi cabs. Be prepared to talk to potential customers about alternative routes, quiet streets, and bike trails they may not be aware of. It helps if, as a shop representative, you ride these routes yourself and can offer first-hand tips, pros and cons, and have trail maps on hand.
• There is a fine line between fashion and self-expression. Don't sell bikes solely as a fashion statement, or you may only attract fashionable clients. In fact, I even question selling bikes for fitness, ecology, economy, or anything other than biking for it's own sake. It's not that I disagree with those ideals, but to a novice, they can seem judgmental. The last thing you want is to instill guilt in a new cyclist. You want them to celebrate and look forward to the occasions when they do ride, not feel bad about the times they don't.
  In fact, I think the industry should get away from the discussion of stuff: are shifters X better than shifters Y? are straight handlebars better than curved? is this geometry better than that? Who cares? Commuting is not about the the "stuff": the bike, the parts, the accessories, the bling. Most of that stuff can be changed, anyway. Commuting is a choice, and you can choose to commute on just about any bike out there. Really.
  
• Showing what is possible. We celebrate the big events: winning the umpteenth Tour de France, riding across America or around the world, winning the Ididabike. Inspirational stories, but, for most of us, unattainable feats. If bike companies are looking for people to put in their ads, I can think of quite a few ordinary people who have incorporated bikes into their lives in ways that anyone can. Some of these people are older, they could even be your grandpa; many are young and healthy; some are battling an illness, or disability; some struggle with their weight; many live on very limited budgets; some have a very long way to get to work; some live in iffy neighborhoods; some have children to cart around; some have dogs; some ride every day; others ride when they can; some buy all new equipment; others recycle found objects. Put these people in your ads, and show what regular people can do in the course of ordinary days. These people are the most loyal customers, the biggest fans, the best representatives, and the most vocal advocates for the cycling industry. Pay attention to them.

Embrace those online reviews!

I guess if the online reviews of my shop were all unconditionally positive, I would love the idea.

Alas, they're not. So I, too, will be critical.

The overt purpose of online reviews seems to be to create uncensored community feedback on local businesses and services. It's like word of mouth magnified by the power of the internet. If  you do a great job, people will refer friends to you, if you tick them off, they make sure the whole world knows about it.

In principle, this makes perfect sense. In practice, I see a few serious drawbacks.

First, a great many people still don't know their way around those social bookmarking sites, or don't care to use them, and though they may be thrilled or disappointed with the service you've provided, they have no way to tell the world about it. For example, Rapid Transit Cycleshop has less than 30 total customer reviews on Yelp, while we service more than a hundred paying customers just on a typical spring weekday. Many of those customers have been coming back for several years, and a handful of those that do have written positive reviews. Like this one:  "The folks at Rapid Transit truly value me as a customer.  I've bought bikes from there, and they've bent over backwards for me on countless occasions.  Plus, they have the most competent, trustworthy bike mechanics.  Over the years, Rapid Transit has made me glad I own a bike instead of a car.  They're not in it strictly for the money, but they've clearly succeeded over the years.  They're true advocates of bike culture." Many others either keep the good news to themselves, or use traditional word of mouth.

Second, there is no way for a business to respond to and correct grievances. Got a gripe? Please bring it to me. The sign above the register invites you to bring your purchase back for a full refund or exchange if not completely satisfied, and we have honored that policy for many customers on many occasions, whether poor fit was a problem or simply a change of mind. When we are informed of the problem, very often an unexpected solution, and even increased mutual respect, can grow out of the dialog. This venue has no room for dialog. It's a good place to lodge a complaint, but only if you don't want to find solutions.

Third, comments that are simply hateful or even obscene. These are perhaps less of a problem from a business standpoint, because I imagine that most readers of these reviews will simply draw a circle on their foreheads, and ignore them. Think for a moment about the blood sweat and tears you put into your work every day. We, as shop owners and personnel, work in the public arena all the time, dealing with people's good and less good moods, and good and less good days, often providing cures for more than just their broken bikes. We get pretty thick skinned. But there's no other way to say it: that stuff hurts.

Fourth, well... enough already. There is simply no accounting for taste, preferences, personalities and other intangibles. What to one person seems like a high-end bike is basic transportation to another. A week may seem like a long wait for a repair, but not if it's May and you've called around and found that other shops have a three week backlog. An expensive tune-up to one customer may be a life-saving operation on a beloved bike of another. What frustrates me about online reviews is that they are a one-way street. So I'll end with one that goes the way I'm heading: "Lots of bike shops sell bikes.  Rapid Transit sells bike commuting."

Well, that's my take on it. But it you feel inspired, go ahead, and take a lob at us on Yelp or Chicago Bike Shops, or wherever. (But, really, couldn't we just talk it over?...)

Why indeed?

In celebration of Earth Day, I'd like to offer a helmet tip to Amanda R. for a link to a NY Times article by Michael Pollan entitled Why Bother?

Michael Pollan is one of the two authors that have helped me to rearticulate my priorities. The other is Barbara Kingsolver.  In one of her books, she writes: "I believe our largest problems have grown from the earth's remotest corners as well as our own backyards, and that salvation may lie in those places, too."

Like these two authors, rather than relying on solutions handed down from above, I have started to look for them in my own corner of the universe. In my quest for a saner, calmer, more sustainable, more livable life, I too, in my small way turn to things that I hope will contribute to a saner, calmer, more sustainable, and more livable community and planet.

Don't just change the lightbulbs!

Learn where your food comes from.
Grow a garden.
Share your crops.
Ride your bike.
Take a walk.
Be with your children.
Talk to your neighbors.
Share ideas.
Build a community.

It's worth a bother.

Why not to bike

Ever think it's a hassle to get on your bike? It's raining. You've got too much to carry. You can't wear what you really want to wear. You're too tired. You'd rather just roll out of bed and into your car. I'm sure those of you out there with small children know that the temptation to use the car increases exponentially when you have to tow them around.

I've given in to that temptation. In the early months of motherhood, I had a very good excuse to use the car: you simply cannot carry a small infant on a bike. In circumstances like this, one's ideals often come head to head with practical and safety concerns. Many committed cyclists (though certainly not all) give up when they become parents, and use the car to transport their children. It's easy to fall into that category, and get accustomed to using the car.

Some of our customers go to great lengths to cycle with their kids.

My husband, unshaken in his commitment to human-powered transport, often wonders in frustration why most people chose to drive most of the time. But it really makes perfect sense. A car is comfortable, it protects you from the elements and you don't need any special gear or clothes to use it. Since it carries things for you, you can get more done in just one trip. Not only do you not have to expend any of your ow precious energy to power a car, you can even fortify yourself with food or coffee while driving. And, speaking of food, you don't even need to leave the comfort of your car to go to the drive-thru ATM to get cash for your drive-thru burger. Furthermore, the car creates an illusion of safety, seemingly isolating you from other drivers, their bad moods and their problems.

When making a decision about convenient transportation, few people stop to worry about the fairly obvious costs associated with driving. At the moment of getting into a car, they seem relatively remote. And virtually no one worries about the more deeply hidden, long range costs of owning and driving an automobile. The health costs you incur every minute you sit on your butt, inhaling exhaust, gnashing your teeth in helpless frustration against another gapers' block. The costs to drivers in general as they become irritable, impatient and desensitized to the needs of others around them. The costs to our neighborhoods, as they become less friendly, convenient and safe for pedestrians and children. The serious and statistically documented public safety costs. The costs to our environment... You get the point. You've heard it all before.

We, as a society, have a driving habit. Our cities and communities are designed, and continue to be designed, to support that habit. City planners accommodate our driving lifestyle. When we say something is convenient, we often mean it's convenient for the automobile. Our driving habit is very difficult to break, because our society condones it, values it and expects it. When you decide to ride your bike on the street, you have to weigh your beliefs against that practical reality. Because our streets are so completely given over to cars, and because drivers' tolerance for other vehicles on the road is very limited, safety is a real issue for all cyclists. It is even more vital to cyclists with small children. As a parent, you may be willing to take certain risks yourself, but you would never risk the safety of your child.

For all those reasons parents, including yours truly, succumb to the driving habit, and it can take much determination to change that. Parents have to be realistic and prudent about their transportation choices. For example, while I'm quite willing to ride seven miles down Elston Ave. to get myself to work, I'm unwilling to haul my children downtown on the back of the bike.

But just as biking doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing activity, neither does driving. Just because you have kids, doesn't mean you can never bike anywhere. Choose your battles.

• Groceries. In Chicago, you're rarely more than a mile away from a supermarket or local grocery. Tow a kid trailer on smaller streets, and stuff a couple of bags of food next to your precious cargo.
• Socializing. When you set play dates, allow a little extra time and take quiet streets to the park or friend's house where you are meeting. Anything under five miles is totally doable. Really.
• Activities. Chances are that if your kids take any classes, they are being held in your neighborhood. Bike there. We've biked around our neighborhoods dressed in Tae Kwon Do suits and ballet tutus, carrying a guitar on our back.
• School. If your kid goes to a local school, ride your bike there. When our son was in school, we started a trend of parents towing their kids there on trail-a-bikes.
• Library.
• Ice cream.
• Going out to eat.
• Recreation. Enjoy those off-street paths. That's what they are there for. If the Lakefront path is too crowded for your taste, try the new section of bike path along the North Branch of the Chicago River. There are playgrounds to stop at along the way, and if you go north of Peterson, you can take a little break at Borders. Or try the Sculpture Channel Trail in Skokie. Or the Lakefront, south of Downtown.

Biking can be really fun for kids. It turns ordinary errands into interesting adventures, and may eventually teach  children that there are more than one way of getting places.