Chicago's Bike to Work Day

Despite our focus on the simple side of cycling – get on your bike and go – I think Trisha and I became certified bike geeks the day we started a bike blog. There’s no way around it.

So when Bike to Work Day came along, I was incapable of simply riding my bike to work, I had to make a whole bikey day out of it.

First, I met my friend Elizabeth (of Bike Commuters) early in the morning to ride downtown together.

Elizabeth at the Bike to Work Rally in Daley Plaza

Then we attended the Bike to Work Rally in Daley Plaza and mingled with other bike commuters. I was excited to hear da Mayor speak, since he gets so much praise as a cycling advocate, but he did not show up due to “another mayor commitment.” Boo – hisssss. Lame.

The great helmeted dog of Kathy's folding bike

During my lunch break, I met up with Patty for delish fish tacos – silly me forgot to take a photo of her and her bike. We met through LGRAB and I must say that everyone I’ve met through this blog is all sorts of awesome. She was also a team leader for her employer’s commuter challenge (doing a great job, based on the numbers!). We talked about some ideas to get the Bicycle Goddess Brigade going, so stay tuned.

On the way home after work, I got caught in the rain storm.

Caught in the rain

Undeterred, I headed back downtown via the L train to attend the bicycle forum featuring David Byrne and other local bike advocacy luminaries. All of the speakers were interesting and the part that excited me most was a mention that Wells Street is getting a buffered bike lane in the fall – a first for Chicago. That’s part of my commute! I haven’t been able to find any information on this, though, and can’t imagine how a buffered lane would fit unless the city removes street parking (not gonna happen).

The panelists, David Byrne on the far left

After the forum, I bumped into Patty and her boyfriend Brian, aka The Car Whisperer. Even in a city as large as Chicago, the bike geeks are a pretty tight group

By the end of the day, I felt optimistic about the future of bicycling in Chicago. The most important thing, though, is to make every day Bike to Work Day. Here I go…