Chicagoans Who Bike

A closer shot of the same man leaning over his bike and smiling wide, with the lake behind him and some seagulls blurred on the pier.

“. . .and there's so much joy and movement that's happening, and there's music and there's space for people who are nerdy or weird. And I think that's good for the world right now. I always enjoy critical mass. Even last fall when we took over part of the 94 expressway downtown, I was on that ride.”

“I think it's a wonderful thing when several hundred people take over streets and bike. . .”

“When you asked earlier about a cool ride, a bike ride I did recently, I forgot to talk about Critical Mass. And yes, as a state senator, I do participate in the critical mass - I've been doing it since before I was an elected official.”

“But I like to ride it around the city. I mean, this is the bike I use for the potholes and turbulent streets in Chicago.. And I use it for everything.”

“So I'll go out to the Fox River Valley, and ride on the Prairie Trail, which takes you all the way to Wisconsin, that's like a day trip. I'll take the Fox River Trail out to Aurora, about 40 miles.”

“I use this bike to commute, but I also use it to bike around my state senate district. I think you see things differently when you're on the bike. And I like to ride on the bike trails outside of the city - that's often where I go to recharge.”

“And when I was a kid I would sneak off on my bike all across Chicago.”

“I started biking when I was five years old. My aunt's girlfriend at the time bought me my first bike, and my uncle, who was going off in the Navy, taught me how to ride it and my grandmother taught me how to get good at it.”

“So those are always all day rides, and you really have to be on when you're riding in Chicago streets. My bike is like my third arm.”

“Riding on the same street on the northwest side and on the southeast side in the same day, I geek out on that. It's a great way to know the city, especially as a lifelong Chicagoan.”

A smiling man stands with his bicycle on a concrete pier along a grey, choppy lakefront under an overcast sky. He has dark skin, locs, and a short beard, and is wearing a black puffer jacket, a grey knit scarf, blue jeans, and tan sneakers. His bicycle is a grey bike featuring drop handlebars, disc brakes, full fenders, and a black rear cargo rack.

A closer shot of the same man leaning over his bike and smiling wide, with the lake behind him and some seagulls blurred on the pier.

“I have days in the summertime when I take the whole day and I just ride through Chicago. I'll start in Uptown or West Ridge and I'll go all the way out to Beverly. And those are some of my favorite rides.” 🧵

Thank you! 😊

Ah, thank you! We've been sick for a few days, so we've been editing and publishing on half power 😫

A Lifelong Chicagoan Who Started A Tamala Ride YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

And remember, we've got our full ten minute conversation on our YouTube channel!

youtu.be/9GXF_R9gjCU

Drivers don't always appreciate bike lanes, and our last week's guest has seen that first hand - on Chicago's South Side, he felt drivers weren't used to seeing bikes on the roads.

He wants them to give it a try, and think about the new people who might come out and ride!

A Lifelong Chicagoan Who Started A Tamala Ride YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

Watch the full interview to learn about how this life-long Chicagoan started riding, meets people biking across the country, and more!

youtu.be/9GXF_R9gjCU

Not many people have started a ride for their birthday, and after a few years, built a tradition that's attracted over 200 riders - but that's one of the many great stories from Pookie, our latest guest! (full interview linked below 👇)

Ald. Hopkins prioritizes businesses over cyclists' safety The lives of pedestrians and cyclists apparently aren't worth the cost of doing business. Also, letters about the U. of C., EPA endangerment finding, Olympics and Bears. And how about renaming Midway ...

Don't miss my letter to the editor in the @chicago.suntimes.com :

When 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins asks, “Am I supposed to close all of the restaurants?” [to enforce road safety rules] he’s presenting a false choice.

chicago.suntimes.com/letters-to-t...

An event flyer with a semi-abstract blue, white, and black background advertising a bike ride to 4150 N Long Ave for a Portage Park safe streets meeting hosted by the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Ride with us to CDOT's Portage Park in support of the new neighborhood network. We're taking off at 5:30 sharp from the Logan Square Monument to the PP Senior Center OR meet up with our friends at Cosmic Bikes for a quick jaunt over at 5:50.

⏰ Wedenesday 3/5 @ 5:30p
📍 Logan Square Monument

How Illinois became the bicycling center of the nation: A Q&A with Christopher Sweet | Active Transportation Alliance Illinois lays claim to one of the great episodes in American cycling history, and historian Christopher Sweet brings that era […]

“Chicago is the bicycle center of the United States,” the Chicago Tribune confidently declared in 1896, backing up the claim with nearly a full page of bicycle-related statistics and stories. The paper estimated that Chicago had 200,000 riders, including 40,000 women and 2,000 children."

If you're following us from Evanston, check out this important meeting coming up next week!

Ray Delahanty's YouTube showing 400k subscribers

Ask and you shall receive! (our personal account was subscribed, but not this one!)

An Electrician Who Prefers Biking To Work YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

Lastly another favorite - one of our most beautiful interviews shot at Chicago's Wild Mile, talking to an electrician who commutes and has bike packed around.

youtu.be/GiuZRoUCr7s?...

The Woman Biking Chicago Since 1992 YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

One of our most popular interviews is with an incredible woman who has been biking in Chicago since 1992, and has a beautiful English Pashley bike!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq8T...

Biking In Winter & How Chicago's Alders Break Up Bike Lanes YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

Here's an interview from a year ago that's very winter relevant - captured in some hearty Chicago snow! Do you have a favorite interview?

youtu.be/sJVAJMkoBo8?...

Introducing Chicagoans Who Bike YouTube video by Chicagoans Who Bike

Just checking - y'all know we're on YouTube, right? 👀

We've got a back catalog of 30 full interviews up there, plus some rolling interviews riding around the city!

youtu.be/KXyEAy-88pY?...

A man with a salt-and-pepper goatee and glasses kneels confidently next to a custom lowrider-style bicycle in front of a vibrant, geometric graffiti mural. He wears a black hoodie featuring a white Chicago skyline graphic, with black pants and black sneakers. His bicycle is a long, light blue cruiser with a sparkle finish and a low-slung, curved frame. The bike features high-rise black handlebars, a thick black fork, and black rims with thick tires, including a small orange card tucked into the front spokes.

A closer shot of the same man, sitting on his bike with his hands on the handlebars, smiling gently.

“I've ridden all over Chicago. We're fortunate, we're empty nesters, my wife and I, so we bike all over. We’ve biked in Las Vegas, and in New Mexico we did a bike ride to see hot air balloons take off. We’ve ridden in San Diego, LA, Toronto, Indianapolis, Detroit, Milwaukee...” 🧵

ChiWhoBike #65 | Chicagoans Who Bike “I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in March, and I was unsure how biking would fit into it, because chemotherapy can take a lot out of you energy-wise....”

We've done a lot of interviews with folks on ebikes, but we'd strongly recommend @lvebakfietsmama.bsky.social, if she's up for it! 👀

She's a local bike bus leader, advocate, and cargo bike mom!

chiwho.bike/interviews/65

A closer shot of the same man, sitting on his bike with his hands on the handlebars, smiling gently.

“And I've had so many new people come into my life to join me on that ride. My grandson, he's ridden since he was a little baby. He was on the first ride with me when he was a year old, I had a seat, and now he rides his own bike.”

“If they want to come hang out with me, they can come. So that first year there were 12 of us, and we just rode around Pilsen looking at different graffiti pieces and stuff like that. The following year I started going to different, tamale vendors to support the neighborhood.”