Biking In Chicago

Biking is the most energy efficient form of transportation there is. In addition, its healthy, low carbon emissions, fun and saves money.  The Active Transportation Alliance has worked hard with the City of Chicago and the State to implement a safer biking community in the Chicagoland area. Chicago currently has more than 110 miles of on-street bike lanes, more than 30 miles of marked shared lanes, many miles of off-street paths (including the 18.5-mile Lakefront Trail), more than 12,000 bike racks, and sheltered, high-capacity, bike parking areas at many CTA rail stations.  Check out the Chicago Bike Laws and consult the Chicago bike maps and the next time you hit the road, try 2 wheels instead of 4 and see how fast it can take you where you need to go.

Bike Safety and maintenance go hand in hand.  Things like making sure your tires have the proper amount of air in them can effect your bike’s performance as well as your safety.  A good tip is to fill your tires about once a week.  Under normal conditions, it will lose about 10 psi per week.

PSI recommendations: For road bikes with thin tires, about 100 psi is a good average. For mountain bikes, or those with fatter tires, inflate to about 40 psi for trails and about 50 to 60 psi for city riding. 60-70 is good for hybrid mountain/road bikes.

The City of Chicago’s Bike Safety and Education page has a lot of good information, including tips on how to fix a flat tire, how to dress for winter riding and safe biking in Chicago.
Maintaining your bike is your responsibility, both for your safety and that of the friends you ride with. Luckily, tuning up your bike isn’t as hard as it might seem when you first try.

Check out this article from Boy’s Life Magazine that walks through maintenance of a bike.



New and Used Bike Shops

For a full directory of bikes shops in Chicago, check out the Chicago Bike Shop Database.

Working Bikes Cooperative
The Working Bikes Cooperative is a not-for-profit tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization which diverts bicycles from the waste stream in the greater Chicagoland area & surrounding states. They repair some of these bikes for local donation & sale to help fund the overseas shipment & donation of all the remaining bicycles.
2434 S. Western Ave, Chicago, IL  (773) 847-5440

Dutch Bikes Co.
Dutch Bike Co. Seattle & Chicago are importers and retailers of the finest European city bicycles. They proudly sell Dutch WorkCycles brand Oma, Opa, Transport and the Henry Cutler-designed FR8, the brilliant Bakfiets cargo bike as well as select models from Linus and Civia.
651 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, Il 60614, 312.265.0175

De Fietsfabriek
(Da feets-fa-breek), literally translated from Dutch means ‘the bike factory’. Established in 2003 in the Pijp neighborhood of Amsterdam, De Fietsfabriek designs and builds bikes for everyday transportation needs with all the luxurious, comfortable touches you need to be at home on a bicycle.
1311 N. Wells St, Chicago IL 60610, (312) 643-1670

Village Cycle Center
Village Cycle Center has more bikes in stock than any single store in the nation.  All of their new bikes are assembled by professional bike mechanics and the bike is properly adjusted to fit the rider and every bike sold comes with a lifetime frame warranty.
1337 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610, (312) 751-2488

Irv’s Bike Shop
Irv’s Bike Shop sells both new and used bikes carrying a selection of brands including Lowriders, Diamond Back, Raleigh, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose. This family owned shop has been offering services and selling bikes and accessories since 1972.
1725 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608 (312) 226-6330

Rapid Transit Cycleshop: Rapid Transit Cycleshop was founded in 1994 in Chicago’s Wicker Park by Chris Stodder and Justyna Frank, a husband and wife team, with a mission of getting more Chicagoans on bicycles.
1900 W. North Ave. Chicago, IL (773) 227-2288
1305 S. Halsted Ave. Chicago, IL (312) 243-4411

Kozy Cyclery
Giving you the best service, selection and savings has kept Kozy’s Cyclery as the premier bike store in Chicago for 60 years. Their locations include the best brands in the industry; the largest selection of bikes, accessories and clothing; full service & repair departments; and friendly and knowledgeable personnel.
3255 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, (773) 282-0202
3712 N. Halsted, Chicago, IL, (773) 281-2263
219 W. Erie, Chicago, IL, (312) 266-1700
811 S. DesPlaines, Chicago, IL (312) 360-0020



Biking Advocacy Groups

Active Transportation Alliance
Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit advocacy organization that works to improve conditions for bicycling, walking and transit and engage people in healthy and active ways to get around.

Bicycling Ambassadors and Junior Ambassadors
Mayor Daley’s Bicycling Ambassadors and Junior Ambassadors are the City of Chicago’s bike-safety and public-awareness outreach team. We promote safety for all road users, bike riders, motorists, and pedestrians and encourage all Chicagoans ride their bikes more.

Bike Boulevards Now!
Bike Boulevards Now! is a single-issue grassroots advocacy group committed to making sure bike boulevards are built in Chicago by 2011.

Bike Chicago 2010
Now in it’s 20th year, Bike Chicago began as a one day rally and quickly expanded to a week, a month and now it’s a five month long celebration of Chicago’s commitment to become more bicycle friendly and environmentally conscious. Bike Chicago events include neighborhood, lakefront and architectural bike tours, cycling classes, bike maintenance workshops and much more.

The Recyclery
The Recyclery Collective seeks to build community through the restoration of donated and discarded bicycles. They share resources and knowledge in order to support an affordable, independent, and sustainable mode of transportation. In this spirit of education and mutual aid, they encourage discussion about how our transportation choices affect the health of our communities and our environment.

Let us know what we’re missing by visiting our forum or by contacting us!

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