Why We Love Chicago in the Summer
Well, why do we? For starters, just step outside. The lake is sparkling, the air is warm, people look genuinely glad to be alive, and the city crackles with activity. Here are just some of the reasons why we love Chicago best right now
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...Because Your Bicycle Becomes A Viable Means Of Transportation.
It's a universal moment: you're packed aboard a sweat-scented bus or stuck, dead as road kill, in rush-hour traffic, when a commuter on a bicycle whizzes merrily by. You think, Could I do that? It may be easier than you imagine. For one thing, Chicago is a city built for bicycle commuting: paths and dedicated lanes abound, the riding is relatively flat, and a supportive network of fellow riders make it a breeze to hit the open road. These four Chicagoans who ride their bikes to work attest that the common hurdles-fear of traffic, sweating, fatigue, the hassle of rainy days-are real but hardly insurmountable.
–Kate Rockwood
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Name: Kevin Read
Age: 41
Job: Legal assistant at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney and food educator to a third-grade class at the Daley Academy
Closest El Stop: 43rd Street on the Green Line in Grand Boulevard
His Route: Read takes the lakefront path from the South Side to downtown, entering at Oakwood and exiting at Monroe.
What He Rides: A Puch Brigadier he bought in 1979 when he was 15, the only bike he's ever owned
A-Ha Moment: One of his high-school teachers organized a bike trip through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland the summer after Read graduated. "That trip made me a biker."
Repairs: Read uses heavy-duty inner tubes and liners, and considers himself almost flat-proof. "With the bike racks on buses, you're never totally stranded if you do get a flat."
How He Freshens Up: On his way to work, Read exercises and showers at Bally Total Fitness. "I carry my clothes in my backpack. They don't get too wrinkled." On rainy days, Read uses dry socks and underwear from the emergency stash he keeps in a drawer at work.
Road Wisdom: "Be way more alert than somebody driving a car."
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Name: Sherry Daun
Age: 29
Job: Attorney at Hubert Law Group
Closest El Stop: Equidistant from Division and Chicago stops on the Blue Line in Ukrainian Village
Her Route: Daun takes Rice Street to Damen, rides south on Damen, then cuts east on Grand. She zigzags her way east and south until reaching the corner of Wells and Randolph streets.
What She Rides: A 1975 Schwinn Cruiser
Repairs: The first time Daun got a flat tire, she had to walk her bike home about five miles. She now goes to open shop on Tuesday nights at West Town Bikes (2418 W. North Ave.; www.westtownbikes.org).
How She Deals With Rain: Fenders. "They help keep the stripe of mud off your back."
Time Savers: "Clothes that get dry cleaned, they stay downtown." Daun routinely travels in her suit, riding six blocks to the federal court for a trial or to client meetings.
Bad Moment In Traffic: She once was hit while biking the wrong way in a crosswalk. "Cars aren't expecting anything faster than a pedestrian."
Nice Tip: Present your bike key and shower for free at participating Bally Total Fitness gyms.
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Name: Dan Korn
Age: 35
Job: Software developer at Printable Technologies
Closest El Stop: California on the Blue (soon to be the Pink) Line in Little Village
His Route: Korn's route to work is mainly via Ogden, but he likes to ride home through Pilsen on southwesterly Blue Island Avenue.
What He Rides: Korn's bike is two frames, one on top of the other, with the seat five feet in the air-known as a tall bike. "With a tall bike you're more visible to cars. There's also the gee-whiz factor. When people are looking at you, they're less likely to think you're another damn biker in their way." The downside, Korn says, is that occasionally people will drive very close to him, trying to take his picture.
Repairs: Because his bike's added weight puts stress on the tires, Korn gets a lot of flats. He packs a tube, patch kit, wrench, zip ties, and duct tape.
How He Freshens Up: He rolls up a dress shirt and puts it in his bag before biking, then towels down in the bathroom at work. "I bask in the air conditioning for a minute and then put my dress shirt on."
Good Advice: "If on the first day you plan to start bike commuting it's raining, don't bike."
 Photography: Anna Knott |
Name: Elizabeth Adamczyk
Age: 27
Job: Circulation supervisor at Northwestern University's Chicago campus library
Closest El Stop: Paulina on the Brown Line in West Lake View
Her Route: When Adamczyk first started bike commuting, she found the lakefront path too congested. She forced herself to try the bike lane on Lincoln Avenue. "One day I just did it and it was so much nicer."
What She Rides: A Jamis Nova 27-speed Cyclocross
Repairs: She carries a tool set, spare tube, and small pump.
How She Deals With Rain: "I just throw a slicker over everything. After a few times riding in the rain, you realize there's nothing to it."
How She Freshens Up: Adamczyk rolls her daily outfit into a regular backpack. Once at work, she speeds through a five-minute routine that includes disposable wipes and running a bit of water through her hair. "I try to get a haircut that's a little shorter in the summer so my hair's not matted down to my head."
Extracurricular Activities: She recently helped organize the Ride of Silence, a ten-mile silent bike ride to bring awareness to the legal rights of cyclists on the road.
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