Women Bike Chicago: April 2015

Rides, Rides, Rides

To all who joined us on Saturday, April 18, thank you. You came, you learned, you made friends, you renewed friendships, now let's ride!

On May 2 we ride with members of the community in East Garfield Park. The ride is led and managed by women, but open to all. Participation by children of the community is encouraged and welcome, so bring your children, too. We will have some coffee and snacks to get us started, and pizza when we return. It is a Saturday and you can take your bike on the train all day. Take the Green Line to Conservatory where there is an elevator. Breakthrough is just a couple of blocks north. Or, if you want to drive, there is almost always parking on the street.

And if you are interested in helping with ride marshaling, e-mail lisa@womenbikechicago.org

On May 17, Ruth Rosas will lead us on a tour of the murals of Pilsen beginning at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the National Museum of Mexican Art. After the ride we will go to a local restaurant to enjoy local cocina.

June 7 brings us to BFF Bikes at 2113 W. Armitage where we will begin our ride to the Chicago Women's Park and Gardens. Gather at 9:30 a.m. We will stop at the park and eat at The Spoke and Bird which is a bicycle friendly cafe. We will return to BFF by 1:30 p.m.

Do you have ideas for rides or gatherings? We would be happy to help you plan and organize. Email info@womenbikechicago.org

More Day Of Demos Presenters!

Women Bike Chicago is pleased to welcome Chicago Bike Ambassadors to its event on Saturday.

Photo: Bern Unlimited, one of the Ambassadors' sponsors

The City of Chicago's Bicycling Ambassadors are a team of young adults who move throughout Chicago to promote more people on bikes, and more people riding safely.

You can find us on the Lake Front Trail, at your neighborhood street festival or block party, at libraries and offices, or even working with police at busy intersections to address unsafe behaviors on the road.

We love answering questions about biking or using CTA in the city, and we always have free bike maps and cycling guides to give away.

We're very excited to be a part of this weekend's Women Bike Chicago Day because we know that encouraging more people to ride, especially women, is important to creating a larger community in our city.

Please stop by our table on Saturday to ask about helmet fittings, what kind of bike may be right for you, or how to ride with children. See you there!

More presenters and panelists!

Sign up for the event at Dvorak Park (Cullerton between Racine and Morgan) on April 18 and hear these awesome women speak about:

Bike Maintenance 101 Hands-on Workshops with Gillian Wu and Joanne McSweeny

* Joanne and her partner Denis have owned On The Route, with three locations in Chicago, since 1998. On The Route is a full-service shop, specializing in bikes and accessories geared toward bike commuters.

Joanne rides on average 1500 miles a year, leading and riding with groups On The Route also sponsors: a weekly women-only group ride, which meets at the Aquarium downtown at 6pm every Tuesday; Team Dream, a women’s enrichment biking team and xXx, a non-profit all-inclusive racing team. She also leads the Iguanas, a kids’ triathlon training team.

Gillian

* Gillian Wu is a lead fleet manager with Postmates and an alumna of Rapid TransitCycleshop. Her earliest memory is of her mom towing her in a trailer behind her green Novara. She's been in love with bikes ever since. What got Gillian riding in Chicago was the sense of total unencumbered freedom: when it's just you and your bike, possibilities bloom all around you! Gillian’s goal is to get more people on bikes, so everyone can experience the liberation of two wheels.

--These two sessions will be an overview of keeping your bike in shape, including replacing/replacing an inner tube (morning session) and brake adjustments (afternoon session)

Bicycle safety and on-street practice ride with Elizabeth Adamczyk and Jane Healy

Elizabeth

* Since she began riding her bike in 2003, Elizabeth has gone from a recreational rider to an urban cyclist and prefers getting around by bicycle as much as possible. She is also a strong advocate for bike safety and awareness. In addition to helping with Women Bike Chicago, Elizabeth organizes the annual Chicago Ride of Silence and teaches cycling instruction as a certified League ofAmerican Bicyclists Cycling Instructor.

Jane Then

Jane Now

* Jane Healy is a mentor, teacher and all-around crazy woman for bikes. She rediscovered biking with the birth of her second child and hasn't looked back since, biking through pregnancy, through the school years, and now beyond. (big breath) She bike commutes year round to her high school teaching job, successfully does the grocery shopping for a family of five by bike, runs a kid's bike club, is president of the Blue Island Bicycle Club, has taught Build-a-Bike classes to kids, is an LCI instructor, and serves on the boards of School District 130 and the Active Transportation Alliance. Ask her about multi-modal commuting!

--This session will include discussions about how to ride safely in the street - how to avoid the "door zone", how to signal a turn - and how to turn--Which lane should you be in??! Includes a practice street ride with the group.

How to be Seen on a Bike with Willow Naeco

Willow on the annual Santa Rampage Ride

Willow has been an active participant in Chicago's cycling community since the summer of 2002. She has been a volunteer for Chicago Critical Mass, Bike Winter, Cycling Sisters, The Chainlink, and various other groups. Willow enjoys taking trips with her bike trailer to the grocery store and taking her cat to the vet. She is the current editor of The Derailleur, an unofficial publication of Chicago Critical Mass. Willow enjoys making buttons, bottle openers, magnets, and mirrors for Critical Mass and businesses or individuals. She has helped thousands of Chicago-area cyclists stay warm and be seen by helping sew balaclavas, gaiters, and scarves, and sewing reflective stripes to gear and clothes.
--Willow will be at the Make It Reflective table all day for drop in questions and answers. She'll have her sewing machine to attach reflective tape to your bags and other stuff. Learn how to *not* blend in with the scenery!

Introducing - A Few of Your Panelists

For our third annual Day of Dialogue and Demonstration, we have lined up some great women who are passionate about cycling, and experts in what they do - because they live what they love. These women bicycle year-round, for transportation and recreation - for work, with kids, for shopping and visiting friends.

Join us on April 18 and meet them. Learn from them and others how you can bike, or bike more, for things you do every day anyway.

These are must a few of the women presenting at DDD. Watch for updates and more intros!

How to Visit a Bike Shop with Justyna Frank

Justyna conceived an urban bike shop in the early nineties with her husband Chris. At 21 this year, Rapid Transit Cycleshop is Chicago's oldest transportation-oriented, woman-owned bike shop.

Over the last two decades, Justyna has nurtured countless customers of all ages, genders and walks of life with the goal of helping riders -- new and experienced -- realize their dreams of independent travel.

--This session will focus on what to expect when you want to buy a bicycle. What questions should you ask? What kind of bike should you buy? And when to walk away if you feel you are not getting your questions answered.

Biking Style with Cynthia Hudson

Cynthia Hudson has been involved in bicycling and pedestrian advocacy since 2006 in a variety of safety and encouragement roles. Cynthia first began her advocacy as one of Mayor Daley’s Junior Bicycling Ambassadors teaching bicycle safety to thousands of people around the city. Cynthia has also worked to organize predominantly African American communities around Open Streets.

In her current role as Community Liaison at the Active Transportation Alliance, Cynthia is responsible for promoting walking, biking and public transit on the West and Southside of Chicago, building relationships with local officials and city representatives, and implementing Active Transportation community plans.

--In the Style session, we'll discuss how you can ride in your regular street clothes. What do you do about your hair and a helmet? What about sweat? Can I wear a skirt? And more! Learn tips on how to arrive as put-together as when you left.

Practical Biking with Nancy Easton

Nancy has been riding her bike for transportation since elementary school and currently rides several days a week from her home on the north side to her job as a clinical psychologist downtown. She has been a year-round biker for the past six years, after being inspired by a trip to Antwerp, Belgium.

Nancy has never owned a car throughout 28 years of living in Chicago, and has learned lots of tips for combining biking or Divvy with public transport options to make getting around town easy, safe, and fun!

--Learn how to do all the things on a bike you would have done in a car. Errands, commuting to work, going to dinner with friends. How to mix biking and public transit - when can you take your bike on a train? What about Divvy?

Want to attend sessions and also help out? Volunteer with us - send an e-mail to volunteer @ womenbikechicago.org