Introductions - Another from Chicago

Hi everybody,

After lurking around these parts for a couple of months, and liking what I saw, I finally decided to register.

I'm another person from Chicago, and ever since I've been commuting regularly by bike (for the past year or so) I've pretty much been addicted to all things cycling. I ride from Lincoln Square in Chicago to Northwestern U. in Evanston, which is a little under 8 miles each way. This past winter was my first serious Bike Winter, and overall it was a good time, even if I did bail out and take the car/train a few times. It was also a great excuse to stock up on too expensive outdoor gear.

I get by with a 1997 era Specialized Crossroads hybrid, which is much more like a road bike with straight bars than the comfort bike that now bears the Crossroads name. I'll be finishing grad school in a couple of months, and I'm looking to get a shinny new road bike as a graduation present to myself. Maybe something like a Waterford or Co-motion or Rivendell, if I can convince myself and my wife that $2000+ for a bike isn't ridiculous.

Welcome fellow Chicagoean!

I know your area well, and I've been commuting year round myself. Don't forget, in the winter, if it's really bad, you can always chuck your bike on the train during non-rush hour periods too, and all buses are being equipped with bike racks, so you can lock your bike to a rack on the bus and ride up to NU also, and there's no rush hour lockout using the buses either!

Did you do any activities for Bike Winter, or just ride during the winter?


Koffee

Hey Joel! Welcome to the forum, I'm a newb myself!

Has anybody seen a bike on those front bus racks? So far I've seen it used only once. And who would use them? Are there any buses in the city that would get you to where you want to go faster than your bike? I suppose they might be good during bad weather if you weren't prepared or for people easing into urban cycling. I just hope they don't end up being a big waste of money, and act as an example of how we should be spending our money on auto rather than alternative transportation modes.

The only problem with taking your bike on the train in the winter is that when the weather is bad enough, it's hard to squeeze yourself on the train, much less your bike. And the rush hour restrictions.

I didn't participate in any of the Bike Winter activities besides my own commuting, but they looked they were probably a good time.

Joel

I haven't seen anyone using the bike racks so far this year, but I do see them used every now and then. The thing is, if you're gonna ride your bike, why do you need to get on the bus?

It's a good idea, but I'm not sure who the racks are there for. I think the better investment would be to install more bike racks ON THE STREETS, not on the bus! I'm fighting with people for a place to park my bike from about mid-May until the end of September. There are never enough bike racks when the weather gets warmer. :(

I saw the Bike Winter stuff, and I somehow got the feeling the Critical Mass folks were involved with that stuff. Critical Mass folks turn me off, so I never participated in any of it.

When I take my bike on the train in the winter, I haven't had problems, but then again, when you adhere to the rush hour restrictions, there is always room to throw your bike on. They just need longer trains to accomodate more people, and shortened rush hour restrictions so you can comfortably get from point A to point B within a reasonable time, that's all.

Happy riding!

Koffee