Originally Posted by
LessonLearned
Yeah Pitchfork = scary amounts of bikes. The last time I went was a couple years ago and there was just nowhere to put your bike within blocks of Union Park. I heard they have valets but I don't know, my bike may be a piece of crap, but I love it just the same and wouldn't be comfortable handing it over to anyone. Heh, scam of the decade - dress up like a bike valet and load up truck$ with bike$. "Oh hello sir, nice Bianchi, we'll take REAL good care of it..."
It's not just any random people doing the bike parking.
Pitchfork and The Chicago Readerhave teamed up since 2009 to provide free, secure bicycle parking, as well as water, air and chain lube for tires, and on site mechanical assistance for festival attendees. This year, car sharing company Zipcar, Chicago bicycle social networking site The Chainlink, and local bike shop The Bike Lane will join the Chicago Reader Biker Village to enhance cyclists' experiences.
To accommodate as many cyclists as possible, there are two lots this year, providing over 26,000 square feet of space: One located in the Cobra Lounge parking lot at the corner of Ashland and Walnut, just northwest of the festival grounds, and a larger lot located at Madison and Ashland, just southwest of the festival grounds. We encourage you to take advantage of this feature of the event.
ETA: Oh, just talked to a friend who has gone every year, and he said it's still self-service bike parking, not bike valet. You bring your own lock and stuff, they just patrol it.