Has anybody taken advantage of the free showers at Bally's Health Clubs in Chicago? What do they require? Can you just walk in with your helmet and key, do they provide towels, lockers, etc? Do they make you go through the 1/2 hour talk about the benefits of joining? Thanks in advance for any info.

I know nothing of it, but I do know there is going to be a new bicycle facility in the park that will be only for cyclists and have shower and changing facilities, plus a locking area for bikes that's secured, and lockers too for keeping your clothes in! But that's not slated to open until the end of the summer, unfortunately.

If you go to Bally, don't sign anything... ever!

Koffee

Koffee,
Where's this going to be in Chicago? The new Millennium park?

Yep, it's going to be in the Millennium Park. It's going to be the first facility of it's kind in the USA (so they've claimed), and it's going to be a massive effort by Mayor Daley in his attempt to get people to bike more often, especially to work! Good on him for putting his best effort to improving conditions for cyclists and encouraging people to ride more often.

Koffee

I don't think its the first we have a Bikestation in the Pioneer Square district of Seattle its been open you about a year. They also have 2 or three in California.

www.bikestation.org

Ok... I'll probably pass the link on to the mayor's office, since they think that it's the first of it's kind, and it's obviously not. Maybe he can claim it's the first of it's kind in the midwest... which it probably is!

Koffee

No mater what with or without the politicians spin on it it is a very good thing. Daly should be commended for his program to get more people out of their cars.

Have you been to one of these facilities? How secure are they? How clean are they? How does it work with the showers and locker rooms?

Koffee

Just to update, Bally's does allow free use of their showers with a very minimal hassle, all you need is your helmet or key, show an ID, sign a waiver, and you have full access to their locker room. I would recommend bringing a padlock, but it seemed to work very well and I will be taking advantage of it this summer.

Is it too much to hope that Bally's is doing this throughout the country? I can see a Bally's gym from my office window. With summer coming on, it would be sweet to be able to shower after the commute. I generally avoid Bally's because I wasted a lunch hour there with their high pressure sales staff.

As far as I know this is only in Chicago. It is part of the Bike Chicago summer program put on by the city. It worked out real well this morning. I wish it was year round, but I'll take the summer.