Who rides bikes in Chicago? An article in today's New York Times on the City's infrastructure investments makes it seem like two-wheelers are unique to the North Side and Loop. more ›

One biker is trying to compile a list of lanes that are in desperate need of repair and a fresh coat of paint. more ›

Chicago is certainly not as green as it could be. The city can always be expected to fudge up certain environmental initiatives — such as recycling — but even so, small companies in Chicago continue to paint more green in their niche markets, regardless of how much progress city hall is or is not making. The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance is one such new company bringing a fresh, green perspective to yet another market. Founded by a group of eco-friendly business owners in Chicago, The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance aims to encourage greener and less wasteful weddings. They group started with a group of environmentally responsible vendors, and continues to add more approved vendors to their list. And, since fall is prime planning time for next season’s weddings, Chicago Green Wedding Alliance is partnering with Fork and the Road for a bike tour for couples interested in hosting an eco-friendly wedding. The Brides on Bikes tour will introduce riders to the city’s top wedding vendors committed to local, seasonal and handmade foods, drinks, pastries and confections. more ›

In the 22 years that Mayor Daley was in office, he created around 115 miles of bike lanes in Chicago. Mayor Emanuel hopes to do better than the former mayor, and proposes to create an additional 100 miles of bike lanes over the next four years. more ›

Cargo Bike Roll Call will round up cargo bike owners who want to show off their setups and give cyclists ideas on how to equip their rides to haul everything from groceries to children. more ›

With the beautiful weather comes bike season, and with bike season comes bike thieves. more ›

While grilling out, having a cold one and watching the Blackhawks is on many of our Memorial Day weekend agendas, some 20,000 cyclists will be hitting Lake Shore Drive Sunday morning for the ninth annual Bike the Drive, taking over a 15 mile stretch along LSD for most of the morning. Participants can start their (self-powered) engines beginning at 5:30 a.m., after which cars are verboten until 10:30 a.m. when vehicular traffic is allowed to return. The closures will affect LSD from Hollywood all the way down to 59th St., so plan for detours along that route. Near the event entry points, Jackson Blvd. in Grant Park will also be closed, though drop-offs are allowed between 4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Congress Circle at Michigan Ave. Bikers can enter north of Randolph or south of Roosevelt - crosswalks to Lakeshore Drive will be blocked at Monroe, Jackson and Balbo. more ›

With snow in the forecast as early as tonight, it's never too soon to get your bike in gear for winter riding. Or, if you stopped biking when the temperature dropped below 55, now's your chance to start riding again before it gets really cold. Rapid Transit Cycleshop is offering free winter riding and winter maintenance classes this season--and various other bike maintenance classes for a fee. Classes are located at 1900 W. North Ave. and spots may be reserved by calling the shop at 773-227-2288. more ›

Bike commuters, fixie enthusiasts, racehounds and general fans of two-wheeled transportation can rejoice as tomorrow kicks off the Chicago stop of the five day 2009 Bicycle Film Fest. Pump up your tires, grab your U-lock and get ready to cycle the city in the name of film and fun. more ›

This Friday saw the latest edition of the always interesting monthly Critical Mass bike ride, but this one was a bit more special because there was love in the air. more ›

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The CPD and Chicago Department of Transportation are dispatching "bike ambassadors" tonight, Thursday and Friday to remind cyclists to follow the city's safety rules. Tonight, they'll be in Wicker Park reminding people to use headlamps when biking after dark. Thursday afternoon, they'll be in Lakeview reminding people to obey traffic laws, and Friday in Uptown, asking folks not to ride on the sidewalk. (Argh! Yes! I hate that.) No one will be getting tickets—just friendly reminders. [CDOT]
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Get psyched, pedal-powered people: October 5 and October 26, parts of main boulevards in the city will be closed to cars to create a thoroughfare for people on bikes, scooters, folks pushing strollers and plain-old pedestrians. The Sunday Parkways program builds community, combats obesity, relieves congestion and noise pollution, and encourages people to explore their neighborhoods, according to the Chicagoland Bike Federation. more ›

We love bikes. We love movies. So it stands to reason that combining the two is a win-win situation. And Bike-In Cinema has done just that. Every Wednesday night though the end of the month, they'll be showing double features at dusk (9 o'clockish) via DVD projection. Just bike (or walk or CTA-it) to Reba Rar Rar's Side Yard at 1441 W. Cullerton (near Blue Island/Cullerton in Pilsen). more ›

, sadly. Passes for the whole fest are $27, and for specific nights $10. more ›

The CTA is building four new structures to meet increased demand for pedal-powered parking. The Midway stop on the Orange Line, the Sox-35th stop on the Red Line, and the Jefferson Park and Damen stops on the Blue Line will each be home to covered, three-walled bike ports that will house a combined total of 382 bicycles. [S-T] more ›

Not a big surprise here: authorities say that bike theft tends to pick up during the summer months. Although trends are not different than those from previous years, there are ways to detain thievery, like investing in a good lock, locking your bike through both the wheels and the frame, and always locking your bike when not in use (seriously). This won’t altogether prevent theft, but registering your bike with the city of Chicago can help with recovering and returning bikes to their rightful owners. more ›

More hang-ups on Chicago’s bike sharing program: apparently no one can agree on who will be responsible if someone gets hurt. more ›

Mayor Daley suggested over the weekend that if our city improves bus efficiency, bikers could use bus lanes and everybody would win. He mentioned the plan Friday at a Bike to Work rally. more ›

So what’s the status on that city-wide bike-rental program that the Mayor’s office was touting late last year? Chicago is actively looking to imitate the structure of Paris's Vélib program, which is financed by private advertising company JCDecaux, but has not yet been able to settle on a contract. From the Sun-Times: more ›

Bike the Drive is Sunday, and registration for the annual event closes tomorrow at 5pm. Registration is $40, though sneaking in isn't unheard of. more ›

I recently got into an argument with my boss about who has the "right of way" on the road - bicyclists or motorists. While I am not advocating bicyclists to have blatant disregard for motorists, I subscribe to the idea that the slowest mode of transportation should always have the right of way - i.e. cars yield to bikes, bikes yield to pedestrians. My boss says cars have the right of way. What do you say? more ›

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Mayor Daley introduced a new ordinance today that would fine motorists whose reckless behind-the-wheel antics endanger cyclists. Fines from $150-$500 could be levied against drivers who turn in front of someone on a bike, pass with less than three feet of space between car and bike, or door someone. more ›

Unless you stayed inside all day yesterday (and that wouldn't have been a bad idea, because it was dis-gusting out there), you couldn't miss the super-slippery sidewalks all around the city. An ice storm Saturday night made traveling around the city extra-treacherous due to the thin coating of ice on sidewalks. Chicago city officials, being their normal helpful selves, urged people to salt their sidewalks and walk carefully when it's icy. And also to look... more ›

It's time to make sure your bike and biking gear are ready for winter. Bikes by wvallen.... more ›

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and... more ›

Obama has done it. Durbin has done it. Now Daley’s gonna do it. The “it” in question? Lobbying for alleged murderer Hans Peterson’s extradition to the United States. The story’s old hat by this point: Peterson supposedly confessed to killing dermatologist Dr. David Cornbleet last October in his office on Michigan Avenue. Unfortunately his confession fell on French ears, as Peterson had fled to the isle of St. Martin, where he invoked his Gallic heritage... more ›

We noticed a short Fran Spielman piece today reminding us about Daley's globe-trotting and found something we didn't expect — bikes! When we first read about Paris's new bicycle initiative, Velib, we salivated. The city peppered the city with more than 20,000 heavy-duty rental bikes in an effort to become a city of bikes. The program almost seems too good to be true. The bikes can be rented from 750 stations throughout the city, free... more ›

Here are some other newsworthy items to ponder while we slap some Tiger Balm on our knees. Serves us right for riding our bikes to Morgan Park and back. Even when being deported, Elvira Arellano can't stop talking. She also got to see her 8-year-old son, Saul, before leaving. He's staying with his grandmother godmother. The "cell-phone bandit?" Now that's a robber with a gimmick. Bond for two men accused of robbing former Bull... more ›