This season —more than ever, given road construction and gas prices!— it makes sense to use your bike as part of your personal transportation plan. As many of us are looking for ways to fit more exercise into our busy lives, biking is a super convenient way get moving, get rid of stress, get from … Read more
This is the first installment in our new series “31 Days to Becoming a Bike Commuter”. Each day we’ll share a post that addresses some some key aspect of bike commuting, so that by the end of the month we will have tackled most of the questions you might have as someone considering giving utilitarian … Read more
Boy, I really needed a day off. Sometimes mild weather in late winter bring a level of busyness to the bike shop that is hard to manage, given our seasonal staffing fluctuations. We end up working long hours on our feet, jumping endlessly from one task to the next, juggling customer requests, vendor orders, phone … Read more
When something sits in front of you every day, it can be easy to forget it’s there at all. On the Northwest Side of Chicago, we have the North Branch Trail, and I am often surprised by how few people have been on it, or ridden its entire length. Some don’t even know about it. … Read more
I’ve been fascinated by Wolf Lake since I was a teenager, but — incredibly — I never visited it until this year. The lake straddles the Illinois-Indiana border, and the tollroad to Indiana Dunes bisects it, offering tantalizing views of wildlife, nature and fishermen on the west side, and massive industry to the east. The … Read more
There’s always the North Branch Trail or the Lakefront, and sometimes the Des Plaines River Trail (when not flooded). But maybe you’ve ridden those, and you want something else. Here are some of our best suggestions for best long bike rides near Chicago, plus several loop trails of 10 miles or more located within a … Read more
Even if you are not terribly mechanically inclined, you can perform a basic bicycle safety check to identify any potential mechanical or safety issues. Here is a simple, step-by-step safety inspection procedure to help you assess the condition of your bike, and spot any problems before they can cause real harm. How to do a … Read more
You probably already know that if you wait until something is grinding, creaking, or coming loose, it’s time to head to the shop right away for some bike repairs. However, by being proactive with regular maintenance, you can forestall unexpected emergencies and potentially pricey component replacements. This post will help you determine the timeframe for … Read more
Bicycle assembly is a time-consuming and skill-intensive activity. Many bike manufacturers, especially those who sell their bikes directly to consumers via the Internet, maintain that their bicycles come pre-assembled, and that bike assembly is a simple as a few turns of a metric allen wrench. Unfortunately, in most cases these bikes come from an assembly … Read more
We spend an inordinate amount of time talking about putting air in bike tires. Why, how much, how often, and how to. We do this because, just when we think we have comprehensively covered this topic, we see people riding around on tires as soft as a stomach-sleeper’s pillow. Putting air in your bicycle tires … Read more