Vincent, W Lake St & N State St, Chicago, IL

Vincent rides a 12-year-old Trek hybrid from the Village Cycle Center

Tell me about your bike and where you got it?  My bike is a 12-year-old Trek hybrid, bought at Village Cycle Center on Wells Street in Chicago. 

What are you wearing?  Black 501 Levi's,brown tweed sport coat, denim button down shirt, olive green crew neck, and brown casual Allen Edmonds oxfords.

Why ride?  It's cheap, it's fun, and (in downtown Chicago, which is where I live) it gets me from here to there very quickly.

Favorite ride?  For an enjoyable (and very strenuous, if I choose to push the pace) ride, I like to head south to Chicago's Hyde Park and back, along the Lake Michigan shoreline's bike path.

While riding . . . I just let my mind float -- sort of like a meditative journey on two wheels.

How can Chicago improve bike infrastructure or make Chicago more bike friendly?  Use European cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Stockholm as models, and physically separate bike lanes from motor vehicle traffic -- not just paint lines on street surfaces.

Any other ways we can promote biking?  I think all sizable US cities should host "criterium" bike races on their downtown streets every year.  These races -- some of whose competitors are world class professional bike racers -- are very exciting, and they add variety to a city's enjoyable downtown attractions. 

Allison, W Cornelia Ave & N Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL

Where are you going?? I am headed home. Tell me more about your bike and where you got it?  I ride a Trek 7500 Dark Green & Silver w/leather finishes on handle bars & seat; Village Cycle Center on Wells.

What are you wearing?  I'm wearing two old sweaters that for some reason stay in my closet year after year; Tunic from Target w/t-shirt underneath; La Canadienne Boots that I live in.

Why ride?  Even though my car is a hybrid, I love the true eco-friendly & economical approach to riding my bike. I love the idea that my foot print (or should I say my tire track) is much smaller when I set out on a ride. If only all of us could ride a bike, one day a year, I can only imagine the environmental impact that could make . . . I can dream . . .

 Favorite ride?  My favorite ride is any ride ~ but if I have to pick a favorite, I’d have to say the bike ride I took last year while I was in St. George UT. It was an early morning ride through the Santa Clara River Valley & it was AMAZING! The weather was perfect & the scenery was gorgeous. The first hill I went down was scary as we were probably going about 30 – 40 mph, but after I got my bearings, it was awesome. Of course, climbing the hill was another story!

While riding?...  Smile!!!

How can Chicago improve bike infrastructure or make Chicago more bike friendly?  Chicago has to create a bike infrastructure first, then we can talk about how to improve it . . .

Mia, W Grand Ave & N Halsted St, Chicago, IL

Mia rides a a Gary Fisher Simple City 3 from Village Cycle Center in Old Town

Where are you going? To work - my office is across from the Merchandise Mart 
Why ride? Why not ride? Riding my bike to and from work automatically puts me in a better mood for the whole day. It just makes me really happy. Of course there are a ton of environmental and health benefits to biking, but I do it just because I love it.
Favorite ride? Oh that's a hard one because there are so many good ones in Chicago! I like riding around the industrial side of the West Loop late at night. And last year my boyfriend and I rode up the the Botanical Gardens from our apartment in Wicker Park, that was pretty amazing.
While riding you …? Smile.
How can Chicago improve bike infrastructure or make Chicago more bike friendly? Bike lanes bike lanes bike lanes! It's always such a bummer to turn on to a street just to realize there is no bike lane.