What Are You Thankful For?

Ok, another year has passed, more miles have been put on my bike. It's Thanksgiving time which is such a good time to think about what we are all most thankful for... 

I put in nearly one year of living bike-only. Sure, my mechanic scolded me for neglecting my car but I began to view Chicago from the perspective of being on two-wheels. It was a most lovely year. 

Now that I'm in D.C. and compare it to Chicago? I'm super grateful for the extensive infrastructure in my favorite Midwestern city. Being in D.C., I see so many cyclists every day riding in between lanes/cars. Being put in situations that I never dealt with in Chicago. One of my first rides on the street, following Google maps bike route, I pretty nearly got smushed by an SUV that was entirely unpredictable in a way I couldn't anticipate. I really feel a deep appreciation for all of the work bike advocacy e.g. Active Trans, Ride Illinois, etc. have done. I now feel Chicago deserved a #1 friendliest bike city. Sure, we have neighborhoods and drivers that put our city in a "needs improvement" but boy do I miss those Chicago bike lanes. 

Ok, so what are you most thankful for?

It can be a piece of gear, your commute, a sunny day, local bike shop, favorite bike, your favorite ride/century/race. Anything is game!

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Permalink Reply by Marcelo Marcos on November 20, 2017 at 3:41pm

Thankful for snow thinning out the crowds in the trails and getting rid of all the bugs, specially when camping :) Looking forward to it, finally. 

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on November 21, 2017 at 5:40am

It's been nearly a year since I decided to ditch the CTA, and start using Divvy for my morning and afternoon commutes. Frankly, I'm thankful for simply being alive. I've had more close calls with crazy drivers and pedestrians than I can count. While the bike infrastructure is better than in most cities, it certainly has a ways to go.

The worst part is the lack of enforcement against stopping/standing/parking in the bike lanes. I feel like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. I've submitted over 250 311 reports since April, and nothing feels like it has changed, or will change.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on November 22, 2017 at 2:16am

Thanks for submitting over 250 reports. I'm grateful people you took the time out of your day to report issues. I agree with you - Chicago does have a long way to go with accepting cyclists, enforcement, and respecting the bike lanes.

Permalink Reply by Dave Jacque on November 21, 2017 at 6:24am

I'm thankful for good health and the many, many great bike trails in the area, from the Prairie Path to the 606. This is a great place to ride a bicycle. Even in the winter, sometimes.

Also, shout-out to Basil and Kyle at Spokes for keeping the fleet in tip-top shape. Usually by undoing my clumsy repair mistakes ;-)

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on November 21, 2017 at 8:24am

The Chainlink!

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on November 22, 2017 at 2:16am

awwww, thanks :-)

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on November 21, 2017 at 10:30am

I'm thankful for all the bicycle infrastructure Chicago has installed since I began riding in 2011. I hope the momentum continues and we get more Chicagoans to start cycling!

I'm also thankful for the Chainlink, a great place for cycling Chicagoans to communicate.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on November 22, 2017 at 2:16am

so nice! Thank you! :-)

Permalink Reply by David Barish on November 21, 2017 at 10:46am

1. The First Amendment protecting freedom of speech  and  freedom of the press.

2. Waterproof  breathable  gloves. How did I  go all these years without  them?

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on November 21, 2017 at 8:20pm

I'm thankful for Craigslist.  It has allowed me to buy some reasonably priced, but decent quality, bikes and bike parts that have given me joy over the many years.  

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on November 22, 2017 at 4:14am

Good one. :) This has been a fun thread!

Permalink Reply by Caiken on November 22, 2017 at 4:55am

Oof, so many end of year and transitional feels, I could make the longest list! So I'll try and keep it to the recents: 

Big! Marsh! Park! I feel so honored I got to be a part of this process to make it what it is and what it will be while in my professional capacity, and since opening day through til this Friday, I've been so happy that it exists. I remember being a newbie person on a bike when I moved back to Chicago like, eight years ago?, and "exploring" (aka getting lost) on my way to/back from Wolf Lake, and thinking, this is a slag heap, huh. There's still work to be done, but what an incredible place. I blame it for my entrance into MTB and have spent some really nice summer evenings down there (also thankful for the Jeffery Jump which drops you right off at the door!) just bonking around the single-track and practicing my handling on the pump track. The work being done there is hard and I'm grateful to Friends of Big Marsh for being so, so involved. I can't wait for Friday's race and to see how amazing its going to be - now let's work together so that our neighbors and everyone can access it without, you know, being mowed down on 103rd!

My 510 Freeriders. They're so cool and great. My tiny rigid hardtail and the ever more versatile Aurora I own. Bikes are great. Those Honey Stinger Waffles, what a gamechanger. 

And finally, and more intentionally, all of the WTF and especially women of color bike advocates I've been able to build relationships and encounter over my years exploring the bike scene. From community builders like Yasmeen, and neighborhood advocates like Deloris Lucas and Angela Ford, to the ladies holding down the fort at WTB and WB (Danni, Maja, I see you) to ladies kicking bike polo butt and repping around the city, to the WTF messengers gettin' it done in the face of a ton of BS, to all the women racing with arms open to all, to the encouragement of the Single Speed Gravel Crew, to all the others who have really, really inspired me, even if you've burnt out, even if you left town (God, where do I start?), even in the face of predatory and just garbage behavior tolerated in our community, no matter what nonsense continues to stand in our way, I've been lucky to meet many of you and try and get myself better. Thank God for y'all.

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