The wheel power to change

“Chicago and really the world at large would be a much better place if people rode bikes to get around. I think if you have a bicycle you can be part of that,” said Alex Wilson, 45, founder and executive director of West Town Bikes, a nonprofit focused on promoting cycling.

His organization offers free bike programs to more than 1,000 youth [per year on bike maintenance and repair, safe cycling, health and wellness, and environmental and social responsibility. For example, the organization started an after-school program with six schools near The 606 path to introduce them to biking in the neighborhood and to help instill a sense of ownership of the trail.

Wilson uses bikes as a tool to help build community and teach a lesson on how to accomplish goals by taking simple steps. If children are taught to fix and ride bikes, they can ride to school or have a job opportunity, he said. They go on field trips riding to colleges and universities, exposing students to different campuses that are accessible.

Cyclists can discover the city in ways they wouldn’t otherwise if driving a car, he said. They might choose a more comfortable route than the fastest and shortest way.

“If I’m on a bike, I’m more likely, more prone to get off the beaten path and go more deeply into Chicago neighborhoods,” Wilson said.

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