My company, Big Shoulders Realty is sponsoring this year's Pitchfork festival. We are responsible for renting all of the bike racks in the two parking areas, but we decided to do something a little different in order to highlight the diversity of the Chicago Bike Community.

First, we have a bike security booth by the bike parking area. This booth is being operated by members of Break the Gridlock and the Stolen Bike Registry with some help from Big Shoulders Realty and members of the Chainlink, BBC, FBC, Active Transportation Alliance and others. Our goal is to show people the best way to lock up their bikes, the best types of locks to use, etc. There will be lock-cutting demonstrations and loads of information and activities as well as some information about the various bike groups involved in our in-the-park bike tent.

At the Bike tent in the festival itself, we are going to have a booth where Big Shoulders Realty will display our free loaner bikes, talk about and show information on our free monthly neighborhood bike tours, and bicycle-based realty services. More importantly, half of the area will be given over for free to our various friends in the bicycle community of greater Chicagoloand. We are happy to announce the following organizations, clubs and groups that will be joining us at Pitchfork (in alphabetical order)

the Active Transportation Alliance
Break the Gridlock (including Bike Winter, Cycling Sisters, etc.)
the BBC (British Bicycles Chicago)
the chainlink
Chicago Cycling Club
CCACFC (Classic Chicago Architecture Cycling Fan Club)
Eat to Ride, Ride to Eat
FBC
Stolen Bike Registry

If you are out at the Pitchfork Festival next weekend (July 17, 18 and 19), we hope you will stop by and say hello as well as encourage anyone you know attending the event to do the same. Hope to see you all there!


Cheers - Lee Diamond