Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on July 28, 2011 at 10:14am

Mokena, bike shop desert. I'd would be down for doing this in my community.

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Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on July 28, 2011 at 10:25am

Yeah, bike shop deserts are almost as big an issue in Chicago as food deserts. Even counting the great work done by Blackstone Bicycle Works and Working Bikes, there are big swaths of the South Side and West Side where you have to travel miles to find a place to get a flat fix. That's a big deterrent to cycling in many neighborhoods where residents need more choices for affordable transportation.

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on July 28, 2011 at 5:00pm

Ill be honest, I didnt think the guy had much that was terribly insightul to say judging from the article, most of the answers seemed pretty vanilla.  The most interesting thing I took from it was that apparently Minneapolis is more of a bike town then I realized and I should read up on it.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Bracht on July 28, 2011 at 6:27pm

Minneapolis is a great bike town. It is however more difficult to meet other bikers in Minneapolis. Chicago is socially the best bike city in North America in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by John Greenfield on July 28, 2011 at 6:59pm

Haven't been to the Twins for a couple years but I'm going next month. I'll try to give a report on Grid Chicago.

 

From what I've read, MNPLS is great for useful off-street commuting trails, has a good bike-share system and lots of interesting bike-y businesses, like coffee shops where you can get your bike tuned.

 

I've also heard that flip side of the Twin Cities friendliness called "Minnesota nice,"

is "Minnesota ice" - unlike Chicago you'll never feel like a local if you weren't born there, since many Minnesota residents are lifers.

 

 

 

Paul Bracht said:

Minneapolis is a great bike town. It is however more difficult to meet other bikers in Minneapolis. Chicago is socially the best bike city in North America in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on July 29, 2011 at 1:59am

Yah I have a few friends from Minneapolis - they have lived in Chicago for a long time but both take a lot of trips back home and talk frequently about their home town and how great it is; I get the feeling they would rather be there if it werent for the good jobs they have here.  

 

I look forward to reading your report after your trip John.  If I might make a request an update on the Blaine velodrome would be nice as well - its the country's only wooden outdoor track (I think?)...just north of Minneapolis.

John Greenfield said:

Haven't been to the Twins for a couple years but I'm going next month. I'll try to give a report on Grid Chicago.

 

From what I've read, MNPLS is great for useful off-street commuting trails, has a good bike-share system and lots of interesting bike-y businesses, like coffee shops where you can get your bike tuned.

 

I've also heard that flip side of the Twin Cities friendliness called "Minnesota nice,"

is "Minnesota ice" - unlike Chicago you'll never feel like a local if you weren't born there, since many Minnesota residents are lifers.

 

 

 

Paul Bracht said:

Minneapolis is a great bike town. It is however more difficult to meet other bikers in Minneapolis. Chicago is socially the best bike city in North America in my opinion.

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