Elgin Bike-to-Work Week, August 2-8

Here is the Bike-to-Work Week description cut and pasted from the City of Elgin’s website:

The Elgin Community Network (ECN) with co-sponsors, The Bicycle Garage (Carpentersville) and The City of Elgin are planning a series of events to help make Elgin’s first annual Bike to Work Week, August 2-8, a success. During the week of August 4 through 8, showers will be available at the Centre of Elgin for those who commute to work in the downtown area on their bikes. The ECN will provide free, secure bike parking for those who ride to the Fox Fire Fest on Saturday and Sunday. On August 7, The Bicycle Garage will host a free bike clinic at the Harvest Market for those who would like to maintain their own bikes. The City of Elgin will provide a free lunch on Friday August 8 for the bike commuters who track the miles and days they commuted to work.

Free, reusable water bottles will be given at the bike corral, the bike clinic, and the Friday lunch. For more information, contact Carl Missele at 847-741-0825 or e-mail cmissele35@wowway.com.

Tags: bicycles, bicycling, bike, bike to work week, bikes, Elgin, fun, IL, Illinois
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Elgin Community Network

Remember when I told you I went to DNA’s Out to Lunch and might’ve happened upon a cool opportunity? Well that opportunity was the Elgin Community Network, and now I am on their board! I’ve been meaning to mention this for a couple months, but was too lazy to write up a description of the organization.

They have a website now, so I don’t have to write a description! Click here to visit the brand spanking new Elgin Community Network website and check out who we are, and what we do.

My main role right now is to find ways to promote safe bicycling in Elgin, and the first thing we’re doing is an Elgin Bike-to-Work Week August 2-8th. Click here for more details!

Tags: bicycles, bicycling, bike, bike to work week, bikes, DNA, Downtown Neighborhood Association, ECN, Elgin, Elgin Community Network, IL, Illinois, Out to Lunch, website
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My Life in Elgin Update

The entire point of this blog is for me to write about my life in Elgin, but I haven’t been doing that lately! Partly because of some bad news I’ve been in denial about: MY CAMERA IS BROKEN. Still, without photos I can give you a quick rundown of what my summer in Elgin has been like so far:

*A fair amount of eating at Al’s Cafe with a couple of trips to In the Neighborhood mixed in for good measure.

*Bike rides up and down the Fox River Trail.

*Quality strolls around Festival Park. How fun it is to see all the kids running through the water! Also, my new favorite past time is to call out to ducks in the Fox River. Some of them talk back!

*To be honest, probably a few too many nights imbibing while listening to bands or playing video bowling at the Gasthaus, mixed in with a few nights of talking over drinks at Elgin Public House and Prairie Rock Brewery.

*Thrift shopping for fun summer clothes at Elgin’s Village Discount and South Elgin’s Goodwill.

*Going to my first Bandits softball game. If you go, do it on a Friday! The fireworks are unbelievable and rival those from the 4th!

I also participated in Elgin’s Amazin’ Race and attended Brewfest and went out of town a couple of times. The summer is just speeding by!

Tags: Al's Cafe, Bandits, bicycles, bike, bikes, Brewfest, camera, Downtown Neighborhood Association, Elgin, Elgin Amazin' Race, Elgin Public House, Festival Park, fireworks, Fox River, Fox River Trail, Gasthaus, goodwill, IL, Illinois, In the Neighborhood, Judson, Prairie Rock Brewery, Shopping, softball, village discount
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I’m back!

I spent last week riding my bike around Illinois like a mad woman. (Photos and a description to follow.) Tonight as I catch up on Elgin news I find out two bicyclists were hit by cars in Elgin while I was gone! One is only twelve and the driver who hit him ran (boo!) and the other is a teenager who the Courier refers to as a pedestrian. (Bicyclists are not pedestrians!)

The good news is that neither of these bicyclists were seriously injured. Maybe this can start a conversation in Elgin about what needs to happen so bicyclists and motorists can share the road together safely.

Tags: accident, bicycle, bike, Courier News, crash, Elgin, hit and run, Illinois, police report
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Fox River Trail South to IL Prairie Path

A couple of weeks ago I rode my bike south on the Fox River Trail and then on the Illinois Prairie Path (my first time!). Here is a video of some geese that blocked the path while I was still in Elgin:

An “information” sign on the Prairie Path. It must be some sort of koan.

The sign welcoming me to DuPage County.

A video of a man-made waterfall in Wayne:

Tags: bicycle, bike, DuPage County, Elgin, Fox River, geese, goose, IL, Illinois, Prairie Path, Pratt Woods, trail, waterfall, Wayne
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