Odds & Ends

I have several tabs open of things I’ve been meaning to write about, so here ya go:

+My good friend Dru Clark wrote an article on microbreweries in Chicagoland. No mention of Prairie Rock, but oh well. I plan on giving some of those breweries my full support this weekend!

+This car/bike crash happened weeks ago, but I can’t stop thinking about it. If the info in the report is correct, the motorist was at fault yet no citation was issued. Not too sure what I can do about it especially considering I just missed a community police meeting. Any ideas?

+Many members of the Courier News staff won awards recently. Congratulations ladies and gentlemen!

+Tonya of the DNA is going to spend a day a week working at a different downtown Elgin business. Sounds like fun!

+This arrogant Valley View blaming Chicago parents for their children’s poor academic achievement made my blood boil. This one advocating U46 rid itself of bilingual classes definitely didn’t calm me down. Maybe I’ll write a letter to the editor.

Tags: bicycling, bikes, bilingual, cars, Chicago, CMAP, Courier News, crash, DNA, Downtown Neighborhood Association, Dru Clark, Elgin, IL, Illinois, language, spanish, U46, Valley View
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Life in Elgin Photos of the Week, August 3 - 9

Here are the Life in Elgin flickr pool photos of the week, taken August 3 - 9 by members of the flickr group. Click each photo to go to its flickr page.

Photo by James Jordan

Photo by talekinker

Photo by James Jordan

Photo by GtrGeorge

Photo by XPHALCON

Tags: alley, bicycles, bicycling, bikes, blueberries, Elgin, flickr, IL, Illinois, Judson University, photography, photos, stairs, storm, tower
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I hope I don’t get a ticket!

I’ve heard roadies (nickname for serious road bicyclists) brag about times they’ve ridden so fast they’ve actually been breaking the law by going over the speed limit. I could never relate until now! And I present to you, Symphony Way:

Tags: bicycles, bicycling, bikes, Elgin, IL, Illinois, photo, photography, speed limit
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Saturday @ Foxfire Fest

Sorry this is so late! I got caught up reading a hilarious blog called cakewrecks (click it!) and spent up my spare internet time not blogging.

On Saturday August 2nd I showed up at Foxfire Fest pretty early to set up the bike corral. I sat there checking bikes in and out from noon to 2 pm. I got there before the radio people.

A fire truck pulled up and fire fighters hooked it up to a hydrant across the street. The water was used for a game where kids sprayed water at a paint can hanging on a string, seeing who could push it farther.

After my bike corral shift I went to listen to Treologic, a hip hop group from Chicago. They were my favorite musical act of the entire Fest. Anyway, here is a video:

Unfortunately, I was one of the only people in the audience. My guess is that is due to three things: 1) the Courier wrote that the first group started at 4 pm on Saturday and 2) the City of Elgin probably doesn’t know how to promote to hip hop fans 3) 2 pm is way too early for music that mostly attracts young people.

After Treologic I went home and took a nap, which unfortunately caused me to miss Starship. I made it back in time for Blues Traveler, of which I am what you might call a fair weather fan. If they come to my city and play for free, I’ll check em out. Here’s a video:

Finally, the fireworks! Video:

Tags: bicycling, bikes, Blues Traveler, Chicago, Elgin, festival, fire truck, fireworks, Foxfire Fest, hip hop, IL, Illinois, music, photos, Treologic
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Bike to Work Week in Elgin

Come to Harvest Market today! This will be my first time going ever. The Bicycle Garage is putting on a bike clinic at noon as part of Bike to Work Week. Free water bottles and maps will be on hand too.

See you there! Harvest Market is held in Civic Center parking lot, which is downtown at Highland and Douglas.

Tags: Bicycle Garage, bicycling, bike to work week, bikes, Elgin, Harvest Market, IL, Illinois
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How to lock your bike

I’ve been meaning to write about this since I saw the following Police Report in the Courier News: Bikes stolen: Three people told police that bicycles they had locked up at the Pace bus station, 100 W. Chicago St., had been stolen Saturday. The chains securing the bikes to the rack had been cut, they told police.

NEVER EVER EVER LOCK YOUR BIKE UP WITH A CHAIN.
Aside from that I have two other tips:

1) Use a u-lock and put it through your frame and front tire. (Make sure the key is flat and not circular. The circular ones can be picked with a Bic pen.) Here’s what a u-lock looks like:

If you cannot fit the u-lock through both the bike frame while the wheel is in place, remove the wheel from the bike and lock through the frame and wheel that way. If you cannot be bothered to do that, lock through the frame and use a cable ($10 at bike shops) to wind through the u-lock and the wheels.

If for some reason you are against using a u-lock, then get a fat and strong cable lock. Never ever ever use a chain lock. This weekend I saw two bikes locked up with handcuffs. This is another horrible idea that will lead to stolen bikes.

2) Lock your bike to something secure.
There’s no point in having a decent lock if you’re just going to attach your bike to a chain link fence, which can be cut through in seconds. It is also a bad idea to lock a bike to a deck, or anything wooden. Good bike racks are ideal, but railings and street signs (as long as they cannot be lifted out of the ground) also work.

It might sound obvious, but locking your bike to something secure requires locking it, period. I walk around Elgin quite a bit and have seen unlocked bikes sitting on front porches, in driveways, in open garages, in backyards. Unless your bike is in a closed garage, it should still be locked, even on your own property.

Tags: bicycles, bikes, Elgin, IL, Illinois
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