r/chibike

Live in Evanston. Unexpectedly got two tickets to Saturday night's Chicago Fire game. I'm really considering taking my bike and my son's bike on the Metra and biking over to Soldier Field from Ogilvie.

The route looks to be 77% protected bike lanes. Where it's not, I would make us walk our bikes.

Part of me is screaming internally that it's foolish because he's only seven. But, on the other hand, if we only ride in protected lanes... Is it *that* foolish?

So I'm curious if others have done this with their kids or if a consensus emerges that he's too young still.

From experience I can tell you being a teenager in the city is really hard. Everyone is out to get you and automatically assumes the worst, plus there’s nowhere to hang out.

Also it’s good to encourage youth cycling and being social in public. The 606 is a shared, safe place for youngsters and should stay that way. Yadda yadda.

With all that said, man, I’m just trying to get home to my family without breaking my arm. These gd kids have way too much confidence and like 0.001% control. No skill, no awareness, just blind trust that we’ll all look out for them.

And that’s the end of my old-fart rant.

This is a variation on an older chibike thread about legit reasons for ghost riding. The general consensus is to mind your own business but I’m wondering if I missed an opportunity to flag an obvious theft in progress yesterday.

Context:

While biking the lakefront trail around 9pm yesterday, I crossed paths with someone walking in the northbound bike lane. I was headed south and had noticed from a distance that they were walking a bike on their left side (with bike lights on). Was considering asking if they needed any help. When I got closer I saw that this man had a second bike on his right side, missing its front wheel.

We made eye contact bc I had slowed down and I think it was obvious I was checking the second bike out. My brain switched gears from “this person might need help” to “noooope probably nothing good going on here” and I rode past without saying anything.

I started thinking about how much that sucked for whoever must have locked up their bike through its quick release front wheel - in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On the rest of my ride I looked out for an abandoned locked wheel on the racks I passed. I didn’t see anything obvious and talked myself out of thinking the second bike was stolen. By now I’ve talked myself back into it and feel like a dummy who didn’t do the right thing.

Question:

What would you have done? Should I have tried to take a picture? Called 311 or 911 to report suspicious activity?

I’m struggling to come up with an explanation here other than theft. I would like to know that I’m acting appropriately if I ever find myself in a similar situation.

Edit: Thanks all. We can agree that bike thieves suck and also that I am overthinking this. I do try to assume the best of people but yesterday my solo night riding hypervigilance won.

The answer to “What to do?” here is: nothing.

As u/steak5 pointed out there isn’t really anything you can do to affect the outcome if it is a theft. And if you must play the hero with a stranger maybe ask if they need help before assuming anything. There are lots of reasons people might find themselves in this situation.

Title. I used to go to Smart way back in the day but they appear to have closed. Just looking for somewhere I can buy miscellaneous parts, e.g. derailleur cables, to do my own work. Bonus if staff doesn't openly doubt my mechanical aptitude while I am still present.

24M looking for some younger/social group rides around the lakefront this summer. Usually ride around 16 to 19 mph pace and trying to find some chill intermediate groups or weekday rides. Any recommendations?

Hi all - my diamondback hannjo hybrid was stolen last year and I’m desperately trying to replace it (after crying more). I bought it from on the route in 2020 for $800 and they’ve since closed. Where can i find a decently priced hybrid drop bar bike in chicago? What shops do people recommend? Can i find something similiar for a similiar price point? Facebook marketplace has been hit or miss so would like to buy from a shop if possible.

Thinking of swapping my wide flat bars for something more swept back to keep me more upright while riding for a more relaxed fit.
Any recommendations for a shop that will have some options to see for this kind of handlebars?

I’m going to a conference at McCormick Place in July. I’m looking at hotels in Grant Park. The distance is a little shorter than I usually ride to grocery stores, gym, etc in my medium-sized city, and it looks like there’s a greenspace with a path I could use.

Divvy bikes sound bad. Is there a bike shop in that area that would rent to me for less than a week, for a reasonable price?

Has anyone else noticed a disproportionate number of cyclists going the wrong way down a protected lane? Particularly on Dearborn St. north of Kinzie, where the lane goes from bidirectional to one-way.

I keep encountering cyclists coming right at me. I stop cold. Then they stop. I don't move, and I very gently, in a low voice, inform them that it's a one-way lane. (Sometimes I literally point to the one-way arrow painted on the ground.) In most cases, this sets them off, and they get angry and curse me out.

Anyone else experience this?

Is there any enforcement of the law on this, just as there would be for vehicular lanes?

What are the recommended places north of the river to get a good bike fit done? I’ve got an older 80s Le Tour that I use to commute but never got an official bike fit… anyone have suggestions for places that could help me get it dialed in a little better?