Elgin gearing up for Bike-to-Work Week activities
From staff reports June 8, 2012 2:46PM
Owner Steve Pickett's location of his bike store "The Bike Garage" sits along the bike trail in East Dundee. June 15, 2011 | Michael Smart~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 11, 2012 10:19AM
ELGIN — The Elgin Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will host a series of free Bike-to-Work Week activities this week.
Today, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., a family-friendly bike ride starts and ends at the Elgin Veterans Memorial, just north of Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. The ride follows the Fox River Trail 4.4 miles north to East Dundee’s Dairy Queen and back to the library.
On Monday, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Elgin historian Jerry Turnquist leads a bike tour through some of the city’s newest neighborhoods west of Randall Road. Call 224-234-0234 for meeting sites.
On Tuesday, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., children ages 3 to 10 are invited to bring their own bike and helmet, and meet behind city hall for a bike rodeo with lessons on bike safety.
On Wednesday, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., bike enthusiast Tom Armstrong shares the history of bicycle usage and manufacturing in the Elgin area at Gail Borden Public Library downtown.
On Thursday, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., city council members will host a six-mile bike ride that starts at city hall and ends at Ravenheart Coffee downtown. The ride will weave through northeast and east-side neighborhoods and Lords Park.
Also on Thursday, from 6 to 7 p.m., Stephen Pickett, owner of The Bicycle Garage in East Dundee, will be at the Elgin Harvest Market in the old library parking lot (200 N. Grove Ave.) to offer a workshop on basic maintenance and repair skills to keep your bicycle in good working condition.
On Friday, from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m., X Games medalist Matt Wilhelm performs BMX bike tricks in the old library parking lot.
Also on Friday, from 8 to 9:50 p.m., “The Race Across America: Bicycle Dreams,” a documentary about the epic 3,000-mile bike race from the Pacific to the Atlantic, will be shown in the training room at the Elgin Police Department, 151 Douglas Ave.
On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a bike donation drive by the nonprofit Working Bikes Cooperative will take place outside the main entrance to The Centre, 100 Symphony Way. Working Bikes gives new life to old or unused bikes and independence to underserved communities of Chicago, Africa, and Central and South America.
Also Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m., Tour de Museums, a self-guided family-friendly bike ride, starts at Old Main, 360 Park St., and visits the Elgin Area Historical Society Museum, Elgin Public Museum, Elgin Fire Barn Museum, and District U46 Observatory. Donations are suggested at the museum sites.
On Sunday, June 17, the Village Pedaler, 1954 Gyorr Ave., South Elgin, is home base for the Ride for Life. Registration runs from 6 to 10 a.m. the day of ride. The ride consists of flat to rolling rural roads for the 25- or 60-mile routes or a 15-mile family-friendly route primarily on trails. Riders registering for the 60-mile ride must start by 9 a.m. Riders registering for the 25- and 15-mile rides must start by 10 a.m. Riders must be finished by 3:30 p.m. Pizza and treats await cyclists at the end of the ride. For fees and other information, see www.cityofelgin.org/bikes.
All week, those who bike to Gail Borden’s main library, 270 N. Grove Ave., will get $5 worth of late fees waived and a coupon for a free 8 ounce bottle of water with a purchase from Chicago Gourmet Café. The library also will feature a commuter bicycle display from Main Street Bicycles of Carpentersville.
Other offerings include the Bike Commuter Challenge, with details at www.activetrans.org/commuterchallengeregistration; and the National Bike Challenge, with signup at www.endomondo.com/campaign/national.
