Medio-Core Chicago

National Parks

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas Cole: A Distant View of Niagara Falls

The latest Ken Burns documentary is airing on PBS this week (all the past episodes are viewable at pbs.org). The 5th episode is on tonight and I have been glued to my TV set all week. I am amazed and impressed that the unifying argument for creating such areas of the country was "we don't want another Niagara Falls". This was code for anti commercialism and private companies preying on tourists. This is made evident in Thomas Cole's Distant View of Niagara Falls from 1830 (on view at the Art Institute of Chicago: American galleries). He created this painting because as early as 1830 the view was already ruined and wanted to view it as the natives did. The Midwest is really a blessing and a curse as far as the parks are concerned. While located at the center of the country we are relatively close to all of them however none are in our backyard. There are really only 2 National Parks in the Midwest, Isle Royal and Mammoth Cave. Mammoth Cave being the closest at 6hrs from Chicago and Isle Royal is closer to Canada in the middle of Lake Superior. I consider myself to be well traveled I have been to every region of the lower 48 and Alaska along with 4 of the 7 continents. In my adult life I have only been to 2 of our national parks Y0smite and Denali. However watching this series I feel as though I know all of these parks I've never been to. Last nights episode explained why. There was a chapter called Going Home that stated that these places are where we are from, we live in cities but we came from the wilderness so visiting the parks is like going home. A philosophy that maybe a stretch for some. I refer to Shawnee National Forest as my happy place and while climbing is great, the forest speaks to me on a higher level. Last nights episode also talked about collecting parks. A subject of conflict for me. There is an urge to see these places and see them while young. My first National Park was Denali in Alaska. Candidly speaking to a Ranger I was enthusiastically welcomed and told to enjoy this place "while your young". A closer look around revealed a sea of retirees. At the age of 23 I had a good head start that came to a screeching halt when I returned to the Midwest. The day I left Denver for Chicago, 4 years ago this month, my friends invited me on a trip to Moab I was literally at a crossroads. Had west been the choice versus east many more National Parks would likely have been in my future. This makes the hidden gems of the Midwest all the more pertinent. As an Illinois resident I can't help but feel the National Park Service failed my state. As we were busy saving so many majestic places from logging and private investors we let the namesake of my state disappear. Why did the prairie not have an advocate from the plow? Well at least we saved the remaining Indiana Dunes from the steel mills. I hope to see more of my National Parks but for right now the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will have to do.

Jackson Falls

2009-09-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

My happy place was featured in Climbing Magazine this month. Check it out.

Summer Update

2009-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Lets talk about summer. All over the country students are boring their teachers with stories of their summer vacation, why should it stop at grammar school. As I wrote in May I had big plans for summer time. I think I did pretty good. The Midwest Mountain Bike Fest was a success the night ride got rained out and has yet to be rescheduled. I traded the unsupported bike trip of the dunes for human interaction and mountain biking in Central Il. Along with that trip came the Century Ride. Toss in some surprises like white water rafting on the Menomiee River on the Upper Peninsula/Wisconsin border, tons of baseball, Lollapolooza and climbing and I'll say I did summer right.

Vincent is part of the bicycle Co-Op in Urbana and he gave me a tour while I was pretending to be a grad student in July. The shop is in the old mail room of a mall in town you can see what used to be the mail shoot.

Vince wrenchin'

We hit up the MTB trails in Kickapoo State Park on the day of Mark Buehrle's perfect game. These trails are awesome and I highly recommend them. To think the state almost closed this park, tsk tsk on our former Gov.

The bike pic.

It rained for Lollapolooza so we fabed up a fender. The bicycle is the only way to navigate the city especially during major events in Grant Park.

This is St.Joseph in Michigan. A much needed day off after the arduous concert going of Lolla.

The Denver B-Cycle made its way to Chicago. I guess Denver had some issues financing the bikes so we got them for a song. Apparently we have a pilot program going on.
Kenny and I went with the Chicago Mountaineering Club to Devils Lake for some climbing. We got rained out after one climb. We met some great people though and got a great history lesson from all the old timers about the club.

Kenny

The Club

As with every year we make the six hour trek to mecca for some sandstone sport climbing. This year was no different. However the rain forecast scared everyone away and it was empty. It normally feels like summer camp on Labor Day weekend. We got rained on but the tent held up great in some nasty t-storms and still got some amazing climbing in. It is safe to say we own this place now.

End

A Country Mile; How about one hundred.

2009-08-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last year a few friends set out to use our bicycles to their full potential. The plan was made to ride what is known in the bicycle world as a century. One hundred miles atop a bicycle saddle. It was a feat we trained for with marathon like tenacity (see: A Century of Progress). Little did we realize what a thrill it would be, so much in fact that we organized another. A few weeks back as RAGBRAI was finishing up the crew assembled yet once again in Champaign-Urbana, Il for our second century ride. This time with a different flare. The riders were made up of the regular players including, Chris, Vincent, and myself along with the addition of a handful of the best pedal people from the Bike Project, Urbana's own bicycle co-op. Our destination would be a loop out to the Bloomington, Il wind farms and back into town for celebratory suds. Country roads the whole way with the only official route being north west.The night prior was rocked with down pours and thunderstorms, the kind you only get in the country. I got very little sleep. The ride time was pushed back a few hours and we rode out the the meeting point to see who would show up for the late morning departure. Once assembled our bicycle cranks began to turn as we headed west out of town. Seven deep, we began to meet each other while we rode. The state of Iowa was well represented on this tour by Joel and Phil. The regular players plus Frank hail the south suburbs of Chicago, and another character, Anthony, was from the North East. Obviously all bicycle people we had at least one thing in common.
It didn't take long before we were on a bike path in The Lake of Woods park and last nights rain left a slimy coating on the trail that crashed three riders. Some bandaids and gauze cleaned all involved up and we rode on. We got back to the country roads and back to corn and soybean territory now with no set route. As farm land breaks up the roads they come to a T we just turned North or West. The natural heading took us through towns with not even a stop sign much less a convenience store to refuel. Our water bottles were refilled out of water spigots on the sides of churches. Then came the lemonaid stand that we cleaned out. Perfect for our ride little girl lemonaid made with more sugar than lemon. Anthony rolled over something that punctured both tires twice. Four patches and 30min later we rode on. Finally 50 miles out we got to the wind turbines. After relaxing we took a new heading; south and east as we rolled into town about 10 hours of actual time and 7hrs of pedal time. Some of us felt better than others and most of us got back on different bikes to meet and toast to our success.

The Huffy

2009-07-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

You have all seen it. That Huffy mountain bike with full suspension. I would gather that if you look out your front door every kid is out riding one on a nice day. Well I once had one too. Back in the summer of 2004 I was back in the Midwest after working in the mountains for the winter. I was looking for an activity to keep my lifestyle active. My friend Vincent's older brother had given him a nice mountain bike. Any sport with the word mountain in it was gonna do it for me. I had picked up a seasonal job taking tourist photography while also working freelance for production companies. The thing with freelance gigs is that you don't get paid right away. So picture working on a summer job wage and you have an idea as to what my disposable income was like. I had already borrowed my brother's mountain bike that could only be classified as mountain due to its knobby tires. To my brother's disappointment I immediately sheared off a pedal. The next week rolled around and Vincent along with his brother's crew were going back to the forest preserve for the best single track that Cook County had to offer, which mind you is not very arduous. Like a kid whose mom won't let him go out to play, I watched as everyone loaded up their bikes to the racks on their SUV's. Feeling pretty down I pulled out my childhood bike and took a pedal around the subdivision and passed the creek. Growing up you if you needed building supplies for your fort you went to the creek, you could find anything in the creek and after years of living away from home not much had changed, it was still a dumping ground. Cruising by I saw a knobby tire poking out of the silt. As I walked down I saw a pedal too and began digging. To my surprise out came an entire bicycle. The Huffy Vormax appeared like a rusty Lazarus from the dead. I spent the afternoon oiling and scrubbing and pumping up the tires like an A-Team montage, the next week I would ride out with everyone else. Saturday came and it was a perfect day for riding. We met at the trail head and the brands of bikes listed like that of an A-list party. Any one of these bikes would take me months to afford. Dubbed "The Creek Bike" I pulled the Huffy off the bike rack and the car's suspension visibly rose. We shared a good chuckle and hit the trail. I spent the rest of that summer exploring every tucked away single track trail that rumored to be. I raced out of work so I could get in a ten mile loop before the sun went down. I rode that bike until the rear hub exploded. I still ride with the same enthusiasm however my bike is a bit of an upgrade these days I owe a lot to that little bike.

Mass it up.

2009-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Critical Mass bike ride is one of my favorite things to do in the city. For those who aren't savvy to Critical Mass, in just about every major city in the world on the last Friday of the month the bicycle community meets in the town square (in my case Daley Plaza) at 5:30pm and by 6:30pm we all begin to ride around the city for about 3 hours. I began attending this ride when I was new to the city and it was a perfect way to learn the city and meet other bicycle people. The ride has been pretty crappy since Chicago's 10th anniversary of the ride about 2 years ago. However last Friday's ride was stellar. We had well over a thousand people on the ride, great weather, and the police were more agreeable than they have been in recent months. Check it out in your city.

The One Tank Trip: MIdwest Mountain Bike Fest

2009-06-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm coming to understand the Midwest really loves bicycles. It makes sense, the terrain is mostly flat which is conducive to human power. After all this is the home of Schwinn and SRAM. Mountain biking though? Well you have to be dedicated and that dedication can really pay off as it did this weekend. My buddy Chris and I went to the Midwest MTB Fest held in Grand Rapids Michigan. 160 miles away in the trails behind Cannonsburg ski area winding trails with great elevation oh yeah and pollen. The trails are unique in that they are sandy. When the glaciers melted and gave us the Great Lakes they left lots of sand and Michigan is already known for the sand dunes. Well even as far inland as Grand Rapids the soil content is mostly sand. I thought initially all that sand was kicking up into my eyes until I realized it was pollen making my eyes dry and itchy. I also learned that with sand comes erosion The Michigan Mountain Bike Association really has a nonstop job keeping up with both mother nature and a thriving MTB community. We rode the group ride on Sat. and got to know the trails and some other riders. We were told that we had to ride Yankee Springs before we left so we hit that trail the next day. The pollen wasn't nearly as bad and the trails were top notch. The flow was stellar and the elevation was tough complete with hair pin turns and steep drop offs. The single track took us though a pine forest that might as well have been out west somewhere. It was really impressive. Chris got to be Johnny on the spot with an air pump for some fellow riders and with a mile left in the 14 mile loop I broke a chain and had to hike out the remainder. But look on the bright side the last time I hiked out of a trail with my bike I had a mangled arm. It was a great weekend trip that took exactly one tank of gas and figured 22.3 mpg isn't horrible for a 17 year old truck.

I love loading up the bikes and gear.

Our bikes.

This is Chris pointing to where his head smacked the trail.

Yankee Springs Trail

Pines

Now I'm cookin with gas

2009-05-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've been busy workin lately. The fun must come back soon. With a possibility of rain this weekend my climbing plans might get squashed. I have been making due with bicycle action though. I threw a rack on my touring bike and it has been a real mule for me lately.
After a the inaugural ride to the grocery store.

I am really enjoying the rack. I hope I freaked out some drivers.

The summer plans are coming up soon. I have found a route for a dinner/night ride. Super stoked to bring this ride to my Chicagoans from Denver.

View Night Ride in a larger map
I bought some panniers for my bike ride to Indiana Dunes and then off to Warren Dunes in Michigan. I'm still looking for takers on any of these rides. The one Im most psyked for is the Midwest Mountain Bike Fest in Grand Rapids Michigan on the 30th and 31st. And baseball lots of baseball. Let the action start.

More Concert Action

2009-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

I caught The Boss on Tuesday. Yes Bruce Springsteen along with his E-street band. I've never been an arena concert goer. So seeing Springsteen was never super high on my list, although my parents' stories of his concerts really made the idea appealing. I can honestly say that there was not a ounce of disappointment for the entire show. Bruce came out on stage and I thought out loud "thats him" The man the Boss I had no idea I'd be so impressed. He started right in to "Badlands" and for the next three hours I could not stop moving. He played a lot of recent cuts and a pretty sweet cover of "Mony Mony" that seemed unrehearsed along with a completely rockin' "Ghost of Tom Joad". Half way through the show Max Weinberg, the best drummer in rock, (my opinion) leaves the stage so his son could take over. By the end of the tour his son will take over full time so Max can go to The Tonight Show with Conan O' Brian in LA. Let me say the apple did not fall far from the tree 'cause that kid killed it, he was awesome. The band played "Born to Run" as a final song, before the encores, and the United Center went ape shit. It was the Coolest show I have ever been to. Kudos to Janine for knowing how sweet the Boss is in person.

Rock N Roll weekend

2009-04-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Neko Case

The weekend passed with much fan fare. Friday my insatiable appetite for Neko Case was fed at the Chicago Theater. Truly an elegant setting for for a woman of such punk rock roots. Gone are the days of the intimate settings of Shubas (seating around 500?) and possibly the mid sized venue too as she sold out the cavernous auditorium. She played through her new album Middle Cyclone and mixed in some previous singles too. Kelly Hogan kept the banter coming while Neko kept uncharacteristically quiet for the majority of the show. However along with Jon Rauhous on steel pedal and the rest of the band Neko sounded the best I've ever heard. The only issue I had was my confinement to my seat but I know Ill be dancing when I see her in Grant Park this summer.

M Ward

On to show number two on Sunday. M Ward a singer Nick turned me on to last year when he made me a CD for my 18 hour drive across the heartland. Since then yet another Nick that I work with has been playing the man nonstop here at work so we all caught him at the Vic. The show had some high energy mixed with slow deep rhythms. In the middle he donned a harmonica sans band and did his best Bob Dylan. He ended his set with a rockabilly feel and had the story ended there it would have been fine. However the Rock N Roller that she is Janine took us all to the only decent dive bar in the area for PBR's and in walks the opening band, The Watson Twins. Upon realizing this we notice that we were sitting nixt to M Ward at the bar the entire time. Janine splits to talk to the Watson Twins and leaves me to buy M Ward a beer and have a good long conversation with the man. To top it off when I tell him I work at the Art Insitiute he introduces me to his friends as such "this is Tommy he works at the Art Museum" I had to reply "hey man you make great music, your job is way cooler". If that is not a Rock N Roll weekend I don't know what is.

March right into April

2009-04-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Denver Art Museum

March turned out to be a fantastic month. I took a few days off and got out to the city I cheat on Chicago with. Denver. Make no bones about it its a great city. I get the local treatment every time I'm there thanks to Nick and his crew. I got to drop in on former ski bum Amy and talk about the old times. Then who would have thought that snow would put a damper on a Colorado vacation. It dumped like 17" in the front range and kept us from climbing and some mountain biking. Oh well we'll hit it next time. I did get to socialize at St.Marks Coffee House and have a drink at the Thin Man. Two primo spots for good culture. We hit up some thrift stores for wacky 70's garb to sport at some clubs. The Denver Art Museum was also visited. Finally it was all toped off with a night ride out to Morrison. This was truly the tops of the trip. We took the Platte River bike trail out 20 miles at about 7pm and leisurely rolled into the Morrison Inn for chow at 10:30 pm. We were 6 deep with tunes commin from Josh's ghetto blaster and blinky lights all around. We got back into Denver about 1am and it couldnt have been more fun.

The Crew at Cheeseman Park.

Josh's ghetto blaster ipod rig.

Chowin' down at Morrison Inn.

The Crew half way home.

Parade Day, March 15th

2009-03-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

The time is upon us to celebrate Ol' St Patrick. Chicago does this the best of any town I have ever lived in. This is truly my favorite thing to do in this city. I grew up in the south burbs and was extremely surprised when I went to High School in the heart of the South Side Irish and realized what an Irish last name got you. Truth be told I held reservation to a lot of it but I did take a healthy understanding of what it meant to be Irish in Chicago. I had classmates that were first generation and two that were off the boat. Heritage was held in high regard. All month long my friends would come to school and share the mother's soda bread, one cafeteria lady made enough to pass out for here entire shift. The culmination of all this pride was the South Side Irish Parade. Know affectionately as "Parade day", as if there are no other parades all year long not to mention the "official" St. Patrick's day parade donwtown.
As a young adult I ended up on the south side to finish up college and reintroduced my self to the culture that some of the Irish exchange students found amusing. I drank on Western Ave. and still do. I can't order a Guinness with out wanting "Irish Steve" to be siting across from me. I've had an honest to goodness "tru a lou a lou" night with an Irishman named Marty after the pub closed and the barkeep just didn't want to go home.

Into adulthood Irish Chicago has put its mark on me I attended the Young Irish Fellowship Ball this year, I'm a regular at Old St. Pat's Parish, and I now run into my kid sister at my old watering holes and tell her stories about the pubs that have closed down. I had know idea how deep in this culture I had become until the local PBS station did a story on Irish Chicago this month. I recognized or talked to just about everyone of the people they had interviewed. Every year the parade means something different to me. Last year was the first year I was able to go in a long time so there was nostalgic feel to it and this year I think it will be a nice celebration. So make your plans and come on out for all the good fun next year I haven't shown off the parade to an out of towner in a long time.

Dragons, Eggrolls, and The Ox

2009-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

China Town

Chinese New year was at the beginning of the month so we celebrate the year of the Ox. It has been a while since I've celebrated the event however it has always been a blast. This year I also got to help my friend Dan with an inaugural web series about Chicago todos. This todo was the Chinese New year parade. I have never been to it before and we had a blast. We started the day with cameras and mics while getting an early jump on the local media crews. It seemed like after every spot we set up to shoot other camera crews followed I think we got the best footage. Check out how the episode turned out at my buddy's site In Your Face Chicago
Here are some pics from Chinatown.

Its not a Chicago parade without the Emerald Society

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2009-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

There are more that one lift but a detachable quad is hard to come by out here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was Monday so I took the advantage of my day off by hitting the slopes. This is probably the busiest ski weekend in the midwest. I do feel guilty that I participated in something so culturally white on a day that celebrates diversity and unity. I suppose a bit of deep reflection will relieve that. I took off at 9am for Cascade Mt. I consider this to be the best skiing within a two hundred mile radius of Chicago. At about 3hours of speed limit driving I arrived at noon which gives me plenty of time to enjoy what 500 ft of elevation has to offer. Plus lifts don't close till 9pm so I can enjoy some ill advised night skiing too. The lift lines were crowded but speedy for the high speed detachable quad (it's a Doppelmeier) but the slower chairs were no wait. I don't mind lift lines now it breaks up the day so I don't get the "go up, go down" feeling. This resort stands out above the rest in two ways the runs are wide broken up by pines but the number one sell are honest to goodness tree runs. I've been coming here for a few seasons now and there must never have been enough natural snow to fill the trees cause it was a first for me. Tree runs are going to be challenging any where you go and these were top notch. Even the pitch of the slope was good. Other snow conditions were pretty run out with ice patches here and there and then we got some fresh and conditions got better. Considering everything is relative it was a challenging afternoon. The drive home was slower than usual but not crawling.

Base of Cascade Mt. elevation is 820 feet.
Peak elevation is 1,280 feet.
Vertical drop is 460 feet.
There are 160 skiable acres.

The view looking down at the middle of the run.

The view looking up.

Ahh Wisconsin.

Temps plunge and push me forward

2009-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yeah the needle has dropped into the danger zone and the daily rags are lovin' it. The Trib has a clock timing how long we have been below zero and all the other news outlets are covering the same story. The artic blast has made for some great pictures though my favorite this one with the cyclist:Yes I was one of these hooligans on two wheels that walked into work holding my goggles and ski helmet under my arm through a chorus of people saying "you didn't?!", "did you ride today?", and smiles and shaking heads while ice drips off my mustache. I tell you not much can make you feel more alive than battling mother nature. Granted she takes it easy on me but it is fun none the less.

Year end wrap up.

2008-12-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Who knew a digital camera would make such a difference in how and what I take pictures of. I'm rarely without my camera these days, much to thank to this outlet of expression. Not since my college radio show have I had so much fun being creative. In many ways this blog is a kin to my radio show. What I write here is the same banter that would go out on the airwaves, instead of music I have pictures to accompany my meaningless rambles and comments substitute for call in requests.

I did some pretty cool stuff this year and Chicago never ceases to amaze me. In February I committed myself to bicycle commuting every day and stopped making excuses for using public transit. By my first snow filled commute I was hooked.

I then realized a dream of mine since I began traveling in life post college. I freakin went to Australia and New Zealand and what a ride it was. The best mountain biking I've ever done was out there and I hit the local trails all the more this season because of it.

The Homer-Hopper exhibit came to town and I think the entire Midwest came with it. By far the most crowded exhibit I've been to and the best in regards to artworks.

Summer was filled with weddings and baseball and Tour de Fat. The pinnacle had to be the century ride that I shared with the best friends around.It was a slow Autumn for climbing but still managed to progress my skills. I hit the single track hard though and finally learned the Palos trail network.

Some gazebo action and a ton of commuting bring us all up to date.The Podcast was great so look for more to come I'm working on one more now and how 'bout some Midwest ski hills too. Stay tuned its all out here you just have to look a little harder.

Snowy Commute

2008-12-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Chicago got hit with our biggest snow of the season and it came just in time for the evening rush hour. The streets were horrible and four wheel traffic took hours to get anywhere. As I crossed Lake Shore Drive on Monroe st some one in a car that hadn't moved for two lights gave me the thumbs up and a fist pump. Its nice to have a cheering section. The lake front path wasn't plowed but the skinny tires cut like a knife through powder drifts anyway so it rode pretty nice. I followed one other track for most of the ride and it belonged to a guy I work with that lives in my neighborhood. I finally caught up to him and we cruised as a pair for a while but I had to keep a faster pace in order to stay upright so we split once we got on the city streets. All in all I think it took me an extra 20 to 30min to get home and my cruiser was a snow covered badge of honor. Enjoy the pics.

Frightful, Frigid,Freakin Freezin.

2008-12-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Holy crap its cold out there. I pedaled in today and to my amazement three other people biked in too. Im so proud of my work bike rack. I wish I could say the same for the city streets. For those who don't know in an order to save money this year public works (or should I say public "works") is not salting any side streets in Chicago and my block looked like the Blackhawks could have played the winter classic in Pilsen instead of Wrigleyville this morning. The attire for riding in consisted of fleece lined cycling bibs, two layers of socks, and my Dickies over it all from the waist down. My torso was covered by a cycling jerzy a long sleeved t-shirt and a fleece jacket while my ski coat covered it all. Neck gator, beanie and gloves keeping their respective parts warm. I cant wait to pedal home.

Winter Biking

2008-12-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

We have snow today. Not much can make you feel more alive that sliding on the snow and avoiding city traffic. Today marks the first day of cycling on city streets in the snow. In previous seasons I was situated on the Lakefront path which surprisingly is plowed regularly. This year I live a few miles inland and the snowy commute is very different. Most notable being the wetness factor. The whole point of plowing and salting is to achieve the slurry mix that keeps snow-melt from turning to ice. This makes for a wet ride. On the path there was no slurry so my feet kept dry. Not the case while in the presence of cars and buses. I knew I had it good on the path.

View Larger Map

Old Route vs New Route
map is interactive

A Collective of Inspiration

2008-11-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

Its no secret that the most influential time in my life was spent bumming around a town in Summit County, Colorado. Breckenridge is still a place that I retreat to, at least in my mind I haven't step foot in the town in since I made a few recordings of some fellow ski bums. That was in 2005. When I'm in need of some inspiration or motivation I revisit these recordings. I know them inside and out. There are 3 different versions that have been edited each reflecting my state of being at the time. The friends that I were able to document for this piece share a collective experience and their stories are powerful enough to stand alone. The fact of the matter is I've listened to them a lot and Nick's story is so good that I found myself repeating his contagious laugh on occasion. I'd like to give a special thank you to Nick Bohnenkamp, Richard Walford, and Amy Geers for yapping in front of a mic for me. Thanks and enjoy. (Approx 14min)

Download Tommy Riley - Breck Documentary

Keep It Going

2008-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

The temp is dropping out in the mid-west. North west Indiana got hit with snow today and the mercury in Chicago feels like December. Surprisingly the bike rack at work is still being used. Last winter there were four bikes that rocked the house all winter I'm hoping to see two more out there this season. There was a great article in the Tribune about cycling in the winter yesterday. It was a good how-to and talked about what to wear. The main bullet was that the key to cycling is momentum so keep going and stay motivated. I found motivation in a sweet upright bike storage rack. A few months ago I cruised past a garage sale and saw a few bikes littering the lawn so naturally I stopped to check for some suburban gems. The bikes were decent but lying on the grass was an aluminum pole that the guy thought was a coat rack. It had a $3.00 sticker on it. Not wanting to drop $90 clams on a new one I was gonna build one out of 2X4's. Well it just so happened I had 3 bucks and in the back of the truck it went.

Hanging like that they just beg to be ridden.

The City in Photos

2008-10-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

The view from 18th St. Bridge on the way home. This bridge is in one of the shots in the latest Batman movie.

One look at the photos in this site and clearly my favorite subject is the city skyline. Come to think of it my entire portfolio is skyline heavy. When I moved from Hyde Park to Pilsen my bicycle commute changed from lakefront views to riverfront views. Along with the river comes bridges and Chicago has the most movable bridges in the world. On my commute alone I can see 5 and use 2, Roosevelt on the way in and 18th on the way home. The movable bridges are mostly cheese greater style but the new ones have a paved bike lane on the side (below).

Roosevelt (12th St) looking north on my way in.

I was thinking the other day that I pass some pretty cool stuff in my city so I took some time to document my daily ride. Enjoy.Looking south from 18th St.

Commuter rail yard.

Soldier Field. Bear Down Chicago Bears.

My cruiser.

On The Road in the City of Big Shoulders

2008-10-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Jack Kerouac's famous novel which has influenced and inspired so many since it was written has graced Chicago with its presence. Kerouac wrote the "On the Road" on a single scroll 50 years ago. I was enlightened to the tour when the manuscript came to the Denver Public Library in 2007. I read about it on my friend's blog: Denver Dirtbagger his personal account of the book is a far better tale than mine ever could be. The novel also gets a nod in his latest article for the Mountain Gazette The Lost Art of Road Tripping. After reading The Lost Art of Road Tripping I was reminded that Columbia College was bringing the scroll to the Chicago Center for Book & Paper Arts. On my lunch hour that day I took a nice long walk to find the building and have a see for myself. Admittedly, the spur of the moment escapade made a powerful experience for myself. I have never read "On The Road", meaning to in college I purchased Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent instead. Still I was blown away by the exhibit. It also came to my attention that there was a unique opportunity in front of me, the ability to read his first non-edited lines. I was able to read until Alan Ginsberg appears before I had to go back to work. The rest of the day was filled with awe. The quintessential road trip book is a few blocks away from where the Mother Road begins. Check it out its at Columbia College until November 30.

The scroll on display is about 50 feet long and under glass. Sorry no photography is allowed.

Gaper Bike

2008-10-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Back in my ski resort days we had a term for tourists with out of date gear, and folks that wore bluejeans on the slopes. That term was "Gaper" and traditionally April fools day was gaper day. This is a day for "locals" to beat their chests in superiority by dressing up as a tourist. The coveted neon one-si made any local king of gaper day. If there were a gaper day for the MTB world this would be priceless of course this yahoo seems to think a couple grand is reasonable.

Beware of the windowless work van

2008-10-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

I encountered a first on my bicycle commute to work a few days ago. I got something thrown at me. As of late I've been feeling a tad confrontational on the road. When I got honked at I'd give a stink eye or when a car would purposely gun past me without sharing the lane my tall finger would appear in all its glory. More times than not shouting match ensued and I was swerved at a few times. I decided that all I was achieving was an adrenaline rush and a sky high heart rate so I chilled out and went to my happy place and had a few weeks of zen commuting. The other day in a construction zone in the Loop I got zipped past by a work van. It scared the shit out of me and I gave in to a shouting match and was swerved at then while 2 lanes away a cardboard box was tossed out the passenger window and fell to the street. Really..? I'm going to get crap thrown at me. Ridiculous. Maybe a new route is in order to limit my Loop time travel.