Emily Thornton is a confident young woman making her way in Chicago - literally by bicycle. Last summer, she relocated to Chicago from central Missouri and has embraced bike commuting. This past winter she averaged 20 miles per day biking to her job in the Streeterville neighborhood.

Her no-nonsense approach to biking "it's a great way to maintain a budget" reflects the practical attitude of the Midwestern city she now calls home.  I recently met with Emily at a nearby Whole Foods coffee bar to hear her story. 

As the Publicity Coordinator for the  Prairie Cycle Club, Daniella Birch is always thinking about how to get more people involved in riding. A biker for 10 years, she has expanded her notion of what's possible on a bike as her confidence has grown. Today, as a member of a Community Support Agriculture (CSA), she does not hesitate to ride 20 miles to buy eggs from a local farmer.  

As her confidence and love of biking has grown, so has her commitment to helping others see and experience the benefits of biking.  Daniella recent.y shared with me her motivation for riding and her efforts to share this with others. 

Meet Waymond Smith - avid recreational cyclist, bike commuter and volunteer for youth bike programs. Riding since he was a child, he has been a year round commuter for 15 years. Active in bike touring, he has ridden the  Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) 7 times. as well as numerous recreation rides on the weekends. 

He used to commute to work by bike from Hyde Park to Skokie - a 40 mile round-trip ride, year-round. A real commitment!  Now retired, he volunteers at  Working Bikes and uses his bike to get around town and explore different neighborhoods. Despite some the challenges he has experienced, Waymond's passion for riding is undimmed.

It is estimated that over 1.5 million bicycles are stolen every year (National Bike Registry). Who doesn't know someone whose bike was taken? Sadly, my wife has had two bikes stolen in Chicago. 

So what's an average rider to do? Carry three locks and mount a camera on your bike? I took a hard look at the data behind stolen bikes to understand better what's going on. And more importantly, what good practices you can use to minimize the chances of your bike getting stolen. 

Neutral Cycle was started in 2008 in a run-down garage by founder Tim Chao who was a student at the University of Illinois. Located one-block from campus, the “shop” served students and families in the neighborhood. It was basically a repair shop operating as a home business that would informally teach people about riding.
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Today, Neutral Cycle has two shops and a sister company, Neutral Design Studio. Unlike other bike shops, the team looks at design and biking issues simultaneously to develop innovations and support rapid growth. I met with Tim recently to learn more about their novel approach.​