Our October e-news contains relevant, useful information and stories.
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Dear Ride Illinois,
Thanks for your interest in Ride Illinois – the statewide, nonprofit bike advocacy organization. Ride Illinois is celebrating 30 years of advocacy in 2022! With the support of members, we are making Illinois better through biking. If you are not already a member, please join today as Ride Illinois begins its next 30 years of important bike advocacy efforts. Get on board with us and enjoy the ride!
To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Ride Illinois created this 9-minute video -- part celebration, part interview, and part fun. “Biking has so many benefits,” Ride Illinois executive director Dave Simmons said in the video. “It’s physical health, mental health, emotional health and it doesn’t require long distances or a lot of time biking.” Enjoy the video and our efforts to expand the Ride Illinois Community all around the state.
Visit rideillinois.org/join-support to join or donate to support the critical work to make biking safer and easier in Illinois. Current members can check membership status and renew here.
5 Tips for Cold Weather Biking
You might have noticed that the temps are beginning to drop. While many people hang up their bikes for the winter, Ride Illinois wants to encourage you to keep riding this winter – for fun and transportation. We have compiled five tips for those of you who freeze (get it?) at the thought of riding in cold weather.
Layers are your friend. Wear multiple layers and peel off a layer if you become too warm.
Plan to be slightly chilled at the start. You will warm up as you begin exerting energy.
Gradualness is key. Do not wait for sub-zero temperatures and decide to get on your bike for a cold weather ride. It is much easier if you keep riding as temperatures decrease.
Layers – redux Carry an extra layer, in case temperatures drop.
Have fun! If you end up being miserable, there is no harm with heading back early (unless you’re on the way to work or school). Keep notes of what parts of you were cold and adjust your clothing so you are better prepared next time.
Want more tips? Head to our Webinars webpage. We have hosted webinars on cold weather riding and biking for transportation in winter. You can watch the recorded webinars, and download a PDF of the tips presented in the biking for transportation in winter webinar.
Another Round of BSQ Mini-Grants for Schools
Participation in Ride Illinois’ BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grant program continues to grow! In fact, the number of students completing one of our quizzes increased 15% to a record of 51,848 students during the past fiscal year.
Ride Illinois continues to offer public and private schools in Illinois $2 per student who completes BikeSafetyQuiz. We’d appreciate your help in spreading the word. All the pertinent information can be found at rideillinois.org/safety/bsqgrants. Please share the link with your local school and encourage them to apply. It’s a win-win-win situation for students, schools, and your community!
The title of this book says it all. Riding a bike has so many benefits –such as reducing smog, curbing obesity, and improving quality of life and mental health. The author makes a compelling argument that the simplest way to tackle many current, societal problems is with one of humankind’s most perfect inventions – the bicycle.
What bike-related books do you recommend? From epic adventures to practical advice, to the benefits of biking, there are lots of books about bikes out there! Send your suggestions to info@rideIllinois.org and we may include it in a future newsletter.
2022 Illinois Bike Summit
Thank you to those who attended the biennial Illinois Bike Summit. We especially appreciate everyone who presented and assisted in our state’s most important bicycle-related conference.
The Theme for the 2022 Illinois Bike Summit was: Pedaling Forward Together. Nearly 200 people attend either in-person or virtually for the Illinois Bike Summit on October 12 and the professional training on October 13th. There was a noticeable buzz in the room during breaks due to so many conversations taking place. Keep those conversations going so the Summit has a lasting impact!
If you attended the summit, please fill out the survey that was emailed to you. We will use the input we receive to make the next Illinois Bike Summit even better.
2022 Let’s Ride, Illinois
The 2022 Let’s Ride, Illinois took place from September 9th through 18th with casual, family-friendly rides around the state! The annual event is a celebration of the freedom and benefits that riding a bike offers. Rides were hosted by bike shops, bike clubs, trail organizations, Regional Action Team volunteers, community bicycle advisory commissions and other community organizations. There were 19 rides organized in 2022 associated with Let's Ride, Illinois.
Congratulations to everyone that participated in the Drive Less, Bike More Challenge.Illinois residents who participated pedaled 14,273 miles for transportation from July 1 through September 30! We smashed our initial goal of 10,000 miles for the challenge, supported by the League of American Bicyclists. We hope the impact will last much longer and that many of our members and supporters feel empowered to ride their bikes for transportation often. Through the Challenge, League of American Bicyclists and Ride Illinois encourage all Americans to experience the practicality of biking for transportation. Learn more at rideillinois.org/events/driveless-bikemore.
Upcoming Events
Ride Illinois helps to promote the organized rides of affiliated bike clubs and supporting organizations with our annual Ride Guide and our Ride, Advocacy & Education Calendar. Below are some events we think you’ll appreciate: