Flat bike tire? Slipped chain? No problem in suburbs with do-it-yourself repair stations
If you're bicycling through southeast Lake County and find yourself with a loose seat or low tire pressure, don't panic - just head over to the bike path near Lincolnshire's village hall.
That's where, on the northeast corner of Olde Half Day Road and Route 22, you'll find a new, do-it-yourself bike repair station. Connected to the 4½-foot, black post are wrenches, screwdrivers and many other helpful tools.
And yes, there's an air pump, too.
Lincolnshire isn't the only suburb that has a bike repair station available for public use. They also can be found along trails, in parks or in other bike-friendly locations in Libertyville, Northbrook, Rolling Meadows, Elmhurst, Batavia and elsewhere.
"When people are out riding, often you'll need a slight repair, to tighten a bolt or fill a tire up with air," said suburban bike shop owner George Garner, who donated a total of eight stations to Libertyville and Northbrook. "These repair stations will allow you to make any necessary adjustments on the ride."
Made of steel with a variety of finishes available, bicycle repair stations can be installed indoors or outdoors. They feature horizontal bars that let riders hang their bikes off the ground, which makes changing tires and performing other repairs easier.
Tools are securely attached by stainless steel cables that either hang alongside the poles or are retractable. The strong cables make the items theft-resistant, but the tools can be removed if they become worn or damaged.
"We're very impressed with the quality of the stations," said Garner, whose eponymous bike shops are in Libertyville, Northbrook and Lake Zurich. "They're built to last."
Prices vary by manufacturer and based on options added. They can be found for less than $700 or as much as nearly $2,500.
Lincolnshire Village Manager Brad Burke suggested the village look into buying a repair station after seeing one in Highland Park. Trustee Jill Raizin made a similar recommendation after spotting one while on vacation in Michigan.
"It was in a park across the street from (our) hotel," Raizin said. "Knowing how much people like to ride their bikes in Lincolnshire, I thought this would be a great addition to Lincolnshire's bike paths."
Lincolnshire's repair station is a deluxe model from an Oregon firm called Huntco Site Furnishings that cost $1,850. It's equipped with a hex key set, two tire levers that assist in tire removal, a headset-and-pedal wrench, two cone wrenches of different sizes, Phillips and standard screwdrivers, a Torx driver with a star-shaped head and a manual air pump.
Recalling the times she had to pick up her kids when they were younger because of flat tires and slipped chains, Raizin called the station "a great idea."
"(It's) a wonderful thing to add to our community," she said.
If the device proves popular, she said, officials may buy another one for a different location.
Bike repair stations have been hits in Libertyville. That town's four stations are in Adler Park at 1500 N. Milwaukee Ave.; near the North Shore Bike Path at Sunnyside and Seventh avenues; near Odom Field in Butler Lake Park, off the 700 block of Winchester Road; and at the downtown Metra station, 200 Lake St.
"The Winchester, Adler and Sunnyside bike repair stations' locations were chosen since they are adjacent to bike paths," Assistant Public Works Director Laura Ditano said. "The Metra lot bike repair station was chosen since several train commuters ride their bikes to the station."
Ditano expects more towns will purchase repair stations as more people read about them or encounter them on rides and then tell their local officials about them.