The League of American Bicyclists recognized eight Chicago metro areas as Bicycle Friendly Communities, with Aurora, Batavia, Elmhurst and Niles achieving bronze status while Evanston maintained its silver ranking, the highest in the region.

The Chicago Winter Bike Swap at the Kane County Fairgrounds on Feb. 8 attracts around 1,000 bikers and vendors. The swap features bikes, components, and gear for sale by individuals and discounted inventory from bike shops and vendors.

Saying it was his “greatest personal achievement,” Jim Michie of Palatine, who rode his bike across the U.S. in 1976 with other cyclists, recently headed west to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bikecentennial.

Trikes as bikes, e-bikes, new laws and plans for biking and pedestrian paths were among the cycling stories making headlines in Illinois in 2025.

Arguing with Mother Nature can be a losing proposition, and, minimally, a high risk. So concluded Out Our Front Door, a Chicago-based bike camping organization that canceled its Dec. 13-14 biking/camping plans in Cook County’s Deer Grove Forest Preserve due to single-digit temperatures.

With holidays approaching, my annual book reviews offer suggestions for biking gift lists, your own or others. First, however, positive bicycling news: League of American Bicyclists recently awarded official Bicycle Friendly University status to three Illinois institutions on Nov. 13, including Elgin’s Judson University.

If the past is any predictor, more than 70,000 Illinois students will learn bicycling safety this school year through the Bike Safety Quiz developed by Ride Illinois, the statewide nonprofit bike advocacy organization.

As the weather turns colder, many suburban bike clubs’ activities transition to volunteer efforts such as roadside cleanups and food drives, along with meetups known as “zero mile rides.”

Visible are bike rodeos, community rides, and bike information booths. Behind the scenes are the unsung community heroes - local volunteers planning, organizing and often staffing various events.

Cook County has awarded grants totaling over $1.5 million for biking infrastructure projects in several suburbs and the Forest Preserves of Cook County.