With May as National Bike Month, it’s not surprising how many suburban biking events are already scheduled. What’s surprising is the number of events dedicated to youth safety skills.

Riders and hikers on the Illinois Prairie Path will soon get a glimpse of railroad history when a historic train car will be transported to a new 60-foot track at Villa Park’s Ardmore Station, itself vintage 1908.

Ryan Gable of Bikes and Music, a Schaumburg-based nonprofit, collects used bikes, has them repaired and donates them - along with a helmet - to groups who work with people in need.

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.