Cyclists rolled through West Town Bikes in Humboldt Park on Saturday, as the nonprofit participated in the second annual Fly the Co-op ride, a citywide event showcasing Chicago’s network of community bike shops.
Fly the Co-op ride is a community bike ride that connects Chicago’s five nonprofit community bike shops, taking riders on city streets to Blackstone Bicycle Works in Hyde Park to Working Bikes in Pilsen,West Town Bikes in Humboldt Park, Bikes N’ Roses in Hermosa and The Recyclery Collective in Rogers Park. Along the way, participants pedaled through neighborhoods across the city
Alex Wilson is the executive director and founder of West Town Bikes, a nonprofit community bike shop that has been using bicycles to build community since 2004. He oversees the organization’s programs, staff and long-term vision, helping create opportunities for youth through bike education, job training and community engagement.
“All the community bike shops in Chicago are good friends.” Wilson said. “…We all serve different communities throughout Chicago, and we’re kind of far away from each other. But we’re all good friends and we help each other out by partnering on lots of different projects.”
For Wilson, the Fly the Co-op ride celebrates the impact of Chicago’s community bike shops, strengthens relationships among the organizations and showcases their shared commitment to serving local communities.
“West Town Bikes’ mission is to use bicycles as a tool to help build community. West Town Bikes has given to many of the young people who come through programs. There’s been many young people who have gone from West Town programs into jobs working at Divvy as mechanics and other things. Over the time that I’ve been doing this, there’ve been some huge strides that Chicago has taken. There’s still more that needs to be done,” Wilson said.
Drawing on more than 20 years at West Town Bikes and earlier bicycle advocacy work, he said Chicago has seen significant progress in making cycling more accessible. While fewer people rode bikes when he first got involved, he said advocates helped drive investments in bike infrastructure throughout the city.
Wilson said that projects such as the 606 Bloomingdale Trail have made it safer for residents and young people to ride while connecting neighborhoods on the West Side.
West Town Bikes offers youth and community programs that use bicycles to teach mechanics, leadership and personal development.
“We have a full-service bike shop called Ciclo Urbano that employs many young people who have come through our programs. We also offer youth programs, including after-school and summer programs. All of our youth programs focus on bicycle mechanics and repair, safe cycling, health and wellness and environmental and social responsibility,” Wilson said. “For the teenagers we work with, there is also a strong focus on employment, job training and personal and professional development.”
Looking ahead, Wilson said West Town Bikes is pleased to use a recent Chicago Community Development Grant from the Department of Planning and Development to purchase its current property and begin a redevelopment project over the next two years.
The organization also supports programs like Trail Ambassadors and Cyclocross to promote leadership, fitness, and teamwork among Chicago youth.
Participants learned how community bike shops use bicycles to build skills, confidence and opportunities while hearing stories from youth, volunteers and staff. Through the ride, they connected with Chicago’s cycling community and saw how bikes can create access, education and positive change.
“Not only is Fly the Co-op highlighting all these community bike shops, but it [also showcased] the great neighborhoods in Chicago, kind of from top to bottom,” Wilson said.