Out Our Front Door Newsletter - August

Riders on Last Year's Ride to Valhalla in Door County Photo by Maggie Marek

Welcome

Y’all. The OOFD volunteers have been rocking this summer oh so well. It is mind blowing to think about all the adventures this rad crew of volunteers have helped plan, coordinate, and make happen. And always bringing that welcoming spirit and consistently pushing the org to be better, to smooth out our processes, and just generally be a more excellent version of what OOFD is and can be. 

In this August Volunteer Newsletter, read on for announcements of our 2025 class of 4 new board members. We still have a very full schedule of events in September including The Ride to Valhalla up in Door County, WI and lots of cool tabling events. Also, read on for a recap of the epic Flock Off the Block bike camping trip. 

The Ride to Valhalla - Sept. 13-16              4 Days in Door County

Our 5th annual “Ride to Valhalla” is happening on Friday, September 13 - Monday, September 16. This is a 4-day, 3-night Bike Camping Adventure circumnavigating Door County Wisconsin from Sturgeon Bay, WI to Washington Island, WI and back!

This is not your average group bike ride. We will learn about the quest of Icelandic-American inventor, Chester Thordarson, to build a Valhalla in America on Rock Island. Jens Jensen, the landscape architect responsible for such Chicago landmarks as Humboldt and Garfield Parks, created an intellectual commune and natural retreat called The Clearing which will be a stop along the way.

We’ll take a rest day on Washington and Rock Islands allowing us some time to explore the islands on foot and by bike. See such sites as the Stavkirke, a Scandinavian church and the Mountain Park Lookout. You can get more of a breakdown of the ride as well as some inspiring reflections from Maggie, who was lead guide for 3 years in a row, here and here. And sign-up here.

Upcoming Events and Adventures

Bike Shop Workers Bike Camping Trip at Big Marsh
Wednesday/Thursday, September 4 - 5
In its second year, we run this ride for free for Chicago bike shop workers who spend much of their summers wrenching on our bikes so we can go ride and adventure. And we are so grateful for what they do, and this is a small way to show our gratitude. 

​Adult Overnight: Weekday Ride to Camp Sullivan 
September 9 - 10 
This weekday bike camping trip is set up to make us more radically inclusive and accommodate folks that usually have to work the weekends. More details and registration here.  

Adult Overnight: Valhalla - Door County Loop 
September 13 - 16
One of our most beloved rides, a 3 nighter up in Door County, WI with two nights spent on an island in Lake Michigan. Ask a group of OOFD veterans their favorite ride, and you’ll hear “Valhalla” a lot. Deets and registration here.  

Tabling at The Fall Nature Fest at LaBagh Woods 
Saturday, September 14 
Come catch us tabling from 12-3pm at LaBagh Woods with over 60 other environmental organizations from Chicago for this free event. There will also be animals from the Brookfield Zoo, activities for families, food trucks, the Jesse White Tumblers, a DJ, and much more!  Details and registration here.

Tabling at The Salt Shed with Working Bikes
We'll be tabling and talking OOFD by the bike racks at the Salt Shed for these coming shows. Thanks to our friends at Working Bikes for the invite. 
September 13: Goose
September 30: PJ Harvey
October 21: Andre 3000

Adult Shabonna DIY Overnight
September 28-29
We believe in adventure, and in helping others find the adventures of their lives. We mainly do that by guiding bike camping trips. But this time, we’re trying something different. We booked enough camp spots and guides will be at camp, with a fire and serving up a dinner at 7pm. So for this one, you can leave from wherever you want, whenever you want, with any other friends that have registered. You can ride as fast or slow as you would like, and create any route you want to get there. This is truly a choose your own adventure. It's cool that this new idea has taken off and has been sold out for over a month.  So keep your eyes peeled for it next year. More details and waitlist sign-up here. 

Monthly Hang at Horner Park 
Tuesday, October 1 
The main idea is to hang with the OOFD community and welcome new folks that are interested in riding or volunteering with OOFD. It is a fun, chill, casual time to socialize and hangout/have a good time. Bring your own beverages or snacks. Bring your own beverages and camp chairs or picnic blankets. More details here.  

Adult Day Ride: Indigenous People's Day 
Monday, October 12
More details to come on this soon. 

Family Overnight to Camp Sullivan - Indigenous People's Day Ride
Saturday-Monday, October 12-14 
Our first Fall time Family Overnight! As all of our rides celebrate this beautiful corner of the earth we call home, we acknowledge the many people who have lived here before us and seek to promote Indigenous perspectives into all we do. This ride is a celebration of this idea in practice. We have much to learn (and unlearn) and hope you will join us on this journey. Details and registration here.

Flock Off the Block 2024 Photo by Tom Newsome

Ride Recap: Flock Off the Block

The Flock Rocked! Holy moly. 73 participants, 17 guides across 4 start points. We had 32 folks bike camp for the first time in their lives and 47 first timers riding with OOFD. And the guide crew we're so top notch welcoming and supporting these new riders. 

Huge thanks to Patagonia Mag Miles for sponsoring the event/serving as a starting point. The band Flesh Panthers absolutely rocked and heaps of gratitude Pipeworks Brewing Company for donating the delicious beer. And Pedal To The People, Mack's Bike and Goods, and Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery for partnering as start points. 

And finally to New Belgium Brewing for providing a grant that paid for 10 free BIPOC riders with financial need to get on this ride. Those slots were scooped up in less than 24 hours after we announced them and helped two families (4 adults, 6 kids) go on their first ever bike camping trip this weekend for free. Huge step for OOFD as we continue to expand the diversity of our riders to better represent all parts of our city. And we had our first official adaptive adult rider, Marco, on this ride as well who's registration was supported by a grant we received from Adventure Cycling Association!

Taking in the live music and scenery on Flock Off the Block Photo by Anson Moran

What We Did in August

Welcomed 4 New Board Members
We had an incredible group of folks apply to join the OOFD board and the board voted all four of them on! Major gratitude and congrats to Jacob Hannan and Aly Meza (familiar names in the OOFD community) and Jerome Palliser and Ambrasia Warner who are brand new to OOFD. They will be working to onboard this quarter and will be official voting board members at the annual board retreat in early November. 
​
Monthly Hang at Rainbow Beach on August 6 
A crew braved some serious winds to ride out to the lovely rainbow beach for a chill night hanging on the lake. 

Flock Off the Block - Sullivan, August 10 - 11
See above, but my goodness! Such a great time. Over 90 folks, flocking from all over the city and burbs to one rocking camping party in the woods. 

Family Bike Camping in the City - Gompers Park and Emily Oaks, August 2-4
We had a huge, lovely crew of families ride this very popular ride that is truly an adventure in the city. Thanks to our partners at the Chicago Park District and Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie, we got to camp at these very unique spots and explore the natural beauty of the northside.

Family Blackwell Campground Ride, August 16-18 
This ride is so extra special because it first ran in 2019, and there are 4 families that have done it every year since. So some of the kids that were 1 year old on the first ride, were running around as 6 year olds this time around. And these kids and families really have created this beautiful tradition and community around this ride where they all so much look forward to coming together each year on the Blackwell ride. And of course, they bring that welcoming spirit to all the new families that are along on the ride including the 3 families joined that have a child with adaptive needs.

Adult Day Ride - Crystal Lake to Chain O' Lakes: Day Ride (multimodal), August 17
This section of route in the Northwest suburbs between Crystal Lake and Chain O’ Lakes is so so awesome, and our Adult Day Ride crew wanted to put this multimodal ride together, and it was a hit!
 
​Tabling and S’mores station at Boxing Out Negativity’s Street Love Ride, August 17
Boxing Out Negativity knows how to do awesome community rides, and they’ve welcomed OOFD for a few years in a row to come out and table, spread the word about what we do, and set up a small s’mores making station which is a huge hit with everyone, especially the kids that are getting all sugared up before the ride around North Lawndale. 

Adult Overnight: Waterways to the West 3 Day - Starved Rock, August 30 - Sept 2 
One of our most challenging adventures. And one of the most beloved. 110 miles in a day. Of course this one sold out over a month ago. Sounds like the crew had a blast.

Tabling at Bike the Drive in Grant Park, Sunday, September 1
We got to hang in Grant Park during this day of bike utopia and talk to all kinds of folks about the awesome stuff we got going on.  

Monthly Hang/Camp Cookoff, Tuesday, September 2 at 730pm
Last night we had a bonfire at Promontory Point along with samplings 5 new recipes made by OOFD guides. A blast with close to 30 folks out for a beauty of a night on the lake. ​

Volunteer Spotlight: Jacob Hannan

Jacob has been volunteering with OOFD for years and steadily has stepped into bigger and bigger roles across the Adult and Family Overnight Programs. He always shows up with his kind, supportive and welcoming attitude, ready to help wherever he is needed. He and his wife Judi brought a next level of organization and execution as lead guides for our biggest Family Overnight ever to Blackwell in August. And then he made an incredibly inspiring pitch to join the OOFD board and is joining the board officially in November! 
 
​In his own words, Jacob, a native of the forested hills of rural Southern Indiana, has loved camping and the outdoors since childhood. Though he’s come to call the city home since moving to Chicago in 2006, he still loves to get out into the woods when he can. Out Our Front Door opened his eyes to the fact that getting to those woods didn’t require an hours-long car trip. Mind: blown! He loves to share the joys of biking and camping with his family and the larger community. He also feels strongly about the importance of active transportation in making cities livable — ask him and he’ll tell you all about it! (You’ve been warned…)

A Few Other Orgs' Bike Events 

Major Taylor Annual Celebration Ride
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Starting at 830am at Dan Ryan Woods - details and $35 tickets here

North Shore Century  
Sunday, September 15
Put on by the Evanston Bike Club. Details and $50 tickets available here

Beer in the Woods
Saturday, September 21, 2024
A beer festival at LaBagh Woods in support of our forest preserves. Does it get much better than that!? From 1-5pm. Details and $55 registration here

Bike Lane Uprising 7 Year Anniversary and Fundraiser  
Thursday, September 26,
From 6:30-9:30pm at Specialized Fulton Market. Details and tickets here

Working Bikes Anniversary Party
Saturday, October 5th
From 4pm-8pm. Details and $40 tickets available here

The nearly 50 folks that rode on the Blackwell Family Overnight Photo by Breanna Bertacchi

Phew. Another month, another newsletter. As we move towards Fall, the OOFD Crew and everyone that has ridden with us really can be proud to think about how much we've all gotten after it this summer, truly squeezing so much fun and adventure and time outside from these summer months. Still plenty to come, so stay tuned. 

Prairie folks are friendly. They have to be. They cannot hide behind cliffs or defy their enemies from a precipice. They are one family, so to speak . . . The prairies are still new in their development of the character and in their influences on the creative mind, but that they are more powerful than mountains can already be seen . . . They are the Mid-American empire, the heart and moving force of our great country. 
Jens Jensen, Siftings


Thanks as always for reading. Now, go sign up for The Ride the Valhalla in Door County that is next weekend, then set this screen down and get outside on your bike! 
​
 Much love, 
Glenn and the whole OOFD crew

Exploring Jens Jensens cliff cabin at The Clearing on Valhalla 2023 Photo by Jordan Evangelista