Out Our Front Door Newsletter - March

Marching in the Southside Irish Parade down Western Ave followed by a backyard/garage party and even some bike camping

Welcome

Greetings y'all,

It's officially Spring, and we are feeling the steady build up of most excellent OOFD events! We got our first bike camping trip in last week and now we have the big Volunteer Training this weekend (which has an optional camping portion). Then into the Hootenanny Fundraiser and shortly after that, the bike camping season at OOFD really takes off in early May. Read on for more details and an exciting announcement about beer.

Volunteer Training This Saturday at Big Marsh

You may have heard about this on a WBEZ public service announcement today:) This year we are upgrading our guide training to one big day at Big Marsh Park (11559 S Stony Island Ave). There will be a plenary with a general overview of the coming year followed by breakout sessions where you will be able to choose between topics that most interest you and/or relate to ways you would like to contribute to OOFD this year. There will be a chance to try out our adaptive bikes and even the option to stay over and camp at the amazing Big Marsh Park. Everyone is welcome to join, whether you are an OG guide or brand new to OOFD. Lunch and snacks provided. Dinner and breakfast provided for those that campout. We have about 40 folks RSVP'ed already! You still can RSVP for the training here.

If you can’t make that date, bummer, but not to worry. We will have a condensed virtual training in early April. ​

RSVP Here

Upcoming Events

OOFD Book Club
Wednesday, March 26 from 630-830pm - TONIGHT
This time around, we read Urban Forest by Jill Jonnes. It is “a natural history of trees and people in the American cityscape.” Reply to this email if you would like to join. The in person option will be at an OOFD volunteer's home in Little Village) and virtually the meeting link is here. 

 Volunteer Training at Big Marsh
Saturday, March 29 from 12-5pm
At Big Marsh this Saturday. Optional camping overnight. See above for more details and RSVP here. 

 Monthly Hang at Humboldt Park Boat House
Tuesday, April 1st from 730-10pm
Come out to the first outdoor hang of the year. Swing by to meet new cool bike adventure folks or see your OOFD pals or both. New folks very much welcome. More deets here. Bring your own beverages and/or snack. If it's wet or really chilly, our back-up location is The Beetle bar down the road from the park. Keep an eye on our social media the day of for the possible shift inside. 

 The Hootenanny Vol. 5 at Midwest Coast Brewery
Thursday, April 17 from 630-930pm
Come hang with some of the most welcoming and adventurous community of folks you can find. We will be on the beautiful, new second floor space of the brewery which is bigger and ADA accessible. Tickets include 2 beverages, food, a raffle ticket, and live music and great company. Early bird ticket prices ($35) end on March 31. Get your's here.
If you know any organization or company that would be interested in donating either raffle prizes or even sponsoring the Hootenanny, please reply to this email. The sponsorship prospectus is available on the Hootenanny webpage on our site here. 

 What Lies West - Adult Overnight
May 3-4
I know. Its kinda rude to put this ride here since all 25 spots sold out already. But it is our next bike camping trip. And a little nudge to you not to sleep on signing up for the rides you wanna go on this year. What Lies West is a beloved, shorter overnight along the Prairie Path out to the lovely Blackwell Campground in DuPage County. ​

Volunteer Gratitude - Andrew Suprenant

Andrew has been riding with OOFD for a few years and stepped in as a guide back on the big Waterways ride 2 seasons ago. He has steadily been an excellent part of the OOFD crew with his kind and inquisitive nature. He is always ready to help and listen to/share stories about biking and otherwise. This year he is stepping in major as the lead guide for the Roll to the River bike camping trip to Kankakee State Park. This ride already was gonna rock but with him as the lead it will be extra sweet as he is a Kankakee native and will bring some local flavor for sure. 
 In his own words, Andrew is from Kankakee, Illinois, and, aside from extended stays in Montreal, Quebec, and the San Francisco Bay Area, has called Chicago home. An avid cyclist and enthusiastic camper, he was thrilled to discover that these activities could be combined (and learn about Out Our Front Door at the same time). 

With OOFD, he has ridden What Lies West, the inaugural Train O Lakes ride, Ride to Valhalla, Decemberg, biked across Iowa for the RAGBRAI 50th anniversary ride, and was a guide on Waterways to the West.

While riding, Andrew enjoys riding quickly, being present in nature, chatting with locals, and taking photos of people and places along the way. Andrew also maintains a regular Aikido practice, sings with the DePaul Community Chorus, and enjoys volunteering in his community.

Big Sponsorship News and March Recap

We officially have a beer sponsor! Sketchbook Brewing out of Skokie and Evanston have generously agreed to donate beer for all of our bike camping trips this year. That's 90 cases of top notch beer! We have had a number of great events and meetings at their beautiful Skokie Brewery space and couldn’t be more excited to partner with such a socially conscious brewery that makes such delicious beer. 


We had their Irish Stout (Bud's Corvus) and Mexican Lager (Amistosa) at our first overnight this year for the Shamrock Cycle event. On this event, we had about 15 brave folks march in the Southside Irish Parade, followed by a backyard party with corn beef, vegan soup, bonfire, and beer and even marched in a small, family parade in Mt. Greenwood:) Then, a very brave contingent rode out to Camp Sullivan for a night of frosty camping. The OOFD bike camping season has officially started!

Other Awesome Upcoming Events

Femmes and Thems Bike Ride and Wash
April 6 
Join this excellent bike crew for their April ride on SUNDAY, April 6th. It’s been a LONG winter & you KNOW your bike could use a scrub a dub dub. This month, they’re ending at The Recyclery where they’ll host a women, trans, non-binary open shop & provide materials to give our bikes the wash they desperately need.

 Bike Sox
April 15
Ride out to the White Sox game with the Bike Sox. They’re playing the A’s. And check out their whole line up of rides to Sox games (usually Tuesday home games). These rides are such a blast.

 Working Bikes Hot Wheels 
April 19 from 4-9pm
Working Bikes is hosting a HOT WHEELS event, featuring beautiful bikes, races, challenges and best of all PRIZES & PIÑATAS.

 Illinois Bike and Walk Summit
May 7-8 in Springfield, IL
OOFD will officially be presenting that this major summit! Alongside Blackstone Bikes and Chicago's SAFE Ambassadors in a session focused on the "Bicycle as a tool for adventure, learning, and inclusive community building". This is the state’s most important conference related to biking and walking. Professionals, advocates, and individuals from communities of all sizes are invited to attend the conference to learn, collaborate, and identify creative solutions related to biking and walking in their community.

Consider signing up and making a trip out of it. Glenn and one or two other OOFD folks already are registered and will be taking the Amtrak down to Springfield with our bikes and camping for two nights near the conference center:) You are welcome to join. Just reply to this email. 

 Calumet Water Reclamation Plant Open House and Tour 
Saturday, May 10. 
Don’t miss this super cool opportunity to see one of our huge water rec plants. Plant located at 400 E. 130th Street.

Shamrock Cycle folks crawled out of their tents on Monday morning at Camp Sullivan with everything covered in a beautiful layer of frost.

And we’re bike camping! The community of guides continues to grow and bring such good good people into the mix. So ready to party down with y’all at The Hootenanny, and really hit this season, our 10th season, in full stride. 

Here's some Kimmerer from The Serviceberry to close us out this month. 
Isn’t this an economy? A system of distribution of goods and services that meets the needs of the community. The currency of this economic system is energy, which flows through it, and materials, which cycle among the producers and consumers. . . Each member has an abundance of something, which they offer to others. 

Can't wait to party down with y'all at The Hootenanny as well as just generally get out there and ride with ya.
​
 Glenn and the whole OOFD crew

Sunrise over the first OOFD campsite of the year, Camp Sullivan on the Shamrock Cycle event