Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Resman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rebecca. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been riding my bike for transportation year round in the city of Chicago for well over a decade. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, it wasn’t a matter of “if” I would bike with my child, but “how”.
Our family bike, a box style cargo bike, arrived from Holland the same day I was admitted to Prentice labor and delivery. With the help of some experienced cycling parents, we were able to start riding with our baby just 6 weeks later when I was cleared by my OB to bike. Cycling with kids is amazing – the fresh air, visiting all of the fabulous parks Chicago has to offer and the freedom of it all. At age 3, my daughter knew how to navigate home from 2 miles in any direction thanks to our daily biking adventures.
Biking has been a huge part of my parenting experience. I knew I wanted to help others incorporate cycling into their busy family lives.
In 2013, I started co-organizing a Kidical Mass bike ride in Roscoe Village. Our first ride had over 75 riders! Now, in our 6th season, we ride monthly in Roscoe Village with countless families looking for a fun activity. Whether it’s our SuperHero Spin or the Firehouse Tour, we always provide a great experience and it’s definitely an adorable spectacle when we ride with 100 people, most of which are children, enjoying the timeless activity of biking.
Last year, all of the local neighborhood Kidical Mass rides formally grouped together under the banner Chicago Family Biking, which I am a co-founder of.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I feel like I have to mention the city’s potholes in reference to a smooth road!
To be honest, the biggest struggle is the size of our organization’s dreams compared to the reality of our budget and volunteer capacity. Almost all of our events are free and we have rides every weekend May through October, in locations all over Chicagoland. Many of our ride organizers, like myself, spend money out of pocket to enhance our rides. In spite of that, we have a huge reach and an extremely engaged, active and supportive audience. It can be a lot of work, but leading a group of 100 people, mostly children down a neighborhood street with the Imperial March playing on my Bluetooth speaker makes it all worth it.
Please tell us about Chicago Family Biking.
Chicago Family Biking is a coalition of parents, community organizers, and educators who love biking. Our mission is to empower families to bike by providing education, organizing community building events and advocating for safer streets.
We are best known for our 8-10 slow paced family friendly “Kidical Mass” bike rides that span the city and suburbs each month. Kidical Mass is an international movement, but Chicago is now one of the most active and well-attended cities involved.
In addition to our neighborhood rides, in 2018, we have 5 (sold out) family bike campouts, are hosting a Family Bike Fest this in partnership with SSA27 and have plans to become more involved in local bike advocacy efforts.
One of our biggest achievements is our facebook group, Chicago Family Biking Community. Nearly 1500 parents and community advocates connect and support each other without judgment. I personally love that people with different experience, family sizes, budgets and parts of the city are able to idea share in such a respectful and constructive way. It’s also a great place to buy and sell used family biking gear!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I feel pretty great about what our organization has been able to accomplish on a minimal budget and with 100% volunteers. Thankfully, I have a non-profit background, so I’m tapping into past successes and learnings as I help lead the organization.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chicagofamilybiking.org
- Email: chicagofamilybiking@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagofamilybiking/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoFamilyBiking/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChiFamilyBiking
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chicagofamilybiking/
Image Credit:
Oren Miller
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