We Copied that inane Cow Parade what about this?

Laurie and I visited Chicago last summer. Without getting to Critical Mass or any events, we were really impressed. People ride everywhere and each neighborhood has its own unique little shop and they are all on the Chicagoland Bike Map.

For example, Pilsen, a predominately Hispanic neighborhood, has a shop, Irv's Bike Shop, with a good amount of low rider type bicycles with 80 spoke wheels and twisty handlebars. Other shops had folding bikes. Every shop sold fenders and they did repairs on old bikes. Unfortunately, we visited Yojimbos on Wednesday and he was closed.

We don't do this here in Kansas City. Look at what they offer on this page. Hard to imagine that here, but it's possible. We can have a city like that here in Kansas City. There is a different mentality in Chicago. People who use public transit aren't regarded as second class citizens or better stated, they all use it.

I'm not intending to bag on Kansas City all the time but it's frustrating to see what another city can do and we're not emulating it. I still have hope for my fair city, though.