Health & Fitness
Bike Club Donation Will Pay For Forest Preserve Repair Stations
Each bicycle repair station will contain an air pump, screwdrivers and wrenches so bicyclists can make repairs while out on a ride.
A $3,500 donation from the Joliet Bicycle Club will pay for two Forest Preserve District of Will County bike repair stations at preserve trailheads.
One station will be installed along the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Rock Run Preserve – Paul V. Nichols access at Ingalls Avenue and Essington Road in Joliet. The other location has yet to be determined.
The bicycle club’s representatives, Vice President Dominick Chellino and Treasurer Conrad Brouwer, presented the donation check to the Forest Preserve at the December 12 Board of Commissioners meeting.
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Each repair station will consist of an air pump and bike repair tools, including screwdrivers and wrenches, attached to a post with stainless steel cables. Hanger arms on the stand will allow bicyclists to hang their bikes during repairs. Bicyclists who experience mechanical issues while riding on Forest Preserve trails will be able to use the tools to repair their bikes.
“They come in very handy and they’re very popular,” said Ralph Schultz, the Forest Preserve’s chief operating officer.
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The bicycle club raises money each year with a Fourth of July Century Ride.
“We always try to give back to our communities, and this year, we’re giving back a little over $10,000 (overall),” Chellino said.
Forest Preserve trails are becoming more and more popular with club members, he said.
“For a lot of us, we do a lot of road riding,” he explained. “But, as the county is getting more and more congested, we’re using the trails to connect to some of the roads to get out into the country and less traveled roads.”
The trails also are a safer option when riding with kids or grandkids, he added.
The club also has paid for bike repair stations on the Old Plank Road Trail in Frankfort and along the section of the Rock Run Greenway Trail that is part of the Joliet Junior College campus. According to Brouwer, all of the cables and tools at these stations are still intact.
“The one in Frankfort has been there for six or seven years and all of the tools are still there,” he said.
For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County's trails and programs, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.
