Paolo Urizar, Founder, The Bonebell

 

1) How/when did you get into cycling as a profession?
I can't say that I got into cycling as a profession per se, but it most definitely is a part-time job maintaining information and staying connected in the network of the cycling community.  The Bonebell was created over a cafe conversation with David Norton and Brian Parker over how we wanted to share our stories about riding off-road to our friends who were already on the internet reading up on other upcoming blogs of cycling interest.  It started out as a blog, turned into a clearinghouse of information for like minded cyclists to learn and join in on a lesser reviewed aspect of cycling in Chicago. The Bonebell is also now the effort of not just the founders noted but also new writers and event participants. They are Amy Dykema, Amy Weik, Greg Heck, and Julia Daher. Our Bios are also listed in our'About' page on our site.

 

We promote and encourage forms of cycling that are sometimes often overlooked by the larger cycling community.  People don't relate Chicago to Mountain Biking or Off-Road cycling in general and have a tendency to brush it off as not being a serious endeavor to pursue in the least.  We provide information, stories, and background to re-engage folks to look at the different opportunities that do exist and that not every path needs to be paved.  We like to counter the perception that serious cycling can only be done on the road, when in reality, the roads less traveled, especially on dirt are as enjoyable, beneficial, and worth exploring on any bike that you have.  We promote races, events, and parties that help spread this gospel of cycling thought.
Most definitely - dirtbaggin'!  People associate the word 'dirtbag' with a negative connotation, and it most definitely deserved it, we're sure. Brian Parker has a way of describing things in his own way, a language that David Norton and I appreciated and caught on to; Brian would call us dirtbags and we knew he meant it that we loved to ride our bikes with him in the singletrack on a mountain bike.  He one day was talking to someone and referred to me as a 'dirtbag' and he left the audience wondering why he felt so low of me to call me such a name.  We loved the irony that folks felt it was slanderous to use the term to describe something that we absolutely love - so we kept the name going and proudly display this 'certain type of cycling' as dirtbaggin'.  We consider dirtbaggin' as taking whatever bike you have, off-road.  It's the idea that you can ride off-road anywhere with most any bike and the gnarlier the better.
Base layers are the bomb!  I can't stress enough how layering for cold, cool, warm, and hot weather is a great way to manage comfort on lengthy rides - conversations with folks who do the same is like talking about Barbie doll's wardrobe with a 6 year old.  Lights are awesome too.  Thanks to 24 hour mountain bike racing, I have a few lights that I've invested in and are well worth the money.  My Mini-Newt light is small, lightweight, and so bright, people think I'm the cops coming down on them with the beacon of light so bright!  Cyclists should always invest in a great lightset to have maximum visibility for themselves and crazy car drivers.
The one that I will buy this year.  I seem to buy new bikes every year - it's a good habit to have.  Currently all my bikes are my favorite as each serves a purpose and brings me exuberant joy - but for the sake of picking one, I'll say my custom Independent Fabrication 'Quetzalcoatl'.
Convincing people that cycling is not one dimensional.  There's this guy Lance who rides a bike who has done great to bring the US an exposure to the sport - but to that same degree, it paints this picture that there's only way to work hard at cycling, or that tour riding or endurance road riding is a measure of cycling success.  There's so many ways to enjoy cycling, on-road, off-road, and then the various formats, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, randoneurring, etc.  The enjoyment of being on a bike is part of the equation to being successful at making it a lifetime commitment - the rest of it, the exploration of bike riding, are the remaining parts of the equation.  Commuting is one facet of transportation, but its also healthful, beneficial to improving in the sport, and gives you an opportunity to explore - it's not 'just commuting'.  Convince people it's a lifestyle opportunity waiting for them, it's not just a hobby to buy a bike, or a need to take it as serious as an overzealous tri-athlete.
Growth!  There are many closet fans of mountain biking and off-road riding in the city, but the opportunities are indeed limited by the weather and the distance to get to those opportunities.  There is a great push and hard effort by organizations such as CAMBr, Friends of the Cal Sag Trail, and Active Transportation to make trail systems accessible and viable for people to use.  These are extraordinary efforts that have taken years to expose and create - the fountain of new opportunities have just started to take shape in the past few years and is on a forward momentum to continue delivering some great opportunities.  The principle of 'build it and they will come' is true for these efforts.  Chicago has it's first dirt bike park thanks to CAMBr and the City of Chicago cooperation right in the heart of the metro area.  Plainfield Bike Park is home to some of the larger stunts and trails in the southwest area of Chicago.  Saw Wee Kee is a true gem of the Western Suburbs providing incredibly technical trails to challenge the hearty. Palos is the diamond in the rough that has the potential to be linked to metro Chicago with a few more years work and volunteerism.
Off-road cycling has renewed interest thanks to cyclocross.  Cyclocross has a way to get people to try something new, race off-road, and view the bicycle differently as a result.  This has spurred great growth in the niche market of cyclocross, but also has spurred interest in what other things can be done for this 'type' of bicycle racing.  More and more people are behind grassroots efforts to participate and promote word of mouth races that attract sometimes thousands of racers - many of which are very new to racing and just out to be a part of the experience.  The last year has proven that in Chicago, cycling is a very inclusive community.
That would have to be my brother, Carlos Urizar.  He was the original dirtbag with me in the 80s as we shared the only BMX bike (among two more brothers!) doing insane dirt jumps in Bolingbrook, IL that we dare not do now at our age - but he was my ride buddy for so many years that now we have kids that we are turning onto bikes. The thought of riding with him is nostalgic as much as it is perfect that though I went down the rabbit hole of promoting cycling the way that I do, he loves it as much as I do.