CHICAGO

Reflecting on the Windy City

By Pure Cycles

August 26^th, 2015

Most of America grew up in Chicago. Not literally, but as the background for movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Home Alone, and the Dark Knight, the Windy City is home to a lot of our most cherished memories. Once again, photographer Alen Palander set out with a couple friends and a couple Pure Fix Originals to capture a bike’s eye view of the city and its artwork.

Chicago is a perfect city for riding: flat, dense, and gorgeous. With some of the best public art in the country, there’s no shortage of beautiful backdrops for a quick a photo break. First stop was Calder’s Flamingo in Federal Plaza where Johnny Castle posed for a couple of shots with his Tango.

Next, the two headed North to meet up with another of Alen’s friends, Sam Zhang. Sam’s Alfa got some lens time in front of Dubuffet’s Monument with the Standing Beast – a title that was briefly split between the art and the bike.

Sam had to run, so that meant a trip to the “L”. Chicago’s elevated train has appeared in countless movies and tv shows, and it’s a super easy way to get around the city on two wheels or two feet. Alen snapped a couple photos before Sam had to skip, and then he and Johnny checked out the streets beneath the tracks.

The last stop was Cloud Gate in Millennium Park (aka that huge chrome kidney bean). Despite its simple appearance, getting “the gate” built took a tremendous amount of engineering, effort, and way more time than expected. It stands now as a testament to the city’s commitment to art and creating livable spaces people are excited to experience.

And the best part, all that artwork downtown is less than a mile apart! That means you can comfortably knock out your very own two-wheeled art tour in under an hour and have plenty of energy left in your legs to explore the city’s music scene, pop into one of the many museums, or check out the local bars!