Soon there will be more people from Chicago's underserved communities riding bicycles and handcycles thanks to grants provided by SRAM. This month, the SRAM grant program has awarded mini- grants to four causes that advance bicycling for everyone, including disabled individuals and at-risk youth.

SRAM bicycle mini-grants fund activities that promote bicycling in Chicago, such as trail projects and International Walk and Bike to School Day initiatives. This year, the mini-grants totaled $10,000.

"SRAM is absolutely proud to have the opportunity to once again fund the mini-grant program, which promotes cycling in the Chicagoland area," said SRAM Global Marketing Director David Zimberoff. "The program is synergistic with what we do as a bike component manufacturer in asking applicants to develop innovative ways to share the message of bicycles."

The mini-grant recipients were:

1. Schwab's Program for Innovative and Non-competitive handcycling (S.P.I.N.). This program serves disabled and often low-income individuals by introducing them to handcyling, empowering them to be more active and socially engaged and to raise awareness of handcycling among the able-bodied. The grant expands S.P.I.N. programs by providing helmets, bike ride registration fees, and materials to recruit participants and volunteers.

2. Bike Winter, a grassroots organization that educates and motivates people to safely bicycle year-round. The SRAM mini-grant enables Bike Winter to conduct more bicycling workshops in diverse areas of the city, give away more bicycle gear, and translate its educational materials to Spanish.

3. West Town Bikes, a community bicycle learning workshop. The grant supports the group's Build a Bike Youth Program for low-income, at-risk, and minority youth in Chicago. The after-school program teaches youth how to build and fix bicycles, while promoting healthy living and safe bicycling. They also connect stellar students with bicycle-related job opportunities.

4. Active Living Logan Square Partnership based at the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). The organization will use the grant to encourage more people to bicycle by creating a public exhibition with photos and stories that celebrate 40 diverse individuals from the Logan Square neighborhood who incorporate bicycling into their lives.

"These projects would continue to advocate for bicycling even without the grants, so it_s great that the funds can spur their work and entrepreneurship, especially when they include underserved Chicago communities," said Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Executive Director Rob Sadowsky.

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation administers the grant program on behalf of SRAM. The next grant deadline is Aug. 1. For more information, contact Rob Sadowsky at rob@biketraffic.org or (312) 427- 3325, ext. 228.