Cut off from so much during the pandemic quarantines in 2020, Lori Wheeles took to Lake Michigan to swim and clear her mind. But after finding a few Divvy bikes abandoned in the lake, she found herself “disgusted.”
Wheeles, a 66-year-old kids’ entertainer, repeatedly that summer contacted Divvy, the company that operates the rental bikes.
The number of bikes thrown in the lake between Diversey Parkway and Belmont Avenue grew. And so did her frustration with Divvy’s lack of action.
She “gave up on” Divvy removing the sunken bikes.
“My little game that I play is count the Divvy bikes while I’m swimming,” Wheeles said. “There are now 23 in just that one three-quarter-mile stretch.”
But now, Wheeles has a different number to keep track of, one she can celebrate.
So far, more than 60 of the bikes have been fished out of the lake — finally.
And it’s no thanks to Divvy, its owner Lyft, or the city.
Fellow swimmer Glenn Rischke, a hair stylist, took it upon himself to rescue the electronic bikes after noticing them near Montrose Beach this winter.
“The first thing that came to my mind was we have to get those batteries out of the lake,” Rischke said.
Once the water warmed up this summer, Rischke rallied some friends and they began hoisting the waterlogged bikes out of the lake. Since June, the group of friends, who call themselves the Alternative Anglers Association, has recovered at least 60 bikes from Montrose Beach and the water near Shedd Aquarium and Oak Street Beach.
And they plan to work on the stretch between Diversey Parkway and Belmont Avenue this weekend, much to Wheeles’ delight.
“I immediately was like, ‘Why isn’t Divvy or Lyft doing the responsible thing?'” said Rischke, a North Center resident. “This is your property, and you must know that these bikes are in the lake.”
A spokesman for Lyft referred the Sun-Times to the Chicago Department of Transportation. Lyft didn’t confirm or deny receiving Wheeles’ original complaints regarding the bikes in the lake four years ago.
But apparently Divvy’s parent company has finally taken notice of the problem.
A team from Divvy swept the lake to recover bikes last week — after Rischke began recovering them and posting on social media — CDOT spokesperson Erica Schroeder said. A larger sweep is planned for this week and throughout the rest of the summer, she said.
What happens to the sunken treasures?
Bikes that are recovered from the lake are restored and returned to service if possible. Those that can’t be are broken down for parts to use on other bikes. Schroeder didn’t respond to a question about the cost of restoring the bikes or the amount of money lost if the bikes aren’t salvageable. Electric bikes on the market can cost up to several thousand dollars.
Taking some artistic license, Rischke and his swimmer friends came up with their own use for the bikes.
They constructed a sculpture out of some rescued bikes and fencing they pulled from the lake near downtown. The sculpture was torn down soon after it was erected, but not before Rischke posted it on social media and encouraged people to tag Divvy to capture the company’s attention.
“I don’t know what to say. I think that’s what’s the infuriating thing about all of this,” said Rischke, 50. “That brings me back to the idea that these corporations can do anything they want.”
He added: “We shouldn’t have to do this, but we do it because we’re concerned citizens. We don’t plan on stopping.”
Wheeles is concerned about both the number of bikes already in the lake — and the likelihood that more will wind up there.
Divvy’s e-bikes are more flexible than the classic bikes, and they can be left anywhere and locked to a bike rack or other object if they’re not left in Divvy-specific docks. But it’s not uncommon for people to leave the e-bikes and end their ride without locking them up, which could be part of the problem, Wheeles said. Rischke said 70% to 75% of the bikes he’s recovered are electronic bikes.
Wind and waves could knock the bikes into the lake, or they could be pushed in on purpose, Wheeles said. Either way, the bikes should have a larger perimeter from the lake where they’re not allowed to be left, she said.
Schroeder said the city isn’t planning on deactivating the bikes near the lake, and there are plans to add more docks and places to park bikes. A “comprehensive plan” is also being developed to address the problem, she said.
The concerns of bikes in the lake come from worries about safety to the environment. Rischke said he’s heard from people who have been injured by jumping into the lake and hitting a bike they didn’t know was there.
And both Wheeles and Rischke say the problem should have been addressed long ago.
“It’s like come on, do something about this,” she said. “I hate it. And hate’s a strong word. I hate it. I don’t like using that word, but I hate it.”