“Rogers Park is universal,” said Wayne Johnson, an army vet who rides a battle-scarred mountain bike to window-washing and janitorial gigs around Chicago’s northeastern-most neighborhood. “It’s cool – people of all different nationalities are here. I work with Mexicans, Pakistanis, Haitians and Koreans.”

This cosmopolitan mix and the proximity of Loyola University helps make the area a home for progressive politics, reflected in its many community-oriented and eco-friendly businesses, plus a burgeoning bike scene. Throw in a gaggle of serene beaches, unspoiled by Lake Shore Drive, and there are lots of reasons to pedal up to this ’hood.

A good first stop is the Recyclery, a community cycle center that opened last year at 7628 North Paulina Street. Their FreeCyclery program donates bikes to clients of homeless shelters and immigrant advocacy organizations. “Biking’s not just a hip or environmental thing for these people,” said volunteer Jesse Miller. “It’s a cheap, fast way to get around for folks who can’t afford the CTA.”

The Recyclery was a helpful port-of-entry for Lauren Frisk after she pedaled from Tucson to Chicago via Florida with her boyfriend, Jared Votel, last fall and decided to settle in Rogers Park for a spell. Frisk began volunteering at the center and board member Sharlyn Grace soon found her an apprenticeship at Roberts Cycle, 7054 North Clark Street, the neighborhood’s only bike shop.

Roberts carries new bikes by Raleigh and Diamondback, plus vintage Schwinn cruisers and Bianchi and Mercier road bikes. Owner Richard Bonomo and head mechanic Chris Petersen have wrenched at the shop since the early ’70s. “Nowadays everybody wants to sell you new, new, new and nobody wants to fix anything,” Bonomo said. “But we still do repairs on three speed hubs and coaster brakes. Income in Rogers Park is not that great, so we don’t have the luxury of just selling people new parts.”

Loyola University is another center for cycling. Volunteers from the Loyola Bike Club, an advocacy and social riding group, provide free repairs for students and community members. Last year club leader Tony Giron established a bike-sharing service, allowing students to check out refurbished cycles and helmets for free. This year, rental company Bike and Roll donated 30 B-cycle commuter bikes, valued at $30,000. Similar to the cycles used in European automated rental systems, these sleek rides feature full fenders, generator lights and three speed hubs.

Giron said the best thing about cycling in Rogers Park is its proximity to the Lakefront Trail, a few blocks south of campus. At Loyola Beach, a bike path runs for several blocks alongside a mural-covered wall. Meanwhile, the North Shore Channel Trail, an undulating greenway with wacky public art, lies just west of the neighborhood.

But Giron feels that the area still doesn’t have its fair share of bikeways. “Especially near the lake,” he said. “People have to use back street routes and alleys to get around since Sheridan Road is so hard to bike on.”

He supports Friends of the Parks’ plan to extend the Lakefront Trail into Rogers Park as part of its proposal to connect and expand local beaches via infill, but that’s a very touchy subject. Groups like Stop the Landfill formed to fight the proposal, arguing it would wreck the tranquility of the beaches. “Any beach expansion is going to include the extension of Lake Shore Drive [which currently stops just south of Rogers Park],” said Jonathan Roth, a hardcore cyclist who lives on the lakefront. “It’s a slippery slope.”