Riding with a new solo bike rider

Oh bike-loving mamas!  So, there are bike trailers, bike seats, tag-alongs/trail-a-bikes, and - of course - the Xtracycles.  However, there will come a day when we will no longer be hauling our children on the bikes, for they will be riding their own!  Has your child made the hop from being hauled to pedaling on his/her own bike?  How have you handled riding on the roads with the newest of the biking batch?  An urbanMama recently emailed:

I am looking for tips about transitioning to biking alongside your child.  Our 5yo daughter has recently shed the training wheels, and so we're biking more places together, with her on her bike and me on mine.  She's very cautious, so I don't have to worry too much about her veering into traffic or bumping into anyone, but I still am unsure about some things.  I'm sort of afraid, e.g., to ride in the bike lane, but riding on the sidewalk when there aren't curb cuts is a huge pain.  Also, is it safer to ride with her in front of me, or to have her follow me?  I'm sure many of these things I'll just figure out with practice, but I was interested in tips from those who bike with their kids as a way of getting started.

Sunday Parkways 2009: How was it for you?

This year's Father's Day coincided with the second annual Sunday Parkways, the first of three.  We started the day by hosting a little pre-ride gathering where families from the neighborhood & beyond came by to check out one another's bike gear, test it out, and let the older kids ride solo on a one block stretch of the parkways near our house.  For me, the most magnificent aspect of this year's Sunday Parkways is how completely comfortable I felt letting our girls, ages 5 and 8, bike alongside their friends, aged 6 to 9, well ahead of us.  We had few worries about oncoming motor vehicles.  They didn't want to stop!  They kept pedaling and pedaling and pedaling along.   The crowds were not too thick, so they were able to maneuver quite easily.  The route was relatively flat and intersected with just a few major intersections, where the kids knew to stop and wait for direction from the officers directing traffic.  Really - they would have ridden the entire 7.5 mile loop again if we'd've let them!  It was a great exercise in freedom and independence on our neighborhood streets.  It felt wonderful to see the community taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Apparently, with all our riding around, we missed plenty of action, from music and free tune-ups to bike play parks and more.  Check out the complete coverage on bikeportland.org.

Zinemama in a comment on another thread mused:

I'd love to hear other folks reactions to the Parkways. It felt a lot shorter than last year and a lot less crowded. It was fun, but for me some of the excitement about last year's event was missing. Maybe we were there at the wrong time of day (earlier in the day)?

Did you walk, bike, or play at last weekend's Sunday Parkways?  How was your experience?  If you weren't able to make it, there are still two more Sunday Parkways planned: one on July 19th in Northeast Portland and one on August 16th in Southeast Portland.  And, please, consider volunteering for Sunday Parkways.  The event's success relies on the contribution of many, many volunteers.

In which I drive a hybrid Ford for a weekend

Most of you know my family is fully car-free (we finally got rid of our three-years-lying-fallow car last month). And at least one of you expressed shock to hear I was test-driving a Ford Escape hybrid this past weekend. Was the world coming to an end? No, the people in Ford's social media group are working to create buzz about their hybrids by offering 'em to mama bloggers for test drives, and I was an eager participant. So was my husband, who, though he was weaned from his mother's chauffeur services on his 10-speed, and actually spent some time in the early '90s as a bike messenger, is a bit of a car addict.

One of the reasons I was eager to forgo our car was his nasty habit of driving to Trader Joe's... three blocks away. But when we found out he'd be going to Iraq this summer; changing our financial situation from just north of "desperate" to a few ticks shy of "flush," he began to sneak this phrase into conversation: "I've been thinking when I come back, we could use some of my money to get a hybrid..." Or this one: "If I get that job as a cop I could drive to work in a hybrid..."

"No!" I'd say, firmly. "No cars!" I love the money we save, $200-300 per month just in gas, insurance and tags; I love that we have to think carefully about all our bike trips, keeping us closer to home; I love my conscience, clean as the air around me as I bike. I've made a significant reduction in my workload so I can spend more time with the kids, in the garden, cooking food; we don't have room in that budget for even the barest car expense. I don't want that to change.

But. I'm all for a test drive. Just to see. Thursday morning, some nice people from Ford delivered us the sparkliest Escape Hybrid you've ever seen. I immediately hopped in with Truman and Monroe to pick up some film on the way to preschool (an impossible task on the bike; my fave film store is Citizen's Photo, about 4 miles from home). They leave us with a rundown on our car... $33,725 including "destination and delivery" for the model in our driveway. But "THIS VEHICLE NOT FOR SALE," said the page. At least there's that...

Beyond the Burley: Front and Rear Bike Seats

We've had tons of suggestions here on urbanMamas on bike trailers or when to start babe in the trailer/bike seat,  but an urbanMama recently emailed to get your experience specifically on bike seats, both that attach to the rear or front of the bike:

My little guy just turned one - after a long bike hiatus, I'm itching to get back on the road, hopefully with baby in tow.  Bike trailers are the norm these days... however my 'sling baby' who I've worn since birth likes to be close to mama and tends to get cranky in his carseat and stroller. I seriously doubt he would enjoy being dragged along behind me on the street.

I am looking into options for riding with baby beyond the Burley such as the Ibert front bike seat, or a rear baby seat. I almost never see these around, and do not personally know of anyone that has used them.... I wonder why that is, and if any of your mama readers have any advice/experiences to share regarding baby bike seats?

Best place to practice riding a bike?

In a city like Portland, we cannot help but to be innundated with bike love.  We mamas are clearly bike lovers, and we are breeding the next batch of biking folks.  So, what is the best way to let our little ones practice new skills of riding a two-wheeler and practicing control of their bike?  A mama recently emailed:

I live in Hillsdale in SW Portland - which is a great neighborhood with sidewalks - and as the name suggests many hills. My question is where are some great places to take my daughter to learn and to practice riding a bike. Something flat, with some trails, safe, fun for all? Any suggestions?

For more tips on biking as a family, check out our "best of..." on the right-hand side bar or our index of biking conversations.

Take a deep breath and bike

I write on many ad-supported web sites to earn my family's keep, and sometimes I weary of the grind. The cheerful list of tips. The careful consideration of a topic from all sides. So when I got the opportunity to do a presentation at Ignite Portland 5 -- I'd pitched the title "hacking life with kids, and without a car" -- I decided to avoid the usual perky lists and helpful hints and top-10 lists and I wrote it as a meditation. "You are riding your bike. You are taking the bus, train, streetcar... You do not pray for change in the world. You are the world. You are the change."

As usual when I really get lost in something I'm writing, it got away from me and took on a life of its own. The line that was repeated the most after the presentation on Thursday night was this: "You are not en route. You are already here." As I've been thinking over the past few days of dealing with challenging children and my own need to take a deep breath so much in my life, it's a good reminder to myself: this is what I wanted, this life, with children who want nothing as much as to stand in the middle of a parking lot tracing the stenciled letters on the ground, or to take a 90-minute bath because they're just enjoying looking at the faucet, or to play and play and play at the park until the sun goes down. When I dreamed of having kids, it was not a dream of typing at my laptop in a coffee shop without them, no, it was the journey that was my dream, the struggle and the joy, the books read over and over and over. The video of my talk is after the jump; you can link to other Ignite talks here at Blip.tv (I love this one on chickens; this one on taking the bus; and this one on being a refugee).

Tomorrow: Int'l Walk & Bike to School Day

International Walk and Bike to School day is coming up on October 8th, this Wednesday. This is a one-time, state-wide event in which many schools participate. 90 schools throughout Oregon are signed up to promote healthy lifestyles by walking and biking to school. For more information on the program, see the Walk + Bike web site.

Are you in?

Mamas on bikes: Dreaming of a Japanese future

I had just left Everett's school and was headed to a coffee shop to work for a few hours. The only way to get to where I was going without riding several blocks out of my way was to travel a few blocks on Division, from 71st to about 74th.

It was a lovely calm morning; there was little traffic, mostly just mamas on their way home from dropping kids off at school, people headed to work late, delivery trucks. The eastbound lanes were nearly empty. A minivan drove up in the left lane behind me; we were the only ones on the road for several blocks.

"Get off the road!" she said. The driver of the minivan, as clear as a bell, bitter and self-righteous. I didn't see her face, nor could I see her license plate (Everett broke my glasses last week and I haven't had the cash to replace them yet), so there was nothing to be done but yell back. I shouldn't have, but I was shaking with anger.

Kidical Mass: coming to a neighborhood near you

** updated with new ride locations ** check back for full route details **

photo credit: Jonathan Maus of bikeportland.org

Critial Mass started with a group of 45 people in San Francisco in 1992. Now, the ride is a monthly event in cities all around the world to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists’ right to the road.

Of course, We here at urbanMamas believe that kids and families are cyclists too! A very new effort to this end has started in Eugene, OR in August 2008.  Kidical Mass is a ride to help kids and families feel comfortable riding on our streets, especially as a larger group. Here in Portland, we’ve already had two successful Kidical Mass rides, both starting in the North Park Blocks in downtown Portland.  Rides are being organized in Tulsa, OK, Ashland, OR, Bend, OR, and Toronto, Canada.

We want to bring Kidical Mass to our neighborhoods.  urbanMamas is organizing Kidical Mass rides in N/NE Portland, SE Portland, and NW Portland (the original Portland Kidical Mass ride). 

What will you expect at Kidical Mass?

• A safety talk before we start riding
• A 3-4 mile guided ride on our neighborhood streets
• No child left behind!  We will make sure we have a sweeper biker to bring up the rear
• Tons of families and children riding with trailers, Xtracycles, tag-alongs/trail-a-bikes, bike seats, and kids riding on their own bikes
• Maps, brochures, information, bike decor for the kids
• A post-ride potluck picnic at the park where we can meet other urbanFamilies and chat about our summers, bike rides, and other Portland family fun

What should you bring?

• Tricked out and decorated bikes.  Bring your bike bling!
• Your helmets
• A picnic for your family post-ride
• Bring something to share, if you wish!

Mark your calendars now:

Kidical Mass in Portland's neighborhoods
Friday, August 15th

Locations
N/NE: Peninsula Park (meet at the NE corner of the park at N. Rosa Parks and N. Kerby).  The ride will run South on N. Kerby, west on N. Ainsworth, north on Delaware to Arbor Lodge Park, then loop back to Peninsula Park for potluck picnicking.

SE: Sunnyside School (meet at the playground near 35th and Taylor; here is the route map)

SE: Sellwood Park by the pool.  The ride will head north up the Springwater Corridor then back into North Sellwood. Perfect for those pulling trailers or bringing little ones on their micro bikes. Maps will be available for folks.

NW: North Park Blocks (meet by the playground)

SW: Meeting at Capitol Hill Elemenetary and ride a total of 1.4 miles to Gabriel Park.  At Gabriel Park there will be watermelon (and possibly a watermelon drop?) and a potluck.  Bring your bikes.  Bring some food and drink.  Oh, and bring your kids to KIDICAL MASS!

Time
6:00PM gather
6:15PM Safety Talk & Ride!
7:00PM Post-Ride Potluck Picnic

Can't make it for the ride?  Bring out your family and feel free to join us for the post-ride potluck picnic.  It's open to all!  Planning to come?  RSVP in the comments for any of the rides.  We want to know how many bikey treats & swag to bring.  Want to help guide, plan, or organize a ride?  Shoot us an email at urbanMamas@gmail.com 

Cycling while pregnant: Have you?

There are mamas among us who love to bike, even while pregnant.  Shout outs to the urbanMama photographed here, at 8 months pregnant (photo credit to Jonathan Maus of bikeportland.org).  Colleen recently emailed, though, and would like to hear from all of you: Have you biked while pregnant?  Did you stop biking during pregnancy?

I bike to and from work each day (just under 6 miles each way) and it's a gift. I'm able to squeeze in some exercise without having to set aside time (read: w/o having to wake up even earlier than my two-year-old and/or sacrifice time spent with her) and by doing something that I have to do anyway (get to and from work). It also keeps me sane during the winter months.

We are now considering adding to our family, but I'm concerned about whether or not my daily bike ride would be ok while pregnant. Since finding time to exercise wasn't much of an issue pre-baby #1, and cycling to and from anywhere wasn't possible in the town in which we were living at the time, this is a new complication. And frankly, giving up this part of my life up, even for a short period of time, is potentially a real sanity breaker for me.

I expect this is something that I'd have to cover with my care provider, but I'm wondering what other cycling urbanMamas have done. If you continued to cycle, what was your experience like?  Did the shift in your center of gravity throw you off?  Did your belly get in the way of your legs while pedaling?  Did you get weird stares?

Sunday Parkways, a HIT!

*photo courtesy Jonathan Maus, www.bikeportland.org

For months we'd been waiting with bated breath for the day had 6 miles of neighborhood streets, car-free.  When the day finally came, we could hardly believe it was true.  We joined thousands of other bikers and walkers to take back our streets.  The streets were packed!  The feeling was overwhelming, and everyone on the street shared some healthy fun.  I felt wonderful with the feeling that my 7-year old could ride her bike freely in the streets, not having to worry about a car zooming past. 

Were you there?  Share thoughts?  Did you and your family have a great time?

When did babe start riding in the trailer/bike seat?

The urbanMamas are a biking bunch.  We come across mamas emailing often for advice and tips on biking as a family.  A recent email came in from a mama, anxious to get back to riding after babe was born.

We are a biking family.  Or were.  My husband and I used to love how bike friendly Portland is.  We could go anywhere without a car.  Now we have a five week old little baby and I feel tied to the carseat.  We already have a hand-me-down Burley trailer from a fellow bike loving family, but I am afraid it will be years before we are ok to use it.  I know all children have to wear helmets on bikes or in trailers, and the idea of finding a helmet small enough, let alone getting it on her, let alone having it do anything at all . . Obviously, we want to be as safe as possible.  Do you have any advice?

How early did your babe start riding while you biked?  What did you do to find a helmet that fit the littlest babes?

Our first week on the Walk & Bike Challenge

The first five days of the Walk & Bike Challenge are done.  Over 30 schools are signed up and I hear some school communities are starting out with a bang!  The month of May also coincides with PDOT-promoted Bike to Work month, with events throughout May like guided beginner level rides, fun events with free food, and commuting workshops.  The double motivation is working for us and - especially with the fair whether out last week - we are seeing so many more folks walking and biking.

With all this biking going on, it can be so daunting to start trying bike commuting, especially as a family.  While we've tried to chronicle some of our own experiences with family biking, another great resource are upcoming workshops (remaining dates May 12 in SE, May 15 in Downtown, May 22 outer SE) "Getting Started in Family Bike Commuting."

Nervous about mounting a bicycle with little ones? Confused by all the options for carrying kids on bicycles?  The BTA's Family Biking Commute Workshops discuss the common challenges that families face when considering bike commuting. They are also a place for seasoned bicyclists to learn more about commuting with kids and share what they know about commuting with new riders.

For our family, after such a loooooooong winter and lots of wet, we have been driving more than biking in past weeks.  Last week, however, we were motivated by the Walk & Bike Challenge and here was our play-by-play for our famiy of four:

• Monday: we all biked
• Tuesday: we all drove
• Wednesday: one parent took the bus with one child; one parent biked with the other child
• Thursday: we all biked
• Friday: one parent biked with one child; one parent drove with the other child

How did you fare in the first week of the Walk & Bike Challenge?  Did you find many other families participating?  Is your school not signed up?  You can still sign up here!  What are some challenges that keeps you from walking, biking, or riding the bus to school?

Stimulate this! Great ideas for using your economic stimulus package

As soon as I heard about Bush's Economic Stimulus plan, I started in with the subversion. I'd use my stimulus check to buy things, but entirely not the things Bush and big retail corporations wanted me to. My debit card wouldn't be swiped at Target or Sears or Olive Garden; with the whopping $2,100 my family will get (we have three children) I wouldn't buy a single gallon of premium unleaded gas, nor sink a nickel into video poker machines (I'm scandalized and saddened that's where Oregon's kicker went). No. I'd buy things that would work gently against big government and big big oil.

I made a promise to myself that I would spend my economic stimulus money on things that would save me from spending future fossil fuels, future money and future greenhouse gases. I decided I would invest my stimulus package into my little urban homestead's soil, air, and food stores. I'd get off the grid, just a bit, I'd use it to live lighter. I made a list of ideas and (helped by a substantial tax rebate) I've already started in on it. Do you have any ideas to add to the list? Where will your stimulus package go?

• A family bike. I bought this Electra Townie + Xtracycle + Bobike seat from Clever Cycles for about $1500; you could do it a lot cheaper ($450-$600) if you had a base bike to use (you could even use an old Schwinn). I'm waiting for another Bobike seat for Truman. I can transport all three boys on it! There are lots more thoughts about family biking here.
• A couple of garden boxes, fertilizer, compost, seeds and starts. It seems as if I'm not the only one thinking about this! Lots of your great vegetable gardening advice here.

Take the Walk + Bike Challenge to Your School!

We know that all of the talks of bike and the Portland bike culture can be a bit alienating for some, but here's an opportunity to take the baby steps needed to bike and walk.  Need a little inspiration?  Sponsored by the BTA:

Oregon Walk + Bike to School has an exciting event happening in May. For the first time ever, we are extending the spirit of Walk + Bike Day into an entire month! In the style of the BTA's successful Bike Commute Challenge, all over the Portland area elementary students will be challenged to walk or bike to school as much as they can over the month of May. Once a week, a school champion will gather student scorecards and find out who's walking and biking! 

This event can be as robust or as simple as suits your school. Oregon Walk + Bike provides: posters, small incentive items, student scorecards, and tips on making your event successful.  Every student that walks or bikes at each registered school is eligible for raffle prizes. The winning school will receive a free class of the BTA's Award-Winning Bicycle Safety Education curriculum in the fall of 2008 (up to 32 students).

Sunday Parkways: Ciclovia Portland-Style

The city of Bogota ciclovia is inspiring. Every Sunday over 70 miles of city streets are opened up to promote and encourage biking, walking, skating and physical activity.  On June 22, 2008, Portland is hosting on it's own mini-ciclovia with 6 mile circuit in North Portland closed to traffic.  We'd love to try to organize some type of urbanMamas event in conjunction with Sunday Parkways.  Should it be a urbanFamily ride and parade?  Should we help to organize a demonstration of family-bike set ups?  What should we do?  What would help you to ride more as a family? We'd love to hear your ideas. And if you want to help us coordinate, that would be lovely as well!

[Photo Jonathan Maus, published under Creative Commons license]

Outfitting the Family Bike Setup On a Budget

We personally still often refer to Jonathan's post on bikeportland.org.  He's got some great pictures of trail-a-bike/trailer combos, Xtracycle, tandems, etc.  We've also talked about great lengths about bicycling on urbanMamas, and with the weather hopefully turning the corner, you will see more families biking around town.  Shayne is looking to start her family down this path.  Do have any advice for finding a good set up for the family on a budget?  She emails:

So we know Portland is the most bike friendly city in the US but how does a family get started?  We have a 2 year old and a 7 year old and are wanting to get the family bike setup on a budget.  We were thinking of looking on Craigslist or at a used bike shop but we don't really know what to look for. Things we should be wary of? Also, is it worth it to try and take the bikes places on your car? Any tips for the best ways to do that?  Great trails?

Bike Commuting with a reluctant child

It's wonderful to live in a city where biking and walking to school isn't just a one day affair.  Safe Routes for Schools is an ongoing, year-round program to offer support to parents and kids who bike and walk to school.  And, urbanMamas are teaming with the BTA right now to come up with even more ways we support our grassroots efforts to take alternative modes of transportation, as families, every day to school and work.

Even with these programs in play, we may not always have the children who want to come along for the ride.  Our family bikes to school probably 70% of the time (so far this year), and the bus or car days are real treats.  Some mornings, they beg to drive to school.  Janice is encountering similar resistance:

My husband bike commutes and I’m trying to bike more and drive less, but my eight-year-old is reluctant. And if you’ve ever biked with a reluctant kid, you understand the true meaning of “passive-aggressive”! Who knew pedals could ever turn that slowly?

Anyway, we already have a system where he earns a reward for every 10 cheerful rides, but now that’s not enough. I’m looking for tips on motivation and equipment (any knitting patterns for child-sized lobster-claw mittens out there?...and I'd also love to chat with other uMamas about safety, routes, and benefits.)

I have to go pick him up from school now (with the car, since he was “too tired” to bike this morning), but I’m really looking forward to some help from this great bike-friendly community!

Suggestions for motivation?  Getting the kids out on the bike lanes, especially when it's cold and sort of damp?  What's your best rainy-day outfit?  Best "I-don't-wanna" treat?

Will you Bike or Walk to School?

This Wednesday, October 3, is the 2007 Bike & Walk to School Day.  In an effort to get in our faces, grab our attention, and/or shame us into walking or biking, a Willy Week editorial reads, "Driving is Lazy".  With Portland Public Schools offering school choice wherein many families opt for schools beyond their neighborhood schools, it may not be as easy to just walk or bike to school.

There are 37 or so participating schools in Portland, both public and private.  Is your school on the list?  Even if it isn't, will you be able to walk or bike to school?  Carpool or take the bus/MAX? 

Will you be pedaling across the bridges?

It's the family bike event of the year, the Bridge Pedal is here!  With three route options - the 10 bridge (36 miles), the 8 bridge (24 miles) and the 6 bridge (14 miles), organizers estimate 20,000 participants to register.  And don't forget the stride (5 mile walk that includes crossing the Broadway and Steel Bridges)!   Start times begin at 7am (for the 10- or 8- bridge rides) and run until 9:30am (for the 6-bridge rides).

In previous years, the thousands and thousands of riders of all ages and levels have resulted in bottlenecks, accidents, and complaints.  I know some families who are discouraged and even afraid to ride the event, opting to leave their bike riding to their daily commutes with or without kids.  I know families (like ourselves) who keep coming back for more, even if the ride can be wrought with difficulties and some frustrations.  The views and the thrills from up top of the Marquam and Fremont bridges just can't be beat!

Will you be riding?  What are tips and tricks for the rest of the family riders?

Biker Chic

What with three other urbanMamas going low-car, I've been giving thought to switching to a bike commute, maybe once a week or so.  But it's one thing to commute from close-in to downtown and quite another to go from close-in to Gresham, so it's taking me a while to work out the kinks (especially with carrying a baby in a trailer!).  One thing that I don't have to consider too much is how to dress once I get there.  Luckily at work we have individual bathrooms with sink and mirror, so freshening up isn't too hard to do.  Along with spare clothes, I would pack a washrag, some soap, and a small hand towel.  To be honest at my workplace they probably wouldn't notice if I dressed in pajamas, so I don't have that much appearance to keep up.  In a pinch, after a run, I might use one of those instant facial soapy rags to wash up.  Suzame is about to jump back into the working mama pool and asks this question of other bike-commuting mamas:

After nearly a year off I'm returning to work full time (Yay! and Boo-hoo! all at the same time). My patience during the search resulted in me landing a job downtown, just slightly two miles from my house in NE. I'm excited (and nervous) about joining the ranks of Portland's bike commuters, and plan on finding a workshop to get tips on how to make the ride safe. (I'm a bit nervous about riding in traffic down Broadway and back, but it's the quickest route for me.)

But what I REALLY want to know is -- how you show up for work looking good? I already got my hair chopped off so that it'll always look stylishly mussed (at least, I hope so). It's a short ride (maybe 10 minutes) and most of it is flat, so I don't anticipate working up too much of a sweat. But I'm definitely showering at home and doing make-up before I leave, and hopefully either arriving at work with a quick change of clothes or wearing my work clothes during the ride. But that depends on me finding decent business casual clothes that I don't mind biking in. I'd love to hear from other mamas who ride their bikes to work -- how do you do it and manage to look pulled together all day?

Do you have any fashion tips for the biking working mama?

How to find a child's stolen bike?

How sad is this?  Any ideas for finding a child's stolen bike?

My 7-year-old daughter's bike was stolen from in front of our house today. I realized, too, late how "valuable" it is, at least to her. The bike isn't worth much money at all, is old, has a torn banana seat. It's vintage, I suppose, but battered, and its true value is in the fact that Eugenia learned to ride on it (in two hours flat! without training wheels!), loves it dearly, and rides it daily. While I think of myself as a pacifist, I find myself wishing karmic retribution on a massive scale for the person [I almost used a much, uh, earthier, word] who stole her beloved bike. But I'm trying to put my energies to more positive use. I've registered the bike as stolen on finetoothcog.com, which searches for stolen bikes on the internet, via Craigslist and eBay. Is there anything else I'm missing here? It seems unlikely that reporting it to the police will help, am I right? Or should I try? We don't have a serial number or anything like that.

In the meantime, if anyone sees a beat-up old child's red sparkly Schwinn Stingray with a torn banana seat, please alert this mama (who will do anything I can to find it). I know a heartbroken, tearstained little girl who would be very grateful for its return.

The Trials and Tribulations of Being Car Free

When fellow urbanMama Olivia and I signed up for the Low-Car Diet Challenge, I was really enthused.  I didn't think it through entirely, but reducing the use of our family car has been in the back of my mind for a long time.  When the challenge started a few weeks ago, it didn't feel so bad.  I was already commuting by bike and bus to work.  My husband and I just needed to integrate the bike into our childcare drop-off and pick-up routine; and social activities.  When he was around for week one, it worked beautifully sharing the load between the two of us.

Snafu 1: Reality hit with week 2 when the weather turned rainy, the week was jammed with early morning work engagements, and a husband / father that was 5000 miles away for work.  Mentally, I had to change gears and really focus and plan how I would it make through the next two weeks without an extra set of legs (that are made for pedaling) around to share in the hauling.  The main blip was the rain.  Cole stayed nice and dry in the trailer, and Carter in his nice waterproof breathable rain coat and pants, while I was a soaking mess.  When I retold my sob story, most recommended "You should get fenders."  Ahem, I do have fenders, but they certainly don't keep your lower body dry. Solution 1: It's only rain!  After I stopped pouting, I wiped myself dry in the bathroom and changed.  When I heard others complain about the traffic and their miserable commute into work, I realized that the rain only delayed me only a few minutes and I made it to my meeting on time.

Snafu 2: The other major issue?  The Eastside is hilly, you don't notice it quite as much from the comforts of your car.  It also finally occurred to me that my commute distance had doubled and that I was biking 10 miles each day, most of it hauling children.  No wonder why my legs were aching, and I was a sweaty mess when I arrived to work!   Solution 2: I made sure I was out of the door by 7:30 am on day I had to moderate an 8:30 am session.  I wiped myself dry with a towel, put on some deodorant, pulled my hair back and changed into work clothes. I hung up my wet clothes in the bathroom and left them there to dry.  Who would want to steal my stinky clothes?

Snafu 3: To top the whole experience off so far in week 3, I got a flat tire after dropping kid number two off.  I left my pump in the trailer left at kid number 1's daycare, and the my back up bikes had flats as well.  Solution 3: I walked the bike to the local bike shop (they're awesome!) and worked from home.

Should I give up?  Should I be discouraged?  The good comes with the bad, and practice makes perfect.  The more I bike, the easier it seems.  It's been a few weeks, and I've found that I've developed a biking rhythm.  And those pre-pre-pregnancy shorts that I kept around from 4 years ago?  I can now slide into them.

What are your tips for biking more and driving less?  How did you go about venturing into more biking activities?  If you're a casual biker, what are some of your fears?  We want to hear from you!

My first day on the Low Car Diet: Everyone loves the trail-a-bike

This morning, I was in a tizzy to get Philly to summer camp on time and in a tizzy to get to the Low Car Diet kick-off on time.  We set up the bikes in traditional train formation: my bike, connected to the trail-a-bike/tag-along, connected to the trailer.  In a rush, I heaved my way five miles from our N PDX home to NW Portland, to Philly's summer camp.

The problem of the morning: My girls fight over who rides the tag-along.  Now that the girls, ages 3.5 and 6.5, are both happiest pedaling on tag-alongs; no one wants to sit in the trailer.  Sad, lonely trailer!  This morning, our biggest girl, 6.5 year old Philly, "let" her little sister have the privilege of pedaling, so I had the privilege of hauling around 45 pounds of Philly in the trailer the five miles from home to summer camp.  Ugh, ugh, ugh.  Sure the trailer can handle loads up to 100 pounds, but can ya handle pulling those 100 pounds??

Bike for uMamas & uPapas

When it comes to the family bike ride, there are bike trailers, there are bike tag-alongs, but - of course - there are also the adult bikes that pull them!  Can you give Meliah some tips on what sorts of bikes would be good for an urbanMama and urbanPapa?  Any advice on where to get them?

One of the things I love about living in Portland is the vast array of transportation options. I am fortunate enough to live in a great downtown location where we don't have to drive to much at all. With the summer setting in and our oldest one getting to that age where bike riding is a feasible thing for him on his own, we've been talking about purchasing bikes for the family.   Here's the thing: I am a total novice when it comes to this field! I sold my bike when I was 14 and haven't been on one since (not even the stationaries at the gym). I obviously have no interest in putting myself or my family at risk of any kind so I'm wondering if there are some urbanMamas out there who can help me out.

• WHAT KIND OF BIKE/S AM I LOOKING FOR?  We are buying mostly for pleasure riding (along the waterfront/sauvies island/mt. hood trails, etc). I know NOTHING about bicycles and don't want to get ripped off or end up buying something inappropriate for what we need. Just something functional, basic and reliable.
• BUYING.  When it comes to actually purchasing a bike, where can we go to get what we need for a bargain price? The pocketbook will dictate a lot of what we can and cannot do on this matter.

One uM & her Bike To Work Day 2007

...  psst ... head on over to the Activistas site to read more about One uM & her Bike To Work Day 2007 ....

Two Wheeler Advice

Melissa is pondering the many options for kid-sized bike.  Perhaps you can help her out?

The baby daddy & I are thinking about getting our daughter her first bicycle for her 4th birthday which is coming up fast. At first we thought, "Great! that decision is made." Well...now we're realizing there are more options than we were prepared for. Do any of you have experience/advice/stories to share regarding pedals, no pedals, brands, size, etc.?

Beyond the Bike Trailer: Tag-alongs

We've posted previously on Family Bike Ride: The Gear.  In a comment to our recent post on Bike Trailers, Erin asks:

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do when your kids are just too heavy for the trailer but the oldest isn't old enough to bike along with you on his own? I really want to continue biking and I have a great double trailer, but I just can't realistically zoom around town with the 70+ lbs. of kid and add groceries, library books, etc. Any experience with a tag-along and a trailer?

Bike Trailers

originally posted by urbanmamas on January 29, 2005

We're thinking of getting a double bike trailer for our 6 month old and 3-1/2 year old. Any suggestions on brands? When do you think our baby will be old enough to ride in the trailer?

updated by urbanmamas on March 12, 2007

Now that springtime is coming, there is a flurry of renewed interest in bike trailers and towing the little ones around town.  So: 

1. Did you decide on a bike seat or a bike trailer?
2. What brand or make did you decide on?
3. What are good local sources on where to buy your bike seat or bike trailer?

We found a great nuts-n-bolts Bicycle Child Trailer Buyer's Guide, but we'd love to hear your experiences.

Get on Your Bike And Ride! (with the kids, of course . . .)

Portland, being the generally bike-friendly city that it is, has an amazing number of cyclists hitting the road with kids in tow.  Being left without a car and not having a bike meant getting around on Tri-met for about 6 months, but then the days got nicer and I started dreaming of feeling the wind in my hair.  Oh yeah, and our daughter was finally big enough to don a helmet and sit up straight for long stretches of time!  As she neared that 1-year milestone Jeremy and I got anxious to get on our bikes so I started looking around in earnest for a bike for myself and a way to haul our little bundle of joy. 

I ended up deciding on a hybrid bike (not a road or a mountain bike, but something with features of both) because sitting higher up makes it easier for me to glance behind and keep an eye on baby.  I'm sure I'll get comments from at least one hardcore road bike enthusiast who loves her steed, but after test riding lots of bikes over a few weeks I went with a KHS and have been more than satisfied.  A smooth ride for not a terrible lot of money.

As far as child-carrying devices go, there's a whole slew of options to choose from.  I grew up riding in a rear-mounted child seat on my mom's bike, as I'm sure many of you did, and there are still plenty of people using those.  They're nice because the child is close to you, but the main disadvantages are that the height make your center of gravity go way up, which can mean it's harder to maneuver at slow speeds, and in the (unthinkable) event of an accident, your baby will fall from a considerable height. 

An interesting variation on the rear-mounted bike is the front-mounted version, which is, apparently, quite popular in Europe.  I saw one on Woodstock the other day, so I'm sure they'll soon start popping up all over the place.  The advantages are that you can keep an eye on your child at all times, and in turn, they get to check out the view.  If you fall, chances are that you'll be able to cushion the impact for them, since they sit perched between your legs.  The down sides seems to be that the seats might interfere with long-legged parents' ability to pedal comfortably, and that the shorter people among us might have trouble seeing over and around baby's helmeted head.  A few different designs include the Safe-T-Seat, and the Bike Tutor.  Have you used one?  How do you like it?

After some discussion we decided to go with a bike trailer.  There seems to be consensus that they're the safest way to carry kids, since they're designed not to flip even if you and your bike do.  Plus, the better ones have roll bars and 5-point harnesses for the off chance that your little one goes for an unexpected spin.  Oh yeah, we also wanted one with a screen small enough to avoid spraying baby with road grit, as well as a sun shade so she wouldn't bake in the heat.  One of our other considerations, besides safety, was that, without a car, we'd need to pick up groceries, etc. while on our bikes.  Our trailer is rated to carry up to 100 lbs.  As it turns out, it also came in really handy when Jeremy was teaching a cooking class at a school in Gresham.  He would bike the Springwater Corridor to the Fred Meyer closest to the school, load up groceries for 15 kids, (they each received a grocery bag full of stuff to be able to try the recipes at home) and then ride to his class.  Keep in mind, he was doing this in the middle of winter.  So yeah, our Burley trailer is a champ. 

To choose a trailer we did a lot of research and essentially everyone said the same thing:  Burley's are the best.  Of course, they also happen to be three or four times as expensive as the kind you can pick up at Toys R Us.  We lucked out and had a couple relatives chip in to buy it for us as a (very generous) gift.  You can also find them used on craigslist or eBay since they're built to last a lifetime (though, of course the warranty is non-transferable).  We also decided to go for the model that can hold two kids, even though we're not exactly planning another yet, and now it means that I can go out biking with other mamas and carry one other kid. 

When I wrote about Tri-Met there were quite a few of you that commented about how much more complicated reality gets when you have more than one child.  If your kids are a little bigger, yet can't handle a long ride, I really like the Adams Trail-a-Bike option.  It's like a tandem attachment for an adult bike, but it's designed so that the child (age 4-7) can stop pedaling whenever s/he wants and just enjoy the ride.  If you buy this product second-hand keep in mind that there was a recall issued in October 2004 and you should make sure the bike comes with the appropriate new parts.   

Finally, here comes the probably unnecessary reminder that kids under age 12 are all required to wear helmets, regardless of the method of bike travel you choose.  Unfortunately, I've yet to find a helmet that goes on easily on a squirmy toddler.  Maya loathes having her helmet on.  She likes playing with it, she loves pointing out when other people are wearing "hats", but she shrieks cries of terror every third time we put it on her.  Granted, this seems to coincide with return trips when she's already tired and cranky, but it drives me nuts.  Why can't they design a helmet with the latch on the side of the child's face?  Babies and toddlers often have cute little double chins and pudgy necks that can easily get caught in their so-called PinchGuard (tm) fasteners.   Seriously, I'm going to start working on my own design and sell it to Bell or Giro for a million dollars some day.  If anyone has a solution, please, please let me know! 

In spite of helmet trauma, Maya has really been enjoying the bike outings we've taken.    After one particularly grueling ride across town and up Terwilliger I nixed any all day outings until baby is a bit older, but she will literally coo and whee! all around SE Portland--until she conks out, that is.   It's a rare ride where she doesn't decide to nap until we reach our destination.   Must be all that fresh air. 

PS- One big recommendation I have is for everyone to check out the Metro bike maps available for $6 at most bike shops or online here.  Also, the folks at ByCycle have a good tool to help you plan your routes.  Yay!

Family Bike Ride: The Gear

Now that we're well into summer, we're hopping on the bikes pretty often.  The sunny and not-to-warm days are perfect for riding into the sunset.  Thought I'd just share a few things that have worked for our pedaling family of four.

I've shared before about our riding around with our bike trailer (and which one we bought, at that).  Last year, our great addition was our tag-along, the Adams Trail-a-Bike.  We decided to get one when Philly was about 4 years old, and when she was getting awfully heavy to ride in the trailer with her sister.  Plus, she had already been on her two-wheeler with training wheels for several months, and she was getting good at the pedaling.  After testing out a couple of tag-alongs, we decided on the tag-along that: (a) folds and (b) has 5 gears.  (we felt lucky to have found what we needed on craigslist.)  The fold-up aspect comes in handy when we go on a trip, we can fold it up so easily and put it in the trunk.  We first tried the non-folding tag-along, and it was a bear to fit into the car!  The gear-shifting is wonderful when we hit higher speeds.  WIth the fixed-gear tag-along, when we were cruising along, Philly would stop pedaling at some point because the gear was much too low.  She couldn't keep up.  Now, with the gears, she can even share in some of the work.

When we're both riding around with the girls, one of us pulls the tag-along and one of us pulls the trailer.  Sometimes, when we are riding solo, we have attempted the caravan: daddy pulling the tag-along pulling the trailer...

I guess a couple of my biggest tips for pedaling around town are:

Map it out.  It's good to know where you're going.  We have great bike maps of the CIty and even touring around Oregon.  There are routes with bike lanes, no-car paths, low-traffic streets, then high-traffic, super scary streets.  When you have the kidlets in tow, it's good to make sure you avoid those high-traffic, no-bike-lane streets.  We've once mapped poorly and we ended up with the kids on a major, major two lane, higher-speed thoroughfare .  Man, was it scary!  Here is a complete list of maps.

Underestimate.  I have a tendency to think we can go that extra mile with the kids, thinking we can do the full 10-bridge/36-mile Bridge Pedal without incident.  Easy does it, slow going, safety first.  I like to put a small radio/CD player in the trailer with Tati so she can play her favorite music for us and everyone we pass by.  If there are prolonged complaints or discomforts, we have learned to stop and take breaks!  It's all supposed to be a fun and healthful time.

Cycling Playgroup

Thanks Jackie for the heads-up on a FUN event:

The Bike Gallery on SE Woodstock (at SE 43rd) hosts a cycling playgroup on the last Friday morning of each month throughout the summer for moms, dads and tots.  Bring your little one, bicycle, and trailer or extra seat to take a short bike ride to the park and for coffee.  Meet at 10 AM.

Join them tomorrow if you can!  The shop manager brings along his 2-year old for the ride.

Bike to Blazers Night Ride '05

Tomorrow night, Saturday April 15th, there's this event: Bike to Blazers Night Ride.  Sounds like a great event, and pretty family-friendly too!  We are definitely going.  Join fun bikey people at Lucky Lab for pre-game food and drink, then mosey up to the Rose Garden for the 7PM game.  I know the game interferes with bedtimes, but we've taken our girls to a few evening games, and their enjoyment is worth the temporary disruption in routine.  They cheer!  Eat popcorn!  Yell "DE-Fense!"  I myself usually barely watch the game.  The girls & I watch the cheerleading squad with  intensity.  We usually come home and take turns making up silly cheers.  The girls are so enthralled with just being there that we just soak up all the excitement in the arena.  Regardless of how lousy the teams are.  It's still fun to watch a live sporting event.

Come tomorrorw night ...  and also support a great program: "Get Lit!"...

Parents ride wild

Ok.  So, they weren't riding wild.  But, this family of four was riding around safely on their bikes and in trailers.  Read Jon Maus' of BikePortland.org and his Report: Danica's first ride.  Jon tells us how he secured 4.5 month old Danica in his trailer while his wife Juli pulled 3-year old separately.  What fun!

And also see a post from yesteryear for a couple of suggestions on bike trailers back when we were considering which bike trailer to buy for the family.  We ended up with the Burley d'Lite for two (which we especially love with the Walk & Roll attachment), and we took Tati for her first ride at about 6 months old.  Our pediatrician had said, as long as she could hold her head up, she can ride in the trailer or a bike seat.  So, we padded Tati in like crazy for her first ride.  Rolled up blankets everywhere to prop her into place.  The bucky travel pillow (kids size) worked great, too, to prevent too much floppy head syndrome.  We've continued padding Tati in, up until she was over a year old.  A small pillow for her back still works great.  Can't wait to get back in the saddle again (I'm more of a fair weather rider)....