Fiets of Parenthood Seattle, Sunday Aug 15th

(Video by Todd at Clever Cycles from Portland FoP)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Fiets of Parenthood” Event Will Celebrate Family Cycling

SEATTLE, Washington (August 3, 2010) – On Sunday August 15th, from 3-6 PM, at John Stanford International School (just two blocks from the Burke Gilman Trail in Wallingford), local family cycling advocates will present Seattle’s first Fiets of Parenthood Family Cycling Extravaganza. Meant to celebrate and inspire families going by bike, this free event will feature a kids’ bike skills race, parent/child family bike obstacle course, bike decoration station, “Gelato Bike,” and a bike raffle for a stylish cargo bike from Globe Bicycles, with proceeds to benefit Bike Works in South Seattle.

The organizers, local family bike bloggers Totcycle.com, CarFreeDays.com, and friends, find Seattle to be a delightful city to bike a la familia, and have been encouraging a burgeoning community of families using bikes for everyday transportation, through their websites and events like Kidical Mass, a monthly fun, law-abiding family bike ride to local parks and attractions.

They hope that this event will attract both currently bikey families and the “bike-curious.” There will be chances to see and try family-friendly bicycles, from Xtracycle “longtail” bikes, to MADSEN “precious cargo bikes,” Dutch bakfiets “box bikes,” bike trailers, and front or rear child seat solutions. Gelato will be served from a customized cargo bike, and families are encouraged to bring snacks or a dinner picnic.

The bike skills race is for any child on any bike, and will feature a cone slalom, teeter-totter, Evil Knievel “ring of fire,” a skid zone, and … a stop sign. Following this event will be a “slow race” to see who can cross the course in the most time without putting a foot down.

The family bike obstacle course is a real-world proving ground for “high occupancy velos,” where parent and passengers must run the gauntlet of everyday “feats” of parenthood: the dropped toy, loading up sacks of groceries, blackberry picking on the go, rain showers, pothole slalom, the “door zone,”  and perhaps even black diamond challenges like a diaper change on the bike.

The free, open-to-all “races” will be timed but not intensely competitive, with plenty of fun prizes and bike decoration opportunities. A raffle will be held for a Globe Haul bike generously donated by Globe Bicycles, which is a lovely cargo bike with integrated rear deck, lights, and fenders. Proceeds will benefit Bikeworks, which “builds sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling … [making] bicycling accessible and affordable to the Seattle community.”

Invite your friends, bring your family and prepare for a fun afternoon of biking for the whole family. More info here. Feel free to RSVP on Facebook or simply show up and have a good time!

– Anne