Author Archives: Anne

Bike to School Month, the Momentum

Posted on May 26, 2009 | 1 comment

It’s so great to watch the number of cycling families grow during Bike to School Month.

I have noticed a pattern since we started organizing Bike to School Month last year. At the beginning of the month, the number of cycling parents and kids isn’t that impressive. This year a dozen or so families biked to school on a daily basis the first week. But as the month progresses, (and the weather improves) more and more families join the fun and start riding bikes to school.

Is it momentum? Is it peer pressure? Does it just look like fun?

Kids see their friends riding to school and it looks like so much fun, they want to do it too. Those kids convince their parents to give it a try. As more and more families join in, the bike racks fill up. And pretty soon bikes are spilling into the garden and being locked to any available stationary object. Sometimes they aren’t locked at all (who is going to steal a kid’s bike from a school playground anyway).

I’m not sure how the momentum builds. What I do know is: I’m still seeing new faces at the bike racks every day(and they’re all smiling faces).

Thanks to all of the parents who have given biking a try. You’re doing your kids a huge favor, and hopefully you’re having some fun too!

Does anyone have Bike to School stories to share?

– Anne

1 Comment

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, neighborhoods, School

Tagged Bike to School Month, kids, School, seattle

Our Hood Ornament Girls are Ready for Spring

Posted on May 19, 2009 | 2 comments

Spring has sprung in a typical Seattle way these past weeks, one day it’s 70 degrees and sunny and the next it’s 50 and raining. We’re not putting our winter clothes away any time soon.

However, my daughter decided last week that our girls were getting a little hot in their winter wear and they were ready for spring. The dolls’ outfits were not at all appropriate on sunny days. They got outfit changes last week. They are definitely ready for spring now!

Even if we changed them too soon, they are just dolls, they’ll be just fine.

– Anne

2 Comments

Posted in bikes, kids, kids' bikes, oma, weather

Tagged bike hood ornament, bikes, clothes, dolls, fun, kids, weather

With Kids, Sometimes We Ride on the Sidewalk

Posted on May 11, 2009 | 15 comments

Bike to School Month is in full swing. The racks have been full this past week despite the rainy weather. This hardy group of riders doesn’t mind biking in the rain. Way to go.

The increased number of pedalers around the school means a few biker, non-biker conflicts. We’re learning from each other and need to keep an open dialog so we can live harmoniously on the shared streets and sidewalks.

One recent conflict surrounded whether or not bikes belong on the sidewalk. In King County, bikes are allowed on the sidewalk as long as they follow the rules of the road and the sidewalk. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged bike-to-school, bikes, sidewalk

Ten Days with the Madsen Kg271 Bucket Bike

Posted on May 4, 2009 | 15 comments

Warning. This post is loooong. Tim and Anne co-wrote it. Singly they tend toward verbosity. Together? Oy. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or beer before you start.

Probably the best thing about this little bike blog thing is all the great people we’ve met. Folks like David and Stephan from Dutch Bike, Marge (who we’ve yet to physically meet, but I’m sure we will some day), Marcus and Elliot from Austin on Two Wheels, Val, and more. It’s been a great ride.

One of our newest blog buddies, George loaned us his Madsen KG271 (you know, the long bike with the big bucket on the back) for a 10-day testing stint.

Full disclosure: George is friends with the owner of the company and asked us if we’d give his own personal Madsen a try and share our impressions. He didn’t ask for any sugar coating, and it’s a good thing. Tim’s not real good at being sweet.

Over the course of a week and a pair of weekends, we both had the opportunity to ride the Madsen as part of our daily routines (where we normally ride our Xtracycles and Anne’s Oma), as well as on a couple special-purpose, made-for-Madsen adventures. Tim picked up bags of compost; Anne transported three kids home from school. We even had some of our bikey neighbors take it for a spin. Overall, the idea was to see how this one bike (in one size, shared by two people of very different size) could fit into this bike life we’ve built for ourselves.

Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bike lust, bikes, cargo bikes, kids

Tagged bikes, cargo, cargobikes, kg271, Madsen Cycles, opinion, review

Getting Ready for Bike to School Month

Posted on April 21, 2009 | 4 comments

It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since we planned our first ever Bike to School Month at our local elementary school . I feel so much older and wiser this year : ) Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged Bike to School Month, bike-to-school, kids, School, seattle

Happy Spring!

Posted on April 7, 2009 | 3 comments

The Cherry Blossoms in full bloom at the UW are a sure sign of spring in Seattle.

I hope Spring has sprung where ever you are!

It’s a beautiful day in Seattle. Cheers!

– Anne

3 Comments

Posted in bikes, seattle, weather

Tagged Cherry Blossoms, seattle, Spring, UW

Tour de Seattle’s On-Street Bike Parking

Posted on March 26, 2009 | 2 comments

On-Street bike parking in front of Stumptown on 12th

On-Steet Bike Parking on 12th

On-Steet Bike Parking on Broadway

Tim and I have blogged about bike parking many times. You could say we’re into our bike parking.

Having access to a convenient bike parking spot is the key to using bikes as everyday transportation.

One of the main reasons we have embraced getting around on bikes is the simplicity and ease of parking a bike. No other “alternative transportation” option beats pedaling to the local store, pulling right up to the front door, pulling out a U-lock, locking your bike and walking into the shop. You can’t do that in a car, ever. And the bus…um….

As we’ve said before, we appreciate a nice rack.

Aesthetically pleasing racks add so much to the street ambiance. I love the artistic and whimsical racks. They seem to say, “not only am I practical and utilitarian, I’m also fun and pleasing to the eye, so use me or just stop and admire me for a bit”. They invite people to linger on the sidewalk. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Rack that Bike

Tagged bike racks, Broadway, Capitol Hill, Greenlake, on-street bike parking, seattle, Stumptown

Testing the Madsen Cargo Bike

Posted on March 19, 2009 | 11 comments

Our blog friend, George, contacted us last week and asked if we wanted to borrow his Madsen for a few days to test it out and share our impressions. We’re always up for trying out new utility bikes, so of course we agreed.

I pedaled over to Ballard yesterday afternoon and picked up the bike. We’ve only had it for 24 hours and are not ready to post a full review.

But I thought I’d throw up a few pictures of the first afternoon with the bucket bike.

– Anne

11 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, cargo bikes, kids, sustainability

Tagged alternative transportation, Bucket Bike, cargo bike, Madsen Cycles, utility cycling

Sometimes They Need A Little Push

Posted on March 9, 2009 | 15 comments

Tim makes pushing a kid up a hill while riding his own bike look easy.

It’s not that easy. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, kids

Tagged Family Cycling, riding with kids

Trader Joe’s

Posted on February 23, 2009 | 10 comments

via YouTube from carlsfinefilms

Tim and I often profess our love for Trader Joe’s on this blog. We mostly enjoy talking about how much we spend there and how much of that overspending we can fit on our bikes. I’d say I’m not quite a number 2, but almost. I really do love my family a lot so I can’t say I love Trader Joe’s more.

I did chuckle a few times while watching the video. Most of the reasons in the catchy jingle do it for me.

But the one I don’t have to worry about is, “It’s the cars that don’t fit in the parking lot”

The U District Trader Joe’s has plenty of bike parking right out front. There’s always an open rack spot when I roll up. And I get to listen to the guy playing violin while I lock up my bike. All in all a pleasant shopping experience.

– Anne

btw – for those of you who are getting sick of me and miss Tim’s perspective, he promises he’ll post soon. ; – )