Category Archives: bikes

Transitions: from kids as cargo to kids as riders (a new series)

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Anne | 11 comments

Like many parents around the world, we have embraced using bikes instead of cars to haul our kids around the city. It’s been 3 years since we built the Xtracycles and started using them for everyday transportation.

First Ride, August 2007

Wow, 3 years already? How did that happen?

It’s been a great run: we’ve learned so much, met some fantastic people, laughed and smiled a lot….and developed some beefy quads. We wouldn’t go back to our short-distance car driving ways for anything. We’re hooked on bikes.

If you read Car Free Days with any regularity, you already know that. I don’t want to talk about the benefits of cargo bikes.

I want to talk about growing kids and what to do about them. Because while we were out enjoying cargo biking, our kids have grown.

A lot. Continue reading →

11 Comments

Posted in bikes, cargo bikes, kids, kids' bikes, transitions

Tagged cargo bikes, Family Cycling, kids, riding with kids, transitions

Take the July Walk Bike Ride Challenge

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Anne | 1 comment

To encourage Seattle residents to leave their stinky cars at home on occasion, the city is continuing its Walk Bike Ride campaign with a July Walk Bike Ride Challenge.

Starting July 4th and continuing through July 31st, Seattleites are invited to take the challenge.

Simply replace two car trips a week with walking, biking or taking transit
keep track your trips
record them
and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win some fabulous prizes Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, seattle, summer

Tagged City of Seattle, seattle, Walk Bike Ride, Way to Go

If we lure parents to bikes, will kids follow?

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Anne | 16 comments

School has been out for a week and we’re just starting to get into our summer groove. Swimming, beach time, garden time, cleaning the deck, you know, all that fun summer stuff.

And of course, getting around on bikes.

I didn’t blog much about Bike to School Month this year (our 3rd year organizing and promoting it at our local elementary). Despite the record-setting rainy and cold month in Seattle, quite a few parents and kids got to school on two wheels in May. Of the 550 or so kids at school, 105 kids participated in Bike to School Month. Not a terrible statistic, but definitely has room for improvement.

Last summer Tim read Pedaling Revolution, by Jeff Mapes. I didn’t get a chance to read the whole thing but I did read Chapter 9: Bringing Kids Back to Bikes. Continue reading →

16 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, kids

Tagged kids, kids and bikes, parents, riding with kids

Spoke and Food Tonight

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Anne | Leave a comment

Spoke and Food is tonight, June 29th. Ride your bike to dinner and 14 Seattle restaurants will donate a percentage of their profits to Lettuce Link at Solid Ground.

On the evening of Tuesday, June 29th, we invite you to bicycle to and from one of the 14 Seattle area restaurants who have all agreed to participate in our event. In support of our event goals, the participating restaurants have also agreed to donate a percent of the revenues they receive on the evening of our event to the non-profit organization we have selected to support. This year’s non-profit is the Lettuce Link program at Solid Ground.

Don’t forget to check the participating restaurants before you make dinner plans tonight!

– Anne

Fourth of July Cargo Bike Ride..don’t miss it

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Anne | 1 comment

The Fourth of July Cargo Bike Ride is on.

When: Sunday, July 4th at Noon (ride leaves at 1:00)

Where: Meet at the Pergola in Pioneer Square (1st and Yesler)

Bring: lots of food and drink

We’re notoriously late and have never actually made this ride. We’ve pedaled down to Pioneer Square and missed the ride on more than one occasion.

We don’t know our plans for Sunday, but we’ll try to make it.

Happy Fourth!

– Anne and Tim

1 Comment

Posted in bikes, Events, extravehicular activities, summer

Tagged 2010, events, Fourth of July, rides, seattle

9 to 5, the video

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Anne | 3 comments

We’re still grinning about the 9 to 5 at our house (either it really was that fun, or we just need to get out more, I’m not sure which). Tim shot a bunch of video on the ride and I couldn’t just let it fester on our server.

So here you go, our short 9 to 5 video:

Hope you’re having a good summer

– Anne and Tim

3 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, extravehicular activities, seattle, summer

Tagged 9 to 5, bike scavenger hunt, seattle, video

9 to 5 Bike Scavenger Hunt, oh yeah

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Anne | 10 comments

What would get some approaching-middle age parents to stay up all night riding bikes all over town looking for star fruit and covers of the out-of-print Seattle PI and wrapped toothpicks and Polaroid photos? Why the Solstice 9 to 5 all-night Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, of course. Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, extravehicular activities, seattle, summer

Tagged 9 to 5, bikes, fun, go means go, scavenger hunt, seattle

Bike Snob in Seattle June 19 @2:00PM

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Anne | 5 comments

“Elusive blogger”, Eben Weiss, will be at University Book Store on the Ave. this Saturday, June 19th at 2:00 PM to promote his book.

Details from the University Book Store events calendar:

Saturday • June 19 • 2pm
BikeSnobNYC
Bike Snob (CHRONICLE)
Reading & Book Signing
U District store
In this event benefiting the organization Bike Works (which encourages sustainability and activity in young people by teaching them about cycling), NYC’s elusive blogger BikeSnobNYC will read from his new book and help us out with a raffle of gifts from Knog. Cyclists of Seattle, unite for the event. You have nothing to grease but your chains.

Tim and I (whom Eben would categorize as Mr. and Mrs. “Laden Righteous Cyclist” ) plan to pedal on over and check it out–we hope to see you there too!

– Anne

5 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, seattle

Tagged BikeSnobNYC, events, reading, seattle, U-district

Fiets of Parenthood…the Report

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Anne | 9 comments

Thank goodness Todd shot this great video of Tim and the 7-year-old on their 3-lap parent/child run at fiets of parenthood. Otherwise we would have no record of the boy tripping over the tape, and Tim would probably still think it was his fault and feel guilty for causing his kid to fall down and get a scrape. Despite the fall, the Carfreedays boys still managed to eek out a top 5 finish. Continue reading →