Category Archives: kids

Me and My Bike: Teen video from Africa

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Tim K | 7 comments

The problem with having a single-topic blog (family biking in case you’ve forgotten … it has been a while), is that sometimes we run out of things worth saying out loud. Do any of you really need to hear about our heaviest Trader Joe’s run ever? Or that we finally sold our car? Or that we still love our Xtracycles (a lot)?

I don’t know about you, but for me it gets kinda old and preachy.

So we give it a rest.

But as the gap between posts grows, we start second guessing every potential idea (“it’s been a two weeks since we blogged. It’s gotta be something good” and “it’s been a month and a half since we blogged, better be AWESOME”). The larger the gap, the tougher to break the cycle.

Luckily, busting out of our slump this time is a no-brainer. Check out some amazing kids from Kenya and the fun & inspiring hip-hop bicycle music video they created video for the 1 Minute to Save the World video contest (yes, they won)!

via HuffPost

The video has it all – kids, bikes, mobility, and saving the world. What’s not to love? And it fits with our recent media and bike-music themes, too.

–Tim

Note to self: … remember to help Tom the next time he’s soliciting donations/volunteers for the Village Bicycle Project!

7 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, kids

Tagged bikes. videos, kids, music

Bike Radio: Families on Bikes

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Anne | 3 comments

A couple of weeks ago the ten-year-old and I had the immense pleasure of riding with and being interviewed by Benji Perrin for the Bike Commute (part of KBCS One World Report).

The Bike Commute:

brings us interviews on wheels…bike wheels. Producer Benji Perrin discovers what inspires and drives interesting people to do what they do both on and off their bikes. It tells their stories and ideas amongst the sounds of the streets while cycling throughout the Puget Sound. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, family cycling, kids, seattle, xtracycle

Tagged 91.3, Benji Perrin, Bike Radio, bikes, Families, KBCS, One World Report, radio, the Bike Commute

Reason #6789 For Riding Bikes

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Anne | 20 comments

The other day, Josh Cohen ( aka Publicola Bike Nerd) did a post with a link to a Jay Jansheski piece Some Things I’ve Seen While Riding a Bicycle in Seattle.

A harmless fluff piece wouldn’t you think? No lectures, no stats and nary an environmental or health reason sited. He merely highlighted some positive reasons for riding a bike: because it’s just plain fun.

And before I read the comments, I too was enveloped in a blissful bike loving fog. There are so many reasons I love to ride a bike. And I daydreamed about all of them for at least 5 minutes.

This weekend we experienced reason #6789: because little detours sometimes change everything.

When you’re on bikes, you may go a bit out of your way to check out the mysterious blue glow. And when you get there, you discover it’s a giant grim reaper ( The Greenwood Reaper no less). Continue reading →

20 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, family cycling, Ha, kids

“Borrowing” Mom’s New Bike

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Anne | 19 comments

I wasn’t prepared. In fact I was completely caught off guard.

Aren’t they supposed to borrow your shoes before they borrow your bike? Continue reading →

19 Comments

Posted in bikes, kids, shopping

Tagged Brompton, kids, riding with kids

Wednesday is Intl Walk to School Day (but you can walk/ride all month)

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Anne | 4 comments

We’re kicking off Walk to School Month on Wednesday at our kids elementary school with some hot beverages and tasty snacks on the playground.

If you’re so inclined, and with a few modifications to the 7 day plan, you too can pull off a last-minute event. All you need is some enthusiasm, a few signs, some warm bodies and maybe some food and drink. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, Events, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged events, International Walk to School Day, kids, October 6th, School, seattle, walk to school

Bike Pool to Soccer Practice

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Anne | 8 comments

This is most likely the last year I’ll be able to shuttle two kids on the Xtracycle. (sniff sniff) I don’t know what Tim has been feeding them, but the wee ones have grown. They are simply getting too dang big to shuttle around.

And now they have friends.

And it’s not just their size, it’s their energy. They’re all squirmy and excited and silly. And they laugh and joke and eat lollipops. And sometimes they bonk each other with their helmets.

I have to say, I’ll miss this era. There’s nothing quite like hauling squealing kids on a bike.

But I know my Xtracycle kid-shuttle days are coming to a close.

And the kids must ride their own bikes to soccer practice.

(I promise to keep hauling the balls and cones until they are big enough for their own cargo bikes)

– Coach Anne

8 Comments

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

Tagged bike pool, bikes, coach, kids, soccer, soccer mom, xtracyle

Summer by Bike: The Video

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Anne | 8 comments

As we’re wrapping up Summer 2010 (aside from 1980, the worst summer in 5 decades) and looking ahead to Fall, we still can’t stop talking about our terrible weather. Where did our glorious Northwest September go? (usually our favorite month of the year).

Despite the rain and clouds, we still enjoyed many fun times on the bike with family and friends. Check out the video we put together of Car Free Days summer riding.

When we watch the video we realize, it wasn’t all bad.

How about you? Tell us about your summer riding.

– Anne and Tim

8 Comments

Posted in bikes, family cycling, kids, seattle, transitions

Tagged 2010, bikes, family, Family Cycling, friends, kids, summer, summer riding, transitions

Fiets of Parenthood Seattle: HOT HOT HOT

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Anne & Tim | 19 comments

We’ll admit it. We were worried. When the mercury climbed above 90 on Saturday, we were pretty sure most everyone would call in “hot” and go to the lake instead.

Hey, that’s what we would have done.

But still, what were we going to do with four freakin’ gallons of Grade-A gelato, 120 spoke cards (note to self: don’t print the date; you can re-gift them later), and enough Slow Race Silly Bandz to outfit the entire 2-4th grades of the John Stanford School? Continue reading →

19 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, family cycling, kids, seattle, summer, weather

Tagged bikes, family, family bikes, fiets of parenthood, fop, xtracycle

It’s not you, it’s me

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Anne | 13 comments

This is our fourth post in our summer transitions series, How to transition kids from being cargo to riding their own bikes.
Sometimes parents use their kids as excuses when they (the parents) don’t want to do something. Come on, admit it, you do it too.

“We can’t make it to (insert destination or event) because Johnny is real real tired and cranky”.

Biking with kids is no different.

Parents use their kids as excuses all the time.

Billy can’t make it up all those hills so we can’t bike to school (translation: there is no way in hell I’m getting my a** on a bike and riding up all those hills with Billy)
Billy is scared to ride a bike (translation: I’m scared to let Billy ride a bike)
Billy is too out of shape to ride (translation: I’m too out of shape) this one is stretching it a bit…who says their kid is out of shape? ; -)

For us cargo hauling parents (or parents who want to be cargo haulers but haven’t made the leap yet) kids are a great excuse to continue hauling (or driving) them around. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in bikes, family cycling, kids, transitions

Tagged "bike parenting", Family Cycling, kids, riding with kids, transitions

Look Both Ways

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Anne | 13 comments

Tip of the day: crossing busy streets with kids

Crossing a busy arterial with two young riders is sure to rattle any normally calm, cool and collected parent. Many parents simply won’t do it: “Too many busy roads to cross where I live” is one of the most common reasons I hear from parents for why they don’t get around town on bikes with kids.

How do you get everyone across safely and keep what’s left of your sanity? Like everything else in life, it takes lots of practice. And you have to cross many intersections with kids before it becomes second nature.

We cross several of these intersections on a daily basis and have come up with a system that works for all of us and allows for safe crossing. Continue reading →