Category Archives: kids

Transitions: What does your neighborhood say about your (kid’s) riding

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Anne | 4 comments

This is our second post in our transitions series. The other day we talked about parents preparing to let kids ride their own bikes in the road. If you haven’t read the comments from that post, do it. You all have so much great insight to share.

Based on your comments, it looks like we’re all in agreement: When we talk about riding in the road, we’re not talking about a couple of kids racing each other around the block to blow off steam (not that there’s anything wrong with that). No, we’re talking about real mobility, car-replacement stuff: riding to the library, the local lake or pool. Grocery shopping at the store with the good cheese aisle and more. It’s fairly easy for younger kids to ride to a neighborhood play-date with parents. The next step is incorporating normally car-centric errands into longer rides with traffic. For most kids, or maybe more accurately, their parents, it’s that jump up to the next level that’s the big deal. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, family cycling, kids, neighborhoods, transitions

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

Transitions: Am I ready for my kid to ride?

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Anne | 20 comments

Car Free Days Kids (Summer 2008)

Our summer series about transitioning kids from being cargo hauled by parents to pedaling on their own power was born a couple of weeks ago when I wrote about luring parents back to bikes to get more kids riding. I loved all of the comments; they sparked such a rich discussion among parents and non-parents alike about riding with (or as) kids. Continue reading →

20 Comments

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

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

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

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

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 →

9 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, extravehicular activities, kids, PDX

Tagged bikes, Families, Family Cycling, fiets of parenthood, kids, PDX, portland, sun

In Training for Fiets of Parenthood

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Anne | 8 comments

Don’t call us this week cause we probably won’t answer. We’re in training for fiets of parenthood in Portland next weekend. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in bikes, In other Cities, kids, PDX

Tagged cycling events, fiets of parenthood, Pedalpalooza, portland

Rain, Rain and More Rain

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Anne | 13 comments

Sometimes it rains. And you get wet. And you stop and wait for the rain to pass under a tree while you eat chocolate. And mom is kinda mad. Then you go home.

Looking forward to some better weather.

Please.

– Anne and Tim (not pictured but equally wet)

13 Comments

Posted in bikes, Burke-Gilman Trail, kids, weather

Tagged Bike Month, cold, May, rain, seattle, wet

The Bike Fairy says “Bike to School, Kids”

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Tim K | 6 comments

The Bike Fairy gives prizes to kids who ride to school

May is officially Bike month. For most riders, that means Bike to Work month. But as you’d expect from a blog that focuses on family cycling, we like to remind folks that it’s also Bike to School Month!

Despite unseasonably cold and wet weather the majority of the month, 86 kids at our school have already completed their online logs for an impressive 517 bike trips to school. We’ve counted more than 100 bikes at morning dropoff twice already, and that’s with the sucky weather. These kids are kicking ass.

Today the focus around town will be on the grownups riding to work for the F5 Bike to Work Day — Cascade is promoting a ride with the mayor and photo-op at City Hall, F5 is sponsoring feed and swag stations all over town, and there’s a big after party in Ballard – but that’s OK, because we’ve got the Bike Fairy! Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, kids, kids' bikes, seattle

Tagged bike fairy, bike-to-school, bike-to-work, bikefairy, bikes, kids

Bikeworks Kids Bike Swap Sat, May 8th

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Anne | 4 comments

Need a new bike for your kid? Then head on down to Genesee Playfield this Saturday, May 8th from 10:00 to 4:00.

Bike Works’ annual Kids Bike Swap event helps to facilitate the flow of affordable bicycles within the community while simultaneously preventing fully functional bikes from ending up in local landfills. This event provides families with a cost-effective opportunity that allows them to trade a child’s bike that has been outgrown for a larger bike that provides both a better fit and ride for their child’s next summer season of riding! Families looking to buy a bike, but do not have a bike to trade in, are welcome to come after 12 pm.

Get all of the details here

– Anne

4 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events, kids, kids' bikes, news

Tagged Bike swap, kids, kids' bikes, seattle

Sometimes they run

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Anne | 21 comments

Now that our kids are getting older, they don’t always ride on the back of the Xtracycles. They are both confident road riders and are quite capable of riding their own bikes. But, sometimes they take a ride on the Snapdeck. Usually because it’s night or we’re traveling farther than they think they can ride or our destination requires pedaling on busy roads or they just feel like chilling on the back of the bike with a book.

When they choose to be a Snapdeck passenger, I usually tell them to wear running shoes. Cause even the most seasoned Snapdeck rider needs to get off, stretch his/her legs and take a little run from time to time: