Tag Archives: transitions

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

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 →

13 Comments

Posted in bikes, family cycling, kids

Tagged bikes, city, neighborhoods, riding with kids, safety, traffic, transitions

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 →