A Conversation with Kids

I ate lunch with my daughter and her second grade class recently. I sat down and introduced myself as Matt, her dad.

Kid #1: Yeah, we know who you are.

Kid #2: You're the guy that always rides a bike.

Me: Yeah, most days I ride with my kids to school.

Kid #3: Matt, I just learned how to ride a bike two days ago!

Me: That's awesome, Kid #3!

Kid #2 (incredulously): Do you even have a car?

Me: Yes, our family has one car.

Kid #1: What kind of car is it?

Me: It's a van.

Kid #2: Then why do you ride your bike?

Me: Most of the time it's easier, especially to school. I can park right up front on the sidewalk and ride around the little traffic jams.

Kid #2 : You mean you ride in the street ?!

Me: Yeah, you're allowed to ride in the street as long as you follow the Rules of the Road. Did you know that most of the streets in this neighborhood were made before most people owned cars? Folks either walked or rode bicycles everywhere. And that was over 100 years ago.

Kid #4: What kind of van is it?

Me: It's a Honda. It's good for carrying lots of people or stuff, but we don't usually need it for getting to school. Plus our bike is cleaner than our car. Cars are pretty smelly.

Kid #1: Yeah, my friend has a van and the seats are all dirty and smelly, too. It's pretty gross.

Me: Uh, no, the inside of our van is pretty clean. I'm talking about the dirty fumes that come out of the back of the cars.

Kid #4: Our van has a pop-top so we can go camping.

Me: Cool!

And these are just the bits I can remember. The conversation went on for another 10 minutes as I encouraged them to talk less and eat more before heading for the playground. It's interesting to engage kids and let them pelt you with rapid-fire questions. You learn something about them and they learn about you. 

I left the school thinking about how kids still focus on cars as the most acceptable way to get around, even though I feel like Tacoma is shifting back towards a less car-centric way of life. It reminded me of the McCarver Elementary Safe Routes to School Program.  I'm hopeful that the program expands throughout the district, but thankfully our school is proactively addressing the pickup-dropoff traffic issue. They instituted a valet procedure for the private vehicles and added these cool crossing flag buckets to the busier intersections around the school that aren't flagged by volunteer crossing-guards.

Parking is still the main issue around our neighborhood school, which is bordered by narrow residential streets. I really like the "walk the last block" concept and try to live by it on the occasions when we need to drive. I think it's usually faster, safer, and easier. But that's also the main reason that I walk or ride, though I don't think most people look at our bike after school and think "convenience" or "safety."

I should probably eat lunch with my daughter at school more often.

Thirty Days Of Biking

From time to time I've seen folks using the #30daysofbiking hash tag. And since "thirty days hath September," I figured I'd try to keep track of what I did with my bicycle for the whole month. I don't ride every day, but maybe it would work out?*

It's important to recognize that on most days bicycles are used as transportation in our household to avoid at least some trips in the car. But on those car days, we often still do something with bikes recreationally.  Here's the recap.

Day 1. Snapdeck surfing lessons at the park.

Day 2. Biked the kids to a friend's backyard BBQ. 

Day 3. My first cyclocross race. Our kids raced, too, of course.

Day 4. To the park for one last playdate before school starts.

Then to the elementary school to drop off supplies and meet the teacher.

Spotted this supercool three passenger setup.

Day 5. Biked with our oldest to the first day of school, 

then found this awesome sidewalk philosophy art while biking to the shops.

Day 6. Borrowed a neighbor's bucket bike (and their preschooler) for a day at the zoo.

Day 7. Our typical Friday ride downtown to Frost Park for some chalk drawing.

Day 8. After a long day of home improvement, I needed a ride 

to a local brewery for refreshments.

Day 9. Up early for a 15 mile ride around Point Defiance Park.

Day 10. First day of pre-K. The whole family biked to school! 

Day 11. Biked to school. Evening cyclocross practice for me and the girls at a local park. 

It was just far enough that riding there and back would have been too much for the kids 

(or too much for me to haul on the Xtracycle,) so we loaded up the bikes and drove.
It happens.

Day 12. We need more coffee! And new tools from the lumber yard. 

This marks the first fall day where a passenger blanket was needed. Brrrr!

Day 13. This may have been the day I rode to Veggies and Pint Defiance. Or maybe it was the day I biked the kids to a playdate. I know I rode everyday, but it's all sort of a blur when you're just trying to get from A to B.

Day 14. Decided to return my cross bike to dropbar mode. This required a trip to 2nd Cycle to borrow tools and get supplies. I love this place.

Day 15. Ran errands on my revised cross bike to test it out. 

Caught up with a bicycle tour of community gardens on my way home.

Day 16. More cyclocross racing and shenanigans with 

Tacoma Cyclocross at Fort Steilacoom Park.

Day 17. After biking the kids to school, Mrs. TBR and I biked to lunch at Peterson Brothers, where we ran into our pal Ben Davis. He's opening a new hangout at 11th and MLK called Broken Spoke (canned beers, wine, espresso, custom bikes and racks, made in Tacoma everything). Potentially the most RAD spot in town. Stay tuned.

Day 18. Biked to school. Then an enjoyable evening ride along Ruston on my SS with a friend before cross practice. Highlight: tackling a few of Tacoma's steepest cobbled hills.

 Day 19. Biked to school. In the evening, we adjusted the kid bikes for growth and had to upgrade Super T to her big sister's 16er. They grow up fast!

Day 20. More biking to school. More practicing afterwards on big-kid bikes. Though it may appear repetitive, this simply does not get boring.

Day 21. Toured the Park(ing) Day spots downtown with Super T.

Day 22. Errands. 4 bags of ice and bbq supplies? Xtracycled.

Day 23. Carpooled north for the race at Lake Sammammish. There was nearly as much running with the bike as there was riding on the bike. Phew.

Day 24. Coming down with a cold. Did the school run and a few short errands.

Day 25. Sick. Rode with the kids to school and was glad I didn't have to 

carry them on the Xtracycle. Exhausted. 

Day 26. Feeling better. Biked Kid #1 and her bike to a playdate in the morning.

Then biked both kids to a playdate after school. 

Day 27. Just the school run.

Day 28. Picked up the girls from school and biked to a birthday party playdate.

Day 29. Cargo Trike deliveries by day, 

Harvest Moon ride on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge by night.

Day 30. Just a quick ride to the grocery store before the dinner guests arrive.

*Hey, it happened! #30DaysOfBiking

Cargobike Fail

Yesterday was the Tacoma Bike Swap, usually the largest single event of Bike Month in the area.  It's held at the UPS Field House, not quite 1 mile from my house. So how did we get there?

We drove.

WHAT??!! Yes, we loaded up the minivan and drove there. It took 2 minutes. I lost track of how of many friends found me at the 2nd Cycle booth and asked, "Where's your bike?"

It simply wasn't feasible to get the pop-up tent, folding table, cases of magazines, and kid supplies on the Xtracycle.  Even if I could have strapped these large and heavy items on-board, the bike would have handled like a migrating salmon, forcing me to focus more on my handling and less on directing my kids through traffic. They could have ridden their own bikes, but they are still learning how to ride in the road safely and Super T's 12" tires limit her to a snails pace.

We could have taken more then one trip, but it would have been a lot of work for the kids.  A hand-truck or wagon would have worked, but I own neither. A similar issue arose with a load of lumber last week. Is it time to find a cargobike replacement for the Xtracycle? Maybe a cycletruck, Mundo, or Ted trailer? Or do I need to just suck it up and drive these short'n'heavy trips?

In the end, I brought back all of our stuff, plus a bike that was donated on-site to 2nd Cycle (plus two tired kids and their bikes.)  The van was a good choice.

But I still wish we could have biked there.

Until Warmer Days

Our van has been voluntarily parked for over 3 days. We've had 3-7" of snow and daytime temps between 25°F and 34°F.  To my surprise, we've managed to do ~25mi of errands and commuting by foot or bike during that time.  We haven't avoided any trips; getting to school and work on time and even picking up a 40# bag of dogfood when we ran out.  While this isn't a big deal for many local-living families, even I am impressed to keep this streak alive in the coldest, nastiest part of winter.

Perhaps the best part about this little bout of undriving is that the kids see it as completely normal.  Tula's been riding in the Madsen since she was one, and the rain cover is now on it's second winter.  Gwen has adapted to riding the Xtracycle deck in it's many configurations and she expects to see a bike parked outside of the school everyday when I pick her up.

That bucket cover has been key to winter riding with the kids, because of windchills.  Once the temp falls below freezing, one can subtract another degree for each mph of wind.  I stay warm trying to keep a cargobike at 10mph, but the kids just turn into popsicles without the windbreak. This was the result of a fast descent in an uncovered bucket:

Keep everyone safe and warm until spring, but remember, that doesn't always mean you have to take the car!

Our First Madsenversary

One year ago today, our Madsen Cycles kg271 "Bucket Bike" showed up in an enormous box.

We quickly realized that this bike was going to do everything we had hoped, and more.  I was looking for a bicycle that would help this a stay-at-home dad get out of the house more often, carrying three small children on errands and outings around the neighborhood.  We already had an Xtracycle, but this would be a back-up for when our minivan wasn't available and we needed to mobilize the whole gang.

It may sound funny, but the bike gives me a physical outlet that is key to my parental sanity.  I went from bike commuting 100 miles/week to my old office job with hauling 100 lbs of precious cargo between neighborhoods, and those seem to be comparable challenges.  For me, it's far more mentally stimulating to ride a bike than drive a car and the kids certainly keep things interesting.  Plus the they have had a chance to interact more with their neighborhood since we're moving at slower speed.  We play I Spy or wave and say hi to people that we pass by.


In the summer we took the bike to the parks and the library and the farmers market and a wedding.  We took great-grandma and her great-granddaughter for a spin (at the same time.)  We tricked it out with leather and cork and rubber.  We used the drive-thru windows at the bank and the donut shop.

When fall rolled around, we rolled the Madsen to pre-school and play-dates and tea parties.  A friend borrowed it to move house.
By winter, we were scheming ideas for a bucket cover, so that we could just keep on riding through the rainy months.  We're doing that now, over 250 miles of Tacoma in 2010 so far.  It's been a wonderful ride.

We bought a "scratched" model direct from Madsen at a discounted price and also took advantage of a free shipping offer.  Over time, I made a few changes to the stock setup:

-Avid BB5 mechanical disc brake caliper up front
-VO Tourist Bar and cork grips (amber shellacked)
-VO Saddle Model 8
-Schwalbe Marathon 1.75" front tire
-Schwalbe Big Apple 2.0" rear tire
-DIY Rain Cover

I've appreciated the simplicity of the 1x8 drivetrain and mostly use the lowest five gears.  The 42T chainring is welded to the crank, and I always figured that I'd swap it out for a nicer crankset with a 36T ring.  However, I kept putting that off and simply became a stronger rider instead.  I've been able to make the climb up St. Helens from downtown Tacoma with two kids in the bucket, my litmus test for cargo hauling.  Remember that the rear wheel is 20", so a gear calculator is helpful to compare gearing options.

For the kind of work it does, the bike and components are holding up well.  I estimate that we've put 700+ miles on it (I only started keeping track of mileage in September.)  It's frequently been ridden in the rain, though the fenders keep it relatively clean.    The full length cable housing has kept everything smooth.  I've just replaced the rear v-brake pads.  It still shifts great - no adjustment ever that I can recall.  The kickstand tension has also never needed adjustment, though I've had to re-allign the kickstand when it has occasionally twisted in it's clamp.  Though it has always been garaged, a few bits have a slight tinge of rust.  I've tightened and trued the rear wheel twice, but had no flat tires.  It's been semi-dropped only once when it tipped hard onto a brick planter box while loading a queen-sized mattress on the bucket.  The dented head-badge is now a badge of honor.

Overall, I've been very happy with the bike.  It's a purchase I would make again.  However, I've already got one...so to celebrate our Madsenversary, I would like to share with you...


A SPECIAL OFFER!

Yeah, I'm pretty excited about this.  A while back, Madsen Cycles sent me a $400 coupon towards the purchase of another Madsen bike, a coupon that we could give to a friend.  To date, I'm still the only Madsen owner in Tacoma.  :(  So, in order to share the love, Jared Madsen has agreed to apply my coupon to the next person who calls to order a kg271 directly from Madsen Cycles and mentions "Tacoma Bike Ranch".  Here are the details:

The coupon cannot be applied towards any already discounted bike (i.e. the "scratched" ones) and cannot be used in combination with any other coupons or discounts.  So a $1299 bucket bike would only be $899.  That's less than I paid for ours!  At that point, you could add the "Classic Dutch Upgrade" and an extra seat bench and still come out ahead.  Call Madsen Cycles at 1.800.206.0941 and tell them Tacoma Bike Ranch sent you!

Only one person gets to use this special offer, so don't delay.  I'll post an update here once the coupon has been used.

[UPDATE: The coupon has been claimed! Another bucket bike is on the road!]

Cheers to another fun year of family cycling!

Winter Kid Commuting

This morning I asked the two pre-schoolers if they thought it was too cold to take the Madsen bucket bike to school. It was 33°F, very dry, and beautifully sunny. After explaining that this temperature was nearly cold enough to make water turn to ice, one kid said Yes! and the other said No!

Well, Mom was out with the van and it was now time to go, so everyone bundle up! Beanies under helmets, mittens and scarves, and glasses for the short-straw who had to sit facing the wind. They shared the fleece blanket that we always leave in the bucket now that it's chilly. An umbrella was deployed to break some of the wind. We're off!

Tula dropped her mitten in the middle of the intersection. The nice driver behind us honked to point this out, so we stopped. We played I Spy. Then another stop to put the umbrella away because it was hampering the visibility for the game. Then it was Jingle Bells (a one-horse open sleigh - ha!) and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. At the stop light, I see that all of the bank tellers are pointing and smiling. Not a single word from anyone about being cold or inconvenienced. Just fun, and lots of it.

On the way home later, we road in the freshly painted bike lane on North 21st Street. The best was when the mom and two kids in the Prius slowed down to check out the bucket action.

There's sunny skies and similar temps in the forecast for the whole week. Tomorrow we're taking some jingle bells with us for musical accompaniment to the caroling.

How much better can this get? What temperature is too cold for a 1.2 mile ride to school?

Thankfully Healthy

After struggling with the H1N1 flu for twenty days, I finally felt well enough to shuttle the kids to pre-school in the Madsen bucket bike today. To me, this is a health milestone that says, "You're better!" There was a chilly Northwest drizzle falling, but with their legs covered by a light fleece blanket and an umbrella at their backs, the kids stayed completely dry. I was left with damp thighs from my rain jacket run-off, which made me reconsider the value of rain chaps. And while the umbrella is fine for light precipitation, my youngest isn't big enough to hold one up on her own (she stayed home for this test). I need another solution.

The folks at Madsen made a prototype cover, which I heard was scrapped for a different design. I've worked out a basic design of my own for a passenger rain cover which I hope to build and test in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, it won't be done in time for Tacoma Bike's Family Tea Party on Sunday.

I'm not in a huge hurry to build it because the kids don't seem to mind the rain that much. After weeks of drenching downpours, they were more than ready to brave a few showers to get in some laps on the sidewalk the other day - without fenders!



Wishing you all good health this season - Happy Thanksgiving!

Cars

While I've been getting over the flu (likely the swiney variety), I've been using my car more. By 'more' I mean that I'm using the car for trips that I otherwise would have biked: grocery store, doctor office, pharmacy. I simply do not have the energy to ride more than the four blocks to the mail box. I've done the pre-school run on the Madsen only once in the last two weeks and it was struggle.

I've been glad that we are car-lite and that I have a car to fall back on during this time. No one wants the swine flu guy to sit next to them on the bus. But wouldn't it be better if we were electric car-lite?

Thanks to Sara at Full Hands for the tip on a new They Might Be Giants album for kids, Here Comes Science, which is available with full video. Here's my favorite track. My daughters and I love the whole album though.

Eating Miles, All Day Long

First thing this morning, I rode the Cross Check to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I always bike to the dentist, even though I have to lock up to a small tree out front, which seems awkward. The round-trip is about 4 miles. It was about 58°F and cloudy; a nice change from the hot, sunny afternoons we've been having lately. When I returned home, I made coffee and toast, with english cheddar and preserves. Brilliant.

Around lunchtime, I needed to run to the grocery store. My only passenger chose the MADSEN as his preferred mode of transport. What kid wouldn't? About half-way home, we stopped to chat with a curious cyclist about the MADSEN. It felt good to know that other Tacomans are interested in finding more ways to avoid car trips.

During dinner, I had a special request roll in for another beer can hat. It was a rush job, so I xtracycled to the craft store for yarn. Not your typical after-dinner ride, but I take 'em when I can get 'em.

Altogether, three rides on three bikes in one day to avoid 12 miles of driving. It doesn't get much better than that, folks.

Drive-Thru World

I've always thought it strange that so many drive-thru businesses specifically prohibit bike-thru traffic. Fast food joints are notorious for this, but there are many coffee shops now that offer the service to limited traffic. For cyclists who either don't want to leave their priceless steed unlocked outside (I'm thinking of roadies who don't often carry locks), or those who are carrying a few hundred pounds of precious cargo (kids/groceries/whatever) that they'd rather not leave outside or haul inside, it would be handy to take care of business just like the car drivers.

The folks up north at Totcycle hit the Walgreens drive-thru a while back with success. I asked about this at my local Walgreens and they said that bikes are prohibited and they would ask me to come inside if I tried it. I got smart and stopped asking first.

A few weeks ago, I drove to an aunt's house to drop off three kids for the day. I took my bike along so that I could leave the van for Auntie to use if needed, then biked the 6.5 miles home to do some housework. The bike route home put me within smelling distance of my favorite Tacoma donut shop, Pao's. They have a drive-thru window, which I biked through for a small bag of donut holes. The shop owner didn't seem to mind and I felt like I probably biked off the donut calories that day. The bike trip took a comfortable 32 minutes. Driving took 25 minutes. Hmm...

Then a week later I spotted a new Satellite Coffee shop on 6th Ave, tucked in next to Masa, with a sidewalk window that says "walk-up/bike-thru"! Haven't tried it yet, but now you know. How cool is that?

On the way home from the park today, with three kids in the MADSEN, we used the drive-thru at the U.S. Bank in Proctor. The teller didn't say a word about the bike, treated me like any other customer, and threw in three suckers for the kids since he could see them all sitting right there.

So what's the big deal? Have you tried to bike-thru the drive-thru world?

More Madsen Fun

I'm still digging on our Madsen kg271 Bucket Bike. I've made a few changes to it and have been happy with the results. It's a comfortable and stable setup with enough stopping power for the low speeds that come with hauling three toddlers around the neighborhood. I still plan to swap on a smaller chainring and a Marathon Plus tire in the back, and might try a larger brake rotor on the front.

We've become regulars at the pocket park in our neighborhood, thanks to the Madsen. It's the closest park to our house, but it's too far to walk to with the little ones, especially on a hot day. It's only a slow 5-minute ride, door to slide, with the Madsen. Other parents at the park have been very curious about the bike. The seat buckles in the bucket seem to be the one feature that makes them say, "That's great. I'd put my kids in something like that."

The bike has come in really handy for this one-car household. Last night, I picked up the kids from the baby-sitter after going on a group ride with the Harmon Bike Club. A nice slow ride with the kids was a great way to cool down.

Speaking of kids, remember that I'm riding the Courage Classic this summer and will challenge myself to ride our bucket bike if I can reach my fund-raising goal. Donate today!

Buckets-O-Fun

We've had our Madsen "bucket bike" for 10 days. We've put 20-30 miles on it, usually in less than three-mile increments and always while hauling 20-100 pounds of children. We have ridden it every day since it arrived. Here are some initial thoughts:

-The bucket works great for hauling small children - lots of them! Unlike in the trailer, they sit up a bit higher and can see everything. They want to ride in it and have a blast, even big kids.

-The kickstand works well. Apparently the height is adjustable, but I haven't needed to adjust it. The kids know that rocking or bumping the bike too hard could knock it over, but it would take quite an intentional shove to do it.

-The frame is rock solid. Even while hauling my 6'3", 185 pound buddy around the block for our first adult-in-the-bucket test ride, I didn't notice the frame wiggle at all. This is substantially different than the amount of lateral wiggle that I feel with my Xtracycle when it's laden with even 80 pounds of groceries. I feel that the 600 pound limit on the bike is realistic for the frame, but wonder how some of the other components would hold-up under such a strain.

-The welds are ugly, but the paint is sweet. And few bikes come with paint-matched fenders that look this sharp. Get the blue one, you know you want to.

-The stock saddle and handlebars work fine, but I'm replacing both with a VO Model 8 and a VO Tourist Bar. This bike is not going to be ridden fast and I like sitting upright at slower speeds. The adjustable stem is handy since the frame is one-size-fits-most.

-The tires are 1.75" wide, which seems narrow compaired to the 2.3" Schwalbe Big Apple tires on my Xtracycle. Fender clearance is the limiting factor, but I'm thinking I'll switch to Schwalbe Marathon tires front and rear, or maybe a 2.0" Big Apple in the front. I would like more air volume and do not want to change many flats with a loaded bucket.

-The Promax mechanical disk brake in the front feels much weaker than the Avid BB7 that I use on my Xtracycle, although it could be that the load on the Promax brake is generally much heavier due to the additional curb weight of the bike and passengers. I've really only tested the BB7s with speed, comfortably stopping from 60 mph, but I would not trust the Promax brake to do that same task.

-The gearing is OK for flat places, but not realistic for running loaded in Tacoma. I frequently find myself in the lowest gear when hauling even two kids, just to navigate my neighborhood. Before I venture further, I would like to swap the 48T chainring for a 36T, which also requires a new right-hand crank.

-Every bike should come with a chain guard. I like that this one is long enough to cover most of the chain.

-The bike didn't come with any sort of owners manual. It would be nice to have a few words from the manufacturer on some of the unique bits of the bike, like the bucket and the kickstand and the screws on the sides of the top and down tubes (which are apparently for some sort of front rack that is to-be developed.) Even a detailed FAQ that I could download from their website would do.


Overall: This bike can work hard, looks good, and is an excellent value.

I feel like the bike is helping to bring me and my family closer to our community by letting us experience it together in a healthy and fun way. That is worth more than a few car payments in my book. (Plus, I'll spend less on saddle, bars, and crank than I saved on shipping and the scratched-frame discount, so I'm still coming out way ahead.) Tacoma doesn't see many cargo bikes and I've already been stopped twice by folks who want to get an Xtracycle, but just don't know how well it would work here. Remember that test rides are always free down at the ranch.

I'll go in to more detail as we put in more miles. So far, Sarah has taken our youngest to the doctor and the fruit stand. I've taken toddlers to the farmer's market. We frequently ride along with Sarah on her way to work in the evening; the kids facing rearward so they can chat with mom face-to-face while she rides behind. I still haven't done a big grocery trip because a certain little boy wanted to take the Xtracycle that day instead. Go figure.

Grocery Run

Sarah and I planned a short rec ride for this morning, 10-15 mies on the Scott Pierson Trail, followed by a grocery run on the way home. We were soaked with some of the coldest rain imaginable by the time we reached the trail entrance behind TOP Foods, so we decided that this was far enough in these conditions. We purchased about 60 pounds of groceries and a 40 pound bag of dog food.

When we came out of the grocery store, the sun was coming out. The rain had stopped and our load made it home completely dry.


I noticed quite a few car drivers doing double takes at the loaded Xtracycle on our way home. While waiting in a turn lane, one car driver hollered, "Very cool, man!"

So far, I've avoided doing big grocery runs with the kids by bicycle, but that's coming. Now that I know Tula can fit in the PeaPod, the logistics of getting the two girls to the grocery store on the Xtracycle are falling in to place. A sunny day would also be helpful!

Transportation Options

Sometimes, there are too many options. Last week, I had made a date to walk with a friend at the park 1.5 miles away. I was taking the three little ones, so I'd planned to take the van. However, the wife had to work over that morning and the van was not available to haul me and my precious cargo to the park for a walk. (I know, driving somewhere for a walk, it's not something we often do either.) What to do?

A) Reschedule. (But I hate being flaky like that.)
B) Infant in a front-pack and toddlers in the double stroller/trailer. (Lots of exercise for me!)
C) Hitch the trailer to the Xtracycle and clip on the Bobike seat. (Not yet attempted by me with three kids.)

D) Take the bus. (A stop for the 16 is five houses away.)

I chose D.

We keep a stash of bus tickets for these occasions and kids 5 and under ride free with an accompanying adult. My kids have ridden the bus before, but I learned later that this was Kyler's first trip on public transit. He sat with Gwen on one of the jump seats at the front of the bus and when we started moving, he looked at me and said, "Woah! This is coool!" The ride took less than 5 minutes, but the kids had a blast.

We were prepaired to bus it home from the park (and my transfer was still good), but Sarah was heading home from the hospital (next door to the park) at just the right time, so we hitched a lift. Easy as pie.

That afternoon, Sarah walked our youngest to the hospital for a checkup, so I hitched up the trailer and took the toddlers to the store for pizza toppings. (We had whole wheat pizza dough churning in the bread machine.) I followed the back roads to get there since it's more uphill. Kyler decided to wear his helmet through two stores, which I do, too, sometimes when I'm in a hurry. Despite the drive-time traffic, I stayed on the main arterial for the trip home since I can keep decent speed on the slight downhill and the road isn't pocked with potholes like so many of Tacoma's residential lanes. I made it home without incident and felt invigorated. It couldn't have been too scary, because both kids slept the whole way home.


Explore your transportation options, but don't feel like you need to use any of them exclusively. You may find yourself enjoying the variety as much as we do.

A Weekend of Bicycling

I've been out on two wheels quite a bit, and thought I'd wrap it all up neatly for your consumption.

Friday:
Sarah had the girls, so Kyler and I took the Xtracycle to Puget Park. We stopped at the library and a bakery on the way home. It was a little chilly once we reached cruising speed, but the little guy loves going for bike rides. Xtracycle's Kick Back (double-leg kickstand) was worth the wait and the money. I have no worries about loading, unloading, or "idling" kids in the bobike seat while it is engaged.

Saturday:
I loaded up the basket on the Cross Check and left early for a chilly ride through Point Defiance Park. I dressed in wool and took a thermos of tea, a pbh sandwich, camera, extra layers. The basket was full, but not very heavy, and managed the load well. I stopped for a snack and a warm drink at the Narrows lookout point, only to find that the memory card was not in my camera. Doh! After the 15 mile ride, I decided that my Xtracycle is better suited longer tours like the Courage Classic ride that I'm planning to do again this summer. Although, I may swap my sprung VO saddle to the Cross Check and give it one more try.

From Cross Check

Sunday:
Cross Check milk run. I needed one gallon of whole milk and one quart of soy milk. However...

1 gal milk = $2.99 ea
2 gal milk = $1.99 ea (must buy two)

Who comes up with these rediculous sales? Not being one to turn down a deal, and knowing we'd drink it, I picked up two. The soy milk was also cheaper buy the half gallon. Plenty of deals, but I only had my basket and front rack. (I think the rack limit is 15 pounds.) With my 20 pounds of liquid cargo and the U-lock tucked under the cargo net, I slowly meandered the 1.5 miles home. The handling was poor, which is what I expected, but manageable. I now know the upper limit of this setup.

Monday:
Sarah and I ran errands in the van today. Too far to practically bike, but that's why we have the van. We stacked the destinations and didn't do any backtracking, at least.

Tuesday:
We ran out of powdered sugar and baking cocoa, so Kyler and I again took to two wheels. We stopped to admire the fire trucks in Proctor, as there was some sort of multi-station meeting going on (must have been six engines in front of the station.) We also slowed to check out the large back-hoes and grading equipment tearing up Union Ave. Kyler also spotted a garbage truck during this stop. He's got an eye for garbage trucks.

From Xtracycle

Dude, where's your car?

You may have noticed in the numerous bike photos taken in my garage that there is never a car in there. Don't let me mislead you, Reader, into thinking that I don't own and use a car regularly.

My wife and I each had a vehicle. They fit nicely in our two-car garage. Then I started bussing and carpooling the 14 miles to work in 2003. By late 2004, we had sold the pick-up and kept the hatchback as our shared vehicle. It was great. We saved tons of money on insurance and car payments, and surprisingly put less miles on the hatchback every month than we were before.

However, with our first child on the way in 2005, we decided that we needed to add a vehicle to our fleet with more modern safety features. And, to be honest, we weren't sure how we would juggle commutes and daycare dropoffs with just one car. It didn't seem possible, and, without changing where we lived or worked, it really wasn't possible.

After only 9 months running car-lite, we were back where we started. Two cars. It was easy. We drove more.

But, where are those cars now, you might ask? Well, in the late summer of 2007, after nearly two years of shuttling our daughter to daycare and with a second child on the way, my wife decided to reduce her hours at work and stay home more. After a few months of consistent bike commutes and carpools by me, we proved that the little hatchback was now excessive and sold it to a family friend. When child number two arrived we traded to a minivan so we could haul more people/kids/dogs/things at once and combine more trips. It works for us.

We have been a car-lite, family-of-four for just over a year now, and I can't think of a single time where we were put in a bind because we didn't have a second vehicle. Like many folks, we borrow someone's truck now and then for big hauls, but that's about it.

A few more personal opinions on automobiles and their energy consumption:
1. Not everyone needs to drive an automobile for every trip, even if they own one. We take the bus downtown with the kids on weekdays to the Children's Museum to avoid parking hassles and to teach our children about public transportation. It takes a few extra minutes, but we notice more about our city from our chauffeured seats on the bus.
2. I don't bash on folks that drive inefficient vehicles. Not everyone can afford a new, gas-sipping car. And let's try to look at the big picture here (or at least one interpretation of it) and agree that all cars pollute, even the ones with batteries. Driving a used car into the ground may be a better solution in some cases.
3. Ethanol is wasteful to produce and consume. If you think that running out of crude oil sounds bad, let's imagine running out of food because we eventually become so dependent on burning it to get to the grocery store.
4. I'm not worried about global warming in the short-term. I'm worried about the immediate impact of your tailpipe emissions on the health of my family.
5. The City of Tacoma should charge every resident a fee for on-street parking in the city. It could be collected when you renew your vehicle registration.
6. I worked for an oil company in a group of seven employees. On any given day, four of us vanpooled, carpooled, biked, bused, or telecommuted to work. When friends and relatives would inevitably ask me, "So, why are gas prices so high?" I would have to ask them, "Well, did you drive somewhere today?"
7. Not driving a car from A to B is very patriotic.

Buying Local

The winter rains found more than one way into our home this week. The basement leaked (as usual), but so did the dining room window. I needed caulk.

Usually, I'd load up the minivan and drive the 4 or 5 miles to The Big Orange Home Store, get lost trying to find the one thing I need, and waste much time and resources to make a $5 purchase. Now that I'm home during reasonable business hours, I decided to check out my local lumber yard, which sells an assortment of building and home repair products.

I loaded Tula in the Burley D'Lite trailer, hitched it to the Cross Check, and we set out for Gray Lumber Company. It's only 1.3 miles away, but even on the short trip I noticed that my trailer combo was more nimble with easier starts and stops.

From Cross Check

Tula travels by bike in her carrier car seat, because she is too small to keep herself upright in the trailer seat. I leave the handle up to act as a frontal roll cage and buckle it in with the wide lateral seat belt in the trailer. She's very snug and seems to like facing forward, instead of rearward in the van.

There is a bike rack in front near the door, but my rig found a spot against the front wall. U-lock through the front wheel and frame, helmet through the rear wheel and frame. I wouldn't be long.

From Cross Check

Inside, I was impressed to find nearly every bit and bob that I have ever needed to fix my home. Furnace filters, toilet kits, hardware, pvc pipe, tools, and a wide assortment of caulk and glue. Three different employees asked to help me during the 5 minutes that I was inside. Upon telling one fellow that I was there on my first visit to explore my local lumber yard, he said that the business has been located in the neighborhood for 105 years and that "this is Tacoma." I will bring my business here again.