Test Drive: Cargo Bike

I went to Dutch Bike Co Seattle and test drove the Bakfiets Cargobike with my son.  I wanted to hate the Cargobike but I love it and it will work for want I want and what my goals are.

I am a bike cheapskate so this is totally out of my budget and it was not in the plan.  I am just starting to think about a Spring bike commute.  I wonder if a Box Bike is in the stares for me.

This bike is considered heavy but compared to my old bike, this bike is GREAT.  I even tried a hill and it was not too bad.

I am looking forward to Spring biking and a little blogging.

Reflections on My 8-Week Bike Commute: The Car is Sold

After Our First Test Run Ride

The car is sold and I am committed. The bike commute is a good thing. It is great for me to get exercise in my daily routine, I am able to appreciate and enjoy my neighborhood and the bike commute has made me more aware of all the great spots in my neighborhood. South Lake Union and Eastlake are changing so much and so fast and new restaurants and services are popping up all the time. Now that I am on my bike, I see the new restaurants and new services every day and I am more likely to remember the new spots and even old spots and give them a try. I even went to Serious Pie and Banya 5 for the first time ever. (Note to retailers: SLU and/or Eastlake needs a great shoe shop.)

Since our daycare moved my route has changed and I now ride through the Amazon.com campus. This is a busier route and previously it would have been a more intimidating route for me to try. Since my first blog entry, I am a much more confident rider. I am still a very safe and mindful rider, and seeing my son on my handlebars helps keep that in check.

It is great to be part of all the activity in my neighborhood and I love being social with people and I do feel more connected to the community. I even found out about two (count them: two) farmer's markets on my route.  I never would have found these in a car! One is on the Amazon.com campus and the other is on a boat at South Lake Union Park. A farmer's market on a boat is fun.

My son is pretty cute-looking sitting on the handlebars and we get tons of smiles and waves when we ride. It is a very nice way to start the day. I am not big on being a spectacle or attention-seeking and tend to shy away from engaging with strangers -- especially before my second cup of coffee! But I have to admit it is pretty nice to make people smile and that makes me smile and the day starts out pretty good.

I Should Not Have Gone Shopping This Day

My son loves to ride by the construction at the Mercer freeway exit and on-ramps. He has suggested that my next car should be a dump truck and he is hopeful that he can ride the “little bulldozer.” I think he is enjoying cycling too.

I started the bike commute hopeful that I could keep it going but not sure that I could. I am a working mom, I am busy and so many things that I want to do just do not get started, or if they get started they do not get done.

Another challenge with bike commuting is the extra time it takes and the challenge of transporting all of the stuff my toddler needs at daycare and the stuff I need for my job. I was not sure I could get myself, my son and all of our stuff back and forth. Me, I can manage if I forget something, but it is a lot harder to explain to a toddler and his teachers at his daycare if I forget something. That has been a challenge.

For the most part, I have the transportation of the day-to-day stuff figured out and sometimes we have had to drive or take the bus. I try and keep that at a minimum but if I am very tired I do not ride. That is just not safe. Other times, I catch a ride with my husband mostly because I can. I am not a hardcore rider.

Now that the rains have come and the weather is changing I will still ride my bike on dry days.  I bought a bus pass and I have a Zipcar membership. I am committed to alternatives to the car commute but you will not see me riding with my son in the dark in the rain. For my personal comfort level, that is too much.

On Our Way Home We Play in the Park

So far, I am happy with my cycling success. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I finally got it started. Initially, I did not want to invest any money into it just in case I could not keep the bike commute going. In the past, my bike has been used for recreation and only occasionally. In other words, I have been leisurely riding my bike about four times a year.

It is easy and fun to go out and invest in new gear. I like that it is called investing -- investing in your health and safety I guess, but really it feels like shopping to me. Years ago, I spent good money after deciding to take up rollerblading and I bought all the gear. I went once, it was scary and then five years later I donated the equipment to Goodwill. But if I keep this commute up, I think I will splurge. This winter, I am going to look into buying a new bike or a new used bike. That will be fun!

Bike Ride for Two Weeks!

I just found this blog entry that I started but I never finished and never published.  Even though it is a little late, I am going to finish it and post it.  

I was off the bike ride for two weeks and really felt the effects. Remember the post:

I Got on the Slippery Slope: No Bike Ride for TWO WEEKS

Getting started again was hard.  I had bad luck, I was lackadaisical in my planning, that turned out poorly and I had bad helmet hair. But I did get going. The best part is that I kept going.  There is not much to write about and that is also good.

My helmet hair got under control so I felt better about my bike-to-work appearance.  I even got a compliment on my ability to bike and still look chic. I figured out a new route to the new school that works well and I also minimized uphill climbs as much as possible.  (Still not a fan of uphill.) I rode my bike to work for two weeks, no car, no rides, only the bike. TWO WEEKS!  I am a little proud of that.  

Bad Hair, Bad Outfit, Skinned Knees, But Nice Ride

The Tuesday after Labor Day Weekend was the day that my son started his new school. It was also the day that I was determined to get off my slippery slope and ride my bike.

Our morning started out OK. I had trouble finding a bike-to-work outfit so we left a bit later than I would have liked.

We had bought Parker a new lunchbox for school and it did not fit in the little bike bag I was using. I found my bungee cord and strapped the lunchbox on top of the bike bag. That took a little time and now I was leaving much later than I wanted. Still I was determined to ride the bike.

Initially, the ride was pretty nice. Nice morning, not too hot but looked like it would be a nice, sunny and warm day. I felt good about getting on the bike. My son seemed happy to ride.

Then the lunchbox fell off. At this point I'm thinking I should have taken the hint that it was not the right day to be on the bike.


I had wardrobe trouble, trouble with securing the lunchbox and we almost lost the lunch. (Special thanks to the lady who helped me pick up the box and get it back on the bike.)

Next, I overshot the turn for the new school and had to backtrack. I brushed that off too. It is a new routine and I need to create new habits. At the new school, I had trouble with my bike lock and it took me about 10 minutes to lock the bike up.

In retrospect, this ride was not meant to happen. I found that out for sure when I got to the new school and they were closed and having an in-service day.

My son was sad. He cried. That made me sad and I was frustrated.

I contacted my work and said I had childcare problems and would be late. I told my son we would play at the park, this made him less sad but he still was disappointed about not playing at the new school.

I had pushed through many setbacks, kept going and then this! I had trouble, again, with my bike lock and in the ten minutes that I fussed with the lock my son fell and skinned his knees. He cried, again.

I rode my bike home. We did stop at the park and my son played. I called grandma and she agreed to watch my son and by 11:30 I was back on my bike riding to work.

This was a tough morning. It still would have been tough if I had been in the car, but I have to admit I think it would have been considerably less tough.

By the time I got to work I was tired, mentally drained, in a bad outfit, my shirt had blood on it from the skinned knees and I had a halo of helmet hair. I had to work late to make up for the morning. It was a bad day.

I felt good about handling all the snafus. I never felt good about my outfit or helmet hair.

The next ride will be better.

Serafina Panini Window: Demystified

Ask the universe and it might just place an answer on your bike route.

A week or so ago, I rode by one of my favorite restaurants, Serafina. I was riding uphill -- OK, I was walking my bike uphill -- and for the first time I saw a sign for “Panini Window.” I love to eat at Serafina and I would like to eat more food from Serafina. I did not know what this Panini Window was, and then I was riding my bike and found this flyer on a post. It was like they had read this blog and stuck the answer on my route. Totally cool for me. Next on the list is to eat food from Panini Window.  I can’t wait. I’ll let you know.

Orginal Post: http://stylencycle.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-long-has-this-been-here.html

Get Going with the Go Pro

I am doing testing with a Go-Pro camera.  By testing, I mean I am trying to turn the thing on.  What this means for you is that you can look forward to a virtual bike ride with me and my son.

Riding Solo: Found a Useful Fact

MOTORE COFFEE

I am sure this information will come in handy.  I am not going to verify it.  I will stop for coffee.  I really need a bike lock.