My commute used to be lovely. After dropping off my little ones and scamming food from my mother, I rode down the quiet Midtown streets with decent bike lanes. When I got to the downtown area, I rode through a parking lot and then through the Amtrak station and into Old Town. It's a wonderful ride, at least it was until they recently decided to make some changes. 

In preparation for this new "arena" that seems to be so important to Sacramento's well-being, they've started gutting, building, and paving through my ride to Old Town. Also as part of this big retrofit, Amtrak is doing a remodel. 

Along with this mess, Amtrak decided to close off the only opening within blocks to Old Town, one that we've been using for years. I can understand that they don't want bikes riding on the station platform, knocking over pedestrians. However, this route is all road except for the last 100 feet or so when it becomes a road that leads to the parking lot. 

They've put up signs (thankfully small signs that are easily missed) banning bikes and non-Amtrak personnel. Truthfully, I continue to ride through, yielding to everyone and the Amtrak shuttles (because they moved the tracks so far from the station that many people can't walk the distance). 

The downtown streets don't offer much alternative. 

Even with the new bike lanes, there are no other options than this horrible sharrow situation. I street loses its bike lane right in front of the jail and is replaced by a "sharrow"--a painted symbol showing where a biker is supposed to ride in the traffic lane. Check the placement for this sharrow below. Unless you can ride through parked cars, the sharrows aren't going to do any good. To make matters worse, the freeway onramps in the next block force the rider to merge four lanes of heavy traffic to get to the only street that takes you to Old Town. 

So unless one feels like riding the long way around on the American River Parkway, take to the sidewalk, or ride out of your way, these are your only options. They're also talking about closing off the ARP entrance to Old Town. There's nothing mentioned about repaving the deteriorating trail or continuing the section to the J st. bridge so you don't have to get off the trail and ride the cobblestones of Old Town. 

It seems to me like there is a lot of construction going on without much thought to bicyclists trying to get through downtown. If there is a brighter picture to be had at the end of this, I'd love to know about it. At the moment, it looks like it'll be a year of extra hassle followed by an increase of traffic. I'm not looking forward to this mess of an arena and the headaches it's going to cause--people driving in to shows and games from the nearby towns, clogging up downtown. Do we really need more people in cars after having a few beers while watching the Kings? There is so much money being spent and all the profits are poised to go into a couple rich guys' pockets. Why can't we focus on "thinking small" and dealing with Sacramento's issues before glossing over everything and spending money we don't have? 

Stockton built an arena downtown, too. It made them go bankrupt.

I'm going to add to my original post--AJ is right about needing proper infill and getting some goon infrastructure going in that wasteland area by the train station. I am not aware of the details behind the construction only that my transportation options have become severely limited without driving. The I street option above is too scary for most people, K street is impractical with the light rail tracks and platforms and the mall in the way, and R street is out of the way for people coming from the Midtown area. Whether the arena is the main focus or not, safe routes for biking should have been established before closing one of the major Old Town entrances. That was obviously not  on the planners' minds when they started developing this area.

Second, I still don't feel that the arena is going to add anything but more congestion, drivers, and debt. I hope I am wrong.

Today at the farmer's market, a notorious high bike-theft location, there were four bikes locked up at the rack we were at. This is also the location that my mom had her previous bike (before the Bike Friday) stolen.

A few years ago, my parents had locked their bikes (mom had a Specialized hybrid, dad had his Bike Friday) to the fence, along with about 20 other bikes. When they came back with their veggies, every bike was gone except for my day's Bike Friday. Again, the cable lock was left, cleanly cut. We assumed that my day's bike was too custom and unique to profit from easily.

Coming back to these four bikes today, I noticed that two of the bikes were locked with crappy $20 cable locks. Remember that my mom's $50 cable lock had been sliced like butter. The lock companies even rate these locks as a 2/10. My mom's was about a 6 or 7.

Both of these bikes could be gone in seconds.

The bike below is the one that really caught my eye.

Notice that they have a u-lock that is in no way even touching the bicycle. Instead, it is merely holding the cheap cable lock closed. This is almost as bad as using a u-lock to "secure" something releasable like your seat post and being surprised that your bike gets stolen. Rule #1--get a u-lock and use it properly!

***I'd like to impose a little edit here***

While this final bike is MUCH more secure than the first there, Cyclicious has brought up a great point: the rear wheel is easier to steal and more expensive to replace. Check out his video here (thanks, @schwankytown for the head's up!): http://www.cyclelicio.us/2013/lock-rear-bicycle-wheel/

*Original post starts here: This final bike, a pretty Linus with Velo Orange accessories, had actually been locked by someone who wants it to still be there when they return. They have both their front wheel and the frame u-locked to the bike rack.

Of course, if a thief has enough determination and time, they can get through just about anything. Don't be the one with the crappiest lock that is the easiest to steal.

Yesterday, my mom's custom Bike Friday was stolen in broad daylight on a busy street. The lock was cut cleanly within seconds and the bike was gone. Turns out that there have been a rash of Midtown bike thefts. Obviously, this is a well-organized ring and the bikes will probably show up in Chico or Santa Cruz, stripped and/or on Craigslist. It'll be interesting to see what happens to this bike as it is so unique that there's not much someone can do with it. For goodness sakes, it has her name printed on it! Jerks! Please keep a lookout for this sweet, tiny bike. 

Of course, it's another sad reminder why you shouldn't get cable locks. I can't tell you how many people come into Practical Cycle and buy the $30 junky cable lock with a safety rating of 2 (yes, really) and won't think of buying the u-lock that's the same cost but rated a 6 or 7. New Sacramento bike blogger Velodious, happened to come out with a handy guide to preventing bike theft. A simple, easy to follow guide to prevent that horrible feeling when you see an empty space where your beloved ride once was. I've had two bikes stolen--one was left at a BART station for too long and one was accidentally left unlocked on my car rack. Not the brightest actions. It's a terrible reminder for me to increase our bikes' security systems. I've gotten lazy thinking that my giant bike is enough of a deterrent but it's not worth the risk. Those heavy, expensive locks are worth it. We're going to be getting enough for each bike to have one. 

On a happier note, this lovely family is now a Mundo family! They popped in last week on their anniversary and were immediately in love with this bike. They realized it was perfect for their growing family. Sure enough, they were back this week and brought it home. I can't wait to see photos of Dan hauling his 20' kayaks on the back! Check out their kayak business, Headwaters Kayak, in Lodi! I'm looking forward to taking a tour on the Mokelumne river! 

More fun news--our friend, Jarrod, has started blogging on 8 Legs 2 Wheels! He's got some fun day-to-day experiences hauling around his three kiddos on his giant bike and some really cool DIY Mundo-hacks like the windshield in the photo above. Keep an eye on this website! 

And to wrap up my tuesday evening musings--Cycle Trucks! We've been playing with John's Cycle Truck for the past five days or so. It held up so well on the camping trip, both with the cargo and with the cargo/Big Brother load on the way back. For the past two mornings, I've also used it to bring the boys to daycare. Monday was pretty good even though I had to get Big Brother to grab Little Brother's feet to keep them in the box. Little Brother had a great time with the freedom from the Peanut Shell. He even took the opportunity to read his Rainforests magazine along the way. It was pretty dang cute. 

However, today was a bit harder. Both boys were happy to jump aboard again but midway to school, Little Brother had a fit and started trying to stand up while I was riding a busy section. He was pulling on the cables and flopping around like crazy. I was able to placate him with the water bottle but it was pretty nerve-wracking. He is obviously too young to not be restrained on the bike (and CA vehicle code says that children under 4 need to be bucked in on a bike, anyway). I probably won't be using the Cycle Truck to carry him very often anymore, unless I can figure out a way to keep him contained. 

Also, for the first time since I picked up the Cycle Truck, I rode my Linus. At first, it was so strange to change bikes that I almost thought my Linus was broken! I was wobbling around and couldn't steady the front wheel. Luckily, I was able to adjust after about a half block or so but it was a pretty funny feeling to be so out-of-control on a bike. I'm still really enjoying the long-john set-up and feel like this is our best option for a second cargo bike. My next test is going to be getting Zorro in for a ride. 

We did it! After a couple months of planning, we gathered up our group of cargo campers yesterday and embarked on our first-ever group camping trip! It was a pretty ambitious attempt to schedule a camping trip with kids in the middle of March, but somehow, a group of 24 of us on 14 bikes ventured out to ride 30 miles up to the Negro Bar group campsite in Folsom. We were a motley crew, some local, one family came from Oregon, and another from the Bay Area. As luck would have it, these guys were all incredible! 

Jose and I fought over the Cycle Truck since it was our new toy (borrowed for the week), and a quieter load since it was all cargo, no kid. I kept the Mundo pretty light (relative since it was going to carry two kids anyway). I won the Cycle Truck for this trip!  You can imagine the number of thumbs-up I got from the box of beer in front. I had a bit of a panic attack the night before and imagined riding the Cycle Truck up hills and tipping backwards. I hadn't really even had much of a chance to ride the bike yet but I was still going to give it a shot. 

This was the perfect route, 99% along the American River Parkway, and the most beautiful weather. 

I loved seeing everyone's unique packing techniques. We were in charge of s'mores and firewood and left everyone else to pack their own gear and food. 

We had a few stops along the way and a nice long lunch break at Hagan park so the kids could run out their yayas.

I was amazed at the lack of fussing until our own Big Brother threw a huge fit when we tried to move him to our friend's trailer. Their daughter is a bit too big for their trailer so she wanted to stretch out and loves being on the Mundo deck. I wanted to give Big Brother a break from the Mundo so he could nap but he was not having it. The rest of the group continued on while we attempted to calm him down. Little Brother caused just as much of a scene so we finally relented and put them all on the Mundo. 

Now, he was getting all the attention and cruising at quick clip--12 mph. We eventually caught up with the back of the group and met up with my folks and Kao who were lounging at Karen's Bakery. 

I got a call from Abbie who had made it to the campsite with the rest of the group only to be turned away by some Boy Scouts who claimed they had reserved the entire area. They straightened out the debacle just as I pulled up our reservation on my phone and had to clear some scouts out of our site. Turns out the ranger had told them they could spread out if no one showed up. However, we were unstoppable! 

A couple of our wonderful friends showed up to hang out with us since they hadn't been able to ride with us (luckily they had the great excuse of being a doctor who had to deliver babies on Sunday). They brought their wonderful boys to play and picked up the 8 pizzas we ordered, sponsored by the amazing folks at Practical Cycle! As much as we wanted to pick the pizzas up by bike, their offer was too difficult to pass up (sorry, Tim...). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

More play time, some s'mores time, a warm campfire, it was fantastic! 

The actual nighttime part got kind of mixed reviews. Camping with kids usually means waking up in the middle of the night multiple times. Multiple kids means more crying. I only heard other babies when I was already awake but we had one of the fussier kiddos (*Little Brother*). Our problems included an air mattress that didn't survive the boys jumping on it and too few sleeping bags--I had thought that we could share just two. It's time for us to invest a little in our camping gear. Our site was also really close to Folsom Blvd. and the traffic noise was pretty intense. We're pretty sure that there was a motorcycle race in the middle of the night. On the other hand, the coyotes were out as well and one was yipping close by. That was really awesome. 

We woke up to a clear, crisp morning. Jon got a fire going and everyone moved slowly. Breakfasts included leftover pizza, oatmeal, polenta, and fried Spam (although not necessarily all together).  

Kristi and her family packed up early to make it to their near-by church. Most of the rest of us headed out about 10 am, leaving just Abbie and Michael to enjoy packing up in peace and meandering home via Fair Oaks. 

The final group split once again about midway through and there was a bit of a mix-up with our lunch spot so we didn't end up catching the speed demons. Sami and her family had to rush back up to Oregon and the kids in that group were younger and less demanding. Our slower group stopped at Hagan Park again to play on the playground. Big Brother was very happy with his special spot in the Cycle Truck so fussing was at a bare minimum. 

The Cycle Truck was amazing! I can see this being the perfect supplement to our fleet. There are a few things that I would absolutely need to change for it to be tailored for our needs but even though it was our first "real" ride, it preformed perfectly. The gears shifted smoothly and it took the hills with ease. The seat was a bit of a pain in the butt, however, and there were more sounds and wobbles to get used to. Other than having to remind Big Brother to keep his feet inside (which I had to do just once), we both loved it. Jose said it was heavier than the Mundo but I didn't really notice. 

We had such a blast and I hope that every one else did, too! An enormous thank you to everyone who came along and made this trip so amazing. You guys all made it seem so easy to pack everything onto a bike and ride 30 miles to sleep on the hard ground and then do it all over the next day. I am so impressed! It was many people's first bike camping trip, or first with children, and the longest trip Kristi had ever ridden! You were all so organized and prepared! 

It was fun to leave from our doorstep and be able to meet up with friends all along the way (Thank you Jen and Lucas, Rebecca, Pablo and sweet boys, Jennifer and Jim!). Especially with this being our first try, I think we did pretty well. I could not have asked for a better group, better weather, or a better route. There are things that I would try differently, almost all related to gear and food, but most importantly, I just can't wait to do it again!

Today wrapped up the final day of the three-week Ride Smart training at Natomas Park Elementary. We had approximately 130 students participating in this curriculum put together by Mellissa of the NNTMA using the Safe Routes To School program from Eugene. This is the third year that Natomas Park has had Mellissa and her crew come into the school and you can certainly see what kind of impact it has had! I was absolutely blown away by the number of children who rode to school already (and that doesn't count those who walked or scooted). Even on the rainy day, there were still a large number of bikes in the dedicated bike parking in front of the school. 

Some of the children in our fifth grade classes had never learned how to ride. They signed up for a couple of extra coaching sessions in the beginning and by the time we had the kids on bikes, everyone was able to ride. We spent the first few lessons going over proper lane positioning, right-of-way rules, and personal safety. Next, we brought the kids out on the blacktop to go over handling skills like stopping with both brakes (surprisingly difficult!), signaling, and scanning behind while riding in a straight line. If we felt the students were ready, (and by the last class, pretty much everyone was) we took them out onto the adjacent bike paths and into the neighborhood streets. 

During the street rides, we would stop every block or so and talk about the maneuvers ahead. We managed to get a lot of real-world riding experience in that short amount of time. It was exciting to be helping guide these students while they rode. I can imagine how fun this would be for them, the very first steps to freedom! 

One student came up to me after the program and thanked me for this experience. I asked him if he rode bikes very often and he said that his mom was "very restrictive and wouldn't let him ride in the neighborhood." That did break my heart a little. It seems that there are also always a few students in the classes whose parents won't let them learn how to ride a bike. Sometimes the coordinators can convince them by explaining how we are teaching the students how to keep themselves safe but there is still a small group who feel the need to keep their kids off bikes. There were plenty of parents who showed up at the school in large SUVs and clogged the surrounding streets with heavy traffic each afternoon at pick-up. 

However, these are the steps we need to be taking! These students are getting onto bikes and now understand the rules of the road and how important it is to ride properly and predictably. Many adults can't manage these skills! There were a couple of parent volunteers who showed up for the street riding portions. One of the kindergarten teachers came by to tell us how much our program meant to the students. There is so much more that needs to be taught but this is at least the beginning of little seeds being implanted in their minds. One girl decided that she "didn't want to get a car right away." She was "going to get a bike first and then see what happened later on." 

I am so impressed at how well the NNTMA has reached out into the community to create a fun and safe environment for biking and walking. I am also incredibly grateful to be a part of this amazing revolution! I can't wait for the next school in May! 

Although, I will admit that I'm happy for a break from commuting to Natomas three days a week! I don't know how Tim can manage that distance each day, BionX or not!

Spring has sprung! I love Spring! I actually love every season, except Summer. Summer is a jerk (except for my sweet, sweet exchange students make the mean Summer wonderfully fun). But I don't have to think about that yet because it's Spring! Even better--it was a rainy Springy day! I love the rain even more than I love Spring (it's pretty hard to keep track of the order that I love things but I assure you that there is a very complicated and prestigious algorithm--and yes, I had to use spell-check on that word). 

The boys rode in the Chariot this morning--not because I wanted them "protected" from the deadly water droplets but because I wanted to dump them at daycare so I could run off on the electric bike at get to the Ride Start program up in Natomas. I would have actually liked to have been able to use the Mundo since pulling the trailer is exhausting and cumbersome (and some dudes in cars were rude enough to cut me off at intersections today because I couldn't get started quickly enough for them, even with the BionX). I did dress up the boys in their cute little rain suits because they're extra cute in them. 

Every time I take the trailer, I realize how ready I am to get rid of it. It's really time for us to become a two cargo bike family. The Mundo is amazing for everything we throw at it but the only reason we're not considering getting a second one is because we have no way to take our dog anywhere. Poor Zorro is always left home on all our adventures because he can't ride a bike or magically balance on a longtail or fit in the Bread Basket like some teeny weeny dogs. Jose would actually love having his own Mundo but it's just not as practical right now. In the future, we'll probably Xtracycle one of his bikes but first-things-first--Zorro wants to ride! 

This blue Cycle Truck (minus the electric assist) is what we hope to try out on our camping trip so we can figure out exactly what we need John to build. I figure that enclosing the box with heavy duty canvas and adding in a seat of some sort would do the trick. That way, we would have an extra hauler as needed, without the hassles of the trailer. We've ridden John's orange bike and already know that it's an awesome ride. 

This is the final week of Ride Smart at Natomas Park--the fun part where we actually get to take the kids out on the *gasp* street! Most of them now have the techniques and understanding to keep themselves safe while riding. It has been a fantastic experience for me to watch them grow as cyclists and share in their excitement. Children and bikes are a perfect match. It is disappointing that we have to work this hard to teach them to be careful. Instead of creating a transportation system that revolves around keeping children safe we have one that focuses on moving large vehicles as quickly as possible. I'd love to see a place where kids can be kids and zoom around on bikes carefree, where drivers move slowly and cautiously because they understand children should always come first. 

I will end this post with a photo of the Kaiser on Fair Oaks Blvd.'s bike rack. Just because I can. 

The best thing about riding bikes is meeting other cool people also riding bikes! This cheerful lady was rocking a bamboo bike that her father had had built for her in San Francisco. It's two years old and she says it rides like a dream, very sturdy. I love the mix of fancy road bike parts and fun, practical accessories--bell, bag, coffee in one hand. 

So awesome! Ride on!

Today was our March Kidical Mass ride. We decided to merge it with the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Old Town. Since Practical Cycle has had an entry each year, they were nice enough to sponsor us! Kate had ridden with them last year and was able to give us some important pointers--it's slow, more walking than riding, long wait times, bring snacks!

Thanks to Kate, I managed to come pretty well prepared with plenty of nibbles. What I lacked was an awesome bike costume (although I had thought of a great slogan on our way over--Go Green With Kidical Mass!) but I lacked creativity and patience this morning. In fact, I was happy for just barely remembering to put green shirts on the boys and myself.

However, I pulled up next to Jim's amazing Madsen an realized we were missing out.

Kate to the rescue again! She had green crepe streamers, leis and necklaces, and fun holiday decor. She had even brought painters tape to put it all together!

We hung out close to the shop decorating our bikes and waiting for everyone to show up. The kids were happy to run around on the grass to get their yayas out before the long march...er...ride.

When it was finally time to line up, we rode to our spot in the long parade and waited. And waited. And waited.

Incredibly, the child folk stayed relatively calm. With a few snacks thrown around here and there, they seemed surprisingly peaceful. My boys were really exhausted by then, having been up since 5 am and it being past naptime. The parents were able to chat while we watched the baton-twirlers and Irish dancers practice ahead of us.

Eventually, we started rolling. There was an initial long hill to head down, then back up again, and a few blocks of teeth-rattling cobblestone streets but everyone managed to stay upright the whole time! The kids had fun waving to the crowd and ringing their bells.

All together, we had four Mundos with 10 passengers, two bikes with a rider in each chariot, a Madsen with papa pedaling and his two daughters in the bucket, a cool Brompton, Kate's eldest rocking his own bike, three Cycle Trucks with who knows how many riders, and the Cycle Trike with another handful!

This was the perfect ride to welcome the coming Spring! It was such a warm day and I got sunburned! It was so great to hang out with all these bikey folks and enjoy the day together. I really enjoyed all the encouraging cheers from the crowds as we rolled by. Making biking with kids seem easy and fun (as it is!) to the general public is the perfect way to get more families on bikes. I hope we opened up some eyes and minds to the wonderful world of Kidical Mass!

To end a wonderful day, I got to take my dear friend Bekah on her very first Mundo ride. We were a two person parade as she waved and cheered to everyone we passed!

Last night, Practical Cycle was thrilled to host Elly Blue, Joe Biel, and Joshua Ploeg on their Dinner and Bikes tour. Joshua provided the amazingly tasty vegan gourmet dinner. Joe showed the very first public screening of his documentary, Aftermass. Elly contributed with reports of her recent trip to the National Bike Summet. They brought their traveling bookstore, too. I got one of Joe's cargo bike shirts--"One Less Truck" and Elly was so lovely to give me a copy of her book, Childhood, that has some of my favorite folks contributing their personal stories (Kath and Sarah!). I loved that the group stays true to their principles and tour around the country using multi-modal transportation--Amtrak and bikes, of course. Most people arrived to the event by bike, as well. I even got a chance to play chauffeur and take Joshua home on the back of the Mundo while Elly and Joe rode their Bromptons. 

It is aways fantastic to meet members of the greater biking community, especially ones who are really getting out to make a change. One of the things that stuck me from Joe's movie was the parallels between how the Dutch got their bike lanes and the struggles that the Critical Mass riders went through before Portland became the true biking city that it is today. Everyone always assumes that the Neatherlands' bikeways were just always a part of their lives. In reality, after WWII, the Neatherlands took a turn towards an auto-centric transportation mode, making it more and more difficult to walk and bike. The number of deaths skyrocketed, especially among children, so people took to the streets in protest. The bike tracks didn't just magically appear for the Dutch, the public realized that the way the cars were taking over was disastrous and deadly so they put a stop to it. You can learn more from this video below. 

Obviously, even Portland has a long way to go before their bike system can be on par with the Neatherlands but at least they are on their way. It is interesting to me that as the narrator begins to describe the bikeways of yesteryear, he is actually describing Sacramento's current state of bike paths--"narrow, of poor surface, dangerous or even absent at junctions, and not connected." 

What really resonated with me was the realization that things don't change unless people take to the streets to demand action. As Gandhi said, "be the change you want to see in the world." I do see our tiny little biking family as part of the greater shift towards a more sustainable system. While we may not be as visible as Critical Mass, we are still making our peaceful waves in the community. (Speaking of Critical Mass, join our family-friendly Kidical Mass ride this Saturday: https://www.facebook.com/events/341588125941208/ We're going to be a part of the Saint Paddy's Day Parade in Old Town!).

A huge thank you to everyone who came out and stayed up past their bedtimes, to Practical Cycle for donating the space, and to the Dinner And Bikes crew for putting on such a great event! If you find them coming to a location near you, go! 

It was, thankfully, a pretty quiet weekend. This week had been exhausting! After my two days at Practical Cycle, I was looking forward to starting my new adventure of working with the Safe Routes To School program in Natomas. This is going to help me finish my LCI training and also get me started putting this training to good use--teaching these youngsters to love bikes and learn how to drive them properly. I am always surprised that people don't always think the way I do when it comes to biking. I watched a family on bikes ride down the wrong side of the road while the kids rode on the sidewalk next to the adults in the street. These were huge, quiet, fully-bike-laned neighborhood streets. I could barely keep myself from catching up to them and telling them that they were teaching their kids improper and DANGEROUS bike use. 

The school that we are working with already has a great base of kiddy bike riders. I was shocked the first time I rode up to see 20+ bikes and scooters locked up in their own dedicated bike parking (I'll have to get a photo when I can get it and not look like i'm taking pictures of the children) AND that was a rainy day where most kids melt if they get caught in a sprinkle. The NNTMA has been working with this school for the past 3 years and helps implement "Walking Wednesdays" for kids to get prizes for walking to school. 

I love watching these kids absorb this bikey knowledge and am amazed at some of the poignant questions they ask. They are open minds and ready to find the freedom of biking. I love to imagine these little people riding bikes and growing up to be more conscientious drivers of both bicycles and cars, making the streets safer for everyone. 

The only difficulty with this new venture is that this school is exactly one BionX battery's worth of miles. It is a 24 mile round-trip, often in windy condition and I'm usually crunched for time (because that's just how I roll--late). I rode on level 3 this week, each direction, for Wednesday and Thursday. I was really excited for Friday but the boys finally got too sick to go to daycare and my sore back went out completely. I had to decide that going another 24 miles that day, BionX or not, was probably not the best idea. I took Friday off, went to the Chiropractor, and nursed my back and two little boys. I was pretty happy to have a quiet weekend after that. I even took a couple of days off riding, just because I had no reason to go anywhere. It was pretty awesome. 

Next week, a few more days at the grind (actually, Practical Cycle is my respite from my crazy home) and then an awesome BONUS day there because Elly Blue is coming to town on Wednesday! I am so excited for the evening of Dinner and Bikes and to finally meet one of my favorite Bikey Heroes! It's not too late to RSVP and join us! 

I'm going to make it to another couple of classes at the school, next week, too. I need to practice my teaching skills, especially before we get out onto the bikes! I think I might even try bringing my charger with me so I can top up during class and zip home on level 4...