The last few days in Italy were a whirlwind. I was certainly travel-weary and ready to head home to see my babies and use my own saddle. Riding back from Villasimius wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined with my luggage but with the heat and the hills, it still kicked my butt. Ending the ride in Cagliari had its own issues, too. I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of cars and traffic, one-way streets, and my lack of directional skills. By the time I finally found Ichnusa Bikes again, I was more than ready to dump Ol' Orangy and crash at my hostel. 

At the hostel, a guy rolled up with a fully loaded bike. I was super jealous and finally asked him where he had been. Turns out, Jason had just ridden through Sardinia for the last 10 days and was heading to Rome via ferry that evening, eventually making his way back to Switzerland for work. What a life! He travels all over the place, only restricted by his resolve to only travel on the ground (no planes for him). He has been to so many amazing places. You can read more about his adventures here. 

I tried to get to bed early but in a six-person dorm, it's not very possible. After a rough night's sleep, I was out the door at 5am to catch my Ryan Air flight to Rome. Ryan Air is a crazy cheap airline with a cattle-call type feel. Again, bare bones travel. After the flight, having not slept much, not eaten well, and feeling totally overwhelmed, I grumpily headed over to my bed and breakfast. I promptly got lost. The 20 minute walk turned into an hour long trek up a hill (three times, no less) that I didn't have to go up. Once I finally arrived, my host demanded that I see the Vatican and I "must go now!" I bought my ticket and headed right back over when all I really wanted to do was nap. 

After a stop to the Sistine Chapel cafe, and some amazing Vatican art (except for the giant tapestries depicting the Slaughter Of The Innocents), I was really glad I had gone. I was reenergized and ready to head across the city and eventually make my way to the Colosseum where I was going to meet the tour guide for The Red Bicycle. 

Since I only had two days in Rome, I didn't know my way around, and many people warned me about the crazy driving, I had decided to book a guided bike tour instead of fumbling around on my own. I connected with Glenn, owner of The Red Bicycle, and he helped me choose the evening tour and the all-day Rome tour. Since I was rushed getting to the Colosseum metro bike rack (where the tour groups meet), I was happy that I hadn't overbooked myself, even though I had wanted to do all the trips they offered. Andrew and Hannah happened to be in Rome the day I arrived and decided to join me for the evening trip. After meeting Glenn at the bike rack, I was disappointed to learn he wasn't going to be guiding us. i had wanted to pick his brain about starting a bike touring business but since he's been swamped with work and has a wee little one at home, I understood that he needed to delegate as much as he could. We got our bikes ready and rode off with Victor around Rome. 

Despite a few Dynamo light issues, the trip was fantastic! I would have been too nervous riding around on my own but Victor led the way safely, stopping regularly to explain the history and artifacts as we went along. The trip was about two hours long and we managed to see more in that amount of time then the whole five hours I had spent wandering around on my own. The city was beautiful at night and we were able to check out the view at a few different vistas. We also got a chance to ride part of the bike path along the riverbank. It was just the perfect way to end my otherwise hectic day. 

The next day, I set off early to catch the bus for the all-day Rome adventure. I was really thrilled to find out that Glenn would actually be leading our trip. We were joined by a lovely young couple on their honeymoon. I was happy that they had some real questions about the history and ruins of Rome because I probably would have taken up the whole time asking bike questions. 

First, we rode along the Appian Way, even on a few sections of the original stone pathways! We headed out to the countryside, through some quiet parks, and over to the ancient aqueducts, learning about it all as we rode. We got a chance to tour the first Catacombs and ate a picnic lunch Glenn had packed, full of local and seasonal foods. Glenn knew about the best spots to checkout, away from the hoards of tourists, like the natural mineral springs were we filled up our bottles and picked up some local wine for the picnic. 

The second half of the tour was the city sights. I had been worried that this would overlap the evening tour's spots, but that wasn't the case. Between the historical stops, we also had some time for local goodies. I would have missed all this new knowledge and the yummy deliciousness had I not been kindly led there by The Red Bicycle. It was the perfect balance for the short amount of time I had. 

By the end of the two weeks, I was so ready to come home. My amazing friend, Bekah-the-flight-attendant, managed to help me fly home on standby (magically, as each leg looked full but somehow managed to squeeze me on). It was a harrowing experience, not knowing where or when I would be getting home but after 26 hours of travel, I was back. I didn't get a chance to ride a bike that day and I'm okay with that. So far, I've missed two days of my 365-day challenge but I've managed to pack in so many new experiences, I'm not concerned. Seeing a new place by bike is truly the best way to go and if you are unsure about managing on your own, find an awesome local guide to lead you. It really is worth every Euro! 

Just a final note (if you've made it this far). One aspect of riding in new cities/countries that I gained was my newfound appreciation of our biking infrastructure in Sacramento. In these cities, London, Caligari, Villasimius, and Rome, I was shocked by the lack of delegated bike-space on the roads. Even in London, where they have made the effort to create a bike-able system, the lanes felt cramped and lead nowhere. Everything was a haphazard second thought, nothing like the clearly marked routes that we have (and even what we have is nowhere near the infrastructure needed). I'm sure that if I was in the know, I would have found more than I saw, but the fact that it was so difficult to access surprised me. I realized that bikes are often treated as a road nuisance, even internationally. The global biking community really needs some attention and love. I was saddened by the two ghost bikes I saw (in London and Rome) but they are a necessary reminder that bikers are vulnerable users of the road and need special consideration. Sacramento has our own ghost bikes, too. It's not about getting angry or scared but getting more people on bikes. Understanding what it is like to be on a bike makes drivers more aware and compassionate. 

In recent news, California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed our three-foot passing law, SB 1464. A shocking move that has no plausible explanation. Instead of helping drivers become more responsible for their actions and role in cyclists' safety, this once again proves that we are second-class citizens on the road. I have just sent my message to Gov. Brown stating my disappointment in his choosing the liability of drivers over the safety of cyclists. It is not enough that we have to deal with the contempt of drivers who don't like to share "their" space, we also have to deal with politicians who make it legal to put us at greater risk. 

My time in Sardinia has been amazing! I'm here because my sister from my exchange student time in New Zealand was getting married. It was so wonderful to catch up with the family and stay with most of them in the villa just outside Vallisimius.

My first adventure was flying in on Easy Jet--bare bones travel! I decided against taking the shuttle with the other guests coming in to the wedding and instead booked a bike to rent for 4 days from Ichnusa. I wandered around Caligari for about an hour before finding the teeny shop in a far corner of a parking lot. Marco was surprise to see me as he had me down for coming in the next day. He said he had toget the bike from another location and if have to wait until 2 to get it. I was pretty leery as it wa 50k away and I didn't know the terrain or directions well. He assured me that it only took him 2 hours when he was fit and I'd be okay. I still assumed it would take me 3.5-4 but I figured it would still be fine. I found a little restaurant for lunch, picked up sunscreen, and made my way back.

I got lost heading out of town about ten times but finally manage to get on the right (only) road up the coast. Part of the way was a bit of bike trail, part was bike lane, but for much of it, I was on my own out in traffic. The winding roads had little shoulder and a lot of cliff. The cars passed me quickly and gave me about a foot and a half of space. It was a bit unnerving but not terrible. There weren't too many cars on the road but more than I had expected. I also hadn't expected so many hills! More and more and more hills! Up and up and up! Even when I was finally down to the final 11km, I looked up to see a long stretch of switchbacks leading up the next hill. Luckily, the scenery was so amazing (and I didn't have any other way of getting there), I just kept going. it was about half way there when it suddenly dawned on me--I'm in pretty darn good shape! I want to mention that I made it up every hill without stopping, by the way. I had my Acouztic blaring and helping me along the way. Lady Gaga got me up one particularly steep grade. At one point, I stood up to pedal right as a car drove past the other way and I hoot an impressed cheer from the group of Italian boys inside, quite the boost for sure.

The bike I rented is something called a Next 2. It has front suspension, which I hate, but I chose it because it came with Schawlbe marathon plus tires, a rack, and pannier. It is painted orange and looks pretty beaten up. The grips slide around but the gears and brakes work. The seat is really squishy, also hate that, but it's done the job so far.

It took me about 4 hours to get there but I probably could have cut it down to 3.5 if I had know the way. I got lots of kudos from the other guests but really, I think they just thought I was insane.

My goal had been to get more riding in durin my stay on the island but I had too much fun at the wedding and with my NZ family. I managed to do a bit of riding along the villa road, but nothing very exciting. The wedding was fantastic! I ate my weight in food, which was good because the ride made me super hungry. Yum!

This morning, most of the guests flew out and on to their respective adventures. I stayed with my host brother, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Hannah, and another friend and toured the other side of Villasimius for the afternoon. I did get a 8 mile ride, or so, down from the villa and into town where I am staying. I just got lost the once this time and still managed to rock the hills.

I'm nervous about tomorrow because I know what to expect and because I'll have all my heavy luggage with me. So far, I'd managed to pawn my bags off on fellow travelers going to the same place. I think most will fit in the pannier but I'll still have to carry my backpack, yuck! I'm also going to be riding in my boots again (in 90 degree heat) because I'm not comfortable in the sandals on the road and I have no way to carry them. I didn't do a great job of packing clothes, I've realized, and now I'm suffering a bit from it. Oh well! Look at what I'm suffering through:

Tomorrow is the big ride and then I'm off to an organized tour in Rome! Wish me luck and lots of free wifi! And gilato.

Hanging out in London hipster-bikey-heaven at Look Mum, No Hands! It's been a brilliant three days in London and my time is coming to an end. I've been staying and visiting with my family here which has been fantastic! In my spare time, I've been wandering aimlessly, hopping on Barclay Bikes, and even managed to convince a fellow cargo biker to take me cycling.

My international leg started with a missed alarm and frantic dash from Portland, a delayed plane in Houston, and horrible traffic for the lovely Gold family to kindly pick me up from the airport. They successfully got me into the city and tought me about public transportation which I have been thoroughly enjoying.

One of my favorite parts of traveling is just walking around and watching the world. London has a new (1 year old) bike share program, the Barkley Bikes. You pay a yearly/monthly/daily fee to access the bikes from anywhere in town. If you return the bike within a half hour, it's free. Above that, the cost gets much higher the longer you have it, to help encourage high turnover. You really see them in heavy rotation!

The bikes are heavy, functional, and heavy. They have fenders and lights built in, an easily adjustable seat, and a rack/bungee combo up from for your belongings. My few complaints are that the computers still have loads of bugs to work out and can be frustrating and that my butt slides off the seat. That's it! As David (my cargo tour guide) pointed out, these bikes have been a huge help in encouraging my people to get into cycling.

London cycling is CRAZY compared to Sacramento's plush bike lanes and trails. I have never been more grateful for our cycling infrastructure as I am here (except for in Stockton, that's still the worst!). Bike lanes have been added to tiny corners of a few streets, they go nowhere, and don't provide much assurance of your safety. despite the haphazard and begrudging acceptance of bikes on roads, there is still a huge number of cyclists! I am so impressed at the number of bikes on every corner, in the road, and missing from the Barclay racks.

The super bikey highlight of my London time was certainly having David of Covoy Cycles bring out his brand new Bullitt to Hyde Park and taking me around while he rode a Barclay.

David is the only Bullitt distributor in London and rides aroun for work and with his kiddos. The Bullitt certainly makes the most sense for using in the city. I would never trust a trailer on the narrow streets and the maneuverability of the Bullitt is unmatched by any other longjohn. A Mundo/ long tail designed would probably do well as well but it's pretty comforting to have the kids upfront when the double decker buses are bearing down from behind. The cover would also be really helpful in the unpredictable London weather.

The Bullitt is gorgeous! It's a perfect mix of fancy carbon and slick lines while still being practical. This is a bike Jose needs. I was worried about the different steering but with David's guidance--"don't look at your front wheel and you'll be fine," I was rolling normally and quickly (relatively) almost off the bat.

Hyde Park was wonderful to bike around! No cars, beautiful scenery and monuments, and confusing directions to keep it interesting. I got yelled at by an angry jogger but David pointed out that she just needed to ride a bike. It was so much fun! David, I cannot thank you enough. We had great conversations about biking and cargo bikes in our respective homes and even got some riding footage for Less Car, More Go (Liz Canning's amazing crowd sourced cargo bike documentary--formerly (R)evolutions Per Minute, look it up!). David even recommended this awesome little bike cafe that I'm sitting at now--Look Mum, No Hands. They make a lovely mocha and let me use their wifi.

Tomorrow, I leave in the middle of the night (says cousin Debbie, it's really 5am) to fly to Sardinia. Because of the Portland debacle, I am sleeping in my clothes and setting at least 3 alarms. There, I'm renting a bike an riding 50km to the wedding location! The adventures will continue! I've managed to ride each day (more Barclay Bikes today) except Sunday when I couldn't get to a bike between falling asleep before midnight and running out tithe airport an hour late at 5:30am. The rest of Sunday was spent stuk in the airport and on planes so I've decided that Sunday never existed. Easy!

Friday started normally with our Little Loop ride, the last one for two weeks so we went to Doughbots, of course. Little Brother has had the greatest time being an only child. He even got his very own doughnut.

After, we biked around to finish up a few errands before I left.

I wanted to stay as bike-able as possible so I just packed a backpack, hand bag, and helmet. This could be a bummer later on, but it was worth a shot. I'll have less than this after Portland and even less after London. I'm stuck biking in my boots since they're too big to pack but at least they'll keep my pants out of my chain and I'll look cool as I go. .

I had been looking forward to today, Saturday, for forever because I was finally getting to meet a few of my biking mama Twitter heros! Luckily, Emily, had offered her box trike for us so I didn't have to rent a bike.

Emily is the infamous mama with six kids and one giant bike--@1lessgmsurburban in the Twitterverse. Her story blew up the Internet and made news all over the world, receiving admiration as well as quite a bit of flack from both the biking and non-biking world. At first I brushed off her story (as people kept sending it to me over and over and over) but the more I started seeing her personality come out in the comment section to the naysayers, the more I began to admire her and like her. Today, I got to see that she is just as amazing as her story makes her out to be and even more so.

We got together at her house with Kath of @kyouell and Madi of @familyride. I was in awe to be around such a great group of biking mamas. We could have held our own Women's Biking Summit and changed the world (in fact, I'm pretty sure we did). Emily got her huge boom box (held onto her giant bike in a bungeed laundry basket) and we rocked to a local bakery and park where the kids ran out their yayas.

I don't think I could ever fully do this afternoon's ride justice with words so I'm hoping the photos help. To be around Kath, Madi, and Emily was to feel as if our little slice of bikey heaven could change the world. People stopped, stared, and whipped out their cameras. Jaws dropped as we passed, cheers were yelled, and thumbs up all around. One hipster dad said "and I thought we were rad..." another mom leaned out her window shouting "Babes, babies, and bikes! Right on!" It was surreal. Emily is a force of nature, everything that we do on our own but multiplied by a million. Unfortunately, that also means that the flack she receives is pretty intense, mainly from anonymous Internet bullies. However to see her in real life, rocking out, singing, yelling at her kids, and cheering on passing bikers. We became invisible behind her crowd.

The Christiania was a blast to ride, probably not something I would use as my main bike though. I loved having the kiddo up front, the steering was easier to figure out than the linkage steering with the bakfiets, and it was fun to not have to put my feet down and balance, ever. However, banked roads made me nervous and the counterbalancing on curves was tiring. The coaster brakes made it impossible to get a good pedal position if I forgot to stop with a foot up but the internal hub made shifting a breeze. I had so much fun with it! I'm looking forward to hearing how Madi does tomorrow with it in the Fiets Of Parenthood. I wish I had known about that earlier, I would have changed my flight to get to it.

I feel like biking has opened up this huge world of amazing people doing amazing things. I would have never met these fantastic women and felt a part of the "cool crowd" had I not made the leap out of my car and onto a bike. We all agreed that the only way to really get more moms on bikes is just to ask them to join us and go riding together. It's actually that simple. No charts, no studies, no advertising, just take your friend for a ride and show them what they're missing by being sealed up in a car.

This couldn't have been a better start to my adventure. I am inspired by these ladies who are now my *real* friends outside Twitter and I finally feel like I'm one of "them." You could be, too! Just join us for a ride, we're really welcoming! Will you ride with us? We'd really like you to! Please!

I finally came to the realization that we're busy people. I used to think "my life is so dull, just have to pass through this or that and then we'll have nothing to do again." Silly me, turns out, our life is incredibly full and rich and that little stretch of downtime inbetween the insanity is the moment we get to catch our breath and then jump right back in. Right now, we're back in our crazy times.

Big Brother is up north with my folks. Having just one child is such a breeze now, compared to the two. How did I ever complain before? Little Brother is relishing in our attention and the big guy is having a blast with Gilligan the Llama at my brother's farm. I'll join him on Friday to celebrate my Brother's wedding hoedown. We even get to sneak in a bike ride with some of my biking heros in Portland! I'll get to try out a Christiana trike and finally meet the biking moms I've worshipped on twitter.

The next day I fly to London. I spend a couple days with family there and they've assured me that there are bikes all around. I want to try out London's bike share system.

Next, it's off to Sardinia. My hope is to rent a bike for about a week and ride to the little town where my host sister from my NZ exchange student days will be getting married! A couple of days with the family and celebrations and a couple more days of exploring the island.

My last leg brings me up to Rome. I'm researching guided bike tours there. How exciting--visiting old friends and family, exploring by bike, and seeing new sights! This will tide me over until the next adventure comes along.

For now, packing. Trying to fit everything into a small backpack for two weeks to stay bikeable as I travel. Multipurpose clothing and functional shoes. Do I bring my own lights and helmet or rent when I get there. How many layers? Rain clothes? Wedding wear? Ditching my kiddos! I can't wait!

We got a quote for the damage I caused by hitting a tree root over a curb and obliterating our car's bumper--$1000+! Are you kidding me? I could buy a Boda Boda with that amout. Sadly, it's also our deductible, too, so insurance is no help. Just one more reason to ditch cars. One ding and we're in the hole that much. I can't believe people just take on these car expenses as a part of life. We were so close to being free. That, along with the rest of our lease term, is not pretty. It's a hit but immediately saving the car payments, insurance payments, gas expenses, future repair costs *cough*, registration, ect. still makes this a positive option for us. It's a bullet we're willing to bite for completing our car-free home. It's taking us longer than I hoped but we're taking these baby steps in the right direction.

In other news, the Boda Bodas came in to Practical Cycle! I had been a bit unsure about how they would look but the second they were out of the box, I was in love. The look is smooth, the bike is light, and the ride is sweet. It's a lot easier to maneuver than the Mundo, a bit bouncier because it's about 15 lbs lighter. An upright riding position. Only 8 gears but a nice ratio, I was able to cruise up Sacramento's "hills" easily, not even using the full gear range. The bell has a gorgeous ding, too! Love the cork grips. I would swap out the pedals immediately, add a few accessories like the double stand, soft spot, and fenders. Definitely worth a test ride for someone who is considering a longtail but doesn't need the tank of a Mundo.

Too many fun things ahead! I'll take any suggestions you might have to get through it all.

Saturday was Celebrate Natomas and I got to hang out with the NNTMA folks. The North Natomas Transportation Management Association is a nonprofit organization funded by the residents of North Natomas and help them choose transportation options beyond driving. They offer the Natomas Flyer to get commuters into downtown Sacramento without cars. They can give rebates for bicycle purchases for their residents. It is such a valuable asset for a community to have the support to choose walking, biking, or public transportation. One of my favorite services the NNTMA provides is their mobile bike shop.

A licensed bike mechanic pedals this monster to different community events and helps with minor repairs such as truing wheels, flat repair, greasing and oiling, and other general TLC for people's bikes that have usually been sitting in their garage since the tire went flat. All free of charge to the residents! If a bike is beyond repair, they will refer to a local bike shop.

It was disheartening to hear so many people gasp at the thought of not diving their child to school, even if it was a mile or less away. One boy complained that his legs hurt when he walked two days in a row. When Sarah pointed out that his legs would get stronger if he continued, he grabbed the freebies on the table and left. There is so much more education that has to be done at every level--in school, with parents, health care workers, and city planners all have to be involved in creating safer roadways for all forms of transportation and users.

It was a wonderful event with wonderful company, new knowledge and a fantastic bike ride to get there and back. Another new direction explored. It was my first time turning off the American River Bike Trail and onto the Garden Highway to get into Natomas. I love finding the routes that connect me to new locations by bike. It makes me more sure that we are ready to ditch the car.

Little Brother has made his clear coice for favorite seat. If I give him the choice of front or back seat, he dives for the back and says "baa!" Friday, he made a beeline for the Mundo and tried to climb up the side like Big Brother does. He didn't quite make it but I was very impressed at his attempt. He loves to be on the like a big boy and have Big Brother in tickling distance. However, this also causes other problems and I now hear "Mom! He's touching me!"

I still prefer having the little guy upfront and in arm's reach. He's still a bit wobbly and little small for the Peanut Shell straps. For short trips, it's great to hear the joy from the back seat, as long as it's not too much time for the sibling conflicts to start.

I have to admit, he's super cute when he falls asleep and it's easier than when he passes out on my hands. That always causes my fingers to go numb and makes me unable to use turn signals.

Checked out the new bike-in movie theater, Reel, at the Greens Hotel in Natomas. Unfortunately, the movie didn't start until after dark (it's an outdoor screen) and the bike trail is pretty dodgy through that area. My dad and I decided to take a look and do a bit of recognizance for a later date. The movies play each 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Tonight's movie was Best In Show. Jose hates mock-umentaries (yes, even This is Spinal Tap. It's a good thing he has so many other redeeming charicteristics), he was more than happy to stay with the kids. The shows are 21+ so that's makes it a bit harder for us and most of our friends. My dad and I had some amazing food from the amazing food truck and yummy sangria from the bar. People were milling about and setting up their chairs on the now-closed-off parking lot.

The hotel is beautiful! It is currently a residence for a few local artists. The building is just what you'd expect, artsy, eclectic, and gorgeous. We didn't have much time to wander around after our food, it was beginning to get dark and we wanted to head back.

I look forward to next time when we can stay and enjoy the show. There have been some sketchy happenings along the bike trail and although it's probably unlikely that something would have happened, I just felt better to be through that section with some daylight.

It is essential that Sacramento send better security patrol to frequent the bike trails. The answer isn't to harass the homeless population who have taken refuge along the river, however, with so many people needing and wanting to use the parkway, at all hours, we need better reassurance that it is safe. Better lighting, security patrols on electric bikes, emergency phones, and repaired asphalt would be huge improvements to encourage the trail's use and functionality at all hours. .

Next time, I'd like to be sure to have a bigger group to ride home with. I'm sure that there would have been others going that way tonight but I was happy with our short visit, great dinner, and ride back with my dad.

I finally got a chance to be on the Mundo deck as a passenger. Jose and I went out for dinner without the boys and we decided to just take the one bike. Jose pedaled us about a mile to dinner. I was so impressed at the smoothness of the ride. It was difficult to give up control but once I got used to it, it was fun! I didn't realize the view from the back was mostly just the driver's back, the saddle is a lot higher than the deck. The soft spot was really cushy and the side-loaders were perfect to rest my feet. Jose enjoyed being the driver and found it to be quite easy to maneuver and control. It was the perfect vehicle for our date! I loved being the one getting the ride for a change.

Now I'm super excited to try the bike out with the whole family on it.

Jose got a 'new' bike for his birthday. We had gone to the bike swap at Edible Pedal and he fell in love with a bike--it was perfect for him--but he ended up talking himself out of it. I snuck away and bought it. He was thrilled! Another bike for our stable...

I have an appoinent to take the car in and get a quote for the bumper--the latest thing holding us back from getting rid of it. At this point, I wouldn't mind just turning it back into the dealership and taking the hit. It'd be nicer if we could just find someone to take oer the rest of the lease, one year, then they could have the option of buying it at the end (or before). That's the cheapest option for everyone involved.

This morning, a group of us met up at Practical Cycle to ride to the Davis Farmer's Market. It's a 16 mile ride from there, plus another 5 for us from home. The boys and I thought we were bundled enough for the brisk morning but about two miles into it, I ended up losing my sweatshirt to Big Brother's chilly hands. Our Mundo was the perfect vehicle for the job. 

I moved him to the Peanut Shell for the long ride, gave him a blanket and zipped up Little Brother.

Our friends showed up--11 of us total!

Half of our riders had never ridden to Davis by bike. We headed through the Gold Rush Days, over the J st bridge, through West Sacramento, and on to the bike path to te Yolo Causeway. Many people don't realize there is a bike path along the highway 80 bridge. Besides the noisy traffic and the occasional crop dusters, it's quite a fun ride. We stopped for a quick diaper change and continued on.

There was a scraped knee after a brush with a curb but the Ikea first aid kit helped
patch our rider up. Always an important tool to have on board.

We got to Davis shortly after, taking a little over two hours to get there. Ate delicious tamales and Indian food, picked up fresh produce, and the young'uns ran out their yayas on the playground.

Davis, being one of the original (if not THE original) biking towns, is always a great bike-spotting hub.

There was a quick stop at REDRUM Burger for a few milkshakes. At one point, both my guys were fast asleep but that didn't last long.

Jen and her Mundo hit 100 miles durin this trip! We took a quick breather and I happened to look down and see this on our odometer...

We hit 2000 miles! It's actually a bit more because Little brother has a habit of spinning the computer around and keeping it from logging miles. It's still an exciting number to see. I've never had a bike that logged so many miles, especially so quickly!

The boys and I got home around 4pm after Parting ways with the rest of our crew. It was an amazing trip, perfect weather, and the greatest company. It was certainly a very long day for everyone but I was so impressed at everyone's ability to keep riding, even through some difficult times--babies crying, crashes, bum knees, etc. Biking is not the easiest way to go but I really think it is one of the most satisfying. We all chose to be self-powered and have an adventure--which it definitely turned out to be.

Thank you all, Davis Crew! I can't wait for our next ride!