By the third riding day, we had much better organizational skills. The boys wore their rain suits and "ninja masks" because the Kr8 didn't come with a rain cover and the box was still wet from the snow the day before. Notice, however, that Big Brother still managed to leave the house without gloves and he had grown out of the boots I had brought for him. I started bringing an extra bag so we'd have everything mostly contained for when we would inevitably have to schlepp it around with us when we left the bike. 

Despite all my moaning about the Kr8, one of my favorite things about it was how much cargo space was in the box! Since the kids sit on an elevated bench, the rest of the box is free for all our extra layers, snacks, etc. I actually still could have used some panniers on the rack but we managed. 

We rode over to coffee to meet up with Madi, Kath, and Sarah. The bike was feeling more natural and easier (relative, it's still a beast!) to ride, especially with Kath's special mostly-flat routes.

After coffee, we made a trip back over to Clever Cycles. Todd had offered to swap out the Kr8 for another cargo bike, a BionX-powered Douze. He had also mentioned that there was a rain cover that I could use--score!

It wasn't a difficult decision to swap bikes. I'm sure there are many people out there who absolutely love the Kr8 but while I don't necessarily hate it, it's not the bike for me. The Douze is just about as different as you can get from the Kr8. Even with the BionX system, it still weighed less and was easier to maneuver. The riding position was similar to the Bullitt and much more my style. Todd had warned us that the Douze would be a bit bouncy-feeling but I felt that it was actually much more pronounced in the Bullitt. If this had been my bike, I would have made some changes to the cockpit but it was just fine for my temporary needs. The box on the Douze was also similar to the Bullitt in that the seat is flat on the box floor which made the boys legs go straight in front, taking up most of the cargo space. I really could have used a rack and panniers to compensate but made due with what we had. The box is also wider than the Bullitt's which gave extra elbow room for the wiggly boys. Having the rain cover was wonderful! A Blaq Designs cover like Kath's would have been the best but it was nice for the boys and our gear to escape the constant drizzly rain and so helpful to be able to close up the top when we left the bike and know our gear would stay pretty safe and dry inside.

We also stopped in at Splendid Cycles, another amazing family bike shop. They pretty much only sell cargo bikes--Bullitts, Xtracycles, and the new Butchers & Bicycles tilting trikes, many of them with various electric assist options. They're also wonderfully kid-friendly with the cutest shop doggy and a bucket of chalk for kids to draw all over their floor with. 

Joel let Madi and me take the Butchers & Bicycles trike out for a test ride. 

Finally, a trike I'd actually ride! I haven't really hidden the fact that I'm not a trike person (sorry, Neil). While they may be stable when you're stopped, riding them actually still requires a lot of weird balancing. They're also so slow and wide and heavy. Not a good combination, in my opinion (yes, I realize that they're perfect for other people). This trike is so much fun! It tilts so you can lean into a turn, making it a much more natural feel while riding. Balancing and steering is closer to a two-wheeled bike than the Nihola or Christiania. The boys loved being inside the little bubble (which is a great feature for trikes, I'll admit that) and the swinging door in front was a nice feature. 

After playing bikes, we were all starving so Kath led us over the the food trucks. The kids could run around a bit and we shoved our faces full of delicious crepes. By the end of the day, we were tired and cold but we had BionX! Being unfamiliar with the neighborhoods and routes, having the assist gave me so much more confidence to ride longer distances and more often. We didn't use much assist while we were riding around town with Kath and crew, usually around level one or two, just enough to offset the weight of the system and the kids. However, on the way home, I decided to just go for it and cranked it up to level four and took Google's route home which ended up being just about 5 miles of steady uphill and a couple of steeper grades. We took the hills at about 13-15mph and I wasn't even out of breath. It was a blast! Made it home in about 30 minutes, about half the time it took to get us there on the Kr8 (which had been downhill). 

On our last day in Portland, we weren't going to let the steady rain stop us from more bike time! With our gear stashed under the cover and us decked out in our rain suits, we left again to meet up with Kath for coffee and general bike meandering. The Portland rain is deceiving. It looks light but it's drenching! I tried to avoid wearing my rain pants but even with two layers of leggings and a skirt, I was drenched in less than a mile and had to put them on. I would certainly invest in a Cleverhood if I lived somewhere it actually rained. 

Even though I had only used about 1/10th of the battery life from the day before, I topped it up overnight to have a full charge for the day. I was getting used to the main bike boulevards Clinton and Everett/Davis but still found myself in weird locations on occasion. 

Kath took us over the new Tilikum Crossing, a bike/ped/public transport bridge. I tried so hard to avoid the BionX-assist in solidarity with Kath who was riding a heavy Workscycle bakfiets with children bigger than mine (and a horrible cough), but I ran out of low gears by the foot of the bridge and needed more power. That was one of the few issues I had with the Douze, I would need a wider gear range. 

Once we were back to the east side of Portland, we left Kath and crew for our own adventure. Despite riding about 10 miles on a cargo bike with 100 lbs of kid, I hadn't made a dent in the battery, yet. To change that, we rode up Mt. Tabor. This actually took some of my own pedal power to get all the way up, even with the assist, but it was still fun and not at all exhausting. 

By the time we reached the top, the boys were starting to lose it. They were cold and hungry and ready to be back at the condo. We stopped briefly for some photos and to look down at the lights of cars stuck in traffic below us but headed back down quickly. The BionX came in handy again when I was able to put it into regenerative mode to add resistance to slow us down but not have to grip the brakes super hard (my hands were pretty numb by then). 

I was following Google's route, again, and in unfamiliar territory. We got into some trouble when we were suddenly faced with an incredibly steep downhill that ended at a very busy and dangerous crossroad. I debated our options for a few seconds before I turned us around and pushed the bike to face uphill again and find a safer route. If we had been on a different bike, I wouldn't have been able to get us out of that situation. We finally made it back to the condo, cold and wet but happy. The boys peeled off their layers and plopped themselves by the heater while I plugged in the BionX and tried to warm up before I had to leave to go out again that evening. The trip up Tabor and our circumventing route back had taken a chunk out of the battery finally. 

About 45 minutes later, I got back on the Douze and headed over to Clever Cycles, again. I had to return the bike and Madi was there giving a reading of her new book, Urban Cycling! On the ride over, I once again found that using Google's routes got me into some tricky situations. I was familiar with most of the ride but as it got darker, became rush hour traffic, I ended up on some busy arterials. There were bike lanes but many were in the doorzone and I had a very wide bike that barely fit in them. Traffic was nerve-wracking and I was so grateful to have an electric assist to be able to keep up with the flow and not have to worry about being exhausted in addition to using all my focus to get through complicated intersections where I had no concept of where they led. It had been so much easier having my own personal tour guides! 

 I was so happy to have made it! Madi is amazing and you need to buy her book. Probably you should buy two or more so you can give them out to all your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and that guy you see riding the wrong way down the bike lane without lights at night. Just keep a few spares in your panniers (they have rounded edges for easy portability!). The event was great and I was able to finally meet a few of the folks I've been following on Twitter and Facebook (Real-Life People)! Having an online biking community has been the greatest help in our car-free, bike-centric journey and so many of the people there had been integral in offering suggestions and support along the way. 

We're now back home after 11.5 hours in the car. The kids were so patient and helpful. I'm looking forward to getting back to my best bike friend, Babe the Blue HaulaDay. I'm also really excited to know that I have some more exciting adventures already planned for next year that will take me back up to Portland! Thanks, PDX! 

This morning's agenda involved donuts with the PDX bike gang. The weather forecast called for rainy weather and possibly even snow. That wouldn't stop us from getting to donuts so we piled on every layer of clothing we had brought up and rolled out with about 45 minutes to get 3.5 miles.

Kath sent me a couple of routes to get to Blue Star Donuts that would circumnavigate most of the big hills. Unfortunately, the one I chose was similar to my route from last night and I missed one detour and rode up a big hill. My munchkins cheered me on by yelling "Go, mama, go!" And we made it up eventually. It took us 40 minutes to go 3.5 miles, twice as long as google's estimation.

The donuts were yummy, although not quite as good as Doughbot (I miss them!). Big Brother had a blackberry cake and Little Brother eventually had a cinnamon sugar. I really enjoyed catching up with some of the PDX bike crew and meeting a few new folks.

The boys were thrilled when a few tiny flakes of snow began to fall. Being valley people, we had to run out and check them out.

After donuts, we rode around a bit and hung out with Madi and Kath. We popped into a thrift store to replace Big Brother's beanie that he left on the bus a few days ago. By then, it was noon and time for us to be heading home. Kath gave us some more detailed instructions on how to get home a different way (again with the flattest route).

It was only about 4.5 miles home but soon after we started off, flakes started falling again. This time, the snowflakes grew and fell steadier. The boys were getting hungry and cold but stayed in happy spirits--singing and giggling the whole way home.

We made it back to the condo and peeled off all our wet, cold gear. As we parked the bike, the snow kept falling stronger and melting into big puddles on the ground. It was nice to be back, dry and warm again. Even though the Kr8 is feeling easier to ride, I still feel like I rode about 4x more than I did. I'm actually quite enjoying this bike--not so much on the hills but otherwise, it's quite stable and smooth, especially with extra kid-power (read: weight) onboard.

Last week, we packed up my parents' car and drove up to meet them in Portland for Christmas. I wanted to bring Babe the Blue Ox but time and energy ran out. It was a pretty hectic drive with snow, rain, and lots of wind anyway. However, now we've been up here for the past week bike-less. Although we have been spending some time taking the Max and the buses, not having a bike feels so limiting. Holiday eating and not biking is a yucky combination for me. My dad's old Serrius is up here at my brother's house but I didn't get to it in time to get it in riding condition before we left their farm today.

Back in town, I had a date with some PDX Cargo Bike Gang members. Our friend, Kath, made a couple of events to get folks together since Madi (of familyride.us) and I are both up for a few more days. Madi will be giving a book reading on Tuesday at Clever Cycles since she's now an amazing published author (go buy Urban Cycling) in addition to being an amazing cargo biking badass. Twenty-five awesome Portland bikers showed up at the Barley Mill pub for a late lunch. It was wonderful being back amongst my own kind and I had the luxury of being kid-free (thanks, Gampa!).

Kath is the expert when it comes to knowing all the flat routes around Portland. She rocks a heavy Workscycle bakfiets and regularly carries one or two kiddos. I wasn't too worried since I only had 4.5 miles to get back to my folks' place and I had an empty, kid-free box. I choose a pretty straightforward route from Google and set off. Almost immediately, I noticed the differences from all other cargo bikes I've ridden. First thing: it's hard! There is no moment in riding this bakfiets that is easy. Doesn't matter if it's flat ground or downhill, making sure the Kr8 is moving forward take effort. I'm sure I'd get used to it over time but this ride home was hard! Secondly, the riding position was really awkward for me. The handlebars are really close and it's such an upright ride which makes it difficult to get a strong start or to power up hills. Also, it's slow! No matter what gear I was in (although this is actually a Nuvinci internal hub without actual numbered gears), I couldn't find a comfortable cruising speed. Compared to the nimble Bullitt, riding the Kr8 felt like trying to steer a cruise ship through choppy water. Finally, getting back to the house, I realized that finding storage can really be an issue with a bike of this size. Luckily, we had space but it's definitely a different situation from what I'm used to with the slim HaulaDay.

Despite the adjustments to riding the Kr8, I was thrilled to be on a bike again and be free to take the boys around town easily without the car. I'm a little nervous about the added weight but they're going to have a blast so that'll get me over the hills--slowly but eventually! I did really love the Dynamo lights and huge amount of cargo capacity in the Kr8. It'll certainly be an adventure for these final few days in Portland! There are so many fun things to explore via bike around here! I have a newfound respect for bakfiets riders in hilly areas now, too!

With all the holiday hubbub abounding around us, I feel the need to add in a little touch of my own grinchy-ness. People keep asking about the gifts my kids will be getting, all the elaborate plans we should be making, and all the money we're supposed to be spending. It's about time that I come clean. I am a Low Bar Parent. You've heard of Helicopter Parents, Free Range Parenting, Crunchy Granola Hippies, etc. That's all well and good but there's no possible way I could keep up with any of that, so I don't try. In fact, my parenting goal is to set the bar so very (very, very) low that when I do get around to making some sort of effort, it's seen as magnificent (when in fact, it's probably not). I'm pretty sure that bar is resting on the ground sometimes.

For example:

I don't buy my kids things (unless it's bike-related). They get so much stuff from other people that I figure my contribution would just get lost in the shuffle. They might start noticing as they get older so I'm holding off until then. They're so happy with what they already have (and it helps that I don't take them shopping unless it's for food or I absolutely have to).

This includes holidays and birthdays, actually. My rule was that I wasn't going to throw them a birthday party until they could actually remember it. Big Brother's just about to that age and he did have his first real party at a playground with some friends last year for his big 6. This year, we were going to go all out with a Funderland Party but it got rained out and 2 months later still has yet to be rescheduled.

I don't sign them up for extracurricular activities. Swimming has been the one exception and that's because it's a necessary lifeskill. They're kids and as much as I love them, neither one is going to be the next piano prodigy and I'm totally cool with that.

I say no. A lot. Actually, it's more like "nah." As in, "Can we go to Disneyland?" "Nah."

I let them leave the house without a jacket, if it's really that important to them. If they get cold, I tell them to remember that feeling for next time and hope they do.

They do their own school projects and homework, even if that means theirs is covered in masking tape while everyone else's was glue gunned by their parents. It's their homework and I will be proud of whatever it is they accomplish with their own effort.

If Kid A asks why Kid B got something that was perceived to be better, I tell them that it's because I love kid B more (that's the one that's going to send them into therapy).

It's the same reason that I choose to bike instead of drive. I'm just too dang lazy! Driving takes so much focus to not kill anyone, so much wasted energy trying to find parking and not scream at other people, not to mention all the money that disappears with every mile. Biking is fun and I'm a total hedonist. I'd rather get my exercise, enjoy "rock star parking," eat a ton of food, and not feel too terribly guilty like I'm destroying the planet all the time.

So, enjoy your time with your friends and family during this holiday season and do whatever it is that makes you happy (within reason and without hurting anyone, those are my only caveats).

Stopped by my friend's house for some help with the HaulaDay rain cover and came back home with some extra goodies. Thanks, Neil and Kara!