Back on track

8/17/2012

It's been so great to be back home and riding again. Since Wednesday, we've already put 45 miles on the bike and not touched the car once. We had a great Little Loop ride today. We started by dropping off my cousin's bike (we had been borrowing it for our exchange students) and took her along on our ride to Temple II for a mocha.

Then, I popped over to Practical Cycle on J st and filled out the paperwork to start working there on Monday! How exciting! I haven't had a regular job since the kiddos were born. I'll mostly be in charge of keeping the shop orderly and secure, getting the rental bikes out, and general sales. I'm looking forward to getting the behind-the-scenes action of owning a bike shop and working with Tim and Cassidy. The employee discount doesn't hurt, either. Working out childcare is the most difficult part as we've never even hired a babysitter before. It's a fine balance to get good childcare and not pay more that you're actually earning. I have a meeting with a woman next week so my fingers are crossed that it goes well.

While I was in the shop, I got Tim to check out my brakes and readjust them. It's nice having working brakes again! I was also complaining about my sticky grips and decided to get these new fancy ones--they have built in lights for turn and brake signals! How cool is that? Tomorrow, we are meeting up with our friend, Jennifer, and her son to ride to our Mommy Group playdate. They just sold one of their cars to buy a Mundo. That is dedication for sure. I am so impressed!

I think we're all feeling the benefits of riding again! We have so much to look forward to--August 26th is our next Kidical Mass ride and September 1st is our group ride to the Davis Farmer's Market. So much to do! Come join us!

5 Comments

bekah

8/19/2012 03:07:21 pm

Could you be any cuter?

Garrett

8/20/2012 04:35:58 am

Based on your prior recommendation of Practical Cycle, I stopped by yesterday (Sunday) to check out the store. They were very friendly with me and my million questions. One of the guys (the owner?) let me ride his Breezer and I test rode an electric bike. Those were great fun. Now I just have to figure out which is the best option for my hilly neighborhood.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Elle Bustamante link

8/20/2012 02:27:25 pm

Thanks for writing, Garrett! I'm glad you checked out the shop! You must have talked with Cassidy. They're a father-son team and Cassidy is the younger one, he works weekends. The electric assist bikes are awesome! I especially love the Bionix system and the pedal assist option. I think if I'm given a throttle option, I'd stop working all together.

What area do you live in? How hilly is it? I was surprised how well my heavy Mundo can rock the hills around Folsom. A good range of gears is magical! Let me know what you choose or if you have any questions.

Lamaia Coleman

8/20/2012 04:55:30 pm

Why don't you miss the trailer days at all?
If your goal is to just to be able to haul a kid plus groceries (not the ten thousand other things that a Mundo can haul!) or sometimes 2 kids, is it really substantially better than something like the weehoo and racks/paniers? If so, why? Convenience?

Elle Bustamante link

8/23/2012 03:09:30 pm

Thanks for writing, Lamaia!

I started both boys out in the trailer and it was fine while we had it. I actually made the commitment to biking when that was our set up. However, it was always frustrating for me to get the bike and trailer hooked up, pull it through tight spaces, find a place big enough to park it, etc. It was more of a hassel than I would have liked. I was also getting low back pain that I could feel increase when riding. I'm sure that I could have changed bikes/set up and make the trailer work but once I switched to the Mundo, I knew that was the right decision.

I didn't have a lot of cargo space when the kids were in the trailer (again, not impossible, just not the easiest). Also, my back pain disappeared and I could keep my speeds up since the weight was distributed better on the Mundo, even fully loaded. I don't have to worry whether I'll fit in small spaces, it's easier to park, and to walk around with.

Mostly, it is about convenience. I realized that if I could make the transition to transport biking with a trailer, I could do anything. I like when things are easy :)

You really could make any set up work. It just depends on your own needs and preferences. The Mundo has really worked well for us and I like that it will grow with our family, unlike a trailer that has a set lifespan for kid hauling (although not for cargo). The Weehoo has a longer lifespan and I have to admit that I still droll over it. If I could figure out how to attach it to the Mundo, I'd give it a shot!

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