We didn't get much riding today. A quick jaunt to drop Big Brother off at school then to Trader Jose for groceries. Poor TJs is still waiting on city approval to improve their bike rack situation. Until they do, I'll just continue parking my bike inside like I own the place.

Little Brother and I decided to walk to get the Biggun at noon. It was already heating up and the walk involved me carrying a 32 lb toddler for most of it. On the way back, Big Brother loved riding his bike on the sidewalk and did a great job stopping at driveways and intersections and not getting too far ahead. Little Brother was harder to corral and didn't want to be held. needless to say, I needed a nap this afternoon.

After a midday, 100+ degree day, I needed to get out of the house. My aunt had borrowed the Mobic for her niece and I realized that I needed it for class tomorrow. It was the perfect excuse to head out for a quick ride. Even though the sun was setting, it was still warm out. Blech. However, it was still 1000x better than driving!

I found out about Mobic Bikes last year through a craigslist ad offering a demo folding bike for $350. We were in the market for a basic folding bike. I drove out to their warehouse/office in Fremont and gave it a test ride. I loved how zippily it rode and how simple it was. It supplemented our giant Mundo perfectly. As much as I'd love a Brompton or Bike Friday, those just weren't in our budget. 

I got a message a few weeks ago from Michael Pan, founder of Mobic bikes. He let me know that they have some new models of folding bikes and one of the newer demo bikes was about to go on sale. He offered us a chance to upgrade our Mobic 415 since the seatpost had never been quite long enough for me, even with the longest one they offered. After looking into the new features of the Mobic Life, I jumped at the chance. We have had our Mobic for over a year now and although it's not one of the main bikes that we ride, I'm always really impressed when I hop on it for a spin. We've taken it on some longer rides and have had great use of it as a spare bike for friends (especially ones of smaller stature). 

My dad and I loaded up the 415 and drove out to Fremont to their new headquarters. One ride on the Life and I was sold! The seatpost is longer and beefier, with hash marks for quick adjusting to your preferred seat height. The handlebars are adjustable now, the chainring is larger, the cassette has a wider gear range, and the brakes are stronger. Our folder is going from a great occasional ride to a sturdy everyday bike. The Life even folds easier and tighter than the 415. When folding the 415, you have to use the leg straps to help hold it all together. With the Life, a powerful set of magnets keeps it locked tight and the stem fits in between the wheels for a snug package. The tires are higher pressure and thicker, too. The fenders are now polycarbonate instead of aluminium and the wheels are quick-release instead of bolts. There are braze-ons for a bottle cage and a solid rack with bungee included. 

It is just an all-around better deal for the type of riding we like to do, making the Mobic Life an even better bike for our fleet. 

I'm really excited to have our new Mobic around. Jose has already claimed it as his commuter since he lacks space at his job to store a big bike. It's pretty incredible to see all the changes Michael and his company have made since their original model. Michael has been great to work with and has happily answered all my questions. 

As an added bonus, I also got to test out these tube-less tires! They're not for sale, yet, but I am really intrigued  These narrow orange ones are comparable to a high-pressure road tire and there was a fatter (and sparkly yellow!) tire that would feel more like 35psi. They were a smooth ride, much lighter than I had anticipated. They felt like the EVO material that our Yepp seat was made out of (but I'm not sure if it was the same). From what Michael said, they're a pain-in-the-butt to install but once they're on, you never have to worry about changing them until you wear them out. They're also a surprisingly reasonable cost at $25-45, depending on your bike's rims. This could be pretty life changing for many bike commuters as you'd never have to worry about getting to work late or dirtying up your fancy duds due to changing a flat. 

This weekend, I took the Traffic Skills 101 course offered through the League Of American Bicyclists. This is the prerequisite for their League Certified Instructor training. With this certification, I can go on and teach others about cycling safely with traffic. There is an especially high need in Sacramento for LCIs to teach school-aged children. Brainwash them young! Get them on bikes early and often. Indoctrinate them to the freedom and joy of pedaling along on your own. There is a lot of misinformation about what a cyclist should do and where they should be on the road. Parents don't do their children any favors by trying to keep them on the sidewalk, or even worse, in their car. I am so excited about this opportunity to work with children and watch them light up as they learn how to handle a bike with confidence and skill. 

The class was in Roseville on Friday night and all day today. I was bummed, at first, thinking that I would have to drive all the way out to Roseville (~50 miles roundtrip) but I put a message out to the class asking if there were any carpool options. I ended up arranging a ride for Saturday but since she was leaving straight from work, I was going to still have to find a way in for Friday. Luckily, I realized that by taking the bus and my folding bike in, I would still be able to get a ride back! It took a fair amount of maneuvering, especially after getting to the stop and realizing that I didn't have enough cash, then I didn't have enough change, then I got on the wrong bus, then I had to bike around Roseville (yikes!) in the dark and over some of the most poorly designed roadways. Anyway, I got there! I was proud of myself and I have still not had to drive since last year. In fact, this was the first time I had even been in a car since before New Year's. We are definitely learning how to minimize car trips. 

Today's class was mostly about bike handling skills. We did some drills in the parking lot: scanning, emergency stops, shifting, etc. It always seems much harder when you're trying to focus on the actual technicalities instead of just riding. The only part that I had real trouble with was the quick turn--an essential skill to avoid a right- or left-hook. It takes counter-intuitive steering to lean into a sharp turn, safely sweeping you out of harm's way. I am going to keep working on that one until it's second nature. Although many of the topics covered and general lessons were pretty familiar to me, it's always great to relearn and remind myself of what/why I am doing certain things. Also, it's always good to realize the skills you are lacking or slipping on so you can be a better driver on the road. 

I really think this is a class that everyone should take--bikers and (especially) car-drivers alike. Did you know that the number one cause of bike accidents are bikers riding the wrong way down the street? Did you know that the fault of bike accidents is almost a 50-50 split between bikers and car drivers? Doorings and being hit from behind are actually pretty low on the list of causes, although the resulting damage tends to be much more extreme. 

As the League says "cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." This is a message that we all need to be reminded again and again. 

I especially enjoyed meeting other cyclists and the instructors of the class who all had the same passion for bicycling and making the roads safer for everyone. I certainly feel safer on my bike now and reenergized my confidence in taking the correct and safest position in the flow of traffic. Please take this class as soon as you get the opportunity! 

After work on Friday, Jose brought the kids over to meet me at the Amtrak station so Big Brother and I could ride the bus to Stockton. Turns out, it's a good idea to buy your bus ticket early. When I got to the ticket counter, the attendent told me that it would cost $39 for the two of us! I was shocked because it had said the tickets would cost $19.50 total. He told me that because the bus was almost full, they had to charge more. So ridiculous, they're all the same seats! I complained and said that I hadn't been able to buy the ticket online and he relented and charged me $19. Turns out that they also have to charge you for a train portion because Greyhound sued them awhile back for selling bus tickets. Definitely learned new things about riding with Amtrak. 

We had a fantastic ride! The bus was on time, there was plenty of space under the bus to stow our bike (it was even easier because I had the folder). An hour ride, checking out the scenery and cuddling with my big guy. You can't do that while driving. It was fun to listen to people's conversations with strangers. I didn't have to worry about paying attention to the road or deal with traffic, it was so relaxing. 

We were met at the Stockton Amtrak station by our friends and began our wonderful weekend. 

While looking up tickets for our ride back from Stockton on Sunday, the tickets from the Stockton ACE station had better timing. To my surprise, I was able to buy the tickets from my Amtrak app so I realized they must be for a train ride. Even better and still only $19.50 for the two of us! 

We arrived a little early so my friend picked up some pan dulce from a local shop. A brilliant idea to fill my kiddo full of sugar to prepare for the ride. 

The ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) train is a commuter train that runs between Stockton and San Jose. I assume that the one between Stockton and Sacramento is also considered a commuter train because it has bike space. This is fantastic! Last time we rode Amtrak with bikes up to Eugene, we had to box them. It wasn't as bad as boxing them for airlines but extra work nonetheless and you either have to bring your own box or buy one of theirs. 

However, bringing a cargo bike still isn't allowed on any Amtrak, creating a major hassle for families whose main form of transportation is by cargo bike. Amtrak's excuse is that the bikes won't fit in the (possibly) provided space but they don't want to take responsibility for putting them in a cargo car. A very frustrating experience for many. 

Free wifi on the train was nice, for sure. 

Getting off the train was a bit of a balancing act because we had so much baggage with us (having received two shopping bags full of my friend's son's hand-me-downs (yay!). They were also doing construction at the station so we had to navigate through a maze of corridors to actually get to the station. I was able to use the Mobic as a luggage cart and manage the giant bag while keeping Big Brother close. 

My original plan was to have Jose bungee the trailer to the back of the Mundo to get the extra bag home but I realized that as long as Little Brother sat up front and Big Brother sat in the Peanut Shell, there would still be room to pile on the bags. 

Some gear went into the panniers and the giant Ikea bag bungeed onto the soft spot securely. If we didn't have that bag, we could have all ridden home on the Mundo together. One of these days, we're going to have to try that. Instead, I took the minivan and Jose rode the Mobic. 

It is great to know that we're still able to go fun places without a lot of work and not have to worry about driving. We'll try to take the ACE train from now on, especially since it's more convenient for my friends in Stockton. If we could get our Mundo on the train, that would open even more opportunities for travel and adventure. For now, join the conversation and let's get better fluidity between public transportation and biking.