We made it through April! I managed to bike every day although there was one day where my ride consisted of about 50' of pedaling to get from the garage to the driveway. Otherwise, I've continued riding each day about 5-20 miles. There has been lots going on around here. I've been teaching lunchtime bike clinics through the 50 Corridor TMA, different topics such as getting started, which bike to choose, bike touring, and my personal favorite, biking with kids. It's been such a great experience and I have more clinics just about every weekday until the end of May. It's been wonderful being so busy, spring and fall tend to keep me on my toes. This month I'll also be taking a bike tour guide training class through Adventure Cycling Association and I get to teach another Project Ride Smart class through the North Natomas TMA for fifth graders. I love my job(s)!
Bike rodeo!
Another bike rodeo during school hours!
Throughout all this craziness, we've somehow managed to have a bit of fun, too! This weekend we got to hang out with some fellow cargo bikers at the second Sacramento Cargo Bike Race. We didn't end up staying for the race part but we still got to check out some nice bikes. The racers carried donations to the Sac Food Bank and then picked up 50lb bags of grain to drop off at Bike Dog in West Sacramento.
Two Rivers Cider's Cycle Truck bar.
Any bike can become a cargo bike with the addition of a Cycle Truck Caddy Rack!
So many awesome bikes!
Cycle Trucks were appropriately represented at the races
My kids didn't want to ride with me and instead chose to hang out in Neil's flat bed Cycle Truck.
Yesterday was the Great Scott walk/bike event where they close about 20 miles of rural roads between Rancho Cordova and Folsom. I had heard of this event last year but I'm not one to drive to biking events and this one wasn't easy to get to without a car. I had also assumed that it wouldn't be appropriate for kids because it'd be full of roadie packs. However, I have the awesome opportunity to work with the amazing folks at the 50 Corridor TMA who were integral in putting this all together so I was really interested in checking it out this year. We loaded up the HaulaDay on my parents' Prius and met our buddies in Folsom.
The three boys, K, and I rode out along the peaceful rolling hills toward Rancho Murieta. While there were plenty of other riders and many spandex'd, we didn't have any issues with wannabe pelotons, except for one guy who barked at us for not getting totally off the road when we stopped for a quick break. Other riders were very encouraging to the boys, cheering them on as they cranked up the hills and sped back down. Little Brother couldn't spin fast enough with his tiny crank arms and single speed but figured out how to coast so that helped keep his feet on the pedals. Big Brother still can't downshift his bike but had no problem doing the whole thing on a single gear, standing up for most of the ride. We saw lots of our other bikey friends riding around and everyone had giant grins plastered on their faces.
Little Brother pedaled about 6 miles then took a break by hitching on the back of the HaulaDay. We made it out 10 miles where the Nature Conservancy had a rest area with Jamba Juice. On the way back, Little Brother hopped on and off the back of the HaD a few more times during our 21 mile ride. The two bigger boys rode the entire thing without a complaint! It was a beautiful day and was starting to heat up as we made it back to the starting point. There was a food truck and music playing as we rested up before the drive back home.
This whole event was a wonderful experience for all of us. While K and I wished we could have ridded the rest of the route, the boys were (understandably) tired and had done such a great job. The roads were beautiful and it was so relaxing to ride without having to constantly be on guard for passing motorists. The boys had so much fun being able to ride at their own pace and have a little more freedom. We will definitely be back next year! We need more car-free roads, hopefully some closer to home, too.
The three boys, K, and I rode out along the peaceful rolling hills toward Rancho Murieta. While there were plenty of other riders and many spandex'd, we didn't have any issues with wannabe pelotons, except for one guy who barked at us for not getting totally off the road when we stopped for a quick break. Other riders were very encouraging to the boys, cheering them on as they cranked up the hills and sped back down. Little Brother couldn't spin fast enough with his tiny crank arms and single speed but figured out how to coast so that helped keep his feet on the pedals. Big Brother still can't downshift his bike but had no problem doing the whole thing on a single gear, standing up for most of the ride. We saw lots of our other bikey friends riding around and everyone had giant grins plastered on their faces.
Little Brother pedaled about 6 miles then took a break by hitching on the back of the HaulaDay. We made it out 10 miles where the Nature Conservancy had a rest area with Jamba Juice. On the way back, Little Brother hopped on and off the back of the HaD a few more times during our 21 mile ride. The two bigger boys rode the entire thing without a complaint! It was a beautiful day and was starting to heat up as we made it back to the starting point. There was a food truck and music playing as we rested up before the drive back home.
This whole event was a wonderful experience for all of us. While K and I wished we could have ridded the rest of the route, the boys were (understandably) tired and had done such a great job. The roads were beautiful and it was so relaxing to ride without having to constantly be on guard for passing motorists. The boys had so much fun being able to ride at their own pace and have a little more freedom. We will definitely be back next year! We need more car-free roads, hopefully some closer to home, too.
The ever-popular Hauladay-on-a-Prius look
Our mini-peloton
Go, Little Brother, go!
Heaven!
Thanks, Marian!
Well deserved break time
Here's where having a tow truck bike comes in handy
More riding
This guy is a biking natural!
MayIsBikeMonth.com t-shirts: "I am happiest on my bike!"
Don't forget to register for May Is Bike Month, join our Tiny Helmets team, and log your miles. This Sunday is the CycloFemme ride: a tea party picnic! Wear your finest tea party garb, bring a snack to share, a tea cup, and a blanket to lounge on. We'll meet at McKinley Rose Garden at 4pm and ride down to the Capitol for our tea party. Everyone is welcome! Come celebrate women and bikes for our 4th year riding. Yay for May!
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