Kidical Mass, Progressive Dinner Party, Test Ride!

We had a blast riding around in the Bullitt and it's been so easy not having to juggle bikes or deal with the trailer. The boys love being able to see everything as we ride but I can tell that we're going to have to figure out a sun shield solution for the bike. My plan is to get them sunglasses in the meantime and hope that they keep them on. We decided against getting the rain cover from Splendid Cycles to save a little money and since it's not going to rain anytime soon. However, it probably would have been a good frame to create some shade. I still haven't let Jose take the kids on the Bullitt, yet, although he took it for another test ride and did fine. 

Bullitt mechanic and failed attempt at installing a rear rack (my try, not his).

Not kidding around.

I ended up driving quite a bit (25 miles) on Friday to take care of a couple of appointments in Natomas that evening. It was longer than I wanted to ride and later than I felt comfortable riding home. It was only my second time driving a car this year. I realized how much more aware I am driving. I feel like I don't take it for granted and try to drive with purpose and awareness, moving pretty slowly. 

We're not quite here but Little Brother loves testing it out. He climbed up on his own.

Yesterday was our April Kidical Mass ride. Because we have the extra cargo bike, we were able to let some friends use it because their kids are a bit big for their trailer. Randy rode the Mundo and Jen took the BionX. She was thrilled to find the little red button but kept the assist low so she still got exercise. Their kiddos had a blast on the Mundo. The little guy hadn't ever ridden on the back and his face lit up the second they started moving. Their daughter is a pro, having shared the deck numerous times with our boys. I love having extra bikes to allow for spontaneous bike parties. 

We quickly stopped at the new Midtown Farmer's Market where SABA was offering free bike valet parking. There was really delicious food and great music. It's going to be a great addition to the fun summer weekend activities. Then, we met up with some friends at Grant Park and let the kids play as we enjoyed catching up. Our Kidical Mass ride was a short trip up to the river at Sutter's Landing. We locked up the bikes securely and wandered down to the river where the kids had a blast playing in the river and getting sandy. 

The Mundo's temporary family. Look at those smiles!

Cargo bike parking at Sutter's Landing.

The rock-throwing portion of Kidical Mass.

Heading back with tired, sandy kiddos.

Last night, Jose and I had a fun night out with a group of bikers riding around for a Progressive Dinner Party. The boys got to stay at 'Nama and G'ampa's house for a slumber party. Jose and I dropped them off and then met the others at the first stop--Edible Pedal where John Lucas was whipping up some crepes on his cargo bike cooker. After about an hour, 20 or so of us pedaled about a mile over to an apartment courtyard where someone else had made turkey burger sliders. Another stop was a couple miles away and we had our main dish, followed up by a short ride over to our neighborhood where a couple of neighbors had desserts and homemade beer. It was a great evening of lovely folks and beautiful bikes, delicious food and good times. I love that biking was part of the whole adventure of the evening. 

The chef and his kitchen.

Amazing! Check out the new bi-partable quick releases!

A blurry trip of our speedy bike mob.

Today was another fun biking morning. Jose and I had an early start to pick the boys back up. He took them home along the American River where they saw turkeys. I left a bit later to check out the route for our CycloFemme ride on May 12th. I got to ride my original touring bike, Oscar, for the first time in about a year. Jose had put it back together a few weeks ago so that I could have a long distance bike that didn't weigh 80 pounds. I was so impressed at how light it felt and how smooth it rode. I averaged over 13 mph the whole ride, only getting passed by a couple of the serious roadies out on the trail. 

Our CycloFemme ride looks fantastic. We're starting at the Guy West Bridge on the American River Trail, making a stop at William Pond where people can either join us then or head back. The second half of the ride is a bit harder as the rolling hills pick up and we end with a steep uphill to the Sunflower Drive-In in Fair Oaks. I was sad that the drive-in was closed until 11 and I didn't feel like waiting around. I turned back around and rode back, stopping at William Pond for a quick bite to eat and a little rest. 

This piece of artwork is on the bike trail, made by one of the cool guys at our dinner party last night.

Made it! Looked yummy! Can't wait for CycloFemme!

Rest stop. I need a kickstand.

I was bummed to get off the trail for the last section to my home. Having to deal with cars after all those blissful miles is never fun. One one quiet neighborhood street, an older woman got within a foot of my bike, trying to pass where there wasn't room. When I turned around and yelled out of shock, she just looked at me and shrugged as if to say "What else am I supposed to do?" She obviously had no idea of the width of her car or that she could try NOT passing me until it was safe to do so. Farther down, another woman opened her car door without looking but thankfully, I was well out of the door-zone. Overall, however, it was an awesome ride. It's always a shock when I get to ride without the heavy bikes and kid/cargo, I'm in pretty good shape! I love that feeling.