Comments on: Tips for Biking with Kids

By: Emett Stasiuk

Emett Stasiuk — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:45:36 +0000

Wow, great article. Thanks for all this! I'd love for you to check out and join my site at http://Unpollute.ning.com. And there's a family biking event hosted by Joe-bike (www.joe-bike.com) coming up soon at the Sunnyside school park. Zero emissions is the way to go!

By: admin

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:31:13 +0000

Thanks for the comment. I just joined your site – looks great! Also, thanks for the information about the family biking event. I would post it, but I moved away from posting events. It was just too much work keeping up with everything. Vince

By: admin

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:10:55 +0000

That is incredible! Very cool…thanks for sharing.

By: David Hembrow

David Hembrow — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:20:40 +0000

Standard practice over here (The Netherlands) is for tiny children to travel by bike on a seat like this:

http://www.steco.nl/producten/.....con_38.jpe

It’s quite common for children to go home from hospital after birth in this way.

By: Weekly roundup : bakfiets.co.uk

Weekly roundup : bakfiets.co.uk — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:04:33 +0000

[...] PDXfamily adventures mentions that a bakfiets can be used to carry a kid plus bike, so you can take the strain when they run out of puff (we do this too- see above). [...]

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:27:30 +0000

Bike Buddy is a new way to teach kids to ride a bike. http://www.bike-buddy.com Loved your article! Riding with kids is a blast!

By: admin

admin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:14:32 +0000

Thanks for the tip about weight and the seat post. I’m going to talk to the bike shop today!

By: My kids dad

My kids dad — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:45:18 +0000

I love riding with my kids! the rear seat works wonderfully, I even ran the some real easy single track and my daugther loved, it she was three at the time we now have a 7 speed tag a long and at 5 she is really getting the hang of it my 4 yr old is is on one two and she loves it I would be very hesitant to add more weigth to the set up like your trailer with the bike check your weigth ratings that seat post can only handle so much

By: admin

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:12:39 +0000

Thanks for the comment. I’m not sure if there are any city bike riding “classes” for kids. As soon as my son started riding without training wheels, we started taking trips in the city. In Portland, it is legal to ride on the sidewalks everywhere except downtown. So, we usually have him ride on the sidewalks when it’s busy traffic. Around our house, he is learning to ride in the road right next to me. These are on back streets with very little traffic. Riding in the city helps him learn the rules. We often stop and talk about the rules of riding the bike.

By: concerned

concerned — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:08:02 +0000

I loved reading your site, it has a lot if great info. My question is, have you and your family including your child started taking any classes for riding your bike on the road. Mostly your child so that when he/she start riding on the streets of Portland they know the rules of the road and will remain safe and alive. Does he/she know that stopping at stop signs and red lights are for bikes also and that sidewalks are for ped. not bikes. That its not always whos right in traffice situations but to way out who will loose in some situations to stay safe.

By: admin

admin — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:21:07 +0000

Editorial Comment:

Our friends in the “Car Free in Portland” article let us borrow their “Bakfiets” cycle – it’s the bike with the big box in the front. They are sold at “Clever Cycles” on Hawthorne.

In the article above, I mention that I don’t think parents should bike with infants until they can hold their heads up AND wear a bike helmet.

Well, I reserve the right to change my mind, and I have done just that. Yes…I’m a hypocrite when it comes to infants and cycling.

Since borrowing the Bakfiets bike, we’ve gone out several times with our 6 week old son strapped into his car seat, which is then placed in the big box of the Bakfiets cycle.

We’ve primarily cycled on paved bike paths at a very slow rate of speed. It doesn’t seem too different from pushing babies in strollers. Many of the same dangers are ever present. Most of the time, our son is just sleeping away – enjoying the sound of the bike, and the gentle rocking motion of his car seat.

By: admin

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:34:30 +0000

Good question! Certainly, there are many options, but if thieves want your bike, they will, most likely, get it. I hate to say it, but I think it’s just a matter of luck most of the time.

This is just a guess, but I think most bikes that gets stolen are “stand alone.” Most thieves want to cut the lock, grab the bike and go. If they look at a bike and see a trailer, they will potentially see something that’s “less practical” to steal. I can’t imagine a thief walking off with just the trailer bike.

Therefore, I’m certainly more cavalier about locking-up the trailer bike, and/or bike with Burley cart. I think thieves may want it, but it’s just not worth the effort for most of them.

I believe most home-owner’s-insurance and or renter’s insurance policies would cover a stolen bike, correct? Yes, it’s a pain to go and have to buy a new bike, but at least, you’d be covered if it did get stolen. So far, I’ve been lucky I guess, because I do not take any extraordinary means to lock-up the bike – just a simple cable lock from REI.

By: jeannie

jeannie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:54:12 +0000

One question I’ve been googling without success is… when you are out and about, how do you secure your bike/trailer/bikeseat/tagalong/kids’ bikes? Or are thieves not really so heartless as to steal a kid’s bike or a baby bikeseat or trailer? Especially the trailer — as you wrote, these are not cheap. Thoughts?

By: admin

admin — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:32:32 +0000

Thanks for the comment Lynn! Yes, I think more parents are catching on to the “balancing act.” It seems like a very natural way to learn.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:35:27 +0000

I definitely agree with the “no training wheels” philosophy. Our kids (7 and 4) both learned this summer by practicing balancing first.

By: admin

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:11:47 +0000

Thanks for the comment Josh! Knowing your little guy, it will only be a matter of time before he’s cruising your unhurried streets! Also, I want to thank you again for the Burley! Just know it’s being put to good use.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:09:12 +0000

This is inspiring. My son is just turning three and he hasn’t tried a two wheeler yet. I like the idea of turning a basic two wheeler into a balance bike. Thanks!