**picture from www.yubaride.com**
The good folks at Practical Cycle in Old Sacramento were kind enough to let me take it out for a test drive. I easily loaded my 9 and 6 year-olds on the back and after a brief safety lesson - keep your hands and feet away from the spokes and no wiggling - we started off. The bike was not at all difficult to pedal and felt very stable with nary a wobble. Riding over the cobblestone street in Old Sacramento proved to be a bit uncomfortable and bouncy but not too problematic. Even making loose u-turns was not overly awkward especially considering the length of the bike - I didn't even need to put a foot down.
I am going to pick up one of my very own in a few short days and words cannot convey my excitement but I'll try anyway - I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. My bike is a lovely shade of blue and will carry at least three (I am hoping for all four!) of my kids and their stuff. I am planning on putting my almost 2 year old in a front bike seat that I already have and carrying my 3 and 6 (and possibly 9) year olds on the back. I am hoping to make preschool drop-offs, grocery store runs, gym trips, and boy scout meetings mostly car free ventures. Eventually, as my stamina and confidence increase, I want to make longer trips. I have visions of cruising along chatting to my children, pointing out interesting sights, and feeling the fresh air on our faces. As an added bonus - we'll be making our bodies and our earth healthier with every pedal stroke. I will definitely need to learn how to fix a flat tire though; as being stranded with three kids and a disabled bike is one of my worst nightmares.
I don't think that I will ever be able to go car-free but I absolutely can go car-less. Hmmmm. Perhaps car-reduced is less confusing. :)
Look for us in the bike lane!
Kate
OMGosh that sounds soooo fun! I bet your kids loved it. I would love one of those bikes one day. WE actually live close enough to bike to the store. Can you grocery shop with it and all that? I am all for getting healthier, and doing things that are better for the environment.
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually run any errands with it yet but the pannier bags you can get to go with the bike will hold six full bags of groceries. I'll keep you posted. :)
DeleteMan, you are gonna be one buff lady, biking all those kids around. Where will the big boys sit? I agree you are brave! I have always considered this...hmm?
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to stack all the big boys on the back. I'll probably have to work out who goes where weight wise...
DeleteI can't wait to hear about your adventures!
ReplyDeleteKate, this is SO awesome! I am in awe of you. What an amazing mom and great example you are. I am so proud to call you my friend. I am going to be following this, for sure!
ReplyDeleteThere's a mom here in Portland that has 4 kids in the box of her bakfiets, 1 on a seat on the rear rack, and another on a trail-a-bike behind her. She's amazing. When I think I can't face another hill with 90 pounds of kids in my 90 pound bike I just imagine her. :-)
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