A good sign.
(Photos © J. Maus)

This morning on my way to the office, a sign at the corner of North Michigan and Alberta caught my eye; it read "Beach Bike Train meet up spot - 8:30 - Join Us." It was about 8:25, so I decided to wait around and see if anyone showed up.

A few minutes later I saw a line of kids and parents pedaling toward the spot. One of them was Laurie Paulsen, a Beach parent who I'd met last summer at a nearby farmer's market.

As kids (and kid-like parents) zoomed in circles around a parking lot waiting for others to show up, I chatted with her for a minute. (more...)

Eleni's new Batavus.
(Photos © J. Maus)

My seven-year old daughter Eleni is the proud owner of her first city bike; meaning it came with fenders, a rack, integrated light, and more.

It wasn't easy to find a well built kids city bike in local bike shops. Most kids bikes are just mini versions of adult bikes that aren't really functional for getting around, riding in traffic, carrying stuff, and so on. When I saw this gorgeous, 24-inch wheeled, three-speed Batavus, I was immediately impressed. Eleni likes it too. Here are a few highlights: (more...)

Kids learn the ropes during a bike
safety class in
Southeast Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Safe Routes National Partnership has just released a new report detailing how five communities around the country -- including Portland -- have used Safe Routes to Schools programs to create safer walking and biking environments.

Titled Safe Routes to School: Putting Traffic Safety First (PDF), the report details how communities from Florida to California are participating in encouragement programs and making safety improvements that are affordable yet have "profound effects on keeping children safe while also improving physical health and the environment." (more...)

Joe Hagedorn, with sons Cole
and Carter.
(Photos © J. Maus)

[Publisher's note: This family biking profile comes to you from our newest writer, Alaya Wyndham-Price. Stay tuned for a bike-friendly business profile and other stories from Ms. Wyndham-Price.]

"We bike whenever we can," Hau Hagedorn said. I sat with her and her husband Joe discussing their family’s commitment to bike commuting over tea this week. Hau and Joe are both professionals with jobs in downtown Portland, and are also parents of three young boys; Carter, age six, Cole, age four, and Hendrik, just 9 months.

This is the story of how they became a biking family.

The couple began easing into bike commuting about two and a half years ago, after Hau decided to participate in the Low-Car Diet by giving up the keys to the family car for two weeks while Joe was on a business trip. At the time, it meant balancing the schedule of her two older sons, her job, and doing regular errands by bike. (more...)

Most kids' bikes available in the US,
like these spotted at Tour de Ladd this fall,
aren't fitted out for city riding.
(Photo © J. Maus)

After an exhaustive search for a good city bike for my son, I have concluded that kids bikes in general are in a sorry state. Either they are poorly constructed and will last only a year or two or they are overengineered and just not equipped for a city-riding kid.

By the looks of the offerings on the US market, it appears bike manufacturers think that kids mostly go off road and need mountain-type bikes, or that all kids need is a way to cruise around their cul-du-sac with no gears and just foot brakes. (more...)

[Publisher's note: This review is by our Family Biking columnist Marion Rice. Marion's last column explored safety and cultural issues around carrying infants by bike.]

Griffin and dad test riding the FollowMe.
(Photos © J. Maus)

(more...)

The WheelBurro with a carriage attachment.
(Photos by H2M2)

(more...)

Easily carry kids, cargo with the PeaPod LT
(Photo by Xtracycle)

If you want to carry your groceries on your bike, or pick up a load of lumber from the hardware store, there are a lot of bikes out there for you on the U.S. market, particularly longtail bikes -- particularly the Xtracycle, the Yuba Mundo, and the Kona Ute.

But wait, you also want to carry a child or two along with all that orange juice and cat litter? That's a little more tricky.

But times are changing, with Xtracycle's release this week of the PeaPod LT, the first child seat that is fully compatible with its longtail bikes. (more...)

Marion Rice and daughter Gleneden

[Publisher's note: This article is by our Family Biking columnist Marion Rice. Marion's last two columns have been about biking while pregnant. Today she talks about negotiating a first bike purchase with your child.]

Starting at about 10 years old, I can remember going everywhere on my bike with my group of friends on the weekend. We would pack lunches and take off for points unknown. Of course we would have to bring a dime or two to call home and check in with our parents during the day. Sometimes we would call to beg for a ride home after having biked a good 20 miles away. (more...)

How can the city say no to
a face like this?
-Slideshow below-
(Photos © J. Maus)

Last Friday, about 100 people -- most of them families with kids in tow -- rode to City Hall as part of a special edition of the BTA's monthly Kidical Mass ride. The goal was to raise awareness about the city's budget that currently threatens to lop off about 40% of funding for Safe Routes to Schools programs and is non-committal in terms of funding for promised new bike boulevards.

Riders met up at three locations throughout the city before coming together for a rally and hot cocoa on the steps of City Hall.

At the rally, people held signs that said, "Safe Routes to School is Kids on Bikes", "Funding Safe Routes = Healthy Families", and "Portland Needs Safe Routes!". The BTA's Michelle Poyourow took to the mic and urged the crowd to keep tabs on upcoming opportunities to weigh in on the the budget (the Mayor releases his version on April 28th) and to contact City Commissioners and urge them to fund bike projects and programs. (more...)

You're not likely to find a bike
like this at your local shop.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The other day, in the bike rack of my daughter's school, I noticed a very practical children's bike. It had everything a bike needs to be used as a real transportation vehicle -- a chain-guard, generator lights front and rear, a rack, a frame pump, full-coverage fenders, and a bell. (more...)

I've just added more books that were recommended by readers. Thanks, and enjoy! -- Elly

Kids love books about bikes!
(Photo © J. Maus)

The kid's bookshelf at the BikePortland Bookstore is growing rapidly. We've rounded up a stack of recommendations that have come to us from biking families all over Portland.

These new additions are all picture books and simple story books that will be fun and inspirational for very young kids. Do you have any favorites which don't appear here? How about bike-related books for older kids and teens?

Via the links below, you can order books to be shipped to you -- or better yet, pick them up by bike! Just choose the "In-Store Pickup" option at checkout to have the books held for you at any Powell's location.
(more...)

Marion Rice and daughter Gleneden

This article was written by our Family Biking columnist Marion Rice. For previous articles in this series, and for links to other articles and photos on family biking, check out the Family Biking Page.

(more...)

[Note: This article was written by BikePortland.org's Carfree Families columnist Marion Rice.]

The Folz family (Allan, Carie and Cody) used their tandem/child-seat/trailer combo to participate in a bike move last summer.
(All photos © J. Maus)

(more...)