Family Biking: Join us for a new ‘Storytime’ event series

I’m still chugging away at trying to pedal more throughout the winter in an attempt to keep my winter blahs at bay, but I’ve decided to supplement things with some indoor bike-related fun for the off-season. Enter Bike Shop Storytime.

Our Family Biking column is sponsored by Clever Cycles.

➤ Read past entries here.

Wearing our hats as Kidical Mass co-organizers, Sara Davidson and I will read bike-related stories (and probably some non-bike-related stories) selected for us by Katie Proctor, a veteran family biker, Kidical Mass co-founder, and owner of Books with Pictures, an inclusive comics shop.

This event is not just for existing and prospective family bikers (though of course my forever-goal is to get more families’ fannies on bike saddles) so if you know any toddlers (and kids of all ages) who like storytime, please send them over:

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Mondays January 14, January 28, February 11, February 25, March 11, March 25
In the Clever Cycles play area (900 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214)
BikePortland Calendar or Facebook event page

The storytime will be followed by a Q & A session about biking as a family. I’ll also have a small supply of the books we’ve read for sale (cash only) from Books with Pictures.

And since I need to bring the books back to the comics shop after the event, there’s an optional bike ride, too! I’ll be taking the most family-friendly route between Clever Cycles and Books with Pictures (here’s the route) and will happily coordinate leading folks back to the bike shop after a quick visit.

Families interested in taking the bike ride, but without wheels of their own can show up a bit early to borrow a bike from Clever Cycles — there are a few bakfietsen (front-loading cargo bikes, like the one in the illustration) and longtails (rear space for kids) available to use.

I hope the event will continue past the slow season when we tend to hold few, if any, Kidical Mass bike rides, and we welcome any feedback in the comments about changing up the time or days to better accommodate more storytime fans. Thanks for reading.

* Thank you to Liz Holladay from Clever Cycles for the bike-riding book illustration and to Leslie Hickey of Hoarfrost Press for the graphic lettering.

Remember, we’re always looking for people to profile. Get in touch if it sounds like fun to you. I’d especially like to feature families of color so please get in touch or ask friends of color who bike with their kids if they’re interested in sharing their stories. And as always, feel free ask questions in the comments below or email me your story ideas and insights at madidotcom [at] gmail [dot] com.

— Madi Carlson, @familyride on Instagram and Twitter

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