Our family biking contributor Marion Rice did a story this morning on the Front Page about finding the right bike for your kid. It made me think of an old email in my inbox from a friend of mine who made an excellent transportation bike for his son out of an old bike he found … Read 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 … Read more
North Portland resident Joe Hagedorn rides a cargo bike from Joe Bike with his son and friends aboard.-Slideshow below/Gallery(Photos © J. Maus)
Publisher’s note: Despite a recent BTA survey showing that 90% of respondents own a car, many people are finding that living without one (or several) is not only possible but enjoyable. Even the New York Times has noticed that in America, people are falling out of love with cars. On that note, here’s a review … Read more
Would a Dutch bike work for your family? Or would a bakfiets/Madsen/trailer/Xtracycle suit you better? Find out this Sunday.(Photos © J. Maus)
Marion Rice and her new work pants in action. (Photo © Elly Blue) So, I just have to dish about my new pants. Red Ants Pants are work pants shaped for a woman. Designed by outdoorsy gal Sarah Calhoun, who lives in a ranching town of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, these pants are made for … Read more
Kids ruled the streets at Tour de Ladd last year.(Photos © J. Maus) Just got the announcement and details about the second annual Tour de Ladd event. I attended this last year and it was excellent. Tons of schoolkids doing laps on carfree streets around the Ladd’s Addition neighborhood. What could be better? The Tour … Read 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)
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, … Read more
Spotted a FollowMe in use at Sunday Parkways. Tag-alongs (a.k.a. trail-a-bikes) are common sights on the streets of Portland. They’re an excellent option for kids who are too big for a trailer, but who aren’t yet able to safely ride in traffic by themselves. Now there’s a new twist on this popular product — the … Read more
A baby seat in a bakfiets is not a rare sight in Portland.(Photos © J. Maus) A reader contacted us with a dilemma — she is about to have her first child, she doesn’t own a car, and she travels primarily by bike. In preparing for her new life as a parent, she had some … Read more
Marion Rice and daughter Gleneden onMarion’s city bike: an Xtracycle conversionwith a rear child seat and front basket.(Photo © J. Maus) [This is the first in a series of “My City Bike” interviews with Portlanders who ride bikes intended for urban transportation. The first interview is with our family biking columnist Marion Rice.] BikePortland: What … Read more
Comment of the Week: The public health angle should matter more