After news spread earlier this month about Oregon House Representative Mitch Greenlick’s law proposal that would ban kids six years and under from riding on (or being pulled behind) bikes with their parents, Kidical Mass organizers felt their ride would be a fitting way to demonstrate their opposition to the bill.
On January 15th, despite rain-soaked skies, about 50 people showed up to ride through the streets of Sellwood. Ride organizer Katie Proctor invited Rep. Greenlick to join them but he had a prior commitment (House Rep. Jules Bailey did attend). This month, Proctor once again invited Greenlick, but he has declined the invitation. [Read more…]
Moms, dads, and kid-lovers throughout the state have gotten fired up over the family biking legislation that’s made headlines this week. Many of them plan to join the monthly Kidical Mass ride which will be held this Saturday in Sellwood. Joining them will be Oregon House Representative Jules Bailey.[Read more…]
This month’s Kidical Mass group family ride will take on some holiday spirit. Here’s the ride description from KidicalMassPDX.org.
Baby, it’s cold outside… and wet, and dark so very early. Brighten up your holiday mood by joining Kidical Mass for a ride (whatever the weather) in NoPo this month! We’ll sing carols (Christmas, bikey, and otherwise) for the holiday shoppers on North Mississippi, and then stop in to Grand Central Baking for some hot drinks and a cookie or three before heading home– note the earlier time, to help us all get home before dark!
Meet at 1:45 under the covered basketball courts in Irving Park (3535 Northeast 7th Ave) – we’ll leave at 2 and plan to be back by 4. Ride is a 2.5 mile loop. Please be sure to bring lights (just in case!) and extra warm layers, so that you and your little ones can enjoy every bikey minute!
Kidical Mass made its return to Portland in fine style on Saturday. The turnout was small (just a handful of families), but the group was fun and friendly. We met up under the colorful fall leaves of the South Park Blocks and mingled a bit before being corralled by ride organizer Katie Proctor.[Read more…]
Kidical Mass rides again! And what better way to make a comeback than a ride to a mass performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller a week before Halloween?!
The ride will take place on Saturday, October 23rd and will coincide with Thrill The World PDX, a mass zombie dance that will happen in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. “Come as a zombie or in your Halloween costume, and come prepared to dance!” says Katie.
Katie, a self-described “Portland mom and bike geek,” sees Kidical Mass as much more than just another ride…[Read more…]
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.[Read more…]
A few weekends ago my girls and I, and several other families, planned to attend a local event. Since it was a sunny day, the location of the event was fairly close, and we all tend to bike frequently anyways, it turned into an impromptu group ride. There were kids (youngest was age 7) riding bikes on their own, kids in tag-alongs, and adults with various types of family cargo bikes. There were about 13 of us in all.
While I enjoyed the company of friends and the pleasant ride, being the bike geek that I am, I also couldn’t help from noticing a few other things. [Read more…]
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:[Read more…]
[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. [Read more…]
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 at a garage sale. Check out the bike (and its happy owner) below and then read more about the build from John below it: [Read more…]
