upcoming Montreal workshop... biking while pregnant/with small children!

spotted parked in Florence (Italia!) last winter

At this point in my life I have lots of friends with small children who are working on figuring out the whole biking with toddlers set-up. If your in the same boat and in Montreal... your in luck!

Saturday October 22nd, 10am-12pm

"Biking while pregnant/Biking with small children"

a FREE workshop/skill-share

hosted by QPIRG Concordia

1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, suite 204 (metro Guy-Concordia)

Do you ride a bike?

Are you having, or have you recently had, a baby?

Do you want to keep on riding your bike just the same, despite the disapproving looks or comments you're getting when you say so?

(or you're just not sure what - if anything - you should do differently when you ride.)

This workshop aims to:
-bust myths about the 'dangers' of biking through pregnancy
-share tips about biking safely, comfortably, and confidently throughout
your pregnancy
-discuss the ways to transport your little one(s) with you as you bike
-provide a space for parents & parents-to-be to connect and to chat about
biking with child

co-sponsored by: Right To Move/La voie libre, The People's Potato, Concordia University Student Parents Centre, QPIRG Concordia

Right To Move is a non-profit organization that was started in the spring of 1997 by a group from QPIRG-Concordia who believed bicycles are a form of transportation that should be available to all, regardless of gender, age, wealth or ethnicity. They were an awesome resource for me when I lived in Montreal in the late 90's and I'm so happy they are still going on strong!

for the love of kids (and parenting)

photo I took of my friends kid ♥ trying on her father's helmet

Naturally most parents (and communities) aim to do the best they can to raise an independent, intelligent and compassionate kid. But, WOW, this recent article about a 'Tennessee Mom Threatened With Arrest For Letting Daughter Bike to School' on DC Streets Blog (via Treehugger) is pretty outrageous.

Funny timing since this past weekend Freakonomics Radio broadcasted 'The Economist’s Guide to Parenting'. Half way through the broadcast they dicuss how humans are terrible risk assessors. Sure parents want to keep their kids safe from most accidents, like being struck by lightening, getting kidnapped or even hit by a car -- even though the odds of these happening are unlikely. I just LOVE the advice given by Bryan Caplan on the broadcast where he says "if you find you worry about it, even though you know its not sensible... I recommend you go reading about how to cure yourself of anxiety problems rather then trying to take action to reduce this illusory risk"!

Also just recently, and randomly, came across the following article: Is Cycling Dangerous? on Ken Kifer's Bike Pages... here are some viable points it makes on Why Fear is Dangerous:

To some extent, this fear of cycling actually leads to additional deaths. For instance, parents do not instruct their children how to ride in the street, but instead they just tell them to "watch for cars" and "to get off the road." However, the day comes when these primitive rules aren't good enough, and the traffic report reads something like this: "The child was riding after dark without a light, on the wrong side of the road, and failed to stop for a stop sign. The motorist couldn't stop quickly enough." In fact, the majority of cycling deaths are accidents like this one; that is, the behavior of the bike rider made no sense at all.

Teaching the rules of the road, etiquette, and bicycle handling skills may be the best steps a parent can take to keep their kids riding... happily ever after.

via Montreal: Tour la Nuit 2011

Last Friday Montreal held their 13th Tour la Nuit - a 20 km night time ride through the city streets. So cool. And this year's event planned for over 15,000 riders! Friends who live in Montreal shared with me how taking their five year old son, Alexis (yes, that serious & well outfitted little dude above) went...

His bike was attached to my mine (it would have been too dangerous, if he rode alone - plus he's only been on 2 wheels for about a month). Still he peddled with major enthusiasm the entire way! We've never seen him happier! Lot's of people asked us how old he was and thought he was awesome. We got back at 1am and he was still smiling the next morning.

So sweet to watch kids grow up and instantly fall in love with cycling. Congratulations, Alexis!!!

happy mother's day

Finnula in her iBert seat ♥ which her mother likes since they can talk to each other while riding ♥

I love that you are inspiring a whole new generation of cyclists... RIDE ON!

Took this photo on a beautiful day last summer while picnicking with friends on Governors Island - the car free NYC mecca. Speaking of... it's soon time to grab your bike and head to the ferry since the island re-opens for the season Friday, May 27, 2011!!!

hello holiday gift ideas

Pima Cotton Onesie (6-12 months)

$24
Organic Cotton Scoop & Crew Necks
$28 / adult + kids sizes

By yours truly... hand printed in Brooklyn featuring a ♥ heart-centric bicycle ♥ using a method which extracts the dye - resulting the image fully integrated into the fibers.

Orders will be shipped out PRONTO + gift wrapped!

kid covers

Anything that helps make the little ones happy to wear their helmet can't hurt... by Barts and Helmet Zoo

Thanks, Joel

the dandy horse reincarnation

My sister brought up the 'dandy horse' design - the 1818 invention by Baron Karl von Drais in Germany. This two wheeled "running machine" used for transportation on city streets had a very short life span partly due to the made to the frames needing to be made to measure according to the rider's height and stride. That said modern day versions (for kids) are as popular as ever...



These newer wooden versions above have been a personal favorite for years + they are made of wood. I have a feeling that kids learning to balance on two wheels at such an early age are going to be awesome on track bikes when they grow up!

The last picture is of the Wishbone Bike. Love that their version can be transformed into three configurations as kids grow up. Smart stuff.