It is sunny as I write this, sitting on my porch, kids playing in the yard. It's one of the few days this week when the sun came out, giving rise to some hopeful feelings, and just in time. I just went through a riding slump.

Commuting by bike is hard. Well, the actual process of riding is not hard. However, there are variables that exacerbate the situation: weather and kids--and both are unpredictable. Our mornings were cold, sometimes icy. No matter what the time of day, the rain seemed to come just as we started, as if in defiance of my family’s desire to pedal. And even though my children want to ride our bike to and from school, those cold, wet, miserable days did take some cajoling.

I am through the slump and even with the unpredictable weather (and kids), commuting by bike is still simple. A basic existence. More...

WHAT has wheels, and takes kids to school, BUT is not a car? WHAT bus can your kids ride to school, BUT is not a city bus?  Give up? Well one has been going strong in Portland since September 2008. The answer is a "bike bus". A bike bus is a group of people who bike to a location, picking up new "passengers" along the way. And just like a city bus, a bike bus has set stops and a schedule.

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My youngest son, Asa, and I went to Kidical Mass this month, as usual. He went as a pirate, hence the sign on the back of our bike that states, "Pirates Need Safe Routes." This month, the ride doubled as a rally and the various neighborhood Kidical Masses ended up outside City Hall. The reason was to show support for the Safe Routes to School program that received budget cuts. Included in this cut are the funds to build the bike boulevards that Mayor Sam Adams mentioned in his 100 days. I understand that these are tough times and a city cannot make money appear out of nowhere. I can appreciate that as my family lives from check to check, too. However, it is up to citizens to let the city know what their interests are. One of my interests is safe routes. More...

As an adult who has chosen to commute by bike, I can make the decision without much complaint or discussion. However, it is a bit different for kids who are often pulled into commuting by bike. After all, they are kids, and as such, I need to appeal to kid logic. When I pick up my kids from school, I have an after school snack with me so they can munch during the bike ride home. Additionally, we play games. One such game is an alphabet game. Aside from the educational benefits (sorry, I teach middle school), it usually lasts the whole ride home. More...

Explore the secret world of Stabilis racki. These amazing creatures are found throughout large cities, industriously seizing their niche. And for all of their beauty, they rarely get the admiration they deserve. Join Sir Edward Welch, III, a racki authority, specializing in the hunting habits of C. racki, a carnivorous sub group, as he takes us on a wondrous safari through the urban landscape, in an effort to educate people about this often overlooked species.

“There is no way you are taking my kid home for a play date on your bike,” said the mother, as a humorous aside when we were talking about organizing some play dates.

Her comment was followed by a tense quiet that lasted too long for the both of us.

The bike to which she was referring is my family’s Bakfiets (box bike).

She noticed the silence and my lack of response. Thinking back to that moment, I probably had an incredulous look on my face. Frankly, I was stunned. I did not know what my next course of action would be. So I stood frozen, dad-in-headlights. Her comment was said playfully, as if to make the sting less, but it stayed with me.

A few weeks later, I shared this situation with a parent who has biked kids for many years, and she responded with just the bit of urban fact that I needed. More...

It was last week. I was making my way from Portland to Vancouver, Washington, my legs pumping strong and powerful, cruising over the pavement. I was behind Delta Park, the last section of road before the exchange to the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River. I felt the crisp fall day coming to a close as the sun set. I heard the familiar Zzzzzhhhh of my tires on the road.  However, I did not see the cafeteria tray-sized pothole in the road.

The front tire went in, klunk-pop, and due to my speed, the back tire followed right in, kerchunk-pop! Two flat tires. And quite jarring to boot. I hit the pothole hard.

Every biker is bound to encounter a flat. Here's how to be prepared, cope, report the pothole, and continue on. More...

I needed some storage for biking to a night class that I teach. I wanted panniers but did not want to spend much money. After searching around, I found the perfect pannier for $2.23.

In Portland, OR, the bucket pannier is ubiquitous. I live (unplanned, just a happy accident) on a major bike route for commuters and see and hear these bucket panniers daily. I like the bucket idea because they are big, utilitarian, and from mostly scavenged materials.

I have ridden with the buckets and they work well. The analysis goes like this: (1) they do not rattle or make noise like many I have heard going down my street, (2) low cost, (3) inherently waterproof, and (4) a great place for stickers.  More...

Make way for Asa! Portland's newest bike commuter. Equipped with his sturdy blue, hand-me-down-from-the-neighbors bike and outfitted with dual stabilizing devices (training wheels), Asa commutes home from school.

It is a one mile ride, one way. Asa prefers taking alleys the whole way--more puddles, barking dogs, and forgotten treasures. I let Asa lead the way and I follow on my bike. He loves to ride and as he says, "I can go where I want."

Most children love riding their bikes. Somewhere in our teens, when cars suddenly become cool and a bike is associated with being a kid, the love for the bike drops. I can use this time with Asa to foster the idea that:

(1) Biking is an effective form of transportation
(2) It is cool

Currently, I have no trouble convincing him that it is cool. More...

Bringing in the new year often means reusing some of the objects from the old year, a constant cycle. This is a good thing. In my travels through the Portland streets, I have seen a number of great reCYCLES. Here are my favorite reCYCLES for the 2009 year . . . . 

#1 ANYTHING WITH DENIM Denim is versatile, strong, and is easily found. Pictured are my Carry-alls, made from a repurposed pair of my son’s overalls. Carry-alls work like a glove box, holding anything you need while still riding. I can easily store my gloves and scarf partway through the ride, or have snacks on hand for the kids. My cell phone sits within reach in the top, center pocket. In the back of the Carry-alls is a strap to affix it to the handlebar tube. Another denim creation is a cellphone/iPod carrying case for my backpack strap made from a pants pocket. What is my next flight-of-fancy? I am thinking pants-panniers. Make a pannier out of the top part of a pair of pants and you have a flexible, washable, and easy to store pannier. More...