Last week, we were playing outside and it was dark, street-light-necessary dark, by five o’clock. I know this happens every year, but this year it seems like winter darkness caught me off guard. But not anymore; I am geared up and ready to go.

Riding a bike during the winter nights takes some planning and forethought. Not much, but the time I spend preparing for winter evening rides is time I have spent keeping my family and me safe. Night riding is different than tooling around the neighborhood with kids. During the winter, you have several variables working against you. You have earlier nights, so what you used to ride in daylight, may now be shrouded in black. You have less amicable weather—cold, windy, rain, and then some more rain. You have people that are more tired as they drive or bike around the city. More...

At right is the Wittwer Bike Train. This is what I rode before my bakfiets came along. My eldest son rode in the middle on a trail-a-bike, and my two younger sons sat in the trailer. Now, this did work (mostly), but the maneuverability was not grand.

Below is the bakfiets I have now, and I love having my kids in the front. What else makes a bakfiets special? Here are all the details.

The year of 2008 is coming to a close and with it beings some quiet reflection before relatives come to the house for the holidays. There were some ups, a number of downs, but overall the ups kept the family going. One of the binding features to our family this year was our attention to living with bikes.

 

We have brought our experiment of living with bikes as a primary mode of transportation full circle. We started off tentative and over planned, and now we just pick up our bikes and go for there is no travel that is impossible. We even took on some of the snow this season. More...

I admit it: I expect my children to reflect how cool I am, how urbane, how out-of-the dreary-mainstream.  At least I expect them not to reveal how I sometimes fall from that grace into the plastic, mass-produced quagmire or cave in to unreasonable demands for inappropriate toys or accessories.  

Enter the Mini Messenger bag. The perfect opportunity for my eight-year-old daughter to carry around her wanna-be-tween flotsam and jetsam in an ultra-hip bike messenger bag rather than the transparent pink plastic petrochemical Tinkerbell nightmare from which everyone can see the bottles of nail polish and trainer lip-glosses that she has accumulated against my better judgment. A rugged, unisex bag suited to the collection of stones, cones, and sticks; sturdy enough for a water bottle and a hearty snack on one of our urban explores.  A bag to reflect well on mama’s tastes and choices.   More...

Part of any tradition is recognizing the history of the tradition. Cranksgiving is not an event native to Portland, where I attended. However, it fits nicely into Portlandy style and was embraced by a variety of bike enthusiasts this year. Cranksgiving isn't just a ride. There is a message. The message is of hope and help.

And this message was originally brought by some unlikely heroes--bike messengers.

Cranksgiving started in New York city in 1999 by Antonio Rodrigues, was run under his leadership for 8 years, and continues on as a tradition within the New York bike community. It is a charity food drive with bike messenger flair. Originally participants raced to multiple stops at grocery stores, taking any route they wished, and met at the selected charity for the finish. The idea is to replicate the day of a bike messenger while collecting food for donation at the same time. With some planning, you can create your own Cranksgiving next year. More...

We spotted this easy project on this family biking page in (EcoMetro city Portland), which is fast becoming a solid resource for families on a roll in any city. The latest blog describes several methods and products for keeping kids warm, dry, and happy through the rain and cold whether using bike seats, bakfiets (at right), or trailers. The easiest is the author's own DIY project, a converted poncho that she fitted with elastic to stay put over the mounted high-back child seat. Materials needed are a poncho, elastic or shock cord, and a small reflective triangle, which you can purchase at one of our bike merchants with a coupon. Happy riding!

Keep an eye out for our family biking blog, which also involves a bakfiet. Coming soon! (Image: Flickr/santanartist) More...

The Wheel American Family is our new blog about transporting kids in a Dutch style bicycle and enjoying cycling as a family. By Travis Wittwer.

At the grocery store, when I am loading my three sons and groceries into the “box” of my bakfiets I get more than a few puzzled but interested looks. Usually they ask if I like biking everywhere. My reply is that biking have given me enthusiasm and simplicity, all on two wheels.

It is also about a shift in America’s view of the bike. The bike, once seen only as a kids’ toy or transportation for the poor, is now something of beauty and simplicity. Even though the bike is a machine, it has an organic feel and it is being embraced by an ever-growing group of people. And nowhere is this felt more than Portland, Oregon. More...