Family Biking 101 (and ebike questions)

[dasgeh]

Quote:

Come to learn about cycling safety and gear, family-friendly routes and strategies for supporting beginning riders as well as local shops and organizations that support cycling.

On Thursday, March 19, 7pm-9pm, Holistic Moms Network of Arlington and Alexandria will host a Family Biking 101 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, at 4444 Arlington Blvd. Panelists include yours truly, Erin from BikeArlington and Dan, a League-certified instructor who works with WABA. (So Kidical Mass Arlington, BikeArlington and WABA. YAY).

If you are interested in learning more about biking with kids of all ages, please come out. And please, please, please invite your friends who are curious about entering the world of biking with kids, whether it be daily to school, or simply to the park / to get ice cream.

Topic

[dasgeh]

So I’m prepping materials for the event, and I’d like to list local shops that do e-bikes.

So for I’ve got:
• Hybrid Pedals – Arlington
• The Green Commuter – Takoma Park
• BicycleSPACE – DC

Any others? Does the Daily Rider do e-assist?

Thanks!

[83b]

The Daily Rider built the wheel for my ebike, and I’ve seen others in their shop for maintenance. I’m not sure that they have any on the floor for sale though.

[The Daily Rider]

Yes we do! Just got signed on as both a Yuba e-bikes dealer as well as a Bionx dealer.

[Steve O]

@dasgeh 110944 wrote:

On Thursday, March 19, 7pm-9pm, Holistic Moms Network of Arlington and Alexandria will host a Family Biking 101 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, at 4444 Arlington Blvd.

And then bring your badass kids down to Hains Point for the FSLNHPP and your last chance to earn a #kidical point.

[dasgeh]

@The Daily Rider 110978 wrote:

Yes we do! Just got signed on as both a Yuba e-bikes dealer as well as a Bionx dealer.

Thanks! I was caught up today and couldn’t call…

[Anonymous]

@dasgeh 110945 wrote:

So I’m prepping materials for the event, and I’d like to list local shops that do e-bikes.

So for I’ve got:
•Hybrid Pedals – Arlington
•The Green Commuter – Takoma Park
•BicycleSPACE – DC

Any others? Does the Daily Rider do e-assist?

Thanks!

I was browsing in Belle View Spokes yesterday while they were doing some minor work on one of my bikes. They had three models of IZIPs and a specialized turbo on the floor.

[dasgeh]

So now I’m compiling a list of local bike shops that carry family biking gear (anything from trailers, bike seats and helmets to cargo bikes). What are your favorites (and what do they stock/what can they order)?
Thanks!

[83b]

They may chime in with more info, but I’ll put in another plug for The Daily Rider, my favorite local shop.

They regularly carry Yubas, Larry+Harry Bullits, and Gazelle’s for cargo bikes. A friend of mine can regularly be seen toting her kids around the Hill on a gorgeous Gazelle Cabby she got there.

They’ve also got Yepp kid seats on the floor and a selection of helmets that would pair perfectly with their nice selection of city bikes. I don’t recall having seen trailers on the floor, but I suspect that they’re probably kept close by in their storage area, since floor space is limited.

[dasgeh]

Thanks everyone for the input. The event went really well. Almost everyone in the room fell in the “interested but concerned” category — people who don’t really bike now, but want to bike more — and with kids!

Erin from BikeArlington talked generally about how to get on a bike, and how awesome it is; I talked about the options for carrying kids on your bike (there were SO MANY questions on that), and a little about ebikes and Kidical Mass; Dan (a WABA LCI) talked about safety and teaching kids to ride a bike.

Our show went so well, we’re talking about taking it on the road. So if you happen to know other groups who would be interested — PTAs, Civic Associations, other parents’ groups — please let me know.

[Tim Kelley]

Here’s the recap!

http://holisticmomsarlalex.blogspot.com/2015/02/family-biking-101-in-march.html

[Steve O]

Moving this over from the Bicycle Tag thread
@Supermau 114316 wrote:

I am “Mr Mom” and that equals little time to ride. Some weeks are better than others. I suppose I should invest in a trailer or kid seat for my 3 year old. At least I could squeeze in some extra mileage that way!

@hozn 114363 wrote:

Um, yeah !! Get a trailer off craigslist; there are always a few for sale. Easier to ride with and more generally useful than an on-bike seat.
And get that 3yr-old a bike! — And enter him/her in Phoenix Derby next month.

And a trail-a-bike. My daughter was three when she started riding it. She couldn’t balance on her own bike at that age, but she could (and did) stay on the trail-a-bike. It also made her feel way more grown-up and independent than being pulled in a trailer. (Actually, never owned a trailer; I just graduated them from the on-bike seat directly to the trail-a-bike.)

[dasgeh]

Ah, the ol’ trailer v. seat debate. Some swear by one, others by the other. My best advice: try out both and decide for yourself.

And as a cargo bike person, myself (i.e. one who has not chosen a side in this debate), I will parrot the conventional wisdom: bike seats change the bike handling more, while bike trailers increase the resistance more. Which you find easier is personal preference.

Or just go advanced and get a cargo bike. It’s awesome.

[dasgeh]

@Supermau 114369 wrote:

It’s three children and since I only started cycling again a year ago I’m not exactly geared up.

Ah. Ages? We’re about to be a three-kid family too. We have one bike that can take three and one that can take 4 (or we’re hoping at least a car seat and 2). Fun times.

[Author]

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