Biking to school is pretty much the first part of getting back into the school routine. In a week where some golden retriever failed to stop a bike thief and Portland gets ready for the World Naked Bike Ride, we’re starting to head back to school. It feels different to be back at school, but as far as bike-related things go, not too much has changed. There were a decent number of people biking to school There appeared to be more parent bikes at the bike racks this year, but a similar number of kids’ bikes. I saw more cargo bikes than I had before. Lots of Tern bikes – 2 HSDs and one GSD. I saw an Xtracycle, a RAD, and a Surly Big Easy as well. I didn’t see too many while biking to school, because I think […]
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Biking the kids to school in light rain? Not too bad of a Bike Bus today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nSk8ngGlwI&feature=youtu.be We might have overdressed today but it was not a bad ride to school in the rain. Our fingers got a little cold but the rest worked out fine. Here’s what made the ride more comfortable: Fenders Waterproof pants and jackets A bike safety flag for visibility Bike Bus Friends! A waterproof backpack cover Good headlights Riding through puddles Here are some general tips for riding your bike in the rain. And here are tips specifically for riding bikes with kids in the rain. Or follow along for updates:
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How to start a Bike Bus (or Bike Train) to help kids joyfully bike to school
What is a Bike Bus / Bike Train? A bike train (or Bike Bus, as it has recently been named) is a group of students and parents or volunteers who ride to school together, kind of like a carpool, but for people on bikes. Some great things about Bike Buses / Trains include: Parents can share transportation responsibilities Reduce congestion around school by reducing the number of cars on the road Encourage healthy physical habits Build community A regular schedule helps get students to school on time Creates joy and independence We regularly rode to school before starting this activity. With the help of Oakland’s Slow Streets, we’d already been able to realize some of the above benefits. We’d see familiar faces on bike or on foot on the way to school. The ride to school featured a good dose […]
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School drop-offs and car culture
Having ridden the bus a lot as a child, I was surprised to see that, at least in the Bay Area, many schools don’t have school bus service. When I visited our elementary school for a tour, I was surprised to see how many children were dropped off via car. I was also impressed at how streamlined the process was. There was a long line of 8-10 vehicles, and volunteers helped shuttle children onto school grounds and to where they needed to go. Parents or other caretakers didn’t even need to leave their vehicles nor open the door for their children. I was impressed and also a little concerned. We don’t own a car, and I was hoping that, given how mature and streamlined the car drop off process was, that there would be at least evidence of accommodations for […]
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