Xtracycle Commuting

It's been fun commuting on the Xtracycle. I really enjoy the ability to just toss anything in the side and roll. This isn't a pic from today, though. Today was a rainy downpour the entire ride. It was my first "xtra/rain" experience. I wanted to see how the bags would do and what it would feel like to ride in the rain.

It wasn't bad at all. The wider tires are great. They feel so much better than the skinnier tires on the Surly or my Redline 925 rain bike. The bags have dried surprisingly well. There was some pooling at the rear on both sides, but nothing that couldn't be dumped out. That's primarily what I wanted to check for today. My hope is to do some family camping/touring with this and I want to know how it performs in all conditions.

It was great. The rain was cooling and pleasant this morning, too. So no complaints from me!

Get out there.

The Hope Center

It's been a couple weeks since I was at the Hope Center, and I neglected to share with you all what it was about, but it was an awesome experience.

The Hope Center is a place for men without a place to sleep at night. They offer soft beds, rehabilitation and work programs and a whole wealth of other resources for the down-and-out.

I was contacted to go for a bicycle safety course being taught by a League of American Bicyclists instructor. He wanted me to come and represent the program I work with at my church to get bikes underneath people that need them for transportation. I wrote about it a while back, and have since repaired and distributed dozens of bikes. This guy got word about it and contacted me to come help with his efforts.

He taught the class, I spoke with the clients at the Hope Center about getting a bike and a mechanic was able to set up and work on the bikes they were already riding.

It was an awesome experience. We laughed together a lot and had great opportunities to discuss and promote the bicycle as a valid form of transportation. We even had a guy come out this past Saturday and pick up his new bike. It's a cool thing to see.

Get out there.

...and Another

Who is this feral child who has stolen my bike? Well, it's Trevor. And he hasn't stolen my bike at all. It's his identical Cross Check that he purchased recently in an effort to grab some bike time with his wife and start bike commuting. I bumped into him this morning in the locker room at work.

Trevor makes a total of three guys recently who have purchased bikes (two of which have already commuted to work on them) at my place of work.

I love the bicycle for a recreational toy. But I love it even more as a legit form of transportation. It's cool to see other guys riding to work instead of getting into a car.

Way to go, Trev.

Get out there.

Get out there.

Bike to Lunch

I'm really pumped to see the warm weather and the desire to get on a bike. Yesterday I walked into my team's suite and said, "Who wants to ride our bikes to go grab some lunch?" Dan and Kyle, without hesitation, jumped at the opportunity. It was so nice to ride to lunch versus driving in a car. It was a little slice of the outside world with absolutely zero extra effort.

Get out there.

First Weekend

This was our first weekend with the Xtracycle in the family. Needless to say, it was a good one. With summer temps in full force, our days were spent riding and playing on the slip-n-slide.

There's a reason this blog is titled "family//bike//words." I love my family and I love riding my bikes. I'm the opposite of most riders. I really don't do much riding on the weekends. I need the time with my wife and kids... and they need it, too. So when I'm "home" for the weekend, I try to be home.

So the collision of family and bike, thanks to Xtracycle, has been a huge game changer. I've never been able to include all three kids on a ride. And because of that, Angie has had to stay home with the baby. But that's all changed.

Angie (on her Kona) and I hit the streets for the first time with every kid in tow. We got ice cream, went to the library and did some cruising, just for the sake of good times.

It was a great weekend. Thanks, Xtracycle.

Get out there... and if you can, take your kids with you.

A Little Disappointed

I've written before about the road work that's been happening for the last year. The great news was the fact that they were going to build a bike path almost the entire length of my commute... eight of my eleven mile trip.

Long story short: The old road was becoming a bike path. The new road was about 200 yards to the left (or right, I guess).

This is exactly what has happened for about four of the eight miles. But there was still another four miles being used as limited access to the people who lived off the road.

Well, the other day I was riding in and noticed they'd pulled up all the reflectors along the road. Could this be it? Would this finally close off all cars and make this thing a full-fledged bike path?

I was thinking they'd tear the entire road up and put in the rest of the path. I couldn't make it make sense though. How were those twelve-ish farms going to have access to a road?

Well, this is how.

When I came home that evening, the roads had been repaved and repainted. They're not bike paths. They're roads. I was looking forward to a bike path for eight of my eleven miles of commuting each way. But I'll settle for four. These roads won't be busy. Like I said, it's mostly just farm trucks going back and forth from entrance to entrance of their massive property. But there is a sense of disappointment. A few cars is better than lots of cars. But there's something about never having to look over your shoulder that offers a greater peace.

Get out there.

Barriers

I realize that I'm talking a lot about the Xtracycle these days. But, hey, it really is going to lead to a lifestyle change for us as a family. Just yesterday, I brought home one of my bikes that I had left at work (granted, in a very Beverly Hillbillies kind of way).

Today I was able to take two of my three kids on a ride.

These are the sorts of thing that changes your lifestyle when you're a bicycle enthusiast.

When you're new to cycling there are certain barriers you have to bust through. There's a time when you "wouldn't dare ride that close to cars." But you slowly break through and give it a try. Before you know it, you're riding on just about any road. Then you say, "I'd love to ride all year, but what about rain and snow?" Well, if you stick with it, you realize that there's no bad weather, just bad clothes, to quote Doug. You buy the right stuff and get to riding. There. Another barrier broken.

There are a few other barriers that you break along the way. But you will eventually say, "Hey, I've mastered everything I can with two wheels and a couple bags. I wish I could bring my family along with me." That's the moment I realized I needed an Xtracycle set-up.

The Xtra is another (perhaps the last?) barrier to break through. Now there's no reason to not bike to the grocery... with a kid... "What? You want to go, too? Come on, buddy!" ...make that two kids.

Just about anything is possible now.

Get out there.