This month has been super fun and busy for us. The kids are loving school, we’re all adjusting to homework routines, I’m getting used to quiet mornings with just the baby, and… we got bikes! This is something that I have been wanting to do for a while now, for both exercise and conservation reasons, but we’ve finally done it – and it was in part, inspired by my new friend Sara Salo.
Sara is an inspiration in so many ways. She’s focused on helping people eat better and make healthier choices all around, and she is an awesome example of paving a new road in the face of a raging recession – two things about which I’m passionate myself. Here is what Sara shared with me in an email last spring…
I came up with the idea for the Tour on a long trail run late last summer. I was trying to burn off some steam after getting frustrated with job hunting and all of a sudden I seriously had an ‘aha’ moment! Rather than apply for a job I wasn’t completely passionate about, why not put together something myself?! I knew I wanted to work in school food reform but I also loved cycling. Healthy living really needs to combine physical activity and good nutrition so I figured what better way to spread the word than by bike! At first the idea seemed really far-fetched but as I talked to people and got really positive feedback, I kept moving forward. Then, before I knew it, I had a website and was scheduling stops. And now it’s full steam ahead. 🙂
Check out the video below for an overview of what Sara’s up to while cycling around the country, and/or click here to check out and follow her blog.
Congrats on the new bikes! I’d love to hear more: who is riding now, and to where? How are you transporting the little ones? How are you carrying cargo?
I’m planning to get my bike out and start doing school pickups by bike. We didn’t start out on day 1 of school because Megan had a cast on her arm. And now we are unfortunately in the momentum of doing it by car… 🙁 We got Peter a new, bigger bike for his birthday, and will likely get Megan one for hers, too!!
Girls are riding their own bikes, but still with training wheels. Aubrie rode about a mile with me to the grocery store for a few things the week before last. Fred and I got used bikes to start – didn’t want to shell out more serious money until we knew we’d really created a habit. We got baby seats on the back for the boys and I got a basket on the front big enough for quick trips out for little stuff like peanut butter, OJ, or rice milk. Andrew and I rode to the bank this morning and have one to Wegmans, the post office, the chiropractor, and the girls’ school. All within a mile or two at most. Fun times! 🙂
exciting!! smart about starting out used and seeing how it goes. If you do get into it, and decide to do much shopping by bike, you might check out the xtracycle…love mine!! 🙂
Another idea for you…you might check out the Skuut bike for the boys…you can avoid the whole training wheel thing and get them onto their own 2 wheels much sooner…and without the stress of dropping training wheels eventually. Matthew is probably big enough to give it a try now, and I don’t know how tall Ruthie is, but she might still be able to learn to balance from it. We have a similar one and it’s advertised for ages 2-5 I think. We had Peter riding it in the house and when we went for walks when he was about 2.5, and by 3 he could ride a two wheeler. Megan hasn’t ridden it as much (no dog to walk, etc) so didn’t pick it up as quickly, but I think we’ll get her a new bike for her 5th birthday coming up, and will toss the training wheels. If she’s not ready, she can keep riding the balance bike for a bit longer….but I really think she’s ready.
Anyway – congrats on the new bikes!! Exciting!! This is motivating me to start riding again! 🙂
oh and thanks for the info on the school food tour. I put her blog in my reader. Do you know if she is hooked up with Jamie Oliver at all? At a minimum, I would think she could make contact with his local food revolution groups, if not him himself…
http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/news-content/the-school-food-bicycle-tour
awesome!!