Cycling Sisters

The Cycling Sisters routinely host fix-a-flat workshops to encourage cyclists to get out on their bikes (and overcome their fears of being stranded with a flat!).

These are the notes from our workshop held last summer at Blackstone Bicycle Works.

note: contact repto@aol.com for a pdf. form of the notes

As a formerly pregnant cyclist, I'd like to share my thoughts on this topic.

I rode up until one day before the birth of my third child. I rode most days, typically about 8 miles, in my commute to and from Montessori school as well as running errands. I towed two kids in a trailer during the ride (a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old).

Lest you think I was some sort of wonder woman, I am not. I am fat, middle-aged, and "Suburban."

What I found:

Join us for the Shaping America’s Youth Local Town Meetings. Bring your ideas and experiences with you as we discuss nutrition and physical activity in youth.
http://meetings.shapingamericasyouth.org/
Why Should I Attend?

* Because overweight and inactivity in our children and youth is a challenge that is best addressed by the entire community
* Because your input will be used to create a national strategy that will result in better health for all Americans
* Because your ideas will help local groups carry out health programs & projects in your area

I thought it was great to see my neighbor choose to have her boys ride their bikes to the park--even in the snowy wintertime--rather than drive.

I ride my bike year round, almost always with my 3 kids. The only thing that stops us is a lot of snow or ice on the streets. You can't get enough traction when you tow kids if this is the case (you'll end up spinning your wheels and maybe even doing a wheelie!). Once the streets are plowed and salted, you can easily get out and about again.

Note: bike maintenance is super important if you ride in the winter. Be sure to check out the information on the bike maintenance page for specifics!

For winter riding, I *strongly* recommend using a trailer versus a bike seat for small children. Since your balance is not compromised with a trailer, it's much safer than when you have a bike seat with a heavy child on the back throwing things out of whack. This is especially true if you hit a patch of ice or ride in snow. Children are also more comfortable in a trailer since they don't have to deal with wind chill. If you use a bike seat, be sure to cover exposed skin on the face and ears and do frequent visual checks on your child to assess how they are holding up. Be extra careful when negotiating turns or turning around to check on them.

Plan on more time when traveling in the winter. Wind is the biggest factor that slows you down, but consider other weather conditions as well.

This is a picture of my daughter's best friend (and our neighbor) Jamilax. She rode her bike to school every day up until about the end of October (rain or shine).

From the cyclesis listserve:
So what kind of gear do you suggest for cold/wet/snowy weather biking? (...) I get cold really easily--I'm pretty small and the chill just goes
right through me. Fingers always, always cold. OF course, I get real
sweaty, too, so I'm not sure about the heavy stuff I've already got. -stirfrybunny

---
I've biked through two winters now. I have found that the key isn't to wear really warm stuff, but rather to make
sure that every piece of skin is covered by something. You generate a lot of heat biking, so you just need a layer that can keep this in and a way to keep the wind from stealing your heat. I run cold, and have Reynauds(over-reaction to cold) and still find this to be true.

Here is my typical riding gear:

We had a wonderful Cycle-Sis ride to Wolf Lake this past Saturday. Great group of eleven, great weather, great Chicago views, and some wonderful surprises.

At our meet-up spot, the 57th Street Beach house, Tracy and Elfie, who CTA'd all the way from Lincoln Square, and Robin, who just moved to Chicago, arrived a little early and enjoyed the quiet of the lake in the morning light.

At 8:15 we headed south on the lakefront trail into a slight headwind at an easy pace between 10 and 11mph, maneuvering around packs of CARA marathon trainers.

On the bike lane on 41, we wound through the varied neighborhoods of South Shore and South Chicago and along the huge fenced empty lots of US Steel.

Nothing says "Please don't hit me!" quite like a festooned helmet. It increases visibility and improves the friendly wave to hostile honk ratio. It's easy to decorate vented helmets--twist ties and pipe cleaners can attach all kinds of doodads. Some tips: 1) Use waterproof materials (I once had some fake flowers melt during a heavy rain.) 2) Try on your masterpiece at different stages during construction, checking to see that it doesn't restrict visibility or weigh too much. 3) Think about the wind--make sure everything is secured well and oriented aerodynamically. (Not that there is anything aerodynamic about piling a bunch of stuff on your head.

A sister wrote to the list serve frustrated because most brakes are made for “gorilla” hands. Here are some of the ideas for making braking safer and easier for smaller-handed people:

1)Install shims
2)Install inline brake levers
3)Get adjustable-reach levers
4)Try brake levers made for “children's” bikes