I’m a lover, not a fighter. And I’d rather make peace than foster war. This includes the never-ending battle of cyclists vs. drivers (especially as it’s depicted in stereotypical ‘us vs. them’ fashion by The Increasingly-Smaller Daily.)
My kid has been behind the curve when it comes to riding a two-wheeler – but when she had the hard deadline of the upcoming two-week bike safety classes at school, well, she bucked up, got it together, and proceeded to master the skill in record time.
And ever since bike safety class, she’s been A Cyclist. Can conduct brake inspections and helmet inspections with the best of them, and is constantly agitating to head outside and ride her bike.
So of course, I had to make room in the summer camp schedule for a week at the Community Cycling Center’s Bike Camp.
And of course, the kid absolutely loved it. She got to take a bike apart, learned how to change a tire, and got her own patch kit. She traveled as part of a pack to downtown Portland, the Rose Quarter, St. Johns and beyond. And she came home each afternoon completely and totally tired out (just what a parent wants to hear, hooray!)
Next year? We’ll be back – only this time, we’ll have a bike with more than one gear, and a kinder, gentler cyclist who will have had some more experience riding to school.
And now? The kid’s determined to get me out of my car and on a bike as well.
In order to keep the peace in our household, I just might have to dust off my long-rusty skills and give it a whirl myself…!
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I know where you can get a bike to ride any time or place your fancy takes you…
I’m incredibly impressed with the frankenbike – but I’m too short for it, sob. You’re building a smaller one next, though – right?
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