Where We Ride: Met Branch Trail

Before I had a kid, I used to be a cyclist of the “strong and fearless” variety. No road was too busy and no bike lane too narrow to stop me from getting to my destination by the most direct route. After I had my son Alex, though, it was as if I had become a newbie all over again. Suddenly I was hyperaware of every vehicle, every pothole, every pedestrian and every hazard on the road. I began to prioritize traffic calmness much more in choosing my routes.

Around the same time, I discovered the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Next Ride and POOL PARTY! Saturday, June 18

We have some birthdays to celebrate this month, so June’s Kidical Mass ride is going to be extra fun and full of action! We’ll gather at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center at 10:30am on June 18 before heading off through the quiet streets of Brookland to pay a visit to the Mt. Rainier Bike Co-op. After a quick pit-stop and visit with our friends at the Co-op, we’ll cool off with a POOL PARTY at the Prince George’s Pool in Mt. Rainier. Our friends at DessertStation are providing a special cake to help us celebrate the birthdays of our June babies (young and old)!

A biketrain will bike up the Met Branch Trail starting at 9:45(ish...) with meetups in Bloomingdale, Eckington, and Edgewood for residents of Capitol Hill and other points south.

Full details after the jump:

How We Ride: Christiania cargo bike

We’ve all admired the chic Copenhagers and carefree Amsterdammers for their casual inclusion of bicycles in everyday life, but what happens when these European cycling paragons have children? Do they pack it all in for a house in a suburban subdivision and buy themselves a station wagon? No! They just invest in the city cycling version of a station wagon—the cargo bike. Whether they’re built on two wheels or three, cargo bikes feature in many a photograph of “Supermums” on Copenhagenize and Amsterdamize. One of the most popular examples of cargo bikes is the Christiania cargo trike. The Christiania is now available in the US for the first time through the efforts of American Will Kearins and his export company, Boxcycles. BicycleSPACE here in DC has secured a coveted spot as a retailer of Christiania’s bikes.

The staff at BicycleSPACE, taking pity on my obvious desperation to ride one of these legendary bikes, generously allowed me to try out the Christiania with my son Baby A. We used the bike on two separate occasions: once on our Tuesday Biketrain from our Washington DC home to Baby A’s daycare in Hyattsville and back, and once on a Kidical Mass ride through Capitol Hill. Together, these rides illustrated both the strengths and weaknesses of the Christiania as an urban family vehicle/car replacement.

The Christiania occupies an important kid-and-dog transportation niche

Full review after the jump >>

Nex Ride: Saturday, May 21

Location: Near Eastern Market Station. Map.
Time: Gather at 10:00am, ride starts at 11:00am
Destination: Pound Coffee, 621 Pennsylvania Avenue SE

Once again we’ll meet in the park area just across Pennsylvania Avenue SE from Eastern Market Station (between 8th, 9th and D Street and Pennsylvania Avenue). From 10:00am till 11:00am, we’ll drink coffee, eat tasty snacks provided by our friends at Dessert Station, and share our family biking stories. Then we’ll leave for a leisurely ride through Capitol Hill and end with brunch at Pound Coffee. Participants will have a chance to win a $50 gift certificate from event partner BicycleSPACE.

Click here to register for the event.

Hope to see you there! 

Did someone say "prizes"?!

Yes, indeedy! The rockstars at BicycleSPACE have given us three (three!) $50 giftcards to give away at the April 23 ride. We'll be distributing them to the following winners:

• Youngest passenger
• Youngest solo rider
• Luckiest participant (chosen at random from all registered participants)

Many thanks to the staff and management of BicycleSPACE for supporting Kidical Mass DC!


Fine Print:
You must be present at Kidical Mass DC to win. Only registered participants are eligible. You can register in person on the day of the ride or in advance by clicking here. Only one prize per family. The solo rider prize will be awarded to the youngest participant in the Kidical Mass ride to cycle independently the full distance from Eastern Market to the Argonaut.

How We Ride: Pushbikes

Photo courtesy of Like-A-Bike

Although Baby A is still too young and small for any kind of training bike, I’ve already been doing my research on the best way to teach him how to ride. If you’re like me, you remember graduating from a tricycle to a bike with training wheels to (finally!) an independent two-wheeler; but some parents are now finding that their children can begin at a younger age and transition more smoothly to two-wheeled bikes by using small pedal-less bikes known variously as pushbikes, scooter bikes, or balance bikes. A few parents on the invaluable Brookland parents’ listserv have offered their suggestions on introductory bikes for children. Read more after the jump!

Next Ride: Saturday, April 23

UPDATE: Capital Weather Gang thinks that most of the rain will have cleared by
Saturday morning, so we will ride rain or shine!

Join us for Washington DC's first-ever Kidical Mass ride - a legal, safe and FUN bike ride for kids, kids at heart, and their families. Coffee! Prizes! A chance to meet other cycling families!