Riding in a Winter Wonderland...

Just a couple of pics Amanda took of me riding with the kids over to my folks on Xmas eve...





Hope everyone's had a happy holiday season and have a joyous and wonderful new year!

(oh yeah, new critters on bikes over at the ART BLOG)

Winter

Winter is here again…

Short days, long cold nights, and snow…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Oh, so much snow…


I can’t say I’m ever all that enthusiastic about the arrival of winter.


On the plus side the city did finally open the pathway behind the water treatment plant – so we can ride to my folks place almost entirely off the road.


I have winterized the Yuba with a pair of Schwalbe Ice Spikers. I’ve had good luck with the schwalbes – bot the Fat Franks that came on the Yuba and the Marthon Racers I kitted my getaround bike with this year (see review here: Schwalbe Marathon Race Review)


Hauled some groceries on Sunday…


With the kids…


Ran into Léo from the Saskatoon Cycle Club, out for a ride on a frosty, snowy Sunday afternoon!


Léo took a picture of the whole crew on the Yuba – groceries and all.

Usually if I’m hauling the kids I leave the bags behind – it gives Finnegan a more stable platform for his feet.

Looking forward to Ice Cycle 2011!

Portrait of a Family of Cyclists

Just posted it over on the art blog... might as well post it here too... (it involving bikes and all).


Family Portrait 2010, November 2010, Acrylic on MDF, 81x59cm

Frosty (and Foggy!)

Nipped out for a frosty-foggy ride to the Farmer's Market this morning.


REally wondering where all these cars are going to park once that empty lot is developed...?

It was slated to be developed as an "Ecovillage". Wonder if/when that's going to happen...?


Frosty wheel at the bike rack on campus when I hauled the kids there later for dance classes.


a rather tired looking Finnegan... late night (out at the Yevshan Ukranian Folk Ballet), early morning dance class...

Picking up the Kids

After Violin yesterday, the kids went over to Grandma and Grandpas for a sleep over. late thisafternoon I was wondering where the kids were at and why they hadn't phoned to say they were heading home. Went to phone my folks only to realize the phone wasn't working...


They'd been trying to phone for a couple hours and thought I wasn't there.... Them being full worn out, and thus too tired to walk home as originally planned, I had to nip over and pick them up....

Off to Violin in the Snow

Another bit of snow this last week... but I'm still determined not to start walking to violin lessons on Wednesday. Luckily by Wednesday most of the roads were clear of ice - but it was windy and cold!


Amanda happened to be home (off work to take yoga intructor workshops for two weeks) and was able to take pics of us as we set off.


All loaded up.

Too bad she wasn't around to get a pic of us returning with an additional $100 worth of groceries heaped on to the Yuba as well!


We took a slightly different route to get there (11th instead of 12th) so Finnegan could ride on the street as a few of the sidewalks had some ice on them.

Yuba: Good News/Bad News

The good news is my new go-getter bag and bread rack for the yuba arrived the other day!


Loaded up to head out to violin lessons. Running a bit late so Keira will ride on the back of the Yuba (with her runner bike strapped to the new front rack). It's mostly uphill to the lesson and she goes painfully slow...


Keira perched on the back of the Yuba.


Finnegan riding ahead and Keira's bike strapped to the rack.


Here it is loaded up with groceries and violins (our wednesday morning tradition is to go to violin lessons and pickup groceries on the way home.

The bonus go-getter bag will hopefully help with balancing loads - not that I've ever felt all that UNbalanced... and the rack will add a bit more carrying capacity.

The rack kind of weirds me out. it's attached to the head tube and so doesn't turn with the handlebars/front wheel. This is very stable, but looks really odd as I am used to front racks turning with the wheel/bars. So odd I've found it a bit unsettling at times! I'm sure I'll get used to it...

I ordered both of the new accessories from Vancouver Long Bikes, a Canadian dealer/distributor of Yuba goodness. Friendly and easy to deal with. I'd definitely order from them again... if ever I needed more mundo stuff...

The bad news is...


as I was getting ready to head out the kickstand broke off... well... not JUST the kickstand, but the kickstand AND the mounting bracket... mutter grumble... Not sure when I'm going to get that fixed... luckily I think I know a few people handy with welding equipment...

Things That Warm My Heart (Part 2)

A couple weeks ago while I was downtown with the kids at the library we arrived to find the bike rack full - and just about every immobile object within view with a bike locked to it!!


It was a friday afternoon. I'm presuming it was a class trip - which warmed my heart just a bit more because I certainly don't remember taking any class trips on bikes when I was a kid!!

Cyclocross

On Saturday, as I was hauling the kids to their dance classes, I noticed they were setting up a cyclocross race in a nearby park. Got me thinking about cyclocross... and reminded me of this vid I'd stumbled across a while back:

Ridiculous

I love this...

No ridiculous car trips from Martin Lang on Vimeo.

What's YOUR ridiculous car trip....?

Mine is kind of the opposite of what they were looking for; short trips that are really too short for driving a car (I've always walked or ridden a bike...). We lived on an acreage for a bit and I think it ridiculous, now, that we would live so darn far away from where we worked and did stuff that it necessitated owning a motor vehicle (or MULTIPLE motor vehicles...).

My sister, when we younger and still lived with our folks, drove my parents car three blocks to buy cigarettes at the 7-11 on Broadway... regularly...

Things That Warm My Heart

...and help me believe that all is not lost for humanity...

It's fall.

It's 5°C.

It's pissing down rain all day.


...and the bike rack at the local Safeway is full...

(Okay so "full" amounts to five bikes... and there were scores of cars parked in the lot... but still...)

Violin Lessons

For the last two weeks the kids have taken their own bikes to our violin private lesson. The round trip, including stopping on Broadway for groceries at Steep Hill on the way home, is about 7Km.

The first week Keira (who does the trip on her runner bike!) only needed a lift up the bridge. This week She rode on the back of the Yuba all the way there. We were running a bit late, and she seemed a bit tired and the trip is mostly uphill (of course that means teh trip home is mostly DOWNHILL!!)

Here's the gang loaded up to head out:

(Click on the pic for a larger version)

October Kidical Mass in Saskatoon

Another Kidical Mass in Saskatoon. Might be the last one for this year... but then you never know when the snow's going to blow... so..


Our fearless leader/awesome organizer guy, Bryn, on the left there...


The marshaling area.


And they're off! (Young Ian rocking the ride on his runner bike!!)




Sam and Sophie












Good times were had by all. Big thanks to Bryn for baking the banana chocolate chip cake and organizing the hot drinks (and to whowever made those great cookies!)!!

September Kidical Mass in Saskatoon!

(Remember: Click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Rolled out to the Kidical Mass ride for September this morning. It was kind of chilly (10°C) and a bit breezy and threatening rain... but out we went!!


Finnegan decided to ride his own bike. it was a bit of a haul - the round trip for him was about 11Km


Amanda hauled Keira around in the trailer.


At Massey Park


The Gang.


Starting out.






The Broadway Street Fair was on today and Broadway avenue was closed from 12th all the way to 8th! (In the past I think they've only closed the street as far as Main...). As we approached Broadway there was a considerable bit of traffic - people looking for parking or trying to skirt around...


Finnegan pretty excited about getting to ride on the ROAD!


Closer to Broadway - More Traffic!


Crossing Broadway Avenue.


Our handy sweeper taking up the rear - Thanks!


One of those "It's a small world after all moments..."


mr. awesome doing the ride on his runner bike!






The most important part of the whole adventure: SWINGING!!



heading home...


We hit the street fair, briefly, on the way home... Good fun! Thanks to all involved in organizing and, especially, to all that showed up!