There is some pretty eclectic weather going on in Portland right now – so sunny and warm on some days you entertain the hope that winter is fully over, rainy and warm on other days, then rainy and cold with snow in the mountains.
Plenty of inspiration for me to go into Clever Cycles and Veloce Bicycle this past week looking for some tips for all of us on staying warm, happy and dry in all types of weather.
This email is full of ways, not just to stay dry, but also ways to get your whole family out of the car and onto bikes, not just for a recreational ride on a pretty day but as your main way of getting around town in all kinds of weather.
The bottom line for whether or not we actually use our bikes to exercise, take a fun spin or get around town as a family is, no big surprise, comfort and convenience.
If it takes 30 minutes to hook up the bike trailer, if our bikes are a poor fit for our bodies, if we don’t have the lights or water proof bags or easy clothing layers, then that pricy purchase or hand me down bike seat without mounting directions just takes up space in our already tight storage areas.
So here’s a quick list of things to do with what you already have and things to think about adding to your family’s biking gear for a great cycling spring and summer.
SALE PRICES ON RAIN GEAR: for marked-down, end-of-the-season kids rain gear at Clever Cycles. Buy a bit big for the end of this year so it lasts until next year too. Some of you may remember how I raved about the toddler sized “muddy buddies” – an all in one zip up play suit (like a snow suit but just rain gear material.) Wish I knew about those when my kids were toddlers!
GOT FENDERS? It’s a simple little thing and $30-$60 depending on your bike type to eliminate that mud and water trail up the back of your clothes from the spin off the bike tires.
NEED A TUNE UP OR ADDED ACCESSORIES? Dean Mullan, co-op member and co-owner of Clever Cycles, knows that most shops around town will be three weeks to a month out on repairs come May making April the perfect month to beat the rush and get your bike looked at now so it’s really ready to ride when steady better weather arrives. Veloce’s solution to the spring rush is Tom, who they lovingly refer to as “the secret weapon,” a guy willing to work nights who starts his day at 6pm and just keeps working until all the bikes are done. You can often bring him a bike at the end of the day and pick it up the next morning.
WHAT GOES WHERE? We aren’t quite like Amsterdam (the land of three kids and the groceries all piled on one bike) but we are getting close with more options than you can imagine for carting kids and things around with grace and ease such as . . . .
Bike seats for 7 year olds: Bike seats are something I always thought were only for babies and young toddlers tucked up between your handlebars, but Dean, with four children of his own, knows that you can’t get there very quickly or even safely with every kid on their own bike. So yes, you can go down to Clever Cycles with the adult bike you already have and get it outfitted for a sturdy, safe seating arrangement for older toddlers, preschoolers and even school age kids too.
Ride and then hitch a ride: When Dean can’t find a distributor here in the states offering the great things he knows are available in other countries, if he thinks there’s a big enough demand, he’ll import the item himself. Clever Cycles is the only Portland carrier of the “Follow Me” line of parent-child tandem coupling brackets (www.FollowMe-Tandem.com). We’ve all seen the trailing bikes (half bikes with only a back tire, seat and petals) that attach to an adult bike. Dean has these as well but likes the “Follow Me” bracket even better because it allows your child to ride their own bike until they are just too tired and then hook their front tire to a brace just beyond your back tire. This system has a much lower center of gravity (tire to tire) than the half bikes that hook up by your seat so the child’s movements don’t torque on you as much when you are trying to steer.
THE PERFECT SEAT: If you are going to log the time, your seat really matters. Veloce can sell you all sorts of seats with padding in just the right places. If you are willing to “mold your own,” like a baseball glove that gets really well broken in, they sell the very popular hard leather Brooks saddles than over time become the perfect fit just for you.
Bikes really are a just-for-you relationship and you get a very good relationship along with your gear when you work with a local business instead of a large chain store. The guys at Veloce will tell you that, with them, you’re not just buying a bike, you’re buying a bike shop and that’s true at Clever Cycles too.
So whether you want a wooden skut bike like the kind we have for our gym time for your soon to be independent bike rider or a real racing bike for yourself, for all your family biking needs, you have a great resource in Clever Cycles and for adult bikes, Veloce either has it or knows where to find it. Stop on in and let them know our Swap Shop community appreciates the service they provide.
908 SE Hawthorne Boulevard M-Th: 11-6; Fr: 11-8; Sa-Su: 11-5 503.334.1560
3202 SE Hawthorne Boulevard M, W, Th & F 11-7, Sat 10-5 Tu& Sun: gone cycling. 503-234-8400
