dan m: i spend thursdays with my grandkids [girl 3+ and boy 10 months], and we either ride w/burley or walk with stroller/jogger as i take her to pre-school and back, and again later for after-school pickup. BOTH kids love the outdoors, and they especially loved the frigid cold we had during the long, snowy iowa winter. rain, snow, thunder, sunshine, wind–they love it all. they don’t melt when wet, and it makes them better year-round cyclists. they racked up LOTS of tough-guy points this past year–maybe more than YOU? )
Kids don’t melt in the rain either. They’re sweet but not actually made of sugar.
Lightning – bah! I haven’t hit the lottery yet not have I gotten nailed by a chunk of meteorite. I’m not going to bother worrying about lightning either. If you’re going to worry about that you’d better nor leave the house. But REMEMBER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!!! DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ENTER THE BATHROOM WHILE STUCK IN YOUR HOME! YOU”RE JUST ASKING FOR DEATH! Best avoid the kitchen as well…..
Rick, is it possible to have logic that denies any post with the word “helmet” in it? Or perhaps add helmet to the list of unacceptable words in the potty-mouth filter?
this concept of biking is trendy is something a few friends and i were discussing just the other day. it does get annoying when you tell someone “oh i biked here” and they go “oh because gas prices are high”
not becuase i like to bike everywhere..its fun..
hopefully the trendyness will get ppl into biking who werent before. a possible good side effect.
but i will side with thistle ..biking in the rain sucks. but is barable with the right rain gear.
And while we’re at it, both my brother and I broke our arms – not our heads – in bicycle mishaps over the years. Forget helmets. What about a new safety campaign for wearing really big padded sleeves while biking.
Thanks Anne! But in all honesty, the “Boss” made me! I went out and bought a $$$$ helmet (a Giro Atmos – but I did get it on clearance for 1/2 retail – old Postie colors) that’s extremely breathable and practically weightless. I hardly notice it. In the heat of the summer now I sometimes have to leave it on the rack for my ride home from work when it’s in the 90s. Kids never see that and absolutely refuse to ride without their helmets!
I’ve done what Thistle did when I started riding my kid to school all the time… until I realized that when the kid is behind you and you’re MOVING, they don’t get that wet. Put a woolie under their helmet along with a poncho and rain boots (which every kid I’ve ever met LOVES to wear), or a cover on the bak and they stay dry. Riding in the rain really isn’t that bad if you have gear and it’s not DUMPING. When it’s dumping, yeah.. it sucks a little bit but mostly because people driving their cars spray you with nasty road water.. kind of like getting hit with toilet water *makes face*. As for the trendy thing… it can’t be THAT trendy or I’d see more people out riding their bikes for real stuff instead of just for recreation. YMMV of course… Joe may be right, but he’s also pretty damn jaded and cynical, but of course, that’s also why we like him and why he’s so funny…
One final thing: as long as my kid isn’t freezing, he doesn’t mind being a little wet, and he loves to ride with me, so the only one who really every says “boo” is mama: she’s a fair weather biker and is intimidated by riding on the street.
I really really really don’t mind when “trendiness” puts more people on bikes. Sadly, some will flit off to inferior transport modes, but others will keep biking! I hope Thistle does.
(Short Shameful Confession: I have a crush on a married woman named Thistle. Don’t tell her husband, m’kay?)
Hm… looks to me like Fizz is going to play a part in Thistle’s choice of vehicle…
Well, can’t say I didn’t see it coming. The great thing about her not riding when it’s overcast is her kid won’t get hit by lightning.
Does The Kickstand stock the Clarijs kid cover? She’s coming back for it, right?
Ummm……I hate to say this, b ut could the blue car show up again and not in her garage???
Oh, no! I thought she’d broken up with her car. Don’t say she’s going back into an abusive relationship!
Chance of rain with a kid sitting in an open cart? I’d take the car too.
dan m: i spend thursdays with my grandkids [girl 3+ and boy 10 months], and we either ride w/burley or walk with stroller/jogger as i take her to pre-school and back, and again later for after-school pickup. BOTH kids love the outdoors, and they especially loved the frigid cold we had during the long, snowy iowa winter. rain, snow, thunder, sunshine, wind–they love it all. they don’t melt when wet, and it makes them better year-round cyclists. they racked up LOTS of tough-guy points this past year–maybe more than YOU?
)
Of course, because you know kids dissolve when you get them wet.
It’s not like any one them run around in the rain, stomp puddles, or play in lakes or streams.
Kids don’t melt in the rain either. They’re sweet but not actually made of sugar.
Lightning – bah! I haven’t hit the lottery yet not have I gotten nailed by a chunk of meteorite. I’m not going to bother worrying about lightning either. If you’re going to worry about that you’d better nor leave the house. But REMEMBER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!!! DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ENTER THE BATHROOM WHILE STUCK IN YOUR HOME! YOU”RE JUST ASKING FOR DEATH! Best avoid the kitchen as well…..
IIRC, didn’t she leave the car at the bike shop? Granted, she could have gone back for it…
No helmet!!??
Rick, is it possible to have logic that denies any post with the word “helmet” in it? Or perhaps add helmet to the list of unacceptable words in the potty-mouth filter?
this concept of biking is trendy is something a few friends and i were discussing just the other day. it does get annoying when you tell someone “oh i biked here” and they go “oh because gas prices are high”
not becuase i like to bike everywhere..its fun..
hopefully the trendyness will get ppl into biking who werent before. a possible good side effect.
but i will side with thistle ..biking in the rain sucks. but is barable with the right rain gear.
Take a look at the bakfiets website. Apparently there is a rainhood/tent device available for the cargo area, so at least little Fizz won’t melt.
And while we’re at it, both my brother and I broke our arms – not our heads – in bicycle mishaps over the years. Forget helmets. What about a new safety campaign for wearing really big padded sleeves while biking.
I’m pretty sure that the lightning comment as well as the helmet one are tinged with sarcasm.
And you fell for the headfake… Sweet!
I come here for two things, to read the comic strip as well as to read the comments… wild speculations make the comments endearing. And brawls.
Will Fizz indeed melt?
Is that what she meant when she said…”I want to puddle?”
(OK. I think I’m done.)
The mostly reverend asked:
)”
“. . . they racked up LOTS of tough-guy points this past year–maybe more than YOU?
Yep, probably far more than me.
I find biking in the rain more fun actually, I just dont like the clean up afterwards.
At risk of being repetitive, the cover of UK’s CityCycling magazine portraits the rain cover DrMekon wrote:
http://www.citycycling.co.uk/issue37/issue37cover.html
the cargo tents work really well. my little one stays toasty and dry…
some pics:
http://tinyurl.com/6mrphy
I agree. Snow is better than rain.
Thanks Anne! But in all honesty, the “Boss” made me! I went out and bought a $$$$ helmet (a Giro Atmos – but I did get it on clearance for 1/2 retail – old Postie colors) that’s extremely breathable and practically weightless. I hardly notice it. In the heat of the summer now I sometimes have to leave it on the rack for my ride home from work when it’s in the 90s. Kids never see that and absolutely refuse to ride without their helmets!
Typical
Wow bomber what an insightful comment! I do think the whole debate can be better summed by “whatever” though
I’ve done what Thistle did when I started riding my kid to school all the time… until I realized that when the kid is behind you and you’re MOVING, they don’t get that wet. Put a woolie under their helmet along with a poncho and rain boots (which every kid I’ve ever met LOVES to wear), or a cover on the bak and they stay dry. Riding in the rain really isn’t that bad if you have gear and it’s not DUMPING. When it’s dumping, yeah.. it sucks a little bit but mostly because people driving their cars spray you with nasty road water.. kind of like getting hit with toilet water *makes face*. As for the trendy thing… it can’t be THAT trendy or I’d see more people out riding their bikes for real stuff instead of just for recreation. YMMV of course… Joe may be right, but he’s also pretty damn jaded and cynical, but of course, that’s also why we like him and why he’s so funny…
One final thing: as long as my kid isn’t freezing, he doesn’t mind being a little wet, and he loves to ride with me, so the only one who really every says “boo” is mama: she’s a fair weather biker and is intimidated by riding on the street.
=v= Fiets o’ Clay: Your “puddle” comment RULEZ!
I really really really don’t mind when “trendiness” puts more people on bikes. Sadly, some will flit off to inferior transport modes, but others will keep biking! I hope Thistle does.
(Short Shameful Confession: I have a crush on a married woman named Thistle. Don’t tell her husband, m’kay?)