First day of school

As incomprehensible and summer-stealingly ridiculous as it sounds, today, mathematically not quite halfway through August, is the first day of school. We made the most of it, and had a nice family ride to get there. Little sis was a bit confused, especially when we towed her big sister's bike home, due to after school activities that will preclude the possibility of riding home.

Whatever they call it, around here it's Bike Friday

As is our tradition, we refrained from spending any money today, and instead took the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful late November day. We are very fortunate to get quite a few terrific days with 60 degree F weather sprinkled throughout the winter. When fine weather coincides with a day off, there is no better way to soak up some precious sunlight.

We had a nice Thanksgiving meal yesterday and the girls really enjoyed the food. Perhaps the pinnacle of their enjoyment was getting to lick the beaters from the whipped cream.

Unbridled joy.

A sampling of two types of pumpkin pie, and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake.

Today marks the second anniversary of Scout coming home to live with us. She has been a good dog and continues to learn how to live in the world of people. Here's to many more rides.

Scout is my shadow, much more often than not.

Beer for bike swap

Last night, I turned the above beer...

... into the above frame, through the magic of Craigslist.

That's right. In exchange for a six-pack of New Belgium's Red Hoptober, I am now the owner of a 1992 Trek 950 frame. For those in the know, this frame is a prime example of the short-lived era of production mountain bikes in which high-quality lugged steel was incorporated with a 1 1/8th inch head tube; True Temper OX II tubing joined with the pinnacle production of Trek's once iconic lugs.

The frame itself, at 16.5 inches, is too small for me. However, it is the perfect size for an Xtracycle project in the works. It is now just a matter of pulling together the right parts, and a cargo bike with a sturdy, dependable heart will be born–all thanks to American beer and ingenuity.

My co-conspirator Scout inspects the goods.

Platte River burger run

A bear for an off-road ride would offer serious traction.

As this is officially bike to whatever week in the city, it was a perfect day to ride to dinner with some friends. As our respective maternal counterparts were otherwise occupied, David and I met up at the Carson Nature Center and off we went with three kids in tow.

A cormorant on a rock.

Joel, David and Drew nearing our destination.

She and Joel did a great job riding three and a half miles to our dinner spot, quite a distance for little legs. Drew isn't quite up to trail riding as of yet, so he enjoyed the route from the trailer. Along the way we saw cormorants, a Black-crowned Night Heron, and plentiful ducks and geese.

I neglected to take any photos of the burgers, fries and ice cream, but as usual, they were great.

Following the meal, we set off again to our point of origin. She tacked on another mile and a half of solo riding and Joel flew co-pilot on the Big Dummy.

Two wheeled rocket in cruise mode.

After a bit she and her bike became passengers on the Big Dummy, accompanying Joel and his bike. One bike was in the carrier and the other was in tow with the front wheel in one of the Freeloaders, with the kids on the seat. This set a new personal record for passengers and bikes on the Dummy.

Two passengers and two bikes aboard. Leave it to two five year-olds to deduce that, counting training wheels, this is now an eight-wheeler.

I think David, riding a bit behind us, was amused at the double takes of other riders and pedestrians along the trail. I occasionally forget what an oddity it is for regular people to see a loaded cargo bike in action, and we had a real road train on display. It's kind of fun to see a swift rider on a training run slow down a bit and take a long look. Groups often voice astonishment or admiration among each other. We encounter few who have nothing to say. One guy, who happened to be an Xtracycle owner, rode along with us for a while to understand a bit more about how I built the bike carrier. If anything, hauling passengers and their bikes seems to be a great conversation starter.

Silliness ensued on the back seat. They also issued friendly reminders to wear helmets to those without that we met on the trail.

All too soon, we were back at our starting point and had to say goodbye. She and I saddled up and were on our way again, but after half a mile or so I put her bike back on the Dummy. She finished up with about 5.5 miles for the evening. Her toned leg muscles are evidence of her increased strength and endurance, thanks almost entirely to near daily rides for the past couple of months.

We had our choice of two parallel trails, either paved or crusher fine.

Imagine a nation of non-motorized highways.

We paused for a moment to appreciate the trail system. It's great to have access to such great facilities. On our way we had the fortune to encounter a train going over an old tunnel that has been adapted to accommodate passage of the Lee Gulch Trail.

To all you metro area residents, have a great Bike to Work Day tomorrow.

A stone tunnel that has likely been in use for a century or so.

Platte River Trail ride

Be-bopping to her own music down the trail, comme d'habitude.

Earlier this week my daughter and I took a ride with friends David, Joel and Drew along the Platte River Trail. It was sort of a Bike Daddy day with an orbiting squadron of kids. The ride was a bit of an ambitious distance, as it was likely Joel's longest to date, and among her longer rides this year. The two of them ended up riding a straight shot of a bit over three miles in total, an impressive figure considering their stature.

View aft of Joel burning up the track.

Drew rode in the trailer pulled by David, whose impressive tractor rig was an '89 Rockhopper with a fixed gear. At times he had two kids and a bike strapped to the trailer, quite a load to handle with one gear and no coasting. However, he pulled off the challenge with aplomb.

A venerable old Rockhopper revamped as a fixie. A laconic definition of the term bombproof.

After a nice breakfast along the way, the kids decided to become passengers for the return trip. As a bit of a changeup, Joel rode with me on the Dummy and seemed to enjoy the experience. He was a good co-pilot and was happy to oblige in ringing the bells whenever the situation warranted.

My cheerful co-pilot for the return trip.

After we parted ways, she and I took the long route home along the Lee Gulch Trail. The Platte River Trail had been fairly busy with weekend warriors and folks out for the holiday, but apart from a few runners and an occasional group bicyclist, we had Lee Gulch for ourselves. It's a scenic connector to the Highline Canal Trail with a nice crusher fine surface. Because I ride mostly on the street for transportation purposes, it's sometimes easy to forget how many great trails there are in the metro area.

Trail riding is the perfect opportunity for a post breakfast snack on the back of the Big Dummy.

By the time we got home the Dummy had logged about 15 miles for the morning. We then launched into some yard work and she taught herself how to climb a tree.

"I'm taller than you, Daddy!" was proclaimed for all to hear.

Big day of running and off road riding

We started the day early with the Gallop at the Grove run in Golden to benefit an elementary school. her friend Joel and his family met us there. Joel's mom Jen and I ran the 5k. I wasn't sure how I'd do, as I haven't yet fully recovered from bronchitis and I had run only one other time in 2011. I'm anything but a strong runner, but I finished only a few minutes slower than I might have if I had been running more consistently. Jen, who is much more fit and competitive had a terrific run and placed second in her age group. Good going, Jen!

Post run Gatorade with my personal cheering section.

After the 5k, the kids ran the 1k fun run, and all had a great time. Like his mom, Joel finished quite strongly. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more running events in his future. A 1k coupled with a 5k seems to be an ideal combination for getting kids and families interested in running events. It's good to see more 5k/1k runs in our area.

Warming up before the 1k.

The event was a well organized and conducted, and it is likely we'll do it again. It was particularly fun to do the run with friends. She has known Joel since preschool, and we always have a great time hanging with his family.

Big Dummy in aircraft carrier mode with the squadron stowed aboard.

After we went home, we decided to go for an early evening ride to the park. She has recently been favoring her mountain bike, a single speed Schwinn with knobby tires, so that's what she rode. In an area of the park there are a few interwoven dirt trails and some short downhill sections that she has enjoyed riding with me on the Big Dummy for the past couple of years. Today I asked her if she wanted to try out the dirt section on her own. As a bit of a surprise to all of us, she cruised over a roller, bombed down a hill and never looked back. From then on it was nothing but grins from a girl enjoying the dirt.

She went down with determination...

... and climbed back up eager to go for more.

She spent about twenty minutes going down one track and climbing back up another. Making circuit after circuit, she sought out ever more difficult routes. With every success, she became more daring, at one point exalting, "I didn't even use my brakes this time!"

Today she called this a bump. In not so long she'll decide it's a jump.

Perched at the top with an ear to ear smile.

Pilot's view of one of the downhills.

Whooping it up as she approaches terminal velocity.

I think we now have a pretty good idea about how we're going to be spending a lot of time this summer. In recent years I've ridden bikes mostly for transportation, but this experience has helped me to remember the sheer fun of dirt. Watching her today, I couldn't help but think of how the bulk of many summers when I was a kid were spent riding dirt tracks. With any luck, she'll be able to say the same thing.

Admit it. Sometimes you too wish you could rocket down the trail sporting a meshy yellow skirt.

Celebratory cruise on a chalk bike.

Saturday errands

Snow capped peaks in the distance on a beautiful Colorado day.

It's always a treat to have a few errands to do by bike on a warm, sunny day. It's even better when the whole family is along for the ride, and time is no issue. Today was one of those days. We started off with some books to return to the library and took the opportunity to ramble past the museum farm along the way. Next, we took a familiar route to the center of town, taking in a spectacular view of the Front Range at the top of the hill overlooking the local business district.

Longtail family: Xtracycle and Big Dummy with Electra Hawaii stowed aboard.

We participated in a little bicycle enabled commercial activity, in particular to buy some tikka masala spices for some terrific Indian food Julie has slated to make for tomorrow. Our long tail bikes always seem to draw attention whenever we are out, but today the frequency of stares, questions and exclamations of interest by passers by seemed of even greater quantity than usual. Much of the time that the girls were inside shopping I spent talking with people who happened to walk past as I was locking up the bikes.

Apparently I emit a genial vibe, as people don't seem to be shy about approaching me when I'm around the bikes, and I always take the time to answer any questions. Even those people who appear unlikely to ride bikes seem genuinely interested, if only in that "Hey Honey, guess what weird thing I saw today?" kind of way. In any case, I feel as though I'm serving as a social intermediary, modeling good behavior while promoting bicycle diplomacy.

Bike riding is fairly good here, even on the street. We're fortunate enough to live in what was an actual small town long before it was absorbed as a suburb. This pic is for Jennie in chilly Minnesota.

While riding on the street several people in cars passing by eyeballed us, I'll assume in wonderment of seeing a small pink bike and pink clad girl riding on the back of an odd, elongated bike. This sort of attention is not an unfamiliar phenomenon for me, and likely not unfamiliar to anyone who rides a cargo bike. Even when riding on trails, only the most intensely focused weekend warriors lack exhibiting a puzzled look followed by a grin as we pass.

It was great to see the quantity of activity on the Platte River Trail, with no shortage of bicyclists, runners and walkers taking advantage of the day. However, the best viewing was of the wildlife on the river. She spotted a goldeneye duck, and there were also several widgeons and mallards feeding and bobbing around in the current. Flocks of geese flew overhead and alighted in fields nearby. Even though I didn't manage to get any wildlife photos today, upon reflection it's easy to forget how great the wild scenery can be even in a major metropolitan area.

Bikes patiently waiting while their riders fuel up.

At the apex of our ride, we stopped for an early dinner. For years Julie and I have lamented the apparent lack of a reasonably good, non mega-chain burger joint in our vicinity. It's not that we often eat burgers, but it's nice to have the possibility. While this is not a food focused blog and I'm certainly no connoisseur, Freddy's seems to fit the bill. Their burgers and fries are about the right size, aren't too greasy, and as a bonus they have great frozen custard. It also doesn't hurt that they are located just off the Platte River Trail.

Our little big girl almost finished a whole burger by herself. The photo on the wall is of Freddy as a kid with his bike, from sometime in the 1930s.

Even as the possibility of snowstorms always loom well into March and April, days like today are a little reminder that Spring is just around the corner. I can't wait.