The first weekend in May is special in Baltimore. As a friend put it the other day, “it is like Baltimore doesn’t know there are other weekends”.
It is true, all the fun Spring events seem to be packed into two short days, three if you add in Flower Mart on Friday.
Today we saw a brief part of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, went to our first ever ballet recital
(which I may post more about tomorrow), free comic day, and a birthday party. We missed our friends in the little league parade, but they missed the recital, so I think we all come out clean.
Category Archives: Biking
Riding
Friday we rode to Port Discovery and to Joe Squared for lunch. On the way there a woman stopped next to me at a light rolled down her window to ask questions about the bike. Lunch was a fiasco, but the staff made sure they fixed all the problems. Port Discovery was fun as always. The ride home went really well.Today, we rode the bike to school. Getting everyone ready, the bike out, everyone loaded, and down the road took much less time than I thought it would. A and I sang all the way down the road. Drop off went well. It is tricky to lock the bike up. Hopefully, I will figure out how to do it smoothly soon.
On the ride home it was very funny, and quiet , to have Max without Ada. There was no great difference in handling without her on the back. This bike is so easy to ride. I am happy that we made the decision to add it to our fleet.
Maiden voyage with the kiddos
M will be 9 months in 4 days. 9 months is the earliest date the manufacturer recommends for his bike seat. A beautiful warm winter Valentine’s day made it irresistible to take a spin on the bike.
We took a ride to the National Aquarium, since most of it is along a bike path. It took me a few minutes to master the balance with two kiddos aboard. Both kids enjoyed the ride. We got many odd looks and I am pretty sure A was waving to people as we cruised down the street. The bike is not fast, but it is sturdy and fairly easy to maneuver even with two car seats. When we got to the aquarium I couldn’t find a bike rack close. We used a city one that is a bit far away and hard to park a big bike on because the concrete area is narrow and surrounded by grass.
Once we got into the aquarium, I asked about bike racks and was told where one is. It is much closer than the one we used, but is a bit hidden, which is why I didn’t find it originally. That settled, we headed to Australia to hang out with the bats. On the way to the sharks, we stopped to play in the room overlooking the harbor.
Then we went and saw the sharks, dolphins, and jellyfish, with a quick stop at the octopus, who was feeling a bit feisty.
A quick stop in the kids area and then the cafe to get a sweet treat and we were off.
We rode over to the grocery store, and then headed home. Our first ride was a happy success.
A non-update biking update
It has been cold and windy in Baltimore for the past few weeks, which has meant no rides on the bike with A. I am getting antsy to begin our life as a biking family. Shannon is also itching to ride the new bike. In February M will be 9 months. I think we will go with that age recommendation instead of waiting until a year. He has met all his physical milestones early, so I believe he is ready.
First grocery run
Like a kid at Christmas, I am anxious to play with my new toy. Unfortunately, the temperature has been in the 20s, and M won’t be big enough for the baby seat for at least another month, so family riding is out for a while. Riding it home in the snow the other day, just made me itchy to ride more. Today, I took advantage of the fact that Shannon was home, and rode to the grocery store.
It was a beautiful crisp cold day. The ride was short and uneventful. I used the Baguette panier bags for the first time. A gallon of milk fit easily, with plenty of room for other groceries as well. The ride home was a bit harder with the increased cargo weight, but the bike handled it with grace. I continue to be impressed with this bike and how well it rides.
The new bike is here
Today the shop called to say it was ready. It was snowing this afternoon, but it was the only time we could pick it up all week. Shannon came home early, and we drove to the bike shop. I rode home in the snow. Goggles would have been a good idea; visibility was terrible. The bike handles great and was fun to ride. Later this week I will start with A on the back, and once he is old enough M will ride on a seat in the front.
The beginning
Early in our relationship a friend of Shannon’s was playing at an open mic night, on the other side of the harbor. Driving wasn’t an option at night, because there wasn’t parking on either end. Our mutual friends were taking a cab. We ended up riding our bikes over. The only issue was that it was at night in January, and it was super cold. It started as a challenge posed in jest, but then the challenge was accepted and there was no backing down. We both had the clothes for it, but our friends thought we were nuts. It was our first ride together and I remember it being a great ride on a beautiful crisp, clear, and cold night.
Throughout our relationship we have continued to ride places together. It is our preferred method of transportation to get around the city. Once A was old enough we started taking her with us. One of my big concerns about having a second child was how we would continue to ride. We spent over a year researching and finally decided on a Yuba Mundo cargo bike. It hasn’t come in, and I am getting super anxious even though I know it is coming. We still have to find a place for it, and M needs to be a bit older before we can put him in a bike seat.
To market, to market
On the way to the farmers’ market today, I was almost hit on my bike. I was in the left lane turning left, and I was using hand signals. I was traveling at the same speed as the rest of the traffic. The car in the right lane decided to turn left, from the right lane. I don’t know if he didn’t see me, or thought he could beat me at the pass, but it was really scary. I am really glad Ada was with Shannon. I worry about biking in the city with Ada. I wish people would be patient and pay more attention to what they are doing. I wasn’t holding anyone up, and I was following all the local travel laws.
We had a great time once we arrived. While the fiddlers fiddled, Ada danced in her red boots. She then had her first plum of the season and several cherry tomatoes. She loves tomatoes and yelled every time we passed any.
I have always loved the how connected to the community I feel at the farmers’ market. This feeling has strengthened over the years. Now that I have a family I feel it even more. I love that my daughter is growing up a part of this community.