Family Bike Day is Saturday, May 26th! Join Perennial Cycle and us for a Family Day Pastry Ride and share stories of your family biking with #WeBikeMpls. Ahead of Family Bike Day, here's a profile of one of the many Minneapolitans riding with their kids--Sarah Tschida.
What do you like best about biking with your family? Where is your favorite place to bike with your kids?
It's fun! I love the social aspect -- we talk, sing songs, ding the bike bell, and say hello to people.
My favorite place to bike is to get ice cream. I also love to bike to all of the regular places we go as a family -- to the grocery store, farmers market, daycare, library, parks, hardware store, and more. It's a blast to be able to visit these places by bike and I constantly amaze myself with how much I can load up on my bike.
What tips would you have for parents thinking about biking with their kids?
Connect with bike families! I love talking with people about family biking and sharing tips and advice for bike set-ups, routes, safety, etc. I'm always stopping someone at the park or outside of the grocery store to ask them about their bike set-up. You can join the Moms Bike Mpls Facebook group if you are a female-identifying or non-gender conforming caregiver. We are a supportive group using our collective wisdom to share tips, resources, and ideas. We also sell and swap gear with each other. Last summer we organized a Family Bike Expo at Open Streets where people could try out various bike set-ups and we hope to offer that again this year.
Join a family ride! Organized family bike rides are becoming more popular in Minneapolis! Join the May 26 ride, check out Kidical Mass South Minneapolis, or organize your own!
Pick up some used gear! I have scored free bike seats in my alley and on Nextdoor. I see bike trailers, tag-a-longs, helmets, and more for sale on Facebook marketplace and buy/sell/swap groups all the time. You can certainly make an investment in family biking but you can also do it on a budget by buying used.
What would make biking with your family better?
First and foremost - streets that are designed for people! I need to feel safe when I'm biking with my family. To feel safe I need protected bikeways and road design that calms traffic.
Next, more people on bikes! I believe our streets become more safe when we have more people on bikes. When there are more people riding, we have more visibility, we help to normalize biking, and we help to calm traffic. Also, I believe my experience biking makes me a better driver. I'm much more cautious and aware of my surroundings when I drive because I know what it is like to bike next to cars. If more people in Minneapolis try out biking then we build empathy in our community which can result in safer and more enjoyable streets that benefit us all.
