Confessions from Riding Phrius and Support of Fellow Car Freers

I started our Riding Phrius blog to share the day-to-day joys (and challenges) of a young family living car free. It has been a gratifying means to share our experiences with family and friends and hopefully many others. But on Friday morning I got an especially gratifying comment from Henry's teacher. "Andy, I love your blog, it has helped inspire us to remain car free." Henry's teacher and her husband recently had a baby. They were on the verge of buying a used car. In fact they were so close that her husband found a car, went to the dealer the next day expecting to buy it only to learn that they had just sold it to somebody else! So car freedom, desired or not, prevailed. I am really glad that Riding Phrius can help inspire and confirm the unique quality of life that comes from being car free.

I must confess that Hillary and I have had many discussions in the last few months about the emerging constraints of not having a car. Believe it or not, we have been "Riding Phrius" for over 8 years! Neither of us thought we would go that long. We knew that as the kids got older and more and more involved in activities, the desire to have easier access to a car would increase. Hillary would really like to be able to get out of the city more regularly to visit regional parks and friends. Theo recently announced that he wants to do a kids cross-country ski race next year. There is this awesome Minnesota Youth Ski League that Theo could join to really learn how to ski, but it meets at a park on the other side of Minneapolis. (Note: we could actually get there on a single bus from our neighborhood to the park, but it would be a 50 minute ride-- kind of long to do every Sunday with kids, especially if we want to get to church or anything else that day). And the kids are getting bigger and heavier to pedal around in the Winther Kangaroo. Theo is riding much more, but not in the winter, or the pouring rain, or when the trip is longer than a few miles.

If an HourCar hub was near us on Lake St... if we still had a closer car to borrow...if the recent winter hadn't been so snowy and long....we might feel this less. Still, I think those days when we need to make those longer trips inside and just outside the city are relatively few in number, like maybe 20 extra days a year? To own a car for those extra days, would compromise so many of our prime biking days. We would lose many more biking days to driving short trips around town simply because a car was right in front of the house. We would lose out on so many days of short bike trips and the attendant surprises - a fresh breeze, a glimpse of a flying Cooper's Hawk, bike to bike conversations with the kids, etc.

The draw to have a car is so strong. Cars are embedded in American culture and individual identity. For most people, whether it be a sports car, a hybrid, or an SUV, their choice of a car sends important messages about them. They like speed, they want to be green, they want be seen as "outdoorsy". NPR's Marketplace just noted this in the beginning of a series that will be exploring the costs of car ownership over the next few weeks. I look forward to hearing that discussion.  Here is the kickoff, that I paraphrased in this paragraph.

Theo joins me in 30 Days of Biking: the first 10 days

"Theo, do you want to ride your bike every day for the next 30 days?" I asked.  "Sure, Dad!" Theo replies.  I took the pledge for 30 Days of Biking and am so psyched that Theo, at 4 going on five, was up for it too.  He rode his bike to and from school the first day when the AM temperature was 35 degrees and there were still ice patches on the sidewalk.

Day 2: Late afternoon bike ride to the nearby school park.  Bobike for Henry.  Kids love the Bobike, Henry is no exception.

Day 3: Family morning ride to park for Theo to play with his friend.

Day 4: "Theo do you want to ride your bike to school today?", Hillary asked.  "Of course, mom, it is 30 Days of Biking!"

Day 5: I left the rusty, studded tire, sluggish winter bike (named "I.N.D.Y.": It's Not Dead Yet) in the garage and finally pulled the Italian Stallion out for the non-winter commutes.  Such a nice ride!   Theo made it to dinner time without riding.  So we took a beautiful evening family ride around the block.  Henry just loves the Bobike.  He frequently says, "Henry go on Bobike" and now gets upset if we try to divert him to the Roo.  In recognition of all the growing Theo has done since biking last fall, I raised his seat.  He was skeptical of the need, but did not resist.

Day 6: Theo bikes the mile to and from school again today.  "It's a beautiful day for a bike ride, Mommy.  Boy, it's a good thing that Daddy raised my seat."

Day 7: I was blessed with a beautiful view of a Bald Eagle flying along the Mississippi River Gorge during my morning bike commute. It landed in a tree further ahead on the bike trail.  I biked by it and there it was perched next to another Bald Eagle!  These are the wonderful moments that come with lots of time outside

Day 8: Fun to bike with Theo to school today.  He told me all about the erosion happening along the sidewalk on 31st Ave.  He spotted a Robin on the corner of a building.

I arrived home from my bike commute and met up with Hillary, Theo and Henry just as they were biking home from school.  Theo and I started a round of what I will call "Alley Cat".  This is a "game" we started last year.  It consists of biking circles and figure-eights in the alley behind our house.  We wind around whatever obstacles, trash cans, parked cars, in a low grade chase.  He loves it - it is a lot of fun.  Here I am in hot pursuit...

Day 9: Mommy, "Theo, we need to go to the post office."  Theo, "And we'll ride our bikes because it's 30 Days of Biking!"

Day 10:  More "Alley Cat" for Theo and me today.  It is actually a great game for practicing biking and testing your limits a bit.  Theo gets to practice tight turns and the braking and control necessary for them.  He has to deal with uneven surfaces and gravel.  He took a spill on the gravel  and luckily landed unhurt but all the better for the lesson of being extra careful with gravelly surfaces.  He blamed Hillary for distracting him and causing him to fall.  Another good lesson, there will always be distractions, one must stay focused despite them.

Theo is really into 30 Days of Biking.  Yesterday (day 12) he, Hillary, and Henry just missed the bus to the YWCA.  Theo quickly responded, "That is OK, Mommy.  We can ride our bikes instead because it is 30 Days of Biking!"  They had a great ride to the Y and got a bonus stop at the library on the way home.

Just do it: 30 days of Biking this April

I participated in 30 Days of Biking last April and one month last fall. This is a great way to help you get your bike out early this year and experience spring from the bicycle lane or trail or road.  Even a trip around the block is rewarding (I had many days where that is all I did.).  But then you can work up to longer trips. 30 days of biking changed people's lives last year.  People lost weight.  People started bike commuting regularly.  There were some great stories.  And it also builds community.  It was the first time where I appreciated the power of an online community of participants tweeting about their bike rides every day or writing about it in their blogs.

And you can do it wherever you live!  People from all over the world have taken the pledge.  World bikers unite!

Register here: http://bit.ly/30Register

Let me know how it goes for you.

Here is a cool Wordle made from the motivations stated by people who have already registered.  

Fun video of bicycles in winter in Minneapolis - and Henry and I are in it!

Even as a winter biker I have been quite amazed at the conditions that Minneapolis' winter bike riders have endured this winter.  They were out after the big 17 inch snow storm and in and after the many storms after that.  They got quite a bit of media attention too.  Hardy winter commuters kept up there 18 mile or more commutes.  Impressive. 

A Minneapolis woman was also impressed and did a photo essay of Minneapolis' winter riders.  She turned it into a YouTube video.  Just before she completed it, she saw Henry, Moxie (the dog) and I pull up in front of Theo and Henry's school in the Winther Kangaroo.  She couldn't resist taking some photos.  So we appear at the 2 minute mark of the video.  Enjoy!

The Day that Devolved into a Trip to The Mall of America

Did you know it was "Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend" this weekend in Minnesota? I learned about it weeks ago and finally looked up events at local state parks yesterday. Finding a Child/parent ice fishing clinic at our nearby Fort Snelling State Park for this afternoon, I was psyched. I asked Theo if he wanted to go. He certainly did and starting planning his day around it, wanting to call a friend to come along. Just to make sure we could participate, I called the park. Turns out the clinic filled up weeks ago. Damn.

A very disappointed 4-yr old quickly rejected all alternative suggestions for an outing. Even our typically successful offers of going to the Mississippi River Gorge for a walk/ski or going to the park failed. Descriptors like "boring" and "not fun" were used. Theo was dead set on going to "that place that Henry went to with the baby sitter yesterday, that place with Legos and other fun things". That place would be the one and only Mall of America. That place that I avoided visiting during my first five years in Minnesota. That place that I have only visited about three times during my second five years here. Truly enjoying these occasional forays to the MOA, I offered to take Theo and Henry to the MOA for Lego land time, one ride at Nickelodeon Universe, and one food item. It would be our first outing together to the Mall and I knew I better set some limits ahead of time.

We set out with the double Bob stroller on the 3/4 mile walk to the light rail station. Once there, we were offered meat to buy by a man waiting for the train. We politely declined. He looked at T and H and proceeded to tell us about the $150,000 he has sunk into child support for his son who reputedly just got a scholarship to Yale. (BTW, you gotta love the characters that you meet and the stories that you hear while taking public transportation. They never cease to amaze!)

Long story short: we joined the mobs at the MOA, breezed through Lego land (Theo was not that interested), rode the carousel and Ferris wheel, got ice cream, strolled around a bit, and headed home. Both kids fell asleep on the train giving me the opening to pick up some things at the grocery store on the way home. Ah, the beauty of being able to go everywhere with a stroller and not have to get in and out of car seats! Yes, it was a long excursion, five hours, but I sure got my exercise in!

The MOA was fun in its novel way. But I really wish we could have gone ice fishing.

Riding Phrius to the Opera

The free parking ticket was of no use. But the affordable tickets for two to the Minnesota Opera were just the gift for me to give to Hillary for Christmas this year.  (An opera buff friend suggested it - little did I know she had been wanting to go to an opera for a long time!)  We decided to go all out on our clothing since it was opening night.  I donned my tuxedo from orchestra playing days and Hillary wore a beautiful long burgundy dress.  We had the babysitter all lined up and even checked in with her earlier in the afternoon. Due to the house by 4:55, we were quite worried when she had not arrived at 5:10, 15 minutes before our bus. When we weren't able to reach her, we scrambled to find a backup plan.  Hoping to at least make the opera (skipping our dinner reservation), Hillary began calling alternate sitters.  Long story short, our original babysitter thankfully arrived at 5:38. We quickly reviewed the transportation options: catch the next bus in 3 minutes (long shot) and arrive at the restaurant with well less then an hour to eat, or call a taxi and maybe make our 6 pm reservation.  We called the taxi, hoping it would arrive quickly.  Our lucky night.  It came within 5 minutes and got us to Pazzaluna in downtown St. Paul at 5:58. Well worth the $20 cab fare to ensure we got to eat dinner and enjoy the full evening.

Perks of dates via the bus: the extra time you need for the bus gives you plenty of flexibility when situations change.  This time a taxi provided the backup.  In the summer months our bikes have served as a good backup.

The opera - Donizetti's Mary Stuart at the Ordway - was fantastic.  It was our first real opera production, and we savored the opening night scene.  As our opera guide told me, you can never be overdressed at the opera!  It was amazing to see everyone all dressed up and hear about others' opera going traditions.  And of course it was great to hear and see great singers acting in an excellent set.  The ice sculptures for the 125th St. Paul Winter Carnival were a nice bonus, and we enjoyed a relaxing bus ride home. But thank goodness for taxis when you need one!

Taxi Time and the Siberian Express

Living car free for us means using many modes of transportation. That includes taxis. Last winter we used a taxi 13 times during December - February. That comes down to about once per week.  With some serious cold (-15 one morning) and mashed potato snow on the roads over the last few weeks, our taxi use has mushroomed.  I asked Hillary how many taxis she took during the first week of the deep freeze. "Not enough," she replied.  One day entailed three taxi trips - one for a chiropractor appointment, one the the kids' doctor appointments, and one to return home.  The next day came to two taxi trips - one to get the kids to school from which Hillary walked the 1/4 mile to the food co-op and took a taxi home.  For that one week alone we neared last year's whole winter taxi total.  A similar scene played out the next week.

The mid-December "Domebuster" storm in action.  Theo is loving the shoveling action and weather drama.  Henry is telling me, "Enough!  Cold! Inside!"

Granted, it has been quite a winter here in the Twin Cities.  Low temperatures during "Taxi time" were accompanied by weather descriptions like "Siberian Express"  and "Arctic Invasion."  In mid-December we got the 17.1" "Domebuster" snow storm, the fifth largest snow storm on record for the Twin Cities.  So far we have received 55.4" of snow in the Twin Cities, nearly a winter's average...by mid-January.  Oncoming cars are nearly invisible behind the 4+ foot snow banks at intersections.  Streets are very narrow with plow berms extending 4-6' from the curbs.  We have had a mini-snow drought the last two weeks, but with a few 1-3" snow storms here and there (never enough to declare a snow emergency and get the side streets plowed) we have been slogging through mashed potato snow, especially challenging for riding the 'Roo.

All told, I haven't done my bike commute to work in nearly 2 months.  Depressing.  But I am hoping to try a bike trail focused route soon.  And now with the return of more average temperatures, we are back to riding bikes to get around the neighborhood.