Tales from today's utility ride

[annedonnelly]

Yesterday, actually...

I had to go from the town centre to the outskirts of town to drop something off. There was a strong head-wind so I didn't fancy going up the main road and struggling with traffic as well as the wind, so I took the NCN route up the river side. A bit further but no traffic and shelter from the wind in a couple of places.

As I was approaching a bend I glimpsed a couple of cyclists heading my way. When I rounded the bend there was a large group - maybe 30 or so. They were mainly children with some adult supervisors. As soon as they saw me they all moved into single file so there was plenty of room for me to pass them (adults in groups please note!). Then, as I passed they all smiled, said "hello" or gave me a thumbs-up. Lovely, courteous young people enjoying their cycling.

I'm pretty sure they'd be from the primary school just round the corner who do loads of cycling stuff. Great to see.

 

[Pale Rider]

Yesterday, actually...

I had to go from the town centre to the outskirts of town to drop something off. There was a strong head-wind so I didn't fancy going up the main road and struggling with traffic as well as the wind, so I took the NCN route up the river side. A bit further but no traffic and shelter from the wind in a couple of places.

As I was approaching a bend I glimpsed a couple of cyclists heading my way. When I rounded the bend there was a large group - maybe 30 or so. They were mainly children with some adult supervisors. As soon as they saw me they all moved into single file so there was plenty of room for me to pass them (adults in groups please note!). Then, as I passed they all smiled, said "hello" or gave me a thumbs-up. Lovely, courteous young people enjoying their cycling.

I'm pretty sure they'd be from the primary school just round the corner who do loads of cycling stuff. Great to see.

Ah, that's nice.

I've seen a couple of similar groups on the C2C near me.

I think the leaders were part of the SkyRide programme.

Hopefully that can continue in the wake of Sky withdrawing their sponsorship.

 

[KneesUp]

My car is being fixed today but it's not worth me going to work because it won't take long. My bike was in the car anyway so I was going to go into town, but it's really quite warm and I'm in work clothes so I've ridden all of a mile to a cash machine and another half a mile to a coffee shop. I've now got an hour to kill, a coffee and a book. Does that count as a utility ride?

 

[seraphina]

Had one of those days when I realised why the car is so popular....

Decided to take the younger child (18m) into Cambridge using train/bike combo. He loves going in the trailer, but didn't want to take the trailer on the train so thought I'd put him in the seat instead. That was the first mistake, he hated it and howled the whole way to the station (1.5 miles). Got to station and then had dilemma of how to purchase ticket. Could take howling toddler out of child seat and prop bike up but then have unrestrained toddler next to edge of platform and can't restrain him and buy ticket at same time. No stand on bike (my mistake) and nowhere to rest bike stabily. So propped bike+toddler against ticket machine and bought ticket over top of child seat. Phase 1 complete.

Phase 2: get bike+toddler on train. Cross to correct platform (over level crossing so no problem). Hold toddler whilst train arrives. Throw toddler into train, leg it back to wrestle bike over gap and step onto train whilst toddler attemps to rexit train. Kind passenger restrains toddler whilst I curse at bike which has just sliced open my thumb as I jam it into the bay. Console howling toddler whilst abandoning bike to heap on floor. Apologise profusely to all other souls in the carriage.

Get to Cambridge and attempt to get toddler and bike off train; kind passenger lifts bike out whilst I deal with toddler. Prop bike against shelter as I attempt to wrestle stiff-bodied toddler back into seat without anyone landing on train tracks. Negotiate busy station full of people refusing to get out of way, toddler alternating between waving and howling.

Complete purchases in Cambridge satsifactorily, bribe toddler with chocolate to get back on the seat. Arrive back at Cambridge station to find that it's 50 mins until next train. Only find this out after we get past ticket barriers. Would have cycled home but see above re: toddler and hating the seat. Nowhere to park a bicycle whilst we wait so I stash it behind some seats and, in the absense of a bar serving gin and tonic, retreat to cafe for coffee and more muffin-related toddler bribery. Getting toddler and bike on to train is easier as it's a terminus and a newer train so toddler legs it down the carriage whilst I go back for bike. Bike falls over in vestibule and lies abandoned on the basis that it will only fall over again. Repeat circus act at home station to get toddler and bike off train with no-one ending up under the train.

I now have newfound respect for anyone who has even the slightest mobility problems. I never realised just how difficult the step across the gap and up to a train is. There is no way I could have gotten a trailer on the train, even if there were space for one.

I am a big fan of utility cycling and want my kids to see it as a default option for getting around but by God it was very, very hard to remain calm today. And this was in and around Cambridge, which is generally a very pro-cycling city....

 

[classic33]

Had one of those days when I realised why the car is so popular....

Decided to take the younger child (18m) into Cambridge using train/bike combo. He loves going in the trailer, but didn't want to take the trailer on the train so thought I'd put him in the seat instead. That was the first mistake, he hated it and howled the whole way to the station (1.5 miles). Got to station and then had dilemma of how to purchase ticket. Could take howling toddler out of child seat and prop bike up but then have unrestrained toddler next to edge of platform and can't restrain him and buy ticket at same time. No stand on bike (my mistake) and nowhere to rest bike stabily. So propped bike+toddler against ticket machine and bought ticket over top of child seat. Phase 1 complete.

Phase 2: get bike+toddler on train. Cross to correct platform (over level crossing so no problem). Hold toddler whilst train arrives. Throw toddler into train, leg it back to wrestle bike over gap and step onto train whilst toddler attemps to rexit train. Kind passenger restrains toddler whilst I curse at bike which has just sliced open my thumb as I jam it into the bay. Console howling toddler whilst abandoning bike to heap on floor. Apologise profusely to all other souls in the carriage.

Get to Cambridge and attempt to get toddler and bike off train; kind passenger lifts bike out whilst I deal with toddler. Prop bike against shelter as I attempt to wrestle stiff-bodied toddler back into seat without anyone landing on train tracks. Negotiate busy station full of people refusing to get out of way, toddler alternating between waving and howling.

Complete purchases in Cambridge satsifactorily, bribe toddler with chocolate to get back on the seat. Arrive back at Cambridge station to find that it's 50 mins until next train. Only find this out after we get past ticket barriers. Would have cycled home but see above re: toddler and hating the seat. Nowhere to park a bicycle whilst we wait so I stash it behind some seats and, in the absense of a bar serving gin and tonic, retreat to cafe for coffee and more muffin-related toddler bribery. Getting toddler and bike on to train is easier as it's a terminus and a newer train so toddler legs it down the carriage whilst I go back for bike. Bike falls over in vestibule and lies abandoned on the basis that it will only fall over again. Repeat circus act at home station to get toddler and bike off train with no-one ending up under the train.

I now have newfound respect for anyone who has even the slightest mobility problems. I never realised just how difficult the step across the gap and up to a train is. There is no way I could have gotten a trailer on the train, even if there were space for one.

I am a big fan of utility cycling and want my kids to see it as a default option for getting around but by God it was very, very hard to remain calm today. And this was in and around Cambridge, which is generally a very pro-cycling city....

Repeat tomorrow?

 

[mjr]

Had one of those days when I realised why the car is so popular....

Don't worry: a day like that, a car would have broken down on the way in, the toddler would have screamed the whole time you waited for the team car breakdown service, then you wouldn't have been able to find anywhere to park, decide to chance it, get clamped, the toddler would have screamed the whole time you waited for the clampers to release you and then you'd run out of fuel on the way home

 

[Jayaly]

Had one of those days when I realised why the car is so popular....

Decided to take the younger child (18m) into Cambridge using train/bike combo. He loves going in the trailer, but didn't want to take the trailer on the train so thought I'd put him in the seat instead. That was the first mistake, he hated it and howled the whole way to the station (1.5 miles). Got to station and then had dilemma of how to purchase ticket. Could take howling toddler out of child seat and prop bike up but then have unrestrained toddler next to edge of platform and can't restrain him and buy ticket at same time. No stand on bike (my mistake) and nowhere to rest bike stabily. So propped bike+toddler against ticket machine and bought ticket over top of child seat. Phase 1 complete.

Phase 2: get bike+toddler on train. Cross to correct platform (over level crossing so no problem). Hold toddler whilst train arrives. Throw toddler into train, leg it back to wrestle bike over gap and step onto train whilst toddler attemps to rexit train. Kind passenger restrains toddler whilst I curse at bike which has just sliced open my thumb as I jam it into the bay. Console howling toddler whilst abandoning bike to heap on floor. Apologise profusely to all other souls in the carriage.

Get to Cambridge and attempt to get toddler and bike off train; kind passenger lifts bike out whilst I deal with toddler. Prop bike against shelter as I attempt to wrestle stiff-bodied toddler back into seat without anyone landing on train tracks. Negotiate busy station full of people refusing to get out of way, toddler alternating between waving and howling.

Complete purchases in Cambridge satsifactorily, bribe toddler with chocolate to get back on the seat. Arrive back at Cambridge station to find that it's 50 mins until next train. Only find this out after we get past ticket barriers. Would have cycled home but see above re: toddler and hating the seat. Nowhere to park a bicycle whilst we wait so I stash it behind some seats and, in the absense of a bar serving gin and tonic, retreat to cafe for coffee and more muffin-related toddler bribery. Getting toddler and bike on to train is easier as it's a terminus and a newer train so toddler legs it down the carriage whilst I go back for bike. Bike falls over in vestibule and lies abandoned on the basis that it will only fall over again. Repeat circus act at home station to get toddler and bike off train with no-one ending up under the train.

I now have newfound respect for anyone who has even the slightest mobility problems. I never realised just how difficult the step across the gap and up to a train is. There is no way I could have gotten a trailer on the train, even if there were space for one.

I am a big fan of utility cycling and want my kids to see it as a default option for getting around but by God it was very, very hard to remain calm today. And this was in and around Cambridge, which is generally a very pro-cycling city....

I feel your pain. I was so smug about cycling all over the place with Smallest Boy on the back for a year, then he got a balance bike for his third birthday and suddenly it was: "Two bikes! TWO BIKES!" with associated yelling, trying to fold a stiff body into the seat and fists hammering my back with rage for the next mile. I drive more than I used to on the basis that at least when he's pitching a fit in the car seat, he can't reach me.

 

[Jayaly]

...and I confess that I keep a child walking harness in my kit for the sole purpose of tying him to a lamp post in the event of a p*ncture or similar on route.

 

[seraphina]

I can also turn the radio up on the car as well to drown out any howls.....

I do need to get back on the horse, as it were - I usually trailer them both to groups on Friday but we have other plans which necessitate a car journey, so it's one for the weekend. The reins for tying up toddler is genius - the small boy is only happy when he is holding the reins though so we have deployed reins and Little Life backpack so everyone is happily holding on to something.

The most frustrating thing is that this journey should be PERFECT for mixed mode travel - nice pootle to station at both ends, and saving the nightmare of trying to find a parking space in Cambridge. So to find it so difficult (and expensive, to boot) is deeply depressing.

 

[classic33]

...and I confess that I keep a child walking harness in my kit for the sole purpose of tying him to a lamp post in the event of a p*ncture or similar on route.

That's cruel!!

 

[mjr]

That's cruel!!

Kinder than duct taping him!

 

[summerdays]

Kinder than duct taping him!

That's what I was thinking she would use

But the truth is if you had to deal with a puncture and a child that you couldn't trust to remain on the pavement it would be very hard work. I didn't cycle at the time but one of mine didn't go through the stranger fear stage, and the opposite.... gravitated towards them... I can remember being in swimming pools and unknown people coming up and playing with them! Or strangers asking to take photos of such a sweet child .... (usually immediately after they had pulled a mega temper tantrum and we weren't quite calm even if they were!)

 

[Karlt]

Stupid idiots coming out of the church hall car park when I'm taking Boy #2 to cubs. The entrance lane isn't wide enough for a car and any other vehicle, so kindly don't drive straight at the boy. Twats.

 

[classic33]

Stupid idiots coming out of the church hall car park when I'm taking Boy #2 to cubs. The entrance lane isn't wide enough for a car and any other vehicle, so kindly don't drive straight at the boy. Twats.

???

 

[Jayaly]

Kinder than duct taping him!