riding into the sunset

Welcome to the end of our September.  Thirty days, 92 miles on our van (woot woot!).  I didn't keep track, but my best guess is nearly 600 miles on our bikes.  That was our primary mode of "transportation," although we did a lot of walking, too.  In short, we did it.  We managed to drive under 100 miles on the van in the whole month of September!  We weathered rain (pun intended).  We hauled groceries (yes, I'll take some help out with those bags, thank you).  We survived all of it without major incident, injury, or insanity.  We got to school, every day, on time (possibly the biggest miracle of all).  We even earned a bit of a reputation as "that biking family."  Again, woot woot!

While I'm frankly surprised by my own stamina and perseverance, I have to say that the biggest applause goes to the boys.  Obi-1 rode all of his biking miles on his own.  He is, as they say in Bike City, 100% kid-powered.  This is particularly impressive as he turned 7 years old in the early part of this month.  I know a great many 7-year-olds who aren't riding on two wheels, much less leading a pack on the city street commute, complete with signals, traffic knowledge, and incredible leadership.  Obi-2, not to be outdone at only 5 years old, rode about 60% of the time on his own bike.  He hopped on our "trail-a-bike" or in the trailer for a few longer or rainier trips, but has proven himself a respectable biker and able to keep up with older kids without the advantage of shifting gears.  Obi-3, of course, also wins big kudos for patiently riding all of the "and back" portions of the school drop-off & pick-up, grocery and library errands mid-day, and camping out in the seat or trailer for meetings, soccer practices, and every other little adventure.  He kept his sippy cup from falling onto the street most days, and has become pretty adept at playing travel theme songs on the kazoo.  Plus, he safely wins the prize for "cutest in a helmet."

I have to admit, I kind of like biking.  I recall liking it a few years ago, when we first really got into it as a family.  Back then, I would haul both older boys around in the trailer - mostly to & from school - and Mr. Kenobi and I would enjoy many "family bike rides" with the boys toted around behind us.  Midway through my pregnancy (and winter) with Obi-3, I stopped riding, and we had to wait for family bike rides until he was old enough to wear that adorable helmet and ride along.  In the meantime, friends who didn't even ride bikes have become carless, bike-only families.  Families at school have taken the charge to bike and organized events and trains.  Meanwhile, I sat in my minivan quite comfortably, thank-you-very-much.  I probably averaged about 400 miles per month on my van, plus extras if there was a big trip or vacation (say, 4500 miles in a summer month!), or if I got stir-crazy and went on a bunch of errands just to get out of the house.

Now I'm back on the saddle, and the older boys have grown into their own two wheels.  It's quite different to go anywhere, constantly watching them in addition to eyeing traffic, road hazards, and the route.  It's the best and worst of multi-tasking, and it sometimes brings out the best and worst of me.  Still, I love the crunch of the leaves under my wheels almost as much as Obi-2, who swerves into the gutters to see the swirl of color around his wheels.  I love how much Obi-1 delights in the chirps of crickets, and listening with him as we lead a bike train of friends back from an evening church service.  I even like Obi-3's slippered feet kicking me, begging for their lounging spot on my seat as he giggles at me tickling his toes in return.

There's more, too.  It was good to pedal out aggression, frustration, or apathy before it found a way into my words or expressions.  I'm thankful for the moments of after-school peace that biking has afforded us, smoothing out some of the rough edges from these first weeks of classes and forcing everyone to take some deep breaths.  It's nice to have a built-in conversation starter when meeting new people, and I've chuckled at how quickly people recognized that if I could do this, anyone can!  I've allowed myself to be just lazy enough that I wouldn't head out to the store for one item, since it would require a walk or bike ride, and instead I used what I had on hand.  Still, it was good to push myself (and the kids) to be prepared early so there's time to get everyone safely transported, locked, and unloaded at our destination.

As rewards for their contributions, I got the boys bike gloves.  They were delighted.  Tomorrow may be the first day of October, and next week we'll be leading a "bike train" of parents and kids on our route to school.  As days get shorter, colder, and wetter, we'll put on warmer clothes and stay flexible.

For now, I thank everyone for helping and encouraging us, and I pass on the challenge to you.  Yes, YOU.  The Kenobi family walked, biked, rode the train, and stayed put this month.  We combined errands and thought through our real needs before going out.  We asked for help from others, carpooled, and prioritized.  I lost weight and pants sizes.  We lost time on the freeway, but gained time with each other on the roads.  We went an entire month on very few miles.

I don't challenge anyone to save the world or pretend you could by pedaling around town, but I do think you might, as I did, find some value in this experiment.  Our own ongoing challenge will continue: we hope to average about 200 miles or less on our car each month in the coming year, except for major trips and vacations.  This doubles our mileage of September's challenge, allowing a little more driving for weather and wants, yet demanding that we keep practicing efficiency.  To go a whole year at under 2500 miles means we will get outside quite a bit.

What is possible for you?  What might you learn, gain, or lose in the process?  Let me know...

Love,
MamaToo