Our fifth Critical Lass ride was the first on an evening that was threatening rain, after a few solid days of unusually wet and miserable weather, so our group was small but mighty.
We met at the Bicycle Bottleneck, and lingered there chatting for awhile while some of us finished our chai, lattes, and poutine.
(No matter how carefully you trim and lay them out, they shift in the laminator - argh!
Next time we'll do double-sided printing on cardstock. Lesson learnt.)
We're so happy that Selene was able to join us during her brief visit!
Lots of stylish raincoats and cardigans.
Plastic capes in case of a downpour stashed in baskets and messenger-style bags.
Selene's sweet Raleigh mixte - swoooon.
Monie's Apollo with awesome cork-looking grips!
Geneva's made-in-Japan Apollo was rescued after several months' abandonment in a back alley...
Can you believe that Marilyn's fab shoes are second-hand?
When we got rolling, we skirted the U of A campus
and headed south on the multi-user path beside the LRT on 114th Street.
panda self portrait
Stopping to decide which restaurant to head to and call ahead for a reservation
after picking up Miss Sarah en route.
(Click the link to see her photo essay on the ride!)
The official bike path takes a detour into Lendrum that's a bit difficult to follow.
Where the bike path rejoined our route, we were split between street and path for the first block.
We also missed the official (unmarked!) spot where the multiuser path
crosses busy 111th Street just south of Southgate LRT station,
so we ended up single file on the sidewalk for a few blocks until we could cross at 40th Avenue.
By this time the sky was clearing and trench coats were feeling rather warm.
It's so hard to get an unposed photo of Miss Sarah without her camera in front of her face.
Duggan is a pretty typical 1970s residential neighborhood -
large lots, mature trees, lots of bungalows and split-levels.
Traffic was light on 40th Avenue and 106th Street so we felt really comfortable taking the lane.
Monie does mock outrage pretty well, no?
This sign was next to the bike racks we used at Whitemud Crossing.
Our destination. So good we forgot to take photos of the delicious food.
Having a smaller group for the ride meant we had a tatami room
and could indulge in serious girl talk.
Heading north on 106th Street before we all headed our separate ways.
Isn't Geneva's belt-bag the coolest dumpster dive find ever?
After parting ways to our various end points (some took to LRT for speedy home time, others returned to the Bottleneck), myself and Deb rode over to the multi-use path beside 91 street and down to my place in Mill Woods. Google maps says we did just under 20km total that evening. It felt great!
Deb with her '72 Phillips, just before we swapped bikes on the way back to Mill Woods. Photo without flash.
Luckily, it never did rain - not even a drop! Thanks to everyone who came out for a delightful evening. Your camaraderie would have made it fun even if the heavens had opened!
One of the key aspects of creating walkable and bikeable neighbourhoods is to funnel traffic onto arterial streets and use traffic calming measures on the residential streets. For the most part, this seems to work pretty well in my neighborhood. Frequent speed bumps and traffic circles keep traffic speeds low and discourage cut-through traffic. The streets are narrow and tree-lined, making it pleasant for walking. It's quiet enough that I can give my son a little more freedom and let him run or bike to the corner on his own, though he still needs to wait for me to cross the street. It's a pretty comfortable environment for novice cyclists as well.
Until...you reach the arterials. These busy streets have high traffic volumes and speeds and often no safe way across for pedestrians and cyclists. If there is a street light, it's only triggered by the presence of a car on the secondary street - a cyclist can wait until nightfall without getting a green light. These arterials effectively form a moat or wall, separating my neighbourhood from parks, stores, friends - all the places that I want to use my bike to get to. Now, when I'm riding on my own, I can watch the traffic and usually find a gap between the cars that is big enough to dash across the road, even if it is a little hair-raising. When riding with my son, though, I was forced to either make a substantial detour to find a friendlier crossing or to dismount, hop up onto the sidewalk and press the button to trigger the pedestrian signal. Both options are annoying.
Last fall, my world changed. I discovered the Magic Stoplights. When a secondary street crosses an arterial, the city of Seattle typically installs an induction coil. If a car is waiting, the metal in the car triggers the switch, changing the light on the secondary street from red to green. In the photo below, you can just see the circular cut in the pavement where the induction coil was installed. What I didn't know is that a bike can trigger also trigger the switch! Because a bicycle has so much less metal than a car, position is key. You have to place your front tire on the little white T, approximately at 9:00 or 3:00 on the circle.
Placing a bike wheel on the "T" triggers the green light.
SDOT has recently changed the marking to the cute little cyclist shown below. I haven't seen any in my neighbourhood, but I have spotted one or two around the city.
Photo courtesy of Seattlebikeblog.com
This seems so simple, but it makes a world of difference in finding safe, convenient routes to our destinations. It's a great compromise, allowing safe crossings to cyclists, while maintaining good traffic flow on the arterials.
The main gap now is publicity - far too many cyclists have no idea what the markings mean. Every time I see a cyclist waiting for the light at the wrong spot, I make a point of telling them how to do it. I'm on a mission to spread the word!
Update: I was as at a neighbourhood meeting last night and chatted with a real, live traffic engineer. Apparently, the little white T marks the position of the induction lead, so positioning yourself on the opposite side of the circle won't work. Also, he recommended placing the crank over the T, as that's the part of the bike with the most metal. If you have a steel frame, it probably won't matter, but if you have a carbon fork, the front wheel may not have enough metal to trigger the switch. I tried this on my way home, but, alas, I found I couldn't trigger the switch no matter what I did. I've wondered about that particular intersection before, but there are always enough drivers and pedestrians around during commuting hours that some one always triggered the light before long. Looks like I'll have to call SDOT on Monday.
It's been a busy few weeks, so although we've tweeted about the date for the next Critical Lass we have been remiss in posting! Here are the details:
When: Monday, June 20th, meet at 6:00 pm, depart at 6:30 pm (weekday evening chosen to not coincide with major Bikeology Festival events during Bike Month)
What: an inclusive social ride for women and trans cyclists in stylish clothes, on a route suitable for novice riders, to promote cycling as an approachable, fun, everyday activity
Where: meeting at the Bicycle Bottleneck (that's the intersection of Saskatchewan Drive, 109th Street, and 88 Avenue) on the sidewalk near High Level Diner
Route: this time we'll meander through the neighborhoods around the University of Alberta, south on the multi-user path along the LRT line, and east on 40th Avenue to the Whitemud Crossing area (which will soon be easily reachable via the soon-to-be-installed 106th Street sharrows). Yokozuna Japanese Restaurant and Thai Valley Grill are among our choices for food afterward.
Update: yes, we know showers are currently in the forecast. We'll ride rain or shine.
Teaser!
We'll be making spoke cards using this cheeky 1940s postcard from my collection for attendees,
since our lovely friend Eri is too busy to make pins.
Upcoming rides (tentatively all scheduled on the 4th Sunday):
How do I get there? How do I find a route that feels safe but is still reasonably direct and, if I’m really lucky, enjoyable? Recreational bike paths are great fun, but don’t really help you when you just need to get around town. Many city bike lanes are on busy arterial streets that can be intimidating to potential cyclists and are not particularly family-friendly.
Enter the Neighbourhood Greenways (previously called Bike Boulevards). These are quiet streets that give priority to cyclists and pedestrians, while still allowing motorized traffic at lower speeds. They’re for people who don’t want to ride on the busy arterial streets, but still need to go somewhere. I’ve been a seasonal bicycle commuter for the last couple of years, and am moderately comfortable in traffic. However, when I make short neighbourhood trips, I prefer a low key route, particularly when towing my 5 year old on the trail-a-bike. It’s a dramatically different experience – I’m much slower and less agile with the trail-a-bike and ride much more conservatively. For instance, I need a much larger gap in traffic when crossing intersections.
The Neighbourhood Greenway idea is gaining momentum here in Seattle. Last week had some terrific blog posts describing both the concept and details of the campaign to bring them to Seattle:
Much of NW Seattle (including the Ballard, Greenwood and Crown Hill neighborhoods) should be well suited to this. The streets are laid out in a reasonably regular grid. It’s relatively flat, by Seattle standards, at least until you reach Phinney Ridge. Traffic calming measures, such as traffic circles and speed bumps, are already common to reduce speeds on residential streets and funnel through-traffic onto the arterials. The above photo is of a typical residential street in this area. It’s narrow – allowing parking on both sides of the street means that only a single car can pass at a time. This is actually an advantage to cyclists, as drivers are already used to going slow and taking turns to let each other pass.
Traffic circles, like the one above, dramatically slow vehicle speeds. Frankly, it’s annoying to drive around more than one or two at a time. In contrast, bikes can pass by them with only a slight curve – they’re really a piece of cake.
So, what’s special about a Neighbourhood Greenway? How is it different than just riding on the residential streets already there?
1. Priorities at intersections. Currently, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to cross arterials without a traffic light.
2. Signs and paint to make it clear that this is a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space.
3. Promoting a network. I think it’s great that folks in Seattle are thinking in terms of a network of Greenways - that's key to making them useful on an everyday basis, as opposed to a once-a-month recreation or novelty. This also presents novice cyclists with clear routes to reachable destinations. Such a contrast to the current situation where every new cyclist has to figure it out for themselves.
Over the next couple of months, I plan to ride many of the proposed routes to get a feel for the advantages and disadvantages of the different options. Along the way, I’ll post a few photos and my thoughts on the plans.
Happy Mothers' Day to me! This morning, ubermechanic Keith installed Fibrax ASH144 pads on Eliza's rod brakes and adjusted them for me, and also switched out the plastic Sturmey-Archer shifter for the prettier (and more reliable) chrome one that Bert can no longer use. The difference made by new brake pads was phenomenal - if you have a DL-1 with rod brakes, keep these in mind as something you may need to track down.
Then I drove, with Eliza on my car's rack, home to drop off my exasperated and bored daughter ("Mommmm! Can you stop talking about bikes so we can gooooo?!?"), then back to Century Park, which is the LRT station closest to my home and the end of the LRT line. It was time for Critical Lass!
The elevator at Century Park LRT station - you need to go up from the parking lot to a pedway over the road. Note the signage.
The elevators at both Century Park and Southgate stations are HUGE compared with the ones downtown.
Of course I ended up running a little late, and arrived on the platform just as the 1pm train was pulling away. No biggie, they run frequently even on Sundays, and soon I was off, with a firm grip on my bike and my hip wedged against the seat to keep the silly thing from rolling when the train started and stopped. A kickstand or wheel-lock would be handy.
I got off at Belgravia-McKernan station just in case, but nobody was there (I took the photo above while I was waiting), so I caught the next train and found Judy waiting for me on board. We had a great chat on the way, then were forced to carry my Raleigh and her Pashley up the stairs by an out-of-service-cos-it's-Sunday elevator at the Winspear exit from Churchill Station. Sigh.
Almost our whole group were waiting when we entered Churchill Square. Most of them are experienced cyclists living in core neighborhoods and had ridden the whole way.
For what it's worth, I'd say the whole bike-on-LRT experience was only a minor hassle, and an uninterrupted LRT trip from Century Park Station to downtown takes only about 15 minutes. And while I drove to the LRT today due to time constraints, I easily could have cycled or done a cycle-bus combo from the subdivision where I live way out by the Henday ring-road. The east-west MUP that runs along 23rd goes directly past the LRT station and probably takes 30 minutes or less to ride, depending on your speed.
I took all kinds of photos while we were hanging in Churchill Square,
but unfortunately they all look like this one of Keith holding Robert,
thanks to my malfunctioning camera.
Keith rode an amazing 1951 CCM camelback that he made into a fixie,
and he joked about looking like a hipster. We were so pleased that he came. Update: Keith has already posted his synopsis of the day's events! Since most of my shots of the bicycles didn't turn out I will defer to his post for that.
Somehow this shot is the only one I have with the Art Gallery of Alberta in the background.
Luckily I took a look at what my camera was producing,
and Karen was able to lend me hers for most of the rest of the ride. (Aren't you grateful?? I know I am.)
Unless otherwise noted, the rest of these were taken by me using her camera.
I didn't get many photos (thank you, crummy camera), but with such a lovely large empty space, we naturally all had to try each others' bikes out. I rode Karen's new Linus loopframe (SO nice). Here is Judy about to give Coreen's no-longer-Polar Porta-Bike vintage folder a go. Sarah is fixing the pictures she added to her basket in honour of Mothers Day. Aren't her gold heels fabulous?
At about the time we stopped playing musical bikes, a bulldog showed up and started riding a skateboard. At one point everyone in the square was cheering her on. So fun! It turns out her name is Buttercup and she's Sorta Internet Famous:
Daisy (Angel's Pro-Tour of unknown heritage) looks a proper mamachari now that she's had a heavy-duty rear rack and the found-via-Japanese-blogs child seat installed (here it's got the seat back flipped down for basket use). Angel reports that both her kids fit, and we can expect a proper review post soonish.
Group photo in front of Edmonton City Hall, courtesy of Miss Sarah.
Coreen and Porta-Bike, courtesy of Miss Sarah. Her vintage dress is the coolest.
Marilyn and Brompton, courtesy of Miss Sarah.
HOW did I not notice her t-straps today? So pretty!
The carillion at City Hall chimed just as we were leaving Churchill Square.
I think it was actually about 2pm, wasn't it?
Did we really spend that long chatting and checking out each others' bikes?
Maybe we did. Time flies.
Taking the lane.
Angel on Daisy, courtesy of Miss Sarah.
That wrap dress looks so much prettier on her than it did on me.
Judy on her Pashley.
It was a trench coat kind of day, breezy and mostly overcast with rain in the forecast.
Stopped at the lights. This may be the best shot of Monie's Fiori that's I got.
As you can see the Linus loopframe is brilliant for pulling a Chariot. Doesn't Sable look great on her Dahon? Doesn't her crossbody bag look like it's butter-soft?
Another shot of Karen on her new Linus and Robert in the Chariot, courtesy of Miss Sarah. Karen's leopard-print dress? Those shoes? So stylish. When my babies were that age I'm sure I wore nothing but yoga pants.
Monie balancing on her Fiori, courtesy of Miss Sarah. Cutest jacket ever. Wooden buttons!
On 104th Street Promenade, courtesy of Miss Sarah.
You can see a glimpse here of the architectural heritage and urban renewal
that made this block one of the focuses of yesterday's Jane's Walk.
(Everything I'm wearing is part of my Project 333 wardrobe, BTW.
Wow, black doesn't photograph well.)
Judy and Pashley, courtesy of Miss Sarah
Realtors' lockboxes on a bike rack outside Credo Coffee. WTF. Courtesy of Marilyn.
Monie's boyfriend brought a little something down to the cafe to supplement our lattes.
(Chocolate liqueur? Well, maybe just a little.)
Monie made him this book, isn't she clever?
Lovebirds.
Robert was an absolute angel, only complaining in the Chariot when we had to stop.
We sat and stood outside with our bikes and coffees and food.
After awhile we were all as cold as Marilyn looks. I love her dress and obi sash so much.
Angel enjoying a cuppa, courtesy of Miss Sarah.
When we were done our coffees we split up for a few minutes and took a quick peek in some of the local independently-owned shops that have sprung up on 104th. Coup was full of pretty frocks and baubles, and 29 Armstrong makes me want to throw away everything and redecorate. Having already had a machiato brownie at Credo, I skipped Queen of Tarts, but I'm regretting it as I type this.
When we realized the time we all hopped on our bikes to conclude our ride.
Angel and Monie waiting for me so I can take a photo at the entrance to High Level Bridge.
By this time the sun had come back out and a steady stream of walkers and cyclists were using the MUP across High Level Bridge. Coreen took a zillion photos as we were riding across. I'll link to her post once it's up.
After we split up, I decided I'd ride back through Garneau and McKernan to Belgravia-McKernan Station, but when I got there I had just missed the LRT, and the bike path beckoned. A shorter-than-usual ride so that people could head off for their Mothers Day plans had left me wanting more.
South Campus LRT station. I have just (accidentally-on-purpose) missed my train. Again. Oopsie!
Eliza waiting in the sunshine while I check my phone messages
- oh look, a text saying supper is ready.
Eliza needs a shorter (and possibly wider) saddle in antique brown, I think,
the wicker basket washed in walnut stain, and a simpler skirtguard,
in addition to the rear rack with kickstand that I've mentioned previously and my crate.
My jacket is balled up in the basket. Yay warmth.
Every so often along the trail by the LRT tracks there are spots like this
with benches, bike racks, and underused noticeboards.
The section of path just before this spot ran alongside a little wetland that had frogs singing in it.
I ended up hopping back on the train at Southgate Station, but I could easily have ridden the whole way; from Southgate to Century Park on the bike path would have only been another 10 minutes or so. But as it was supper was starting to get cold when I got home, and everyone was eager for some time with Mommy.
It was such a lovely afternoon! Thanks again to everyone who came out, and to Karen, Sarah, and Marilyn for coming to my rescue when my camera went on the fritz.
UPDATE: Sarah has her post up with more great photos and a video!
UPDATE 2: Coreen's post is up with yet more great photos!
Now that the snow has finally melted and the street cleaners are making the rounds, we can announce our first Critical Lass ride of 2011! We'll be riding on the afternoon of Sunday May 8th.
(Now, we realize that a lot of you might have other plans on Mothers' Day. However, it was the only date when all our organizers could make it that didn't coincide with EBC's women-and-transgendered-only days for May. So we are choosing a route that will allow people to easily meet up with us late or leave us early, so they can hopefully work around their brunch or dinner plans for the day. We also encourage you to bring your mom along. If you want.)
So here is the route:
1ish - Angel and I will be possibly meeting for lunch at a nearby restaurant beforehand, then starting off from Century Park LRT Station. That's right, this is going to be a bicycles-on-transit adventure for us! We figure the new-ish South Light Rail Transit extension hasn't been seen much on the local bike blogs (which are mostly written by core-dwellers), so we should show it some love. LRT is an easy way to extend your bicycle explorations, and the rules & usage hours are all commonsense.
1:15 to 1:30pm - We will be hanging out on the platform at McKernan / Belgravia Station, where we expect those who live in the neighborhoods around the U of A to meet up with us.
1:45 to 2:15pm - Having taken the LRT to Churchill Station, we will meet on the steps of City Hall where we'll catch up with our north-side friends, have a nice chat and use some of the brilliant architecture (Art Gallery of Alberta, anyone?) surrounding Churchill Square as the backdrop for some sweet photos.
2:15 to 3:15pm - We'll ride via 102nd Ave to the 4th Street Promenade, where we'll grab coffee at Credo or wine at deVine, browse the gorgeous green goods at Carbon Environmental Boutique, swoon over the fabulous furnishings at 29 Armstrong and fresh frocks at Coup, and/or partake of the pastries at Queen of Tarts. Yeah baby! The Promenade is also notable for its architecture, as per the website of the City Market:
In addition to the variety of shops and restaurants, make sure to check out the architecture of the many buildings that line 104th Street. There are currently nine “A” level heritage buildings on the 104th Street promenade, including the prestigious Birks Building on the east corner of 104th Street and Jasper Avenue (built 1929) and the Phillips Building (10169-104 Street), which was built in 1912 as one of the first completely fireproof buildings in Edmonton.
Anyone who needs to leave at this point can catch the LRT at nearby Bay Station.
3:15 to 4:30pm - We'll head for the Ledge grounds then over the High Level Bridge, some of us will no doubt split off to head home via Saskatchewan Drive, and the rest of us will head through the University grounds to Health Sciences / Jubilee Station, from whence we'll all set off for home.
We'd also like to extend an invitation to our male friends, since some of you have said you'd like to bring certain gorgeous, droolworthy vintage bicycles and join us on our Loopy Ride... Please do! Just expect to be outnumbered, for a change, and wear something you'd like to be photographed in. ;-)
Oh, and preview: for Bike Month we're thinking that We Believe In 118...
To celebrate Earth Day today, Audrey and I went for a ride around the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous day, sunny with a cool breeze. The snow has mostly melted, and street cleaners have started to remove the winter debris from the roads in our neighborhood.
Audrey dressed in purples to match her bike.
We practiced signalling - Audrey is almost as good as me now - and also spent awhile practicing turns in the parking lot of her elementary school. She's ready to have the training wheels pulled off her bike. Actually, she's ready for a bigger bike. We're going to see if we can get a bit more life out of this one by adjusting seat and handlebar height. Once she's done we might cannibalize this bike to get the little blue Deelite working for when Dom outgrows his Tigger bike.
{Update: Audrey's bike appears not to have adjustable handlebars or seat. Not impressed! So we're going to prioritize getting the Eaton's Glider frame fixed up for her ASAP, and her current bike will become a part donor for Dom's Deelite and Damien's Rapido. Vintage kids' bikes FTW!}
I rode Eliza, the 1978 Raleigh DL-1 Lady's Tourist that used to be Fiona's.
Everything except the skirtguards and basket is original.
I haven't changed anything on her yet, so the seat is still a bit high for me.
Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub marked 78 7 AW
The plastic trigger shifter has lost its adhesive label.
I think I'll get it replaced with the chromed SA shifter with a screw-on faceplate that came with Bert.
Front rod brakes.
I didn't remember to look for marks on the Westwood (rod-brake-only) rims.
The tires (or should I say tyres) are labelled Raleigh Roadster,
40-635 (28 x 1 1/2), 50 lbs/in2 - 3.5 ATM
Heron chainwheel, rear rod brake, pedals marked with the Raleigh crest.
Both the headbadge (hidden under the basket) and the decal on the rear mudguard are marked Nottingham.
Notice that the fenders have a rounded profile, instead of the ridged versions on Mary Poppins and Ms Trudy.
The Brooks B66, nicely broken in. I can see how a B66S might be more comfortable for me,
since the nose on the B66 feels a bit long.
Closeup of the OTT Simeli crocheted skirtguards.
Eliza still needs a thorough cleaning and some lemon-and-foil to really make her shine, and I might touch up her paint where it's been dinged - her front forks are especially scratched. At the advice of uber-mechanic Keith, I'll be considering an imported Dutch centre stand (the kind that attaches to the back wheel) to allow me to carry a grocery-loaded rack - this is crucial for me, since I need Eliza to earn her keep as my errand-running bike, and installation of any of the other double kickstands is made impossible by the rod brakes. (It is possible to install the specially-made DL-1 Pletscher prop stand, or to grind down a prop stand and install it with a shorter bolt, but those solutions aren't stable enough if you plan to carry heavy loads.). If I'm not happy with how the brakes feel after new Fibrax rod brake pads have been installed, rebuilding the rear wheel with a 3-speed coaster hub (like Velouria did) will provide secret stopping powers.
{Update: it seems that Steco make a black-powdercoated rear rack for 28-inch bicycles with an integrated swing kickstand, and this is what comes standard on the Achielle Oma - so now I know what I'm asking the guys at RedBike if they can special-order for me. Or am looking to bring back as a souvenir from Japan.}
As you can see behind me, in installing the (wave-style) bike racks at Audrey's school in a sheltered location they managed to ensure they'll be buried in a snowdrift after the rest of the snow is long gone. Oops.
Hi folks, my name is Jennifer and I’m a friend of Deborah’s from our U of A days. I grew up on the Canadian Prairies, but have had a rather nomadic life as an adult, moving back and forth across North America for the past 10 years. My family and I have been in Seattle for a few years now and we’re starting to call it home.
Now…on to the bicycles! I’ve enjoyed riding bicycles since I was a kid and bought a mountain bike for recreational use throughout college. This was mostly moderate weekend rides of about 5-6 miles on protected bike paths. A couple of years ago, I bought a road bike which I use for my commute to work (about 6 miles) and occasional week end rides. I still have a place for my mountain bike, though, as it’s more stable for pulling my kid on a trail-a-bike. I also plan to use it more this year for short errands and outings around the neighbourhood.
Unlike the other LFL bloggers, I don’t have a vintage bicycle and I’m not really interested in restoring them as a hobby, though I do admire their style and design. My initial interest in cycling centered on practical questions of choosing a bicycle, finding routes, and figuring out the logistics of commuting. However, I’ve become steadily more interested in cycling advocacy and urban planning, particularly with respect to cycling and public transportation. Of course, I always like photos of happy people on their bicycles!
I ride a bike for several reasons – it’s great exercise and I find it much easier to stick with cycling than going to the gym. It’s cheaper than driving my car and paying for parking every day and vastly cheaper than buying a second car. Riding my bike reduces my contribution to the pollution and congestion of city streets. All of these reasons are true and they do have some motivation. However, the truth is that I ride my bike because it’s fun. There’s a greater sense of speed and control with a bicycle than a car. I see much more of the city and the seasons on my bike. And, in the end, it’s fun to go fast.
A couple of weeks ago, I hooked up the trail-a-bike and took my son, who’s five, to one of the local parks. He loves riding it – it’s faster than a little bike with training wheels and he gets to ride on the street. That night at supper, he turned to me and said “Mommy, riding a bike is so funny! It’s like your feet are running, but they’re running on sky!"
(No matter how carefully you trim and lay them out, they shift in the laminator - argh!
