I started riding bikes with my kids when they were very young. I took Max for his first ride in the Burley cart when he was six months old. I strapped his car seat in the cart and off we went. When Annarose was born two years later, Max moved up to a co-pilot seat mounted on my bike, and Annarose rode in the Burley. She rode her first Critical Mass in the Burley cart at the tender age of 2 months while Max rode ‘up front’ with me. For over two hours we wended our way through the streets of St. Louis with over 50 reveling cyclists. Ironically, she didn’t cry once during the entire ride, but when I would try to put her in the mini-van, even on short trips, she would scream and howl. The child-bike configuration evolved over time as we moved through developmental milestones. Now Max and Annarose are 9 and 7, respectively, we live in a different city, they are on their own bikes, and we still bicycle most everywhere most everyday.

We lived in south St. Louis City when I started hauling my kids around by bike. We’d go to playdates, friends’ houses, the zoo, the Science Center, the farmer’s market, just about anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the house, by bike. St. Louis is not known as a bike friendly town, though it has improved a lot in past years, thanks in large part to the work of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation. When the kids and I arrived by bike, I would occasionally be met with concern and disbelief. "I can’t believe you rode that far." "Isn’t that hard with the kids?" "Isn’t it dangerous hauling your kids around town by bike?"

While I understood and appreciated their concern for our safety, it was a bit galling that they thought I was putting my children in danger. I would patiently explain that bikes are not inherently dangerous, and that if you know how to ride properly, cycling is very safe. I would point out that to get to the zoo, for example, they had driven on Highway 40 or I-44 where cars were driving approximately 70 mph and they had probably been on the road with hundreds of speeding cars and semi-trucks. While I rode on residential streets where the speed limits never exceeded 30 mph and were rarely over 20 mph. I would rarely see more than ten cars on any of my trips from home.

Living in an auto-centric world, it is easy to forget that the main thoroughfares are not the only ways to get about in life. In a car, people usually take the busiest, fastest, most heavily trafficked streets. That’s what cars are about, getting you there as quickly as possible with the fewest stops along the way. What we forget in our auto-centricity is that multiple quieter, less heavily trafficked, and usually prettier, streets parallel every major thoroughfare. So when I head out on my bike with my kids, we are not heading to the biggest busiest streets that are primarily used by car drivers, we head to the quiet little streets that parallel the big thoroughfares through local neighborhoods. Places where most drivers don’t want to go, because they have slow speed limits and lots of stop signs.

A few facts to keep in mind when making the choice between your car and your bike for your next trip.

Over 43,000 Americans are killed in car accidents every year. That’s like the entire population of Columbia (my hometown) being killed every two years in car accidents. Car crashes are the number one cause of death in individuals between the ages of 3 and 33. Do you know anyone who has been killed or hurt in a car crash? I have several friends and relatives who have been. (These statistics are from the NHTSA – National Highway Transportation Safety Administration).

The number one killer of Americans is heart disease, which is very closely tied to a sedentary lifestyle. In study after study, regular exercise has been shown to help decrease the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, several types of cancers, depression, obesity and many other diseases. More and more children in our society are becoming overweight and susceptible these types of diseases, because they don’t have enough activity built into their lives. Bicycling, instead of driving, makes your transportation your exercise, enriching and extending your life while greatly reducing your risk for many types of diseases.

So the next time you tell yourself or someone else, "biking is just so dangerous", make sure you are looking at the real risks.

"’Let me save you from drowning’ said the monkey to the fish as he pulled him from the water." ~zen koan

On the way to school Tuesday morning, the kids and I had a little incident that really got me thinking. It was a case of a driver trying to be helpful, while actually putting us, themselves, and others in danger.

We were southbound on West Blvd approaching Maupin where would make a left turn. Cars were approaching from the south, so we scanned behind to make sure it was safe to move, signaled our intent, and moved to the left side of the lane. This allowed us to keep traveling toward our destination, while letting the southbound cars pass us on the right, as we prepared for the left turn.

When we were about 100 feet from our turn, an SUV stopped on West Blvd at Maupin. The driver was waiting for us to make the turn, even though we were about 20 seconds from approaching the turn. There were four cars behind this driver; all of these cars had to stop behind the SUV to wait for us.

If the SUV had just kept going without stopping or slowing to try to accommodate us, all five of those cars would have been well past the turn by the time we got there. Allowing us to make the turn safely without impeding the flow of traffic.

The stopped SUV really confused my kids and really frustrated me. They both hesitated asking why the SUV was doing that. I told them to just make the turn quickly. We turned on Maupin and went on our way.

After turning on to Maupin, I explained to Max and Annarose that the driver was trying to be nice by letting us turn in front of them. Then I explained why it is so dangerous to the driver and to us as cyclists.

It is dangerous for a driver to stop in a road where there is no stop sign or signal, because the driver could get rear-ended.

It is dangerous for cyclists, because the drivers of the cars behind may decide to pass suddenly, not understanding the reason for the stop, and hit us. The driver of the SUV may decide they are tired of waiting, start driving again, and hit us. It is also dangerous, because it sends an untrue message that cyclists impede the flow of traffic and need to be accommodated by drivers. This type of perception increases animosity of drivers toward cyclists, which is dangerous for everyone on the road.

Traffic laws and facilities are designed to ensure vehicles move smoothly, so people can get where they want to go safely and quickly. According to the law in all 50 states, bicycles are vehicles (see MOBIKEFED.ORG/STATUTES.HTML for complete laws regarding cycling in Missouri). Bicycles are small, human-powered, slower moving vehicles and should be treated as such.

When you see a cyclist, treat them the way you would a small slow car. Give them a little space when you are passing (3-4 feet per the law), yield to them as you would a car, but don’t make special exceptions to try to "be nice". If it is your turn to go at a stop sign, go. If it is your turn to make a turn or keep going straight, do it. Don’t stop and impede the flow of traffic in the interest of being nice to the cyclist.

Very good point. Unfortunately, many cyclists don’t know what the hell they are doing. They ride the sidewalk, blast through stop signs, ride the wrong way, cut out into the street unexpectedly.

True. What to do about them? Well, I can’t educate everyone, but I am trying. I work part time teaching cycling classes to children and adults. I talk to anyone who will listen about cycling safety and how to be a safe cyclist. I really try to encourage people to ride safely, visibly, predictably, and assertively. I am doing what I can to make Columbia a better place for cyclists and drivers. There are several of us who are teaching classes and encouraging people to ride more safely. Hopefully, things are getting better.



Many cyclists are unpredictable, which is dangerous. When you are approaching a cyclist, you may want to slow a bit and observe them for a few seconds. Watch them. Are they riding in a straight line? Are they wearing a helmet? Are they looking around watching traffic conditions? Do they signal their moves? Are they riding in the right third of the travel lane? If the answers to these questions are "yes", you are probably dealing with a safe cyclist and can pass them safely without incident. If they are riding unpredictably, pass with caution as you would a car operating in an unpredictable fashion.

01/29/08

When I woke up at 6am that morning, the temperature was in the 50s. Max, Annarose and I rode to school in t-shirts and jeans. By 3pm, it was extremely cold and miserable. I considered taking the car to pick up the kids, but why? It was 13 degrees, the wind-chill was –3 with what the weatherfolk like to call a ‘wintry mix’, and northwesterly winds gusting up to 50 mph. Who wouldn’t want to ride bikes in this?

I arrived at school with the requisite winter riding gear: coats, snow-pants, balaclavas, gloves, mittens, goggles, and blaze orange hunting vests. The kids bundled up as I gave them the winter cycling safety lecture.

"The roads are slick. Ride slowly. You will take longer to stop. Be aware of cars, they take longer to stop too. The wind is very gusty and can make your bike hard to control. Keep your bike under control at all times." I lectured.

"Yeah, yeah Mom, we know" was their bored reply.

We headed to the Getabout Offices to pick up some paperwork. It was a short, but eventful journey. The kids were surprised by how disorienting the blowing snow was - think the Millennium Falcon hyper-space scene from Star Wars with snow flakes and ice pellets in place of stars.

When we arrived, Robert ran out with his camera. "Don’t take off your stuff yet! I want to get a picture. You guys are awesome." He told us. We posed for a few pictures, then headed inside, we were met with applause and cheers from Trevor.

We picked up the paperwork, rearranged our clothes, and headed back out into the cold, wind, and snow. As we rode south on Seventh Street, we passed the Candy Factory. I asked the kids if they wanted to stop and get some chocolate for the ride home…dumb question. Of course, we stopped. It was a warm welcome yummy smelling break from the cold and wind. We made our purchases and sat inside eating them, dripping on the floor and enjoying our treats while temporarily delaying the inevitable.

Sweet teeth sated, we headed back out into the brutal. We rode east down the hill on Cherry Street to Flat Branch Park. The force of the westerly wind was amazing. We rode slowly down Cherry Street hill without brakes. The wind was so strong it slowed we had to pedal downhill. I had never experienced anything like it.

As we rode through Flat Branch Park, my phone started ringing…ugh. We stopped in the tunnel under Locust, where we were sheltered from the wind and I returned the call.

It was Tim. "Where are you guys? Are you all right? Do you want me to come get you?"

"We are in the tunnel under Elm St. We are cold, but fine. We will be home soon. If we need help, I will call." I assured my worried husband.

The tunnel was a welcome respite from the snow and wind. We double-checked our clothing. Made sure no skin was exposed to the elements and headed on. Two tunnels to go before we made it to Stewart. When we started on Stewart, there would be no more shelter until we arrived home…a daunting thought. We stopped briefly in each tunnel bracing ourselves.

After stopping in the tunnel under Stewart and Providence, we headed out on Stewart Road. It was hard pedaling and slow going riding directly into the gale force winds. The streets were slick. At West Parkway, Max lost control of his bike and slid into the curb, I slid into Max before I could stop. No one was hurt. We picked up our bikes and kept riding west.

The going was slow and uneventful until Stewart and Greenwood. That was when I noticed that Annarose was crying. Oh no.

"Posie? What’s wrong?" I asked.

"My toes are cold" she answered through her tears. In my rush to gather up their winter gear, I had forgotten their snow boots. Her little toes had to be freezing. What to do? I could call Tim and ask him to come get us. We were only half a mile from home, it would take him longer to come and get us than it would take us to get home if we just kept riding. Having him pick us up would mean waiting longer in the cold. We needed to keep going.

"Posie, we will be home in a few minutes if we keep going. Can you do that? I could call Daddy to come get us in the car, but that will take longer. Can you keep going?" I enquired.

A feeble and tearful "Yes" was her reply.

"I will call Daddy and tell him to make sure and have a big fire going for us when we get home. OK?" I tried to encourage her.

"OK…and cocoa?"

"Yes Sweetie and cocoa and warm cozy blankets. Does that sound good?" I replied.

"Yes Mommy" she sniffled.

By this time we were at West Blvd…almost home. I started singing silly songs to take her mind off the miserable cold, snow, and sleet.

"Oh! Mares eee doats and does eee doats and little lambs eee divy. A kid’ll eee divy too, wouldn’t you?" I sang at the top of my lungs. We made the intersection of West Blvd and West Broadway, less than a quarter mile left.

"Mommy, will you teach me that song when we get home?" Posie asked.

"Of course, and we’ll have hot cocoa and hugs and snuggles in front of the fire" I promised.

We made it home. Being a faster, stronger, more competent rider than Annarose, Max had beaten us home by a few minutes. Tim already had him snuggled up in dry clothes. A warm fire and big hugs from Daddy welcomed us. We took off Annarosie’s cold wet shoes and rubbed her little feet until they felt better. We spent the evening snuggled up by the fire playing board games and reminiscing about the cold miserable ride home in the blizzard. We were proud of ourselves for making it through and we were so very thankful for our warm snug house.

The next morning, I woke up and listened to the weather report…bitter cold. "OK kids, it’s 4 degrees outside this morning. Do you want to ride or drive?"

"Is it windy?" Max asked.

"Nope. No wind, no snow, no sleet, just extremely cold." I replied.

"We can do that. Let’s ride!" They whooped in unison.

"Mom, I am changing my motto from ‘suck it up and deal’ to ‘It could always be worse!’" ~Annarose Overshiner, age 7

Last Thursday evening, the kids and I went to a GetAbout meet and greet at Reilly’s Grill One-5 downtown. The forecast for the evening called for rain. It had started to rain a bit, but it was not too bad when we arrived around 5:15. By 6:30, it was raining pretty hard. I didn’t want to ride in the dark in the rain with the kids, so we left for home.

The temperature was in the high 30s. We had winter coats, but no rain gear. It promised to be a cold wet ride home, at least it was still somewhat light. We braced ourselves and set out for home. We had a lot of fun riding through puddles and the water in the tunnels on our way to Stewart Road.

As we headed west on Stewart, Annarose was in rare form enjoying herself by making the best of a bad situation.

She called back to me, "Hey Mom!"

"Yes Posie, What’s up?" I asked.

"I decided I am changing my motto from ‘suck it up and deal’ to ‘it could always be worse!’" she called over her shoulder and started laughing.

I laughed along with her and replied "Wow! Posie that’s a great way to look at life when things aren’t going your way!"

"Do you know what I like about riding in the rain, Mom?" she asked.

"I can’t imagine, what?" I asked.

"When it’s raining, it doesn’t matter if I forget to put an ankle biter on, because my pants stick to my legs and don’t get caught in my chain!" she replied with a giggle.

I looked down and saw that her pants were plastered to her legs with rainwater. "Yep Posie, that’s a great observation!" I called with a smile.

"You know what else I like about riding in the rain, Mom?"

"I don't know, Posie.  What?" I asked bemused by this silly game that took my mind off of being cold and wet.

"If you pee in your pants no one can tell!" she replied.

"That’s true. You didn’t, did you?" I enquired with a chuckle.

"Of course not! But if I did, it would warm me up. That’d be a good thing too." She called with glee.

"That’s true, Posie. You sure are a smart kid!" I encouraged her.

That was the end of her philosophical musings, so we started singing silly songs and telling jokes the rest of the way home. All in all, it was a really good ride despite the approaching darkness, cold, and wet.  It just goes to show, it could always be worse, and with the right attitude ‘worse’ can be quite a lot of fun.