This afternoon we headed to Ballard for the Bike to Work After Party. We rode over early to listen to music (OK, we never made it away from the Ballard Coffee Works train table, but our friends broke away for My Goodness) and to get some wiggles out riding balance bikes in Ballard Commons Park.

I volunteered to lead a last-minute Kidical Mass ride and even though only three families came (including Seattle Kidical Mass conductor, Totcyle, thank goodness!), it was nerve racking. Hopefully it’ll be easier next time because I want to help with Kidical Mass leadership so we can have more fun family rides. I got route advice from Jen of Ballard Greenways and then got abbreviated route advice from her. And once we turned uphill, I had Julian of Totcycle suggest an even more abbreviated route. Using 61st to cut through Adams Elementary was really cool so I’m glad I was feeling wimpy.

The boys both opted to wear fairy wings since we were taking part in the “Share Your Style” Bike Fashion Show. Having felt so fancy at Critical Lass, I found a second thrift store dress, but the weather called for a warmer outfit. But that was cool–instead of thrift store chic, I was thrift store, hand-me-down, and fabulous prizes chic in handed down pants and a vintage wool jersey I won in a Go Means Go caption contest.

I wish I had a photo of us with our bikes up on stage, but it felt just like this:

Or at least I’m pretty sure that’s how the boys envisioned it. I have some pictures from “backstage” as we were getting ready that gives a bit of an idea how packed the place was.

Captain Sprocket in the red and yellow is Sander Lazar (I’m assuming it’s OK for me to disclose his secret identity), head of Cascade ride leaders. He obviously didn’t witness my Kidical Mass introduction (“Hi my name is Madi and I have no idea what I’m doing!”) and wants me to become a ride leader. Maybe once I have a real Kidical Mass under my belt…

Back to the fashion show. All entrants listed one quirky thing in their pannier, but my answer, “stuffed sockeye salmon” wasn’t in my FreeLoader bag for a change, but rather on the five-year old’s back [Note to self: next time fairy wings go under salmon in doll Ergo]. However, my bike was pretty full: a bag containing three jackets, a flowered lei, two little backpacks full of toys, an insulated bag of food, three water bottles, my messenger bag, one set of fairy wings, and 10 leftover CycloFemme temporary tattoos. If only it was a cargo contest!

I didn’t get to explore the booths at the street party, but I saw a lot of friends. Particularly fortuitous was the fact that my two friends who have recently added electric assist to their Big Dummies, Brad and Jake, were both there so I set them to talking about their recent e-assist failures. I’m not sure if they had the same issue since I was too busy chasing my balance biking maniacs to eavesdrop.

While I don’t have a good recap of the event, see Bikes, music, and fashion: scenes from the 2012 Bike to Work Day and the KEXP Hood to Hood Challange by Riding Reporter Anne-Marije Rook for all the deets.

Today’s miles: 12.8
May cumulative: 233.7 miles