I’ve been on the lookout for a twin box spring and the stars aligned today when a member of a local mom’s groups emailed that she had one for free. Unfortunately my friend with a truck wasn’t available. Also unfortunate was that I saw this as a sign I should pick it up with my bike. But imagine how cool it would be to carry such a massive cargo load!

The four-mile trip over to the box spring was awesome. It was raining as heavily as possible, but I barely noticed for my excitement. I told Mr. Family Ride I had a secret suprise errand to run that would take less than an hour and left the kids with him. I couldn’t exactly ask where our tarp was without revealing the nature of the secret surprise errand so I gathered up a bunch of bungee cords and our car roof-top cargo bag and sped off. As luck would have it, I rode by a neighbor who was carrying two tarps into his garage. I asked if he was putting them away and if so, could I borrow one. Tarp acquired, another sign.

I realized the error of my plan when I got the box spring near the bike. Holy cow, that thing was big! Box springs aren’t heavy, but they aren’t exactly air-filled, either. Now the rain became noticeable. It took me a bit of time to get the box spring on the side of the bike and it turns out bungee cords are not the best tool for the job. I should mention that before heading out, I got some great advice from Matt of Tacoma Bike Ranch:

@familyride cheap ratcheting truck tie-downs, get em at auto parts/hardware store. 1 box each side of X. 1 vert, 1 horiz strap. Ask for help

— Matt Newport (@tacomabikeranch) June 22, 2012

but he lost me at “Ask for help.” Really great advice, though. I think an Xtracycle WideLoader shelf would help a lot, too, so I’m on the lookout for a used one now. Because there will be more big loads; I need to redeem myself.

I eventually sort of got the box spring loaded:

I biked to the corner (starting from the second house from the corner) and realized I’d made a terrible mistake. Naturally, I couldn’t return to the house and ask for help. Nor could I see if my friends who live five houses up the block were home. Much too embarrassing. So I phoned home and explained the nature of the super secret errand and apologized profusely and said I was stuck. Mr. Family Ride said he and the boys would drive over to help.

I was still feeling a bit stubborn (good sign, right? Still a bit of fight left in the old gal!) so I got back on the bike and continued towards home. Even though I was climbing a slight incline, I started getting used to the load…although it may have been more about the box spring slowly tilting over the FlightDeck to better distribute its weight. I think I could have made it all the way home if it stayed slightly leaning, but it continued to bend over the bike and I started worrying it would snap in two. Plus, the flatter it got, the more room I was taking up. Taking a lane was fine for part of the journey, but I’m not able to stick to tiny streets to get from Ballard to Wallingford (too steep for me) and I wouldn’t have fit in the Greenwood Avenue bike lane or the sidewalk of 46th. So I stopped in front of Whittier Elementary (I made it 8 blocks!) and sent a text message with my location.

The box spring and I stood in the pouring rain, studiously ignoring one another. I was embarrassed and felt that everyone driving by could tell at a glance that I’d foolishly tried to carry the box spring on my big bike and failed. The box spring was just mad at having been in pristine condition a mere twenty minutes earlier and was now soaking wet, smudged with dirt, and sporting two new holes in its underside.

My mood lifted when out of the mist appeared Jennifer of Loop-Frame Love and Ballard Greenways. I feel bad posting this picture when she hasn’t yet reviewed her lovely new city bike (waiting for a sunny day on which to photograph it, I think), but look at her on this bike–she looks like an angel! A velo angel. She kept me company, despite the downpour, despite being late home, while I waited for my four-wheeled rescue.

Unknown to me at this time, Mr. Family Ride realized while stuck in traffic that he had no rope and no way to get the box spring home with the car (at least one of us has his head on straight) so he phoned our old neighbor who has an SUV and she came right over, arriving before my family. What a welcome surprise! We loaded the box spring in her big car, Mr. Family Ride finally showed up with bewildered kids in tow, and we all headed home. Thankfully everything was put away by the time I got home and our neighbor departed so I skulked into the house, profusely apologized again, and let Mr. Family Ride get back to work after much more than the promised secret surprise sixty minutes.

But hey, I’ve got that box spring I wanted so badly. And for free! I wonder how long it will take for it to dry out so we can actually use it…

Today’s miles: 19.3
June cumulative: 277.4 miles

It pays to ask advice of a Greenways advocate! I like to get Ballard route advice from Jennifer of Ballard Greenways because she knows the best quiet and less steep streets. Today I discovered 6th Avenue NW per her suggestion and I love it! The very short jog to the right at 50th is probably the steepest part. And I biked by The Sneakery at 65th, a place I had imagined unreachable by bike.

Find information about your Seattle neighborhood’s Greenway group here. Join your group or start a group if one doesn’t exist. Seattle Greenways has resources to help you on your way.

Today’s destination was the thrift store, but we found ourselves passing JRA Bike Shop on the way. I knew they had a Yuba Mundo cargo bike there, but I didn’t realize they sell the accessories! I think the Mundo is six inches longer than the Big Dummy so I wasn’t sure if Go-Getter Bags fit my FlightDeck, but we held one up and sure enough, it’d work! The Main Tank sent me a link to this tutorial on making them work better on an Xtracycle FlightDeck. I’m not planning to change my bags, but it’s good to know. JRA sells Soft Spots, too. I’d spring for one of those if we didn’t need the hold/handle in the FlightDeck available for toy sockeye salmon to ride in. Perhaps some day…

While at the shop, I talked with a mom of two little girls who was getting a flat on her mountain bike fixed. We commiserated about how hard it would be to fix a flat with children running rampant. And I sang the praises of cargo bikes and tandem bikes and trailer bikes.

On the way home I discovered Greenwood being repaved. I had no idea! We’re usually south of this part of the Interurban North. Project details here.

Today’s miles: 17.8
June cumulative: 234.9 miles

The lighter kid and I explored another route to Magnolia this morning, per my friend Julie’s suggestion (with my slight detour to avoid the Emerson hill at the end of the Ship Canal Trail):

It’s hilly and I initially thought it was a lot shorter than my last Magnolia trip, but it turns out it’s a half mile longer. Today’s trip took 37 minutes, but I didn’t time the other one so I really can’t compare the two. Today’s route was much quieter as 33rd is a sleepy valley of a street, but I should suck it up and make (and time!) both routes with both kids on board. Either way, this summer of swim lessons will toughen me up.

On the way back we enjoyed the lovely, though cloudy, view of the boats on a little side trip through Fishermen’s Terminal:

I took a pretty shot of the Saint Janet moored next to the Endurance for my friend Janet. But not so pretty was when the captain rushed out and growled, “You’ll have to pay me for that picture, arrr!” (OK, maybe he didn’t say “arrr”) I think he was joking. He’s gotta be a fun guy: the back of Saint Janet was full of bikes and cases of beer. Safe travels, Saint Janet.

In the afternoon we met up with Biking with Brad and I discovered we’ve got the same squishy saddle!

He’s had his forever, I’m just too self-centered to have noticed (doh!). I also never noticed his Kryptonite lock mount (modeled here with his snazzy boots). I’m not sure mine wouldn’t get dislodged by little feet if I tried that, but it sure fits nicely.

Yesterday I test rode a Yuba Mundo on its last day of a short stint at Ride Bicycles. It’s similar to my Big Dummy in that it’s a one-piece longtail frame (versus Xtracycle extension), but it’s a one-size-fits-all and different material and components. Unloaded, it felt a lot like my bike. I wish I’d had more time and could have talked one of the mechanics onto the deck to see what it really rides like. I really like the Go-Getter Bag, though I also didn’t have time to test how much stuff I could cram into it…I had to get to Critical Lass!

Even with the unfortunate weather–initially warm, but occasional rain and wind–ten lasses and three kids showed up to ride. We rode from Green Lake to Gas Works Park for a windy picnic, including a jaunt up kite hill for bicycle portraits. My kids didn’t come on the ride, but they met me at the park with their balance bikes so I utilized one for my victory shot.

Today’s miles: 16.2
June cumulative: 217.1 miles

This morning saw us riding up up up Queen Anne hill to David Rodgers Park for an off-site preschool day. I made it 2/3 of the way up the first of three 14%-grade blocks of 1st Ave West. I probably would have given up sooner, but I didn’t think I could walk the Big Dummy up such a big hill. It’s just too heavy to push!

I pushed a couple steps with the big kid walking alongside me and even that was too hard. Thank goodness the little guy wanted to walk, too.

Early in the ride, I thought about looking for a pie place on Queen Anne as a reward, but after the walking I didn’t feel deserving. I’ve been eying the Queen Anne Farmers Market poster since it went up a couple weeks ago and am tempted to find a more roundabout route up the hill. I spend so much time avoiding hills, but seem to find myself drawn to them at times.

On the way home I took the steep route–either as punishment or to hearten myself…rationale to be determined after making it or not making it up. It’s frustrating to live 2.5 blocks from the Burke-Gilman Trail, but have to climb 10 blocks on the uphill ride home to avoid walking. And the short, hard route is still 3.5 uphill blocks and starts two blocks past my street. I don’t think I can regularly make this route without walking (I don’t try very often), but with just one kid, it’s painful but doable. And I love using the bike crossing at 40th and Latona. Any special bike marking makes my day.

Afternoon preschool pickup was with the car so we could get to our last (yay! no more car days!) class in Lake City. But after that we ditched the car and grabbed Big Dummy and balance bikes for a Seattle Family Biking meetup at the Wallingford Farmers Market.

The Main Tank started a Seattle Family Biking Facebook group and this was the first get together. Today we were two Big Dummies, an Xtracycle, a Madsen bucket bike, and a mountain bike + iBert baby seat + Burley Piccolo trailer-bike. And one friend with double stroller who’s jonesing for a Madsen with e-assist. I think our crew will grow even bigger as summer blooms.

Our farmers market is small, but sweet. The wide aisles are conducive to balance biking and little kid biking through and there are several buskers to listen to while eating picnic dinner.

At night I biked solo to a preschool meeting. I took the Big Dummy because I love its bright dynamo lights for nighttime and because I’d ferried home a backpack that didn’t fit on my friend’s mountain bike–she wore the big backpack and the baby in the iBert carried a small bag, but this smaller backpack was too full for the Piccolo-riding big kid to wear home. I still remember the days of the old mamabike and I can appreciate being cargo-capacity challenged. It looked more impressive when it was just a small part of my cargo, sharing space with balance bikes, extra clothing, and picnic bag.

After the meeting, six of us went for drinks. I’m happy to say I beat five cars over from Lower Queen Anne…though they kindly switched the venue from Ballard to Fremont to make it easier for me–which I both appreciate and feel guilty about.

And one more big hill: I didn’t just take the steep route home, I made it even steeper by shaving off one of the extra blocks. Veloroutes hill grade calculator calls it 8.3%, but it feels like if one pulls on the handlebars too hard, s/he’ll tip backwards. So yeah: hills, hills, hills.

Today’s miles: 11.1
June cumulative: 134.2 miles

As expected, I woke to a fully flat rear tire on the Big Dummy. No problem, I just did the preschool run with the old mamabike. Yay for having a backup vehicle or two (road bike and double trailer) or three (car). Monday is not the best day to have a flat tire as many bike shops are closed, but we had beach plans in the afternoon and I’ve become spoiled by all my cargo room and really wanted to have things remedied by 12:30. The flat was a blessing in disguise: I’ve been meaning to meet Henry of LionTail Cycles and now I had a reason. He built my friend’s Xtracycle and sounds like an awesome guy:

LionTail Cycles is a company founded on one vision: Getting more people on bicycles. To this end, founder Henry Kellogg aims to provide affordable and practical car alternatives. LionTail is based in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. LionTail is a licensed XtraCycle vendor, and offers several different electric conversions.

I called to see if he’d fix my flat and verify I could easily walk my bike to him. Turns out he’s just around the corner! So the toddler and I each grabbed our wheels and headed over.

Henry is as cool as he sounds in pixels. He’s passionate about cargo bikes and electric assist and was happy to fix my flat while we balance biked around the block and tromped through his garden. Last night Mr. Family Ride found the piece of glass that caused my flat and in examining my tire, Henry found another just waiting to puncture me again. Yes, that’s on my list of things to start doing: regularly check tires for embedded pieces of glass. The tire itself was fine, thank goodness.

Unfortunately, I noticed my tire was a little low as I prepared to leave for preschool pickup. I’d somehow knocked off my valve cap and bent the valve in the course of the early afternoon, but I’m nothing if stubborn and impractical so I left the bike loaded with beach gear, pumped up the tire, and figured I’d come up with a flat-tire-backup-plan during the ride. My first thought was to have Mr. Family Ride pick up the kids from the beach if it flatted and I’d walk the bike to a bike shop, leave it there, and then catch the bus home. But then I had the much more reasonable idea to ride by Dutch Bike Co for a new tube.

Good thing, too, because it got low again during the two-mile ride to preshcool. Lucky for me, The Main Tank was joining us for the beach and carries a bike pump. What a great idea! I should do that! She pumped me up and stopped with us for a snack break at Dutch Bike Co while I got my new innertube.

I like the dolly the used for fixing my flat. It’s probably necessary for a bakfiets–I can’t imagine one of those on a bike stand!

The beach was good, the tire held. And even with the delay of fixing the flat, we still had time to stop and sit in the big wooden chair on our way home…although I can’t wait for the day the Missing Link is fixed and a trip to the beach won’t take us by the chair.

Today’s miles: 19.9
June cumulative: 108 miles

This afternoon we hit Waterfront Whimsea Family Fun Day. We missed the Bubbleman, but caught the The Not-Its! and Seattle Seafair Clowns. We also got our first look at the gondola cars on the new waterfront ferris wheel.

The festival was packed so it was nice to have arrived by bike and park front and center. I don’t know how most families get to the waterfront, but I think many drive and use strollers to get to their destination from somewhat-far-away parking spots they’ve had to pay lots of money for. Despite all the activities (magic show, face painting, carnival games, photo booth, dancing), most of our time was spent climbing the Waterfront Whimsea sculpture.

After the last musical act finished up, we migrated along the waterfront. Since we had such fun playing in the Olympic Sculpture Park with Davey Oil and Little Oil a week ago we decided to go back before our long ride home. I discovered it’s a great spot to shoot a picture of the Space Needle sitting on one’s FlightDeck. Stay tuned for upcoming “All your cargo are belong to us” meme in the coming weeks!

And the boys rolled down the steep grassy slope–which ends with a drop-off next to the bike path, so not suitable for all littles–over and over and over again.

You may have noticed the balloons on the kid helmets. We started the day at a costume party and the boys wore balloons clipped to their hair for puppy ears and tied to their belt loops for tails. When we arrived home they noticed a hissing noise which I hoped hoped hoped was one of their six balloons, but it was my rear tire. Arg! My six months streak of no flats is up–none on the Big Dummy until now and one on the city bike in December. I’ll deal with it in the morning.

Today’s miles: 17
June cumulative: 88.1 miles

Six months after my first shopping trip with the Big Dummy hasn’t seen me get much more efficient at loading the bike. I’ve gotten more adept at threading my hand under the Yepp seat’s generous wheel guards to get to my middle buckle, but it’s still awkward and slightly diminishes my carrying capacity. I mentioned this to Edward a couple weeks ago and he offered to drill holes (“Nice-looking, beveled squares”) for me. Here he is fine-tuning the hole with a knife. It’s sure nice when one’s bike mechanic is also an artist.

This is just the first step. I also need a couple Xtracycle Utility Belts to move the buckles down to where I can reach them, but when those come in, things will be awesome! And in case you’re wondering, the Xtracycle Utility Belt is also a belt. Like for your pants.

I hope to eventually own six utility belts and haul enormous loads with them, but I’m going to start with just the two.

Today’s miles: 3.9
June cumulative: 71.1 miles

My friend became the proud owner of a Big Dummy two weeks ago and now she’s got an awesome new blog, The Main Tank: A vegan, feminist, AP mama doing family biking in Seattle. We get to ride together a lot to and from preschool, but we often hit other destinations, too, like the flagship REI store today. The kids loved the indoor bike rack, but note: the rack is not bolted to the floor so bike rack acrobatics are somewhat limited.

Some brave bikes still use the outdoor bike racks and out there we saw the greatest fender. My boys decided a salmon or a dinosaur had occupied the missing spot.

I love riding with friends, but seeing my routes through others’ eyes is changing my perspective. I can’t imagine riding with a separately-biking kid downtown [South Lake Union? Cascade? I don’t know what to call REI’s neighborhood], but I don’t even like leading willing adults along some of these streets of ours. The ride over from Lower Queen Anne wasn’t bad…except we met with a construction site by Cascade Playground and had to take to the narrow sidewalk and then detour a block.

On the way home I thought Eastlake Avenue would be nice since we’d get to keep some of our altitude. Climbing north from the Burke-Gilman Trail into Wallingford and Tangletown twice every day can get tiring and tiresome. Unfortunately, I haven’t really been paying attention to how miserable Eastlake is–though I clearly remember saying several times that I’ll never take Eastlake again–because it’s awful! There’s still a hill to climb…and then descend…and then climb again. I’d conveniently forgotten all about the second two-thirds of the 2.5-mile slog along Eastlake. I’m not going to frustrate myself by checking, but I’m pretty sure there’s more of a net climb using Eastlake/11th over Westlake/Meridian. Not to mention that it’s tricky to cross to the east side of the street from REI. I opted to keep us on the sidewalk of the west side until we reached a stoplight, but that’s four long blocks to Mercer.

But back to fun bike stuff! The Main Tank’s Dummy is sporting the purple bar ends I scored at Recycled Cycles. This makes me so happy because I walked around the store with them on three separate occasions without buying them because what the heck do I need purple bar ends for? But I couldn’t resist when they suggested I take them home for a buck. It was worth the price just to Instagram them on my dining room table, but they’ve just been mocking me from a bookshelf since then. Now I get to see them in action almost every day.

TMT’s rig also gives me a chance to vicariously experience cool gear. She’s got a BioLogic iPhone Bike Mount that looks wonderful, though I’d have to be brave enough to give up my very protective Otter Box to use one, which probably isn’t a good idea given how klutzy I am.

Today’s miles: 14.1
June cumulative: 67.2 miles