We ventured out into the cold and blustery afternoon to visit one of the open-on-Sunday libraries. Brandt wanted to go to the dinosaur (Ballard) library, but upon realizing how windy it was, I talked him into the rocky wall (Greenwood) library. I’ve learned to appreciate riding to uphill destinations so I can take it easy on the way back home.

Someone shouted “Nice bike!” to me from across the street. Last month I wouldn’t have known if she liked the Milano itself or the two Bobikes attached to it. Now I don’t know if it’s one of those or my lights and tinsel. So much to like!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about grocery shopping by bike. While any downhill return journey is nice, it feels imperative for a grocery trip. I can drag an empty bike trailer (I think) uphill to a grocery store, but I’m certain I can’t get a full trailer plus kids up any sort of slope. There are a couple grocery stores that fit the bill–QFC in Wallingford and PCC in Green Lake–but I just don’t like them. QFC is sucky and PCC makes Whole Foods look like a discount grocery outlet. The only solution seems to be moving to a pad downhill from Trader Joes.

We got some good stuff this year!

I got Dan a black Endura Luminite Jacket, Crew Red Star Wool SockGuy socks, and a black Knog Beetle rear light, all from Ride Bicycles, an awesome new bike shop very close to our house. I’m so excited to have another shop close enough to walk a broken bike to so I don’t have to deal with Gregg’s anymore.

I got myself the same SockGuy socks (how cute, matching socks!) and four pairs of socks at Sock Monster in Wallingford, two knee-high and two over-the-knee. Best purchase was red BACON socks on the mens side. Due to a production error they were left on the machine a bit too long and are a couple inches longer than they should be–over-the-knee socks for the price of knee-high. Score! I think the current run of TOFU socks also came out too long.

Brandt didn’t really get anything bikey, unless you count his new messenger bag (Thomas the Train soft lunch bag with strap). Why doesn’t Timbuk2 (or anyone for that matter?) make a toddler messenger bag? It’d be so cute!

Baby Rijder was handed down Brandt’s first balance bike, the Kinderbike Laufrad Mini. He can walk it around, but he doesn’t really fit on it yet. It doesn’t help matters that Brandt hitches a ride every time BR gets going. I don’t think they make a tandem balance bike. It probably wouldn’t work out too well, anyway. I’d like to keep the Mini inside so he can practice on it a lot, but it’s pretty stinky. Brandt’s Kinderbike Renner doesn’t smell, but this one’s rubber tires are very pungent.

We were running errands by car yesterday afternoon so I swung by Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna on the way home. It was really crowded and I was too lazy to find a parking spot and walk through so tonight we went back by bike. The Ravenna neighborhood is pretty hilly so I didn’t think I’d be able to make it the whole way without walking, but it still sounded better than dealing with the car. As it turned out, I made it! It was hard to appreciate that at the time, though, because as we cycled those last two downhill blocks, all I could think about was how hard the ride home would be.

It was really cold out so we all bundled up. Mr. Familyride thought to wear gloves, I wasn’t as wise. But we each had our own problems on account of this. My fingers were too numb to unbuckle kid helmets, but Dan’s iPhone wouldn’t register his gloved finger so he had to take this picture with his nose. So what’s the answer? Fingerless gloves with a mitten flap? Oh hey, I guess it is! Lovely Bicycle! reviewed some a year ago. Looks like I need to amend my gift guide :)

We walked our bikes the first block of the way home, but I made it the rest of the way. It wasn’t a bad ride, but NE Ravenna Boulevard is awfully narrow and there are steps up to the sidewalk so that’s not an option. I doubt there’s a different route to get over here, but I’ll look into it for next year.

There are a lot of gift guides circulating, but they’re all boring and not applicable to me, so here’s mine. It’ll probably bore you.

Nirve Hello Kitty Bicycle Bell – $6.99 I cannot wait to visit Chubby’s Cruisers when I’m in LA next month. Not positive I’ll get the Hello Kitty bell as they have tons of choices.
Bicycle Basket Liner Bags in Red Cherries – $34.99 each Too cutesy? Perhaps. But I need to give the random assortment of kid crap I throw in my baskets a uniform look. They convert to carrying bags with drawstrings, too!
Kroozie Stainless Steel Bicycle Cup Holder in Matte Black – $20.00 Lots of colors available. In the future I’ll want to attach them to handlebars, but for now I want to rig them to stick in front of my baskets for rear kid access.
Wristlet and Matching Reversible Coffee Cup Sleeve – $20.00 Coffee sleeves are the must-give accessory this season. And who doesn’t like reversible? Double score!
Schwinn Phantom Tile Coaster – $6.00 For when you take your coffee at home, set your mug on this 4×4″ super awesome coaster.
I Heart Public Transportation 100% Corn Mug – $12.00 OK, not specifically bikey, but it’s awfully cute. And it’s biodegrable and unbreakable.
Bicycle Seat Cover in Black Bear – $20.00 Wet saddles suck. This seat cover is waterproof and has an adjustable drawstring bungee cord for the perfect fit. Also available in cow.
I Heart My Bike Bobby Pins – $8.00 Tame that helmet hair. Available in blue, pink, red, green, black. Also rings and earrings.
Keep Calm and Ride On Scrabble Tile Pendant with Necklace in Black – $8.95 Buy 3 pendants get a 4th free! Various colors.
HP Mini 210-1199DX Pink Laptop Computer – $379.99 Not sure if this exact model is still avaiable, but it’s nice and small (10.6″ x 6.9″ and 3 lbs) and would fit so much better on my bike than my current big laptop.
Laptop Bag – Vintage Bicycle on Stripes – $48.00 Perfect to protect that new small laptop! Custom sizes available.
Bianchi “Master Says Faster” Sticker – $0.75 OMG these are rad! They’d make awesome spoke cards. 1 1/2″ x 2″.
Scotch Thermal Laminator – $19.99 Did someone say spoke cards? 75% off! 15.5 Inches x 6.75 Inches x 3.75 Inches, 2 Roller System.

After watching the annual lighting of the Lenin statue in Fremont, we paid our first visit to Hub and Bespoke, an awesome “cycle boutique” for their first annual decorated bike parade. I was told we won (not that the parade was a contest), but my favorite bike was the one with mistletoe in the front and two ornament balls dangling side-by-side at the back.

My bike is decorated with two sets of $3.99 battery-powered Kallt light string with 10 stars and four sets of $1.99 battery-powered Kallt light strings from Ikea and one string of blue and white tinsel. It’s so cute and festive, I think I’ll leave it fancied up until New Year’s–or probably longer because, let’s face it, I’m lazy and probably won’t undecorate it until I want to participate in an undecorated bike parade.

One other family rode in the parade. I first noticed the dad’s bike for its after-market double kickstand. I think I want one! It’s not very robust, but it’s better than what I’ve got.

Ten days after the deadline for the contest to win a new PUBLIC Bike, the results are in and I’m flabbergasted that I didn’t win. I guess it’s a good thing because I really don’t need another city bike; I shouldn’t be greedy. But my 200-word-or-less entry for a 90-minute local ride was super-awesome. Here it is:

The copilots on our tour of Seattle will be my one- and three-year-old sons, in their Bobike mini and maxi bike seats, so be prepared to hear “Wow, you’ve really got your hands full!” many times and enjoy a route designed to include trains and boats.

We’ll meet at the sundial in historic Gas Works Park and start our day by taking perspective shots of each other squishing the Space Needle. Then we’ll ride west along the Burke Gilman Trail to my favorite bike shop (and your test ride partner), Dutch Bike Co where we’ll grab coffee and snacks.

Next we’ll head through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. It’s a bit of a pain because we’ll have to walk our bikes, but while doing so we’ll get to watch ships pass through and probably see a few jumping salmon, too.

We’ll cycle south, flanking the train tracks (trains!) to the gorgeous Elliott Bay Trail, which will take us along the scenic Seattle Waterfront. We’ll catch the King County Water Taxi at Pier 50 and head over to West Seattle. In West Seattle we’ll ride west along the beach to Alki for a relaxing beer at the beach.

It’s probably the last year I can dictate Halloween costumes, so this year Brandt was a sharrow. He got a few “What are you?”s, but for the most part it was smiles and thumbs ups. He escorted a family with an iBert baby seat across a street, but was otherwise a passive traffic marking. I noticed the covered bike rack at the Wallingford QFC has been moved from underneath the overhang, but that was the only bummer moment of the night.

I attempted to ride up 50th for the first time since it kicked my butt a year and a half ago. I made it up that time, but just barely. Today it was windy out so I was tired before I even got to the hill. I gave up just before the tunnel under Aurora and pushed the bike a block. I haven’t decided yet if this beats cycling twenty blocks out of the way for the mildest hill. I should probably time both routes so I can better compare them…but that would mean having to tackle the hill again.

Anyhow, we went to the Woodland Park Zoo and I discovered a ton of covered bike parking at the new West entrance. It’s great to have covered parking, but it’s still a bit of a walk from the entrance to the indoor Zoomazium play area so I’m not sure this will be a recurring rainy-day activity. I am tempted to see if I can bungee my little trailer stroller (umbrella stroller that fits in the Burley) into one of my baskets. That would definitely help matters.

At the Phinney Neighborhood Center, I couldn’t squeeze the bike into my secret dry spot so protected our seats with classy plastic bags and locked it up outside. I think I need to find some prettier–or at least matching–bags. I could even use this as an excuse to go shopping.

I noticed cracks along the top of Brandt’s helmet the other day and decided it was time for a new one. As luck would have it, REI is having a sale on Nutcase Helmets “Little Nutty” kid helmets. Only the eight ball design were on sale, but there’s nothing better than basic black for coordinating with a Celeste Green bike. I got one for each boy even though Baby Rijder is a teeny bit too small for his.

We almost didn’t make it out today because the garage wouldn’t open more than two feet. But I was tough and laid the bike down and lugged it out. Unfortunately the boys used that extra waiting-around time to drag their pretty new helmets around on the ground so they’re already out of pristine condition. But we finally made it down to Lake Union Park for the floating farmers market.

On the way back up Stone a station wagon pulled up along side me and the woman driving said, “You must be Scandinavian!” happily. I think I burst her bubble when I said, “My mother was Dutch.” But she kept smiling and said they were a Danish family.

Helmet-wise, Baby Rijder wore a cap underneath on the way down, but pulled it forward on his head. So on the way back up I put it over his hood, but he was able to pull that backwards. He’s got a hat that fastens on tightly so that’ll be the ticket.