What if I am not a biker?
So, what if I’m not a biker. In short, I’m not but I still have the time of my life cargo biking with my kids.
Hi! Mrs. Prospect here. I have a confession… I am not a biker. I was out with a friend and told her about starting this blog and she laughed. Really hard. I have to admit, it is strange to me too. When we go to a cycle shop, my husband is test driving bikes and talking to the salespeople about new products and bikes. I am in the corner trying on sunglasses, discussing helmet colours with The Peacemaker, and mentally planning what we will have for lunch.
My undeniable excitement for biking
You see, Mr. Prospect is into anything with two wheels. Prior to cargo biking, he rode regular bicycles when he was younger, then a scooter and a motorcycle. He has been talking about getting “family bikes” since before we had kids. The first thing he did when volunteering in Guyana was find a second-hand bicycle to get around.
I, on the other hand, have never been into biking. I was more the arts and crafts type.
Not to brag, but in grade 6, I won a fire prevention poster contest. Fire fighters presented my prize to me in front of the whole school! My poster was hung in the main school hallway and my picture was in the local paper. It was a big deal for me as an 11 year old. I dreamed of the prize being a real artist set. You know, with an easel, artist pencils, oil-based paints, maybe a beret?!? But no. The prize was a new bike. It is the only new bike I have ever had (until now). I rode it around town with my friends reluctantly. I grew up in a town with no public transit so it was bike or walk. Biking was faster so… sure, I would ride it.
Since meeting Mr. Prospect, he slowly exposed me to the joys of life on two wheels. Over the past decade or so, he has insisted on renting bicycles and scooters when we travel. Pre-kids, I rode on the back of his scooter and motorcycle around the city as well. He would periodically urge me “to give it a go” – thanks but no thanks. But I have to admit that riding is a great way to see more and do more.
The altitude must have gotten to me because I agreed to ride down the “World’s Most Dangerous Road” in Bolivia
The case for family biking is really strong when you consider the regular exercise you get (difficult as a working mom), financial savings (difficult with three young kids), and traffic avoidance (difficult when working downtown). Not to mention, the mundane becomes adventurous (e.g., grocery shopping, no seriously). Our relationships with our kids have truly stepped up another level through biking together.
So, on the morning when The Forgotten One was born, we decided to invest in cargo bikes (see our “start here” post). It is an investment, but the return has surpassed our highest expectations. It feels like we stumbled on a gold mine and we want to share this with everyone.
It is still true that I don’t feel like a “biker”. But I bike. And I love it. You don’t need to be a “biker” to start cargo biking. The benefits are off the charts. A year ago, I would never have imagined that I would be hauling kids around the city on a bike and loving it, but here I am. So anyone can do this.
For more from The Prospects, visit http://www.prospectquery.com/