Riding along on my push bike honey.....

One of my resolutions for 2010 was to ride my new bike to work at least three times a week.

Since working at this work I have walked, bussed and driven to work. Mostly I am ashamed to say the last as my day usually involves some sort of family pick up or drop off at school or the station at the beginning or the end of the day.

My work is only a ten-minute ride or a twenty-minute walk from home. This year, Thomas’ new school is a five minute ride/ten minute walk from my office, Al’s little school (which he starts this week) is five minutes ride from there and my office is about ten minutes on the bike from little school. ie: it is all close and doable on the bike.

Plus I really need to build in the exercise into my day to day life (this is the only way exercise works for me) and I fundamentally think it is better for the kids days to start with a bike, walk or bus ride to school.

I was full of plans to ride – and Gaye has made it as easy as possible for me by buying me a new bike as a birthday/Christmas present - I put a new seat on the back for Al as we found the front wee-rider a bit hard to peddle around (short legs!).

Al likes going on the back and we have been out for a few runs together.

I started the working year well riding three times during my first week back, but the following two weeks have been filled with commitments to drive Gaye’s Mum to little school or back with Al for his pre-start visits. (Grandma does not like to drive in Sydney).

Thomas was pretty reluctant, he is not an enthusiastic bike rider at the best of times – plus he has left over fear from a fall a few years ago. Plus he didn’t see any kids ride at new school and he is right at the age where it is very important to FIT IN.

Still we set out this morning, lifting his seat about 4 inches due to growth since he last rode it, and suddenly his big bike didn’t feel so big anymore. He was pretty thrilled. In an attempt to accommodate the “fit in” factor we locked our bikes at my work and then walked from there. Once at school we found the bike rack (what do you know many other kids ride to school) and when I pointed out that he would be able to ride from the main road along the path to school on his own (there is a lollypop man to assist with the only road crossing) while I went a bit further on to Al’s childcare he was sold.

The only downside? I was worried about running late to school and so wore my bike-riding outfit to walk Thomas. Ofcourse I ran into my always stylishly and well-presented friend Elissa, with helmet hair and a sweaty top but not on my bike!