Now that summer is finally here, I am ready and raring to fill the air in my tires and start zipping off with my kids around the neighborhood with our trusty bikes.  There is nothing like getting the chance to go biking with your kids and now that they’ve hit the tween years, we are having a blast.  Their little legs can finally take them further distances and as a result we’ve been exploring our community by riding along the Bronx River Parkway in the summers when they close the roadway to tourists.  There’s nothing better than being able to ride without fear of cars honking behind you.  Plus, the ice cream trucks are always strategically placed along the way so that once we all run out of fuel, we can re-charge with Frozen Fruit pops, Sponge Bob drippy ice creams and chocolate shakes. Obviously, calories go out the window when you’re on a long distance trek through Westchester County.

We also love those fabulous bike trails that we take each year when we visit some of our favorite haunts in New England including Block Island, Nantucket, Cape Cod and Newport.  There’s nothing better than exploring the scenery and homes in New England than by traversing those scenic bike trails.  While those pathways can sometimes be a bit challenging, we’ve gotten to know the ones that the kids can handle and always make sure we’re wearing bathing suits so that when we’re all ready to pass out, we can park our bikes, lay down some towels and relax on a sandy beach. And that is truly a picture perfect day.

From Central Park, we went over the Madison Avenue Bridge into the Bronx.  We were in the Bronx maybe a total of ten minutes, just enough to say we did that borough. Then we darted across the Third Avenue Bridge and once again we were back in Manhattan. One borough down, four to go. Just as we were building nice even strokes, all the bikes came to a halt. We were stopped st 125th Street for the car traffic to go through.
    
This was totally unlike the NYC Marathon. Once the cannon goes off, the clock is ticking and you don’t stop for no stinkin’ cars. Even though I knew it was a bike tour, I kept thinking bike race in my head. When I finally settled down, I was able to enjoy the scenery more, although my competitive side wanted to know how far ahead my friends were.

When we were allowed to go again, we had to rebuild our momentum. We peddled along FDR Drive and went through one of the underpasses. A big red banner hung over the entrance way, “Bikers Use Caution, Expansion Gaps in Road.” As everyone went through the tunnel, instead of watching for the expansion gaps like we were supposed to, we all screamed at the top of our lungs to hear the echo. Maturity at its finest. Of course, I joined in.
    
When a thousand people are screaming at the same time the echo gets pretty loud. I think the vibration for the echo must have sent powerful sound waves out because it was at this juncture that the first blue bag incident occurred. As Steve was merrily peddling his way along FDR Drive, his demonic blue bag decided to take a nosedive for the pavement. It went rolling along the street and stopped precariously in the middle of the road, just daring
other bikers to run over it.

We carefully darted in and out of bicyclists and retrieved the bag. It’s amazing that no one ran over it, or us. Steve reattached the bag, this time more securely. The bag still had that evil glow.  We peddled onward through the rest of the boroughs, finishing at 2pm, which felt like a winning time to me.

By Fran Capo (www.francapo.com),  a single mom, comedienne, motivational speaker, actress, voice-over artist, nine-time author, spokesperson, TV host and four time world record holder.

Today I’ve found it more challenging to introduce my children to the joys of cycling. Our gravel driveway has been tough to maneuver with training wheels. Living on top of a tiny mountain has meant a downhill or uphill challenge whichever way you turn. And let’s face it – I’m a bit nervous letting my children venture solo given the times we live in.

However, cycling is an important tradition for me to pass down to my children. I still want them to experience the freedom and adventure of riding.

Our elementary school has been a terrific spot to teach the children how to ride. On weekends the paved loop has given them plenty of quiet practice space. A nearby rail trail gives our kids good practice in distance riding and experience sharing the path with other cyclists, runners, and rollerbladers. When we go camping, we take along the bicycles and wheel around the grounds, sometime even letting the children venture a safe distance on their own.

I may no longer be pedaling like mad to get at those chocolate chip pancakes. But cycling is something memorable from my childhood that I now can share with my family. It gets us outdoors and gives us a good workout. Most importantly, it’s fun. Why not get on board your two-wheeled chariots and pedal your way to the greatest adventure of your life?

 Anne Witkavitch owns C-suiteCommunications.com and is a communications consultant, professional writer/speaker, and avid traveler. She is married and the proud mother of two children

When I met them for lunch in Venice, she was so full of accomplishment and strength, and yes, a little tired, too. I started to reminisce about my own days on my yellow three speed Schwinn, which, when I was my daughter’s age, embarrassed me because it matched my parents’ bikes. All three of us had the bright yellow bikes, and thankfully we didn’t ride them everywhere together. I remember the first feelings of freedom as I rode my neighborhood back in New Jersey, down to the pool or over to Madison (that meant crossing a big road). And I remember one particularly steep hill on a street lined with ancient trees from the times of George Washington that scared me every time I went down it—it gave me that same feeling you get on a roller coaster when you can’t hold on. When I was brave enough I went down it No hands.

Back in the 70s we didn’t wear helmets, we rode alone, and we rode everywhere and far. We had no cell phones to call home if we fell, often depending on strangers for a bandage or a glass of water. Having a bike as a tween or a teen meant freedom.

My daughters only have a little of that. We live in a small but busy beach side town, and because so few people actually pay attention to what they are doing when they are driving, the kids on bikes have to be REALLY careful. But get them going on their bikes and you see smiles and sheer joy, and you witness them test out the freedom that we all felt riding our bikes as kids.

Ellen Regenstreif, is the owner of ChildTours (www.childtours.com), a travel consultancy where she helps families stay sane by planning their trip itineraries.

Although my children are only seven and four, biking is already a tradition for us. In fact, it has become one of the ways I track my children’s growth, as they’ve moved slowly from being pulled or carried to riding on their own. This is especially true when I think about the distance we cover each summer on the Burlington-Colchester, Vermont bike path.

This little slice of heaven runs along Lake Champlain from the southern tip of the city of Burlington along a lovely waterfront park and a number of residential neighborhoods, across the Winooski River, and finally out onto an old railroad causeway that has water on either side. For much of the ride there are stunning views of the Adirondack Mountains across the lake; light plays across their surface; the lake now glassy, now covered in whitecaps is a constant presence.

The first time we had our oldest son Tommy on this bike path, he was fifteen months old and was pulled in a carrier. He’s always been an active and observant kid, and he didn’t like being confined at all; we were new parents and didn’t like his fussing. Needless to say, we didn’t make it very far. This outing was followed by a few years where we avoided bikes. But soon the lure of that gorgeous path was too much for us and there we were, pulling Tommy and also our newest addition Teddy, the two of them giggling and elbowing each other the entire way. This was more fun, but since they wanted to go swimming it ended up being more of a beach than a bike outing. The next summer Tommy was riding himself but had training wheels that clanked with his every move and slowed him (and all this of us) up.

But last summer we had our first truly long family ride on the path I had been longing to explore for years. It was a gorgeous day, blue sky alternating with dramatic clouds and a breeze playing across the water. After weeks of rain, there were numerous and often deep puddles and Tommy rode through every one of them until the back of his shirt, neck, hair, and helmet were splattered with so much mud that he looked like he had been trail riding. He was fast, and we did indeed make it farther than we ever have, about six miles out onto the old causeway, where the lake is on either side of the path and where the air is full of the sound of lapping water. And he rode back handily, stopping for a pickup game of baseball at a park along the way. Teddy was asleep by the time we got back to our car, but not Tommy. He was raring for more and informed us that next time he would make it to the end of the path.

Nothing makes me happier than to see Tommy racing off down the bike path away from me. In fact, I can’t wait for Teddy to be able to the same. Yes, each year means they are growing a little older and faster. We’ll certainly be going farther - I expect that this summer we Tommy’s ambition of riding all the way to the end will come true. Soon I may not even be able to keep up with them. But I believe that biking has taught them to take on the world gracefully and joyfully, laughing even as they ride through the deepest of mud puddles.

Note: if you’re ever in Burlington and want to rent bikes, there are a number of places to do so right on the path. Learn more at Local Motion, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to helping people find ways to get around and to developing trails.

By Mara Gorman, Daytripper Mom and blogger at www.motherofalltrips.com

Pressured, we ran out and bought a bike. He got to choose the colors, the seat and we even engraved it. He was so excited that we mistook it for the purchase rather than a fun day out with his mama and papa, for the second we got home he forgot all about it. But hey, it was time for him to ride! So we took him to the park, made him get on it. Told him all the cool kids were doing it. Nothing worked. He preferred to climb trees. Again the advice came rushing out: ‘You need to get him on or it will be too late!’ Yet deep down I thought, since when was four to late to learn? Was the world in this much of a rush?

We were disillusioned. We even wondered, was our son too slow? Was he not cool enough? Then one day, two days after his fifth birthday (one year later) he hopped on. By that time the bike had seen way better days due to other kids in the neighborhood borrowing it - instead of four wheels it was down to three wobbly ones. Yet that didn’t stop him! He got on and rode. The inner clocks of development inside us will do what is right no matter when the rest of the world thinks it is!

By Marina Villatoro lives in Costa Rica and loves to help people travel throughout Central America with her site http://travelexperta.com.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure he was ready to go solo. The training wheels were providing a sense of security and stability I felt was needed. As in, I needed it. Because the first time he climbed on a bike was the first time I realized I could no longer keep up with him! Which meant I could not be there to catch him if he fell. Watching him zip up and down the sidewalk was less harrowing with a “safety net” in place.

However, when the training wheels were removed for a quick fixit job, my son’s impatience got the best of him. He hopped on and began wobbling around the driveway. At first, I was bent over the repair and didn’t notice what he was up to. Within minutes, he had it. I finally looked up from my tools as he yelled “Look Mom!”. Immediately I panicked! I wasn’t ready! I mean, he wasn’t ready!

But actually, he was very ready, and without any help from me. He took off like a shot and didn’t even look back. My heart thumped as I watched him fly down the street! And yet, when he got to the corner, he turned around just like always and came back without incident. I began to cry tears of relief, pride and…longing.

For the first few years of our children’s lives, we are always there. We make sure they live in a bubble-padded world so that all their “firsts” are happy ones. And then there comes a time where they start to move ahead of us. It is then that our job begins to change. Instead of following them around, we can only be there before and after. Each morning now I help my little boy suit up – helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, good shoes. He hops on his bike and enters the world with confidence. Sometimes he comes back in high spirits, sometimes he hobbles home with scrapes. I patch him up with bandaids and kisses, full of advice about not going too fast or keeping his eyes on the road. Then I turn him loose again.

I’ve always felt that learning to ride a bike is a milestone for a child – a signal to the world that they are ready to take off and find their unique path! Now I know it is also a milestone for mothers – a signal to myself that it’s time to resign as Director and assume a more supporting role in my growing child’s life. And a message to both of us that as long as we’re well prepared, it’s going to be an awesome ride!

By Lauren Horsley, After living and traveling all over the world, Lauren finally settled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains where she is mom to 3. Her blog is SuperMomCentral.com.