Beating the Gas Crisis

My Husband had the answer last summer. He started putting all the kids on the bike. Yup, all three; two in the Burley and one on the Co-Pilot. Everyone congratulated his strength and courage. It looked way too hard for lil' ol' me. But I shouldn't underestimate myself.

Summer Camp started last week and after 2 days of idling my car in the pick-up line for 20 min at about $4.20/gallon, I'd had enough. Frustrating, expensive, and bad for the environment. So, with a little bit of coaching and practice close to home, I was soon comfortable enough with the weight and stability issues of pulling about 135/140 extra pounds (kids+seat+trailer) on George's mountain bike.

I feel like a rickshaw driver, but perhaps this is an important concept to keep in mind... Cycle rickshaws are used throughout the world; from developing countries that have used human powered vehicles for hundreds of years, to major European cities with an eye on global conservation. Most Americans have come to think that we "need" our SUV's and minivans; but in this new economic era with poor environmental health, it is critical that we re-think this habit.

The other added benefit of biking the kids around, is that it has become my new fitness program. We get out the door early and head up the shaded Green Bay Trail to North Shore Country Day School Camp. I work pretty hard those first 20 minutes and my boys support the effort by chanting "Go Mommy, Go!" when I climb the steep overpass over the railroad tracks. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, after Max is dropped off, we head out around the back of the school and through the roads that circle the Indian Hills Golf Course until we arrive another 15 minutes later at Harper School for Beckham's Tiny Tots program with the Wilmette Park District. Then I head back home (a 10 min cool down period) with Ryker. A pretty decent workout, efficiently packaged with kid-schlepping duties.

On Tuesday and Thursday, when Beck doesn't have camp, I take the two little guys a few blocks past Max's camp to play at Lisa and Bonnie's wonderful Free-to-Be-Kids babysitting center at the Winnetka Community House, so that I can get into the gym and supplement the bike workout a little bit.

But my biking hasn't stopped there. Since I can't bear sitting in that camp line, I load everyone up again for Max's 3:30 pick-up. I have also been using the bike for all the usual errands and excursions (grocery store, post office, bank, pool, beach...) There is little reason to go too far these "lazy" summer days, I prefer shopping local, and with construction on the Edens Expressway and Sheridan Road, traffic is simply a nightmare best avoided.

To be honest, I'm not sure how this will go when things really heat up in July and August. But my hope is that the inertia of my fitness routine and my commitment to greener living practices will override the fear of a little discomfort in the heat. I cringe to think of the way I used to run my car for a solid 5 min to get the A/C going before I would drive anywhere last summer. It seems an unthinkable strain on the environment now. I'd much prefer to avoid that issue altogether. With proper hydration and plenty of sunscreen, we should all be fine.