Montreal -- C'est Chouette!

Recently, after leaving Toronto, we found ourselves in beautiful Montreal for a night. (Other Chicago ladies we like have written about Montreal lately as well.)

Quebec was delicious. Oh, and beautiful, too. The morning croissants and brioche the big boys and I found foraging at Olive et Gourmondo were delectable. The guys got to giggle as I struggled through my French. We loved sitting on the bench outside, quietly listening to everyone’s Quebequois around us. 

We shared our deep bag of chausson pomme and chocolatine (AKA apple puffs and chocolate croissants). Then we took a ride on the cobble streets of the old city along the harbor, up over the hill and back through the old quarter.

Pressed for time, we tried to think what we most wanted to see. Markets, museums and bakeries are our favorite things in new cities so we hit the historical museum and then headed to a covered market. Montreal is a lucky city to have several covered city markets year round.

The Marche Jean Talon was the favorite of the lady who recommended the good morning bakery. We promised ourselves we would only stay a little while. Hah! 

Luckily, the route there passed Schwarz’s deli, one of a few great places in town for Montreal smoked meat. It’s brisket marinated like a peppery corned beef with less salt, then smoked, and it’s at least as wonderful as any pastrami or corned beef we’ve found in New York. It’s served with yellow mustard and pretty plain bread, and calls not for a  Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray, but for a Cott’s Black Cherry. But yum. The smoked turkey is also wonderful, but why waste your time when there’s smoked meat? We'd have a picture of our own but what we bought got eaten too fast.

Jean Talon turned out to be a huge covered market with stalls throughout and other smaller shops outside the building along the small streets. We found a cookbook store, Breton-style buckwheat crepes with ham, cheese, and egg, delicious cider of all kinds, fine local cheeses, fresh herbs and exotic spices, cured meats from small farmers and rich Prince Edward Island butter. It was magnifique even in late winter, and the crepes came as a lunch special with sweet maple syrup dessert crepes afterward - we were like totally creped out. We have a hunch that Jean Talon might be out of this world on a summer or fall weekend.

We stayed way too long at the market before hitting the highway. We were sad to leave our new friend Canada but our solace was a long, quiet night ride south under an inky starlit Vermont sky.

we are hoping  Toronto will still take our calls after we put Montreal in  our blog

Our kids' top Toronto things

Many thanks to Aurora for all of her suggestions!

Ride the Ferry to Ward's Island and ride bikes all around.

The Humber River also has an often-recommended bike path, and the lakefront multiuse path is supposed to be fun for cycling when it's not crowded, we hear.

Go up the CN Tower and stand on the glass floor and walk around the open air promenade. Is it better at night or in the day? We don't know, but it was nice when we were there in the day.

It's like the Sears Tower would be if it didn't have any offices for the first 105 floors and the aerial were taller.

Go to Pinball Cafe on Queen Street in Parkdale, eat roasted marshmallow ice cream or fancy ice cream floats, and play Asteroids, Pac Man and 25 cent pinball for hours. Play old records on the jukebox for free.

There's a bike store nearby that's open late which we heard repairs well, sells used bikes, and seemed nice!

Visit the Bike Pirates, matey.

Eat Japanese ramen on Spadina in Chinatown that's better than any in Chicagoland, and then try the waffle stand in the entryway of the Dragon City Mall. $5 for two.

Not in the mood for noodles? Everyone liked Curry Twist on Dundas in the Junction too -- butter chicken and fish curry and then some. Yummy. They have good lassis. And you can draw on the paper on the table.

We didn't try it, but the boat restaurant in the harbor near the ferries seemed exciting to everyone too.

Go to Delight Chocolate Shop and Junction Cheese Shop nearby- the chocolates are great and the cheese shop has house made toasted cheese sandwiches. There's not a lot of stinky cheese there but the blue cheese from Quebec and the butter from PEI are super delicious. The bread was worth writing about in your blog.

I bet there are a lot of great cheese and chocolate stores in Toronto but these are two of them.

High Park for playground and fun in the big park. The squirrels are an odd color.

Night bike ride though the city

Ride the rabbits near the CBC building. Or aardvarks, or something.

Meet the dog at Inabstracto, a used furniture and design store on Queen St.











Places we did not get to that we are going next time

Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario
 (shiny and falling over)          (big and blue with spirals)

Science Center

all those fancy stores we read about

Bata shoe museum?

Non-kid things we also liked:

the Drake Hotel is a little trendy but who can complain about this lighting?


The kids loved breakfast there but it's probably not really a kid hotel for staying.

The  coffee from the 1950s Elektra machine was really good.

the trams

the bike lockers

Got any more suggestions?

Pirates in Toronto!

In the middle of the night last week, we were cruising the straits of Toronto looking for a place to moor for our 3 year old to use the head (or is it the poop deck?), when out of the smoke and haze rode the Bike Pirates and their tall bikes! Avast! (uh, ahoy!?)

Though they were just closing up from a women/trans bike repair workshop, they let us in and everyone ran wild for a bit...   Harrr!

They have a lot of programs teaching bike repair, they occasionally sell repaired cycles, they have pot luck dinners, and have even put out a largely vegetarian Bike Pirate Cookbook (with another one on the way soon that you will need). There may be buried treasure in those bins labeled 'hubs' or 'stems.'  Mostly, they have this incredible workspace available to all, and programs you can read about on their website. There are a few other community bike resources in Toronto, too: Wenches with Wrenches and Community Bicycle Network are two that we heard about. But the Bike Pirates must be the swaggeriest.

Our Young Jims left with heavy hearts, smitten as we all are with the Pirates. Our disappointment only assuaged by the chests of treasure and swag and stickers amply supplied by the same.

There was cool washroom art:

baby, come back

 And a big blackboard wall:

best signs inside: "No Gojo in this sink - the grit clogs the drain" etc.

So here's a big Chicago Arrrrrr! 

And if you ever be in Toronto, matie, bring a ration o' rum t' Bloor Street for the Bike Pirates!

To Chinatown by Bike to Welcome Year of the Dragon 4710

(Edited post with pictures of the celebration)
One of our favorite annual celebrations happened this weekend in Chinatown to welcome the Lunar Chinese New Year 4710. The Lunar New Year party always includes copious fireworks, an incredible Dragon dance and parade with marching bands and plenty of delicious food.  2012 is an extremely special celebration for Chicago's Chinatown. This Dragon year is a time of prosperity and power in traditional Chinese culture, and it's the Chicago Chinatown Centennial too, marking a hundred years of Chinese culture and community in Chicago from 1912-2012. It's actually been 4710 for almost a week already but the celebration was this weekend. The parade started at 1:00 on Sunday and other programs started at 11:30.

Here are our favorite tips for riding to Chinatown and enjoying the afternoon with children in tow. There are also some food and bike route suggestions that are good all year at the end. If you are going in summer look at our post about the water taxi from Michigan Avenue. If you have your own favorite tips or suggestions please add a comment - this isn't a complete list by far!

For the New Year celebrations:

• The fireworks are everywhere and they are loud and smoky and smelly so make sure everybody can manage surprises.
• There are zillions of people so plan to lock your bikes very well away from the crowd and dress your kids in something like a Day-Glo suit you can see easily if they slip away.
• It's pretty cold so dress extra super warm - bring an extra layer for once you are off your bike
• Don't try to take the water taxi - it's only in the summer. But the playground at Ping Tom park should be open. It's just north of Chinatown Square Mall in those residential streets west of Wentworth - is it South Tan Ct?
• Everybody at the event thinks they are going to go eat nearby, all at the same time, right after the parade. Bring lots of patience or have a secret plan to avoid the crowds if you don't want to wait. See below for our choices. You could also get back on the bikes and go to the Ed Potsticker House for dumplings (across from the police station at 3139 S Halsted in Bridgeport), for example, or just go for little goodies from a bakery. 

Our food suggestions:

• The Chinatown Square Mall (just north of Archer) is our favorite part of the neighborhood because the kids can run around without getting into traffic, there are lots of shops and restaurants, and the guy who makes noodles at Hing Kee across from Joy Yee always smiles at the kids as he spins a big clod of dough into uniform, delicious noodles with his bare hands. His line went well out the door this weekend.
• Another good bet might be Tao Ran Ju (Tasty House) at 2002 S Wentworth, a hot pot place off the beaten track known for its delicious soup dumplings.
• On the southern end of Wentworth, Evergreen is known for mu shi and similar dishes and the kids love the fish tank (why this one more than others? Don't know.)
• We ended up at Cai, a newish dim sum restaurant on the upper floor of the Chinatown Square mall, at the eastern end -- it was a good place with a huge bright dining room and some really well prepared dishes, and despite the huge crowds everyone was friendly. Since it was upstairs it filled more slowly than the others, but it was a pleasant new discovery for us. We'll definitely go back.
• If you prefer nonchinese food, Lawrence Fisheries on Canal just north of Cermak is famous for its fried fish and shrimp and it's a quick ride or walk. There's a little stand in the odd food court basement of the Richland Center just east of the Chinatown Square that has the only Japanese Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba I've seen in Chicago - cheap but no atmosphere at all. Ba Le on Archer has Vietnamese sandwiches and coffee and there's a Vietnamese place on Cermak too.

Other suggestions:

• Bathrooms haven't been a big problem for us since most places let kids use the bathroom.
• Coffee? Forget it. Unless you like it Vietnamese style with condensed milk at Ba Le. Alternative to coffee: strong Hong Kong milk tea - try the Sweet Station diner but it's not as kid friendly.
• There are a lot of good shops for specialty goods in Chinatown, particularly kitchen tools and housewares and of course groceries. Our best luck looking for unusual teas was at Ten Ren, 2247 S Wentworth. 

Chicago Chinatown Centennial Dragon Parade 2012 / 4710

The dragon parade with its marching bands and homemade floats is the big draw for most people, of course, but later in the afternoon the dragons come through the commercial district and dance in front of and inside businesses to bring luck to the new year.

See the yummy lettuce over the shop door?

There were three or four of them, with a dragon zookeeper with a long pike to keep the crowds safe. Businesses offer lettuce and oranges hung with a red ribbon above the door and a dragon leaps up and snatches the treat. Fireworks accompany the lucky dancing animals.

Older people give younger ones decorated red envelopes with money inside for the New Year - don't look until you get home!



There are a few good ways to get to Chinatown:

Since the 18th street protected bike lane has been put in, coming from Pilsen or South Loop you can just take it and then Wentworth south into the heart of the commercial section. Take the sidewalk over the bridge since they haven't installed metal plates there yet.

Coming from the west loop we might ride on Peoria to UIC then Morgan then east across the Cermak bridge to avoid Halsted, though that does connect too. There's also a nicer connection from Morgan and 18th down on Sangamon all the way to Cermak but you'll have to look at our map. We took the sidewalk on Cermak to Chinatown since the bike lanes are full of ice.

The Red Line El comes right in to Chinatown if it's really cold or otherwise no fun to ride bikes with the kids. You can also take the Blue Line to UIC-Halsted where there is a long ramp for your bikes on the Morgan St exit, then through UIC and Morgan as above.

Don't think about driving to the New Year parade. Park and take your bike or the El.

As the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce says, GUNG HEI FAT CHOI TO ALL!

A Summer Ride To Millennium Park and The Art Institute (with kids on their bikes or as a passenger on yours)

Here is a Chicago classic for summer. A ride to  Millennium Park to jump in the fountain after a visit to the Art Institute. Alert! You'll need to pack some snacks, sunscreen and extra clothes or bathing suits and towels. It's so fun running in the shallow water at the Crown Fountain (the one with the giant faces spitting water) that no one can ever just get their feet wet.

Why not try the North Branch Trail?

We have lived in Chicago for many years but for some reason never rode on the North Branch Trail, which connects Devon Ave at Caldwell to the Skokie Lagoons and the Chicago Botanic Garden near Lake Cook Rd in Glencoe. It's a great place for a kid who isn't completely at ease on a bike to practice and for a bigger kid to really ride without thinking about cars. That and it's green and outdoorsy. The trail follows...

There's a Water Taxi to Chinatown

This may not be news, but at least on the weekends and holidays there is a $4 per person (3 years old +) water taxi that leaves from under the new Trump Tower (old Sun-Times building) downtown and goes to Chinatown every half hour. Here's their site. The little yellow boat gives you great views of the city, the headquarters of an unknown evil genius at 301 Taylor, the giant field and scrubland that ought to be a park near River City, and gets you to a fun place and back quickly. Or from a fun place to the center of town.  We are always happy to find another way to get around the city and this one is really fun for everybody in the family. And you can take your bikes!

CRITICAL parts failure is a MASSive Adventure

We had quite a time on the Critical Mass tonight, stretching from the Loop through Boystown and on to Uptown, down Argyle and up Sheridan on a terrific route with lots of new and old friends. Even our neighbors downstairs took the ride. The air was just warm enough and we had a surfeit of snacks and chocolate to keep everyone chipper even though they weren't on their own bikes. Argyle was tempting us with a late, after Mass, Vietnamese supper as we passed along.

Unfortunately, at Hollywood and Kenmore, ten and a half miles from home, the sprocket sprang off the rebuilt Nexus 8 hub we keep whining about, then the roller brakes failed on that wheel. Both of these things have happened before. Perfect timing. I took the bike apart as best as I could with an adjustable wrench on the sidewalk, but I couldn't get to the

Nobody Home on the Lake

I'm sure there are a few good snowstorms still waiting to hit Chicago this season, but you wouldn't know it from the last few days of sunny 60 F / 15 C weather. You still need at least a thin to medium jacket, especially in the shade, but everybody is tempted by the bright light to underdress. On a bike, you still probably need your gloves and earmuffs to be really comfortable.  We headed out with all 3 kids on the Onderwater Tandemtransporter and the shiny Chicago-made Schwinn the other day, dropped the big

Bridges

Chicago is a city of water and one of the best things about riding here is the amazing views from the incredible iron bridges.

We rode the Cermak bridge into Chinatown for a late dinner after visiting the Bike Winter Art Show opening on Halstead. Cermak was surprisingly

Coffee and Sunshine

Yesterday was full of two of my favorite ride buddies- delicious coffee and bright streaming winter sun.
Out by 7:30 yesterday a.m., it was coldish but so bright we left the canopy off.  By the time we'd stopped for croissants (& a nice hot little cappuccino) and crossed the Cortland bridge it had warmed up considerably.
The doors were open at Finkl Steel so we stopped to watch the action. It was much earlier than our usual visits and boy, did that pay off.  Spiral showers of sparks were shooting everywhere. Massive steel columns were being sheared off by the welders before sailing through the air in the teeth of the giant crane. Just as we figured it was time to go, one of the huge two-story yellow Finklmobiles pulled out right next to us and backed down the road. Then, to top things off, a loaded gravel barge was chugging along under the bridge as we left.
Small guy and I headed off into the fresh air after dropping the others at school, on our favorite long way home towards the lake, through the city and home. (We use Belden from just past Clybourn all the way to the lake.) We doodled around in the sun exploring on small streets we don't usually ride and surprisingly passed a bakery we love.  So... we stopped again and took a little break and maybe had another little cappuccino too. ( At Floriole, where it just so happens they put a cute little cookie on the plate. )
After our snack we rode to the lake and through the Gold Coast (on State Parkway) in even more sun than before. Cutting along through town my small boy argued that we should stop by the Aquarium instead of going home.  umm. ok. We changed course and turned back to get onto a stretch of the Lake Front Path from the yacht club to the museums. Just as I got the bike walked around Millennium Park to go to the path he started nodding and drooping, and soon he was asleep. Right by the Intelligentsia. Hmmm. I had a nice fresh newspaper in my pannier and there I was with a sleeping guy, sunny day and giant park. I couldn't help it. I just popped in and stood outside while they made a nice little snip of delicious coffee in a paper cup - which I usually don't believe in but.... I tucked it snugly into the bike and rode the headwind on the LFP to the perfect Museum Campus bench overlooking the lake in the sun.


p.s. I can't help checking over at Born. In. Japan. to see if the baby has arrived.... Danielle has a cute post about her Christiania Trike today.

p.p.s. Parking at any of the museums in town with a bike is a cheap and easy start to any visit. There is good parking at the Museum Campus at the North side of the Field Museum and just south of the Shedd.  We have a membership at the aquarium so we sort of drop in and out if we can. A good post on tripping to the museums is in the works. There is an old one on winter biking to the Notebaert!

Making a Trailer out of Junk Parts to Carry your Kids' Bikes

One of the problems with using the box bike to get everywhere in the city is that the kids, who of course are getting bigger all the time, want to ride their own bikes sometimes, too. Not a problem, really, but if we want to ride somewhere nice but far away, especially if we are trying to get there quickly, sometimes the kids are out of luck.

Well, that's just unfair, we've heard. And it is.

We decided to figure out a way to carry big kids' (well, up to 24 inch wheeled) bikes with us, so we can race off somewhere, then detach the kids' bikes and let them ride around where it's nice (like Kidical Mass, for example), and if they get tired they can get back in the sag wagon cargo bike and their bike goes back into the box.

To the Movies at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Just this weekend I found that the Notebaert Nature Museum will be showing films from the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival on Saturdays and Sundays this winter for toddlers to about 8 years old. What fun -- a ride through the wintry city and a stop at the movies! The screenings are on Friday mornings at 9.45 am for the youngest children and Saturday mornings at 9.45 for 5-8 year old early risers.  The films look to be a good mix and admission gets you into the Museum for later if you wish. Shows begin late in January but it’s a good idea to get tickets early as seating is sparse.

Hmm, but how to get there on two wheels?  Check out the Good Routes page here to look for a good ride or to share one.

Some ways we go are:

From Humboldt Park or Logan Square going west I try to take little streets and eventually reach Belden or Webster streets going east. From Bucktown I follow Cortland or Webster and go north on Racine to Belden, which is quiet and all stop signs and lights from just west of De Paul all the way to the lake. Once at the Lake just turn north and coast up to the Nature Museum. The Belmont bus also runs east with room for two bikes or as many people as you can fit, and it stops right in front of the museum.

From Hyde Park (south) or Rogers Park (north) there’s the Lakefront Path. The LFP can be challenging in winter for family riding, but the Chainlink now has an update forum for riders that are curious about the condition of the trail, commented on by fellow winter cyclists. I rarely take the path myself; definitely look at the Active Trans info page or the  lakefront path information wiki.

From the South Loop I would take Peoria to Lake, cut along Wacker by the river on the sidewalk, and then go north on Wabash all the way to the Gold Coast. I cut east to State from Wabash as it disappears just by the Sofitel, then walk/ ride State or the sidewalk on Astor or Lakeshore through the Gold Coast to Lincoln Park. I ride in the park past the zoo and up to Fullerton and the Nature Museum. This route is mostly a quiet path through a busy area.

There are lots of good places for an emergency bathroom stop heading both east and north on these rides and of course the museum has plenty of bathrooms.

Goodies at Bake

Bake is good but hard to see without a big sign. It's on
the north side of North Ave near the Handlebar.

A winter ride is always fun when there are delicious hot drinks or a treat for a morning bite. Food and coffee is available at the Museum but it isn’t my favorite spot. Coming from the west, we stop early in the ride at Bake on 2246 W North Ave,  Floriole Bakery on 1220 W Webster, a quick jog from Belden, or try Sweet Mandy B’s next door.  Coming from the north, Bittersweet Bakery is at 1114 W Belmont. The Red Hen Bakery on 500 W Diversey (just north of the park/museum and about two blocks west of the giant Goethe statue) does breakfast, coffee and sandwiches. North Pond Cafe has fancy brunch on Sundays but it’s too fancy for kids!  These places take care of a morning treat, but for later I’d pack lunch and a snack so I don’t have to depend on the food in the Museum cafe. And a thermos of something hot and cheery can be a big help on a cold morning ride with kids. 

Bike parking is good at the Museum or along the park that surrounds it. You can bring your unsorted recycling to the bin out front. Don’t forget to bring some crumbs for the ducks and geese and walk around North Pond, which has one of the best views of the city and a playground. 

Snow?

Our kids winter gear is snowsuit or jacket and snowpants, fleece or wool sweater under, long wool underwear, face mask,  goggles, windproof mittens, wool socks and a warm insulated snowboarding helmet. When they are actively pedaling we adjust the fleece underlayer or carry it along. We use fleece vests instead of jackets if the weather is warmer. Check out the post about keeping kids warm riding in Fall for more info about where to get them and how to choose and care for them so they last a long time.

We have a crush on Belden St. From De Paul to the lake, it's all stop signs and lights, trees, and no busy cars. We rode it today with our friend here. We love his red trike!

We couldn't help but stop and visit the horses and goats at the Farm in the Park. They were all wearing goggles, too.

Look, horsies!

Our pannier is usually full of extra layers just in case. We almost asked our red trike friend if he needed a hat!

To the Super Playground- five kids on three bikes

Have you seen the new "Sangamon and Adams Park 542" playground in the West Loop?  Our kids don't even think about calling it that. Here it's just known as the super playground. It's chock full of ropes and climbing triangles, and deep bouncy floor trenches to climb and roll down. There's a series of arches in the park too with cool mist clouds if it's warm enough. We are still trying to figure out how to make it go. The park and playground just opened in August and I have to say we just can't stop going! A site that almost captures Park 542's super glory is here and there's a Tribune article here.  


It's just north of the highway near the UIC/Halsted Blue Line stop and there's a ramp there to Morgan you can roll up if you are coming by train. To get to the playground from there go north on Morgan. Look out for traffic coming off the highway at the first light it comes right up. We ride in the road by the apartment building that is right after the light so cars pulling out of the garage can see us then back up to the sidewalk, cross the street and go right on Van Buren on the left side of the street sidewalk . We ride east to Sangamon, turn left and ride until we can see 542 at Adams. We  cross and enter the park, then ride through the park to the play lot on the east side along Peoria. The bus on Halstead stops east of the park on Adams and you can ride west straight to the park. Two bikes only on the bus- we have taken a bike on the bus and collapsed a trailer and taken it on the bus before. There is also a bus on Jackson going west.

The mist is still on as of Oct 11!

Friends we had over last week voted to ride bikes across the highway there so off we went. We have extra bikes in our garage from the trash and Working Bikes so we had enough for the two nine year-olds to ride.  The two six year olds wanted to ride with me and our small guy. 
The quick ride we took highlighted three of the tricks when we're out with a solo kid rider at intersections with or without a stop light.


First, just like nobody expects the Spanish inquisition, no driver in Chicago imagines a child out on a bike, ever. Kids on bikes are also short, even if they have a flag.  We tell the guys to remember that they are really invisible when we are out on bikes -- like a super hero that can get squashed they have the power to stay safe and take  good care of themselves on a ride. 
Next, cars in a hurry to overtake us and make their right turn don't look out when we get to an intersection. They can easily almost hit us so we try to ride to the absolute top of the corner in the road, or if we are on the sidewalk we stay on the sidewalk until we make eye contact with the driver. Cars are always surprised to see a child on a bike but they are usually really nice when they see us.


Lastly, when we sidewalk ride, cars turning left do not anticipate us moving off the sidewalk and into the road and can also easily hit us.When the guys are on their bikes  we usually ride the sidewalks in the West Loop. Sidewalks are usually deserted on the roads we take. We do do a little riding in the road so its good to know that traffic is very busy in the morning, quieter in the middle of the day and busy later at rush hour. Peoria has stop signs at most major streets and is fairly quiet- north/south.


We rode the three turns and two straightaways from the UIC campus to the playground in no time. Bike parking at the super playground is not super yet, so we took our bikes into the play lot and locked them inside the fence. This is a pretty safe place for bikes! When everyone had to go to the bathroom we went to the Merit School of Music which is just north of the play lot across the street on Peoria. They don't mind at all if you use the bathrooms or get a drink there.


We took a picnic. For other snacks, Greektown is just east and has a couple of nice bakeries -- there is a sweet family owned shop on Halsted with baklava and spanikopita they will happily box up for you.  Also nearby is a coffee shop on Morgan. Wishbone restaurant is close north on Morgan and has a 15% off deal at all meals for cyclists, and a kid's menu.

A Tale of Two Masses- Kidical and Critical.......part 1

Kidical Mass meets one, two, or three times a month in various parts of the city, depending on the month and how everyone that organizes each separate ride plans the month. The second Saturday each month there's always a ride in Palmer Square (near Logan Square). Meet at Palmer Square (3100 W. Palmer) at 10:30. Ride starts at 11.

Here are some quick thoughts on the kidical mass! 


It's very fun. If you are a family that has not spent much time in the actual road this is a good chance to give it a try. Finding a comfort level with being in the road can be easier with a nice group of people, with your kids on decorated bikes, with music, and with plenty of other grown-ups around. There are plenty of cycling families that show up that ride in their everyday lives to ask questions of and just feel less weird with. There is a nice playground in the center of Palmer Square, too, so you don't have to feel bad talking away with other parents and riders while your kids whine about needing to leave. Bathrooms are tricky at the start point so Go At Home. Snacks are good to bring.

If the group is small and you don't put your kids in the road much, it can be a new experience to feel the cars going by while you are riding with your family. Hang in there... the rides are usually just long enough to let you feel like you are actually getting somewhere. Routes are usually a mix of quiet and less quiet roads that the organizers ride during the week or so before, to gauge the safety of the traffic and the quality of the road specifically for each ride.

On big and small riders...
Everyone is welcome on Kidical Mass. The rides, though, are geared for kids who can ride. Smaller toddlers and like-a-bike sized kids should be on a bike with their parents. Kids that can roll along on their own bikes are encouraged to take their own vehicles. Perfect for my six year old but tricky with my nine year old, as he is used to moving places under his own power. He needs a little encouragement to keep the speed down and enjoy the ride, welcoming the smaller guys along. I think it's great for a kid of any age to give it a go. 

Which brings me to my favorite topic... taking the bike to the Kidmass itself!
Some kids have the chops to ride to the ride, others need a lift but then will be able to get on their bikes to ride themselves. How do you get your soon-to-be-riders and yourself to the ride, on your bike, with their bikes?  And more importantly, how do you all get home? 


Some mixes that could work:  Kid on a seat if they still fit, and bike in or on a trailer or well strapped to a ride along. Kids in trailer and bikes strapped on. Kids on their own bikes. Go there the day before and lock your bikes up, then take the bus to the ride.


We ride with kids in the box bike or on the tandem and use a wacky bike trailer D. rigged out of parts of an old kid trailer, with car roof bike carrier racks bolted onto the frame, that holds two kid bikes. Any other ideas out there?

Another option is to take public transportation. Palmer Square is a short short ride from the Logan Square Blue Line Station and Kidical Mass is on Saturday morning, so you can take all your bikes on the train (or bus) and get off there, then back on bikes down Kedzie or one of the very nice little side streets south to Palmer. Tricky on the steps but possible. Buses only hold two bikes each.


Routes to ride from other parts of town, anyone?  We would go Morgan north to Lake westbound -- look out for road work at the intersections -- to Wood, north to Armitage west, then north on small streets parallel to Kedzie to Palmer Square. We usually find the small streets and little side boulevards in Logan Square to be really nice riding. Coming from the North the intersections in the area of Elston and Western are not pleasant- it's a sidewalk ride for me with the kids.


Remember that Palmer Square is only one of several places that will host Kidical Mass each month. There's often one in Pilsen, Rogers Park, and other places. Look at the Kidical Mass group on the Chainlink for info. 


Part two later!