Originally Posted by
ilynne
I'm disappointed to see so many responses bordering on "get a car!" With responses like this in the bike commuting forum, I can only imagine the pressure from the cagers.
Keep pedaling unless you want to stop.
Teaching your kids to be healthy and self-reliant is to be admired.
Agreed! As a father of 4, all older than yours, I wish I had done as much to instill a love of an active life in my own kids!
But I also agree with the folks caveating with 'as long as everyone is enjoying it' -- your kids will find enough stuff to resent you for, without adding '30 miles / day of foul weather biking' to the list. ;-) That said, young kids are remarkable in their ability to see their lives as 'normal' despite societal messages. As long as everyone is doing okay, stick with it.
I seem to recall that you've been doing this for a while (at least as long as I've been hanging around this forum... which isn't really that long, of course) and it seems like you've got it down to a pretty solid routine. Stick with it while it is working, and don't let a minor mechanical breakdown get you down. Let's face it -- all mechanical devices fail -- at least a bike is simple and cheap to fix, and self help is most often a viable option (unlike today's cars!). And don't dismiss the electric assist suggestions -- no shame in going electric for the kind of hauling you're doing.