Child Trailers
Submitted by Phil Fellner

I’m thinking of getting a trailer to bring my young kids along on rides. Any advice on what I should look for?
Child trailers make a lot of sense because they allow towing two kids (even kids too young to ride in baby seats) in a fairly well-protected rolling environment. You can put books, toys, food, a radio, etc. in with your kids to keep them comfortable and happy. Most trailers provide shelter from wind, rain, sun and the cold; and some level of shock absorption against rough roads.

Trailers are stable and not prone to tipping. They also carry cargo so you can combine rides with grabbing some groceries. And they’re pretty easy to pull with the exception of climbing steep hills and fighting strong headwinds. You can still ride, but you’ll want low gears and should probably choose routes that minimize these difficulties.

You can find trailers or information about trailers in any good bike shop. The company that has a long-standing reputation in trailers is Burley. But, you’ll find shops offering trailers by other makers as well.

When shopping, try the trailer out to see how easy it is to attach and detach from the bicycle you’ll use it with. Ideally, it’ll be a 2-minute task. Otherwise, you may be less inclined to use the trailer. Nice features to look for include manageable total weight so you’re not pulling too hefty a load; and quick and easy folding or collapsing, which makes it much easier to fit the trailer in a car should you want to take it on vacation or simply drive to a nice place to bike with your family.

When using a trailer, pick paths and roads that are compatible with your wide load. If you choose busy bike paths frequented by inline skaters, joggers and dog walkers, ride very carefully because the extra width of the trailer can surprise other path users who are not always paying attention. Usually, you get used to the width of the trailer quickly and don’t have problems running into things. But, it’s definitely important to always keep in mind that the trailer is back there and that snagging things with the trailer (such as parking meters) could lead to injury to you and the kids.

One of best things about these trailers is excellent resale value because the demand is so high for used child trailers. When your kids are grown and you no longer need the trailer, just run an ad in the classifieds and the trailer will sell before you know it for at least half what you paid for it.

Ride Chair, Ride
By Kent Kelly

First off, I apologize to any of our members who went to do the Lake Country Ride on Saturday, June 10th. Word came of road construction on a major street so I substituted another ride. We changed the web site and the Ride Hot Line; we sent out an e-mail to all members who have given us an e-mail address; I sent the change to the Journal Sentinel contact and I hope that was in time (I don’t read the paper). We still could have missed someone.

So this caution, please treat all schedules as tentative and check our web site; call the Ride Hot Line before you start out for a ride.

Also, if you see major road construction on one of our routes, please let me know as soon as you can.

And finally (for this month), we can always use ride leaders. I’ll have the sign-up sheets at the meetings and at rides. See you then.

Contact me, Kent Kelly:
1. At our monthly meeting.
2. By e-mail:

 (please include BVBC in the subject line)
3. By phone: 414.423.0236 (home - you can leave a message)
4. On a ride

Thanks

 

Ride Schedule for June and July
All Rides Start at 9am
For current ride details in printer friendly PDF format, Click Here

Saturday, June 24, 2006
Parkside. Easy ride through Kenosha County. Ride Distance 29 or 50 miles. Starts near Petrified Springs Park in Kenosha. Take I-94 south, exit at County E (Kenosha), east on County E approximately 5 miles to Hwy 31, left on Hwy 31 for 0.3 miles, right on JR for 0.6 miles to parking lot on the left, just outside of Petrified Springs Park.

Sunday, June 25, 2006
Menomonee River Century. Annual fund raiser (registration required). Ride Distance 25, 50 or 75 miles. Starts in Marinette, WI. See brochure for details. www.mrcride.com (800) 447-5673.

Sunday, June 25, 2006
Riveredge River Valley Ride. Annual fund raiser (registration required). Ride Distance 16, 30 or 50 miles. Starts in Newburg, WI. See brochure for details or On Line registration @ www.riveredge.us (800)-287-8098.

Saturday, July 01, 2006
Chuck's Breakfast Ride. Easy ride through River Hills and Mequon. Stop at Chuck's for breakfast afterwards at 406 N. Main St. Ride Distance 34 miles. Starts at Village Park in Thiensville. Take I-43 north to Mequon Rd. West on Mequon Rd (approximately 3 miles). Right on N. Cedarburg Rd/Main St. (approximately 1/2 mile). Right on Green Bay approximately 1 block, right on Elm to Village Park.

Sunday, July 02, 2006
BVBC Classic Preview. BVBC Classic previewed for MEMBERS ONLY!!!! Century and 65 mile starts at 7:00 am; all others at 9:00 am Ride Distance 25, 45 or 65 miles. Starts at St. Paul's School in Oconomowoc. Take I-94 west to WI 67 (Oconomowoc exit). Turn right on 67, go north approximately 2 miles, names changes to Summit continue straight 1.5 miles, turn right on St. Paul to school

Saturday, July 08, 2006
BVBC Classic-Lake Country. New!!! Century added for 2006!! Bay View Bicycle Club fund raiser ride through Lake Country Waukesha & Jefferson Counties. Ride Distance 25, 45, 65, or 100 miles. Starts from St.Paul's school in Oconomowoc. See brochure for registration, starting times and more details

Sunday, July 09, 2006
Oakleaf Trail - North Loop. Easy ride on the Oak Leaf trail going north, then inland to connector trail. Ride Distance 50 miles. Starts at South Shore Park in Bay View. Take I-94 exit at Becher St. Go east on Becher to E. Bay St... Veer right on E.Bay St.; follow it around to Russell Ave. Turn left on Russell to Superior. Turn right on Superior to Estes St. Turn on left on Estes and right on South Shore Dr. Consult a map for more details.

Saturday, July 15, 2006
River Hills/Grafton. Ride north through River Hills, Mequon, Thiensville and Grafton. Return along Lake Michigan. Ride Distance 31 or 48 miles. Starts at Kletzsch Park. Take I-43 north to Good Hope Rd. Go west one mile to Milwaukee River Pkwy. South in Pkwy approximately one mile to parking lot on west side.

Sunday, July 16, 2006
Ottawa Lake, Scenic ride through Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest. Ride Distance 30 or 40 miles. Take I-94 west to WI 67 (Oconomowoc exit), south on WI 67 approximately 3.4 miles, right on Sunset/(WI 18) 1/2 mile, left on Main St. 1.2 miles to Glacial Drumlin parking on left side of street. 30 minutes from Zoo.

Saturday, July 22, 2006
Leukemia Ride. Annual fund raiser (pre-registration and pledges required). Ride Distance 62, 75 or 100 miles. Starts at MATC in Mequon, goes to Door County. See brochure for details. www.luekemia-lymphoma.org/wi  (262)790-4701.

Saturday, July 22, 2006
Harrington Beach. Ride along Lake Michigan north to Harrington Beach and back. Ride Distance 24, 54 or 64 miles. Longer routes start at Virmond Park in Mequon. Take I-43 to Mequon Rd. East on Mequon Rd. to Lakeshore Dr. South approximately 3/4 mile to Virmond Park (on left). Short route starts ONE HOUR after long route from the Marina in Port Washington. Take I-43 north to WI 32, 32 northeast into Port Washington, right on Washington St to marina. Approximate drive time: 40 minutes from Zoo.

Sunday, July 23, 2006
Leukemia Ride. Annual fund raiser (pre-registration and pledges required). Ride Distance 62, 75 or 100 miles. Starts at MATC in Mequon, goes to Door County. See brochure for details. www.luekemia-lymphoma.org/wi (262)790-4701.

Sunday, July 23, 2006
Audubon Court. Ride north along Lake Michigan to County Line Rd. Return inland following county bike trail south. (There is no longer a breakfast stop halfway) Ride Distance 36 miles. Starts at South Shore Park in Bay View. Take I-94 exit at Becher St. Go east on Becher to E. Bay St. Veer right on E. Bay St., follow it around to Russell Ave. Turn left on Russell to Superior. Turn right on Superior to Estes St. Turn on left on Estes and right on South Shore Dr. Consult a map for additional directions.

Saturday, July 29, 2006
Holland Festival. Ride along Lake Michigan to Cedar Grove and back. Ride Distance 30 or 60 miles. Longer routes start at Virmond Park in Mequon. Take I-43 to Mequon Rd. East on Mequon Rd. to Lakeshore Dr. South approximately 3/4 mile to Virmond Park (on left). Short route starts ONE HOUR after long route from the Marina in Port Washington. Take I-43 north to WI 32, 32 northeast into Port Washington, right on Washington St to marina. Approximate drive time: 40 minutes

Sunday, July 30, 2006
Coalition Picnic. Club members from BVBC, Cream City and Spring City only, bring a dish to pass. Ride Distance 22 or 39 miles. Starts at Whitnal Park, picnic area

A basic part of group riding is to ride in a way that makes things easier for everyone else (or at the very least, you should not be making things more difficult for the others in your group!). I won’t claim perfection on all of the items below, but wouldn’t it be a nice New Year’s resolution for all of us to work on these skills?

Be steady: A steady rider maintains a consistent pace. If they do speed up or slow down, they do so gradually. A steady rider also is able to “hold their line” (a fancy way of saying they can ride in a straight line). They can look at the person riding next to them, or look behind for traffic, without their bike veering wildly.

Keep pedaling: Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to ride behind someone who goes: Pedal, pedal, pedal, coast. Pedal, pedal, pedal, coast. When they start coasting, you have to slow down to keep from getting too close to them. Then, after you’ve slowed down, they start pedaling again and you have to hurry to catch up with them. The rider behind you has to do the same thing and the ‘accordion effect’ gets magnified further back in the group. Often times when a rider is going ‘pedal pedal coast’ it’s because they’re in a gear that’s making them go too fast for the speed the group is going. Sometimes the answer is as simple as shifting into an easier gear, which will allow you to pedal continuously.

Don’t lead others into danger: It’s a standard part of ride briefings to ask riders to point out obstacles and hazards. You should also realize that folks riding behind you will be trusting you to ride a safe line around potholes or sand. In other words, even if you have the beefy tires and bike handling skills to ride through a big pile of sand, the riders behind you may not. Or, perhaps your great mountain biking skills allow you to bunny-hop over a pothole, but in the meantime you’ve led everyone behind you straight into the hole.

Communicate: Most of us are aware that we need to give hand and verbal signals for things like stopping, slowing, right and left turns. You’ll make things safer, and less stressful for others, if you also communicate about what you’re going to do in other situations. Let’s say you’re at the front of a large group waiting to cross a busy intersection. You know that you can get across before the next car passes, but that there’s not enough time for the whole group to get through. Rather than just launching yourself across the street, if you say, “I think there’s time for two or three of us to get across - we’ll wait for the rest of you on the other side”, then the others in the group will know that it’s not safe for everyone to go (and that they won’t have to try to chase you down once they are able to get across).

Help other riders: A few years ago I was on a ride and miraculously I was staying with the fast group. Then we got to the largest hill on the route, and I started falling behind. One of the other riders saw my plight, and actually dropped back from the group so that I could draft him and catch back up to the group. I think that’s a much better way to demonstrate how strong you are than dropping everyone on a hill! Try helping someone else out every now and then, and enjoy how good it feels to be someone’s hero.

Here’s to happy and safe riding in 2006!