Kenneth C. Martin Blogs: Family Biking: Join us for Kidical Massive this Saturday (9/15)

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Family Biking: Join us for Kidical Massive this Saturday (9/15)

Kidical Mass is for families. Kidical MASSIVE is for even more families.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)

Kidical Mass PDX has a special event coming up this weekend: Kidical MASSIVE. I’ve written about Kidical Mass before and how much it means to me. Even as a seasoned family biker, there’s nothing I love more than riding with a big, slow, rolling, bell-dinging parade of kids on bikes.

What’s special about this particular Kidical Mass is that all 50 or so of the the Kidical Masses around the world host will an event on the same day.

Our Family Biking column is sponsored by Clever Cycles.

➤ Read past entries here.

Another special thing about this ride is that it’s terrifically short and quite flat so it’s a good one for families with kids on very small bikes and balance bikes who can’t keep up on other rides. This ride, like previous Kidical MASSIVEs in Portland, will be led by Kathleen Youell. She’s my go-to person for route advice, especially when I want to know the flattest route to get anywhere. So when she says “No e-assist required, bakfietsen friendly!” you know it’s true.

This ride could be done by families who arrive by bus or car with only a balance bike in tow and check out Biketown bike share bikes from the SE Elliott at Division hub and return them on Hawthorne while we hang at the end park. Or same but with e-scooters for the adults!

➤ Ride details:

Saturday, September 15, 2018
10:30 Abernethy Elementary School playground (2421 SE Orange Ave, Portland, OR 97214)
11:00 Depart for Sewallcrest Park (SE 31st Ave & Market St, Portland, OR 97214)
➤ 1.5 mile route
➤ Facebook event page

We’ll meet at the playground of Abernethy Elementary School in Ladd’s Addition at 10:30 a.m. for a bit of play before setting out at 11:00 a.m. for Sewallcrest Park. Our one and a half mile ride is the flat-as-possible route between the two parks, friendly for heavy adult bikes and little kid bikes alike! Even speedy balance bikers will enjoy this ride!
Note: This is a one-way ride.

What if it rains?
We ride rain or shine! We have a backup plan in case of very heavy rain–meet on the covered basketball courts right next to the playground and we’ll take a shorter ride to treats! (Bring money for treats if we enact our backup plan.)

As with all Kidical Mass rides, helmets required for those 16 and under, suggested for adults. We will ride together as a group and help all the kids learn how to ride in the street because Kids are Traffic Too!

Are you reading this from outside Portland or have family biking friends elsewhere who’d be interested in Kidical MASSIVE? There’s a Facebook event for the world-wide Kidical MASSIVE event. There’s even time for people to register more local events and join the fun.

From KidicalMass.org:

It’s the fourth annual Kidical Massive ride!! Join us as THOUSANDS of families around the country go for a bike ride together. We’ll be showing that “Kids are Traffic Too” and that cities that plan for family biking are more livable, sustainable, profitable, and FUN! Make a ride in your community happen; register your community and start planning your event.

Can you make it and add to the global cuteness count?

Remember, we’re always looking for people to profile. Get in touch if it sounds like fun to you. I’d especially like to feature families of color so please get in touch or ask friends of color who bike with their kids if they’re interested in sharing their stories. And as always, feel free ask questions in the comments below or email me your story ideas and insights at madidotcom [at] gmail [dot] com.

— Madi Carlson, @familyride on Instagram and Twitter

Browse past Family Biking posts here.

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