Noell Hyman is training her children to become bicycle commuters:

I envy Europeans in cities where walking is a life-style. I would love for my town to adopt biking as a major mode of transportation, the way Amsterdam has done.

Let me name a few benefits off the top of my head… better health, cleaner air, and lower stress levels. Those are just the obvious ones.

But in the absence of a widespread cycling culture, she's creating one within her own family:

Every weekend we go out together. I take the lead, the kids follow me, and Dad monitors from behind. We leave our neighborhood and cross the major road which leads to an elementary school parking lot, where Dad teaches the kids bicycle tricks, or we go to a greenbelt with sidewalks that wind around. On the way we teach the kids the rules of the road:

  1. The side of the road to ride on.

  1. Hand signals.

  2. Right-of-Way.

  3. General traffic rules.

Better dads

I couldn't help but notice that she takes a very similar slant to an entry on Commute By Bike back in June that argued that "Bicycles Make Better Dads":

I think that dads that take their kids biking genuinely care about their kids in a deeper level. I say this because when a dad takes their kids bike riding, it takes time to prepare. We have to make sure the tires are inflated, the trailer is properly connected and typically when I ride with the girls, when ever we approach a street, I go first making sure that there are no cars that could hit them. Then of course, thereís the gentle coaching of teaching your kids how to ride safely while youíre out in the streets.

… Sure some may argue that you can spend better time with your kids in other activities. But look at the lessons youíre teaching the children by bike riding:

  • Traffic Laws

  • Bicycle Safety

  • Take Time to Enjoy the Scenery

  • Excercise

  • Independence

  • Confidence

  • Discipline

Yeah, cycling is a great family activity and you can't beat parental example as a way to teach stuff to kids. Is it a vehicle for broader social change? Maybe. But on one level, who cares? As Hyman says:

And if my dream to see bicycling become mainstream is unrealistic it will not take away from the benefits and my own pleasure at being a bicycle commuter. Even if it means being a lone one.

Monday I'll have Sunday on my mind

That said, I don't think the Co-Pilot has been for a spin since ANZAC Day! So it's high time I made myself a better parent by taking the family riding next Sunday – and bugger the cold weather!

Hmm, now I'm looking forward to it already…