Bike wanderings - where our wheels take us!

Welcome to our first Bike Wanderings post. I reckon we'll make this a once weekly thing. We get around by bike whenever possible. It's far too much fun. The kids love it and I love it even more. I want to share the cycling love - because it fills me up so big some days that I'm near bursting point! Time we started celebrating how awesome a part of our lives this ole cycling thing is. So, where did our wheels take us today?

Being silly with timer-shots

Is it possible that I have fallen in love with cycling EVEN MORE? I had forgotten how wonderful cycling in this city is during winter. It's a few years since I regularly did so and as I only got back on my bike in a serious way last November at the beginning of summer, it has come as a bit of a surprise as to just how pleasant it is to be out and about in this cold weather.

We got off to a couple of false starts with me grossly underestimating the wind chill factor - which for two little boys who are not peddling is high! I've overcome it now by dressing them like it's 10 degrees colder than it is.

The kids may look a bit ridiculous with their skiing headbands beneath their helmets (don't worry, Hugo can usually see - he was being a wally the other day when I snapped the above), mittens/gloves, thick puffy jackets and hoodies and for Hugo woolly ugg boots (yes, they're slippers and yes, I let him, NO - I encourage him to wear them at all times especially when we're out on the bike 'cause those things are toastie)...and guess what? They aren't complaining of the cold anymore!

Thanks Granny Kim - these are being well used and loved!

Since getting the appropriate clothing down we've been Xtracycling more than ever. Not only are we continuing to travel to our home-school activities and run errands/shopping by bike but we're actually heading out on the bike for the simple pleasure and adventure of going out on the bike.

Hugo had his first turn in the big boy position at the park today. Impressed he was!

He liked the 'driver's seat' even better.

How totally awesome is my kickback stand? Bike is completely stable when Hugo climbs on and off (insisting to do so without help of course). I don't need so much as a hand on the bike unless we're parked on a very uneven or sloped surface.

Today after music class (and lunch with our music buddies at the cafe across the road) the boys and I spent several hours meandering home via playgrounds and parks. No real plan, just following our noses - or wheels as may be the case! After a couple of playground and park visits we rode our usual route towards home through the Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh.

We were invited inside an old 1940's Red Rattler train carriage there after the kids stuck their noses against a window trying to see inside. We'd passed by it before and all assumed it was empty, simply an artefact to be looked at but low and behold someone came out from inside and asked us in. It's an office inside, with half a dozen folk sitting at their desks working. Who knew?!

We then rode right inside one of the old carriage works buildings and saw the Blacksmiths workshop. The kids loved it. So did I in fact. There were people working there! Using the old machinery, sculptor's, artists and hobbyists. Too cool. What a great space to get your hands dirty. Of course we had to stay behind the safety fence but it was cool watching others making use of what was for a long time an abandoned warehouse.