Christine, I hate to tell you, but... biking burns fewer calories per mile than walking (my preferred mode of travel, too).

But good for you! Enjoy, and make sure everyone has their helmet on.

... but is repairing the wheel on the stroller really all that difficult?

Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!

My wife and I were just talking about you last week, Christine (hope that doesn't creep you out).  Our conversation?  Why you haven't picked up biking yet.  And here you are.

Congrats, hope you love it!  We're heavy into biking now too and think it rocks.

I hate to say it, but I am with Jab here. No way I would put my 10m month old boy in such an exposed trailer. Especially taking into consideration how most car drivers go about things.

Environment yes, but not at the expense of my child's safety.

If would go back to living in the Netherlands I would do it for sure. Everybody cycles and car drivers take ranking 3 after cycles and buses.

I cycled with all my kids some riding and some in a trailer. It was always stressful as I had to ride through the busy downtown area to get to most places that I wanted to go. I took it slowly and pretty soon people started noticing and claimed I inspired them to ride with their kids. The more riders the more cars notice riders. This is how movements start people.
My 2 older kids still do not have drivers licenses and think nothing of a 100 Km ride.
And for all those of us who do drive how about some excessive politeness for pedestrians and riders. Leave them lots of room, stop at crosswalks, slow down on residential streets. This is a traffic calming measure and sets an example to others.

But for those chiding her for 'exposing' her children to danger?  Can I get a 'puh-leeze!' And post all the stats you want - we all know that those numbers can mean anything to anyone with only a small change.

Since moving to my new town where both my wife and I work in town - no more long commutes, yay! - we have been toting the 3 year old and 8 month old to their day care provider, daily, through busy school drop off (out house is across from one school and we pass another on the way). I can honestly say that I have NEVER felt the girls were in any kind of danger, nor threatened with any kind of harm. The 8 mo old sits in the back humming her little tune, giggling at times while the 3 yo chatters incessantly.

Bottom line is this: Cycling is SAFE. Don't go blindly into the street though. In order to be safe, you need to be aware of whats around you. Its that simple, awareness. Listen for cars behind, watch for cars coming from the sides.

It's not me I don't trust. It's the car drivers. My children are safe in the car or walking with me on the sidewalk. They are not safe in a flimsy trailer. Like I said, if I lived somewhere where there were cycle lanes or traffic was more tuned in to cyclists I would. Where I live neither is the case...

"That's very IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOT!"  Was shouted at me as I pedaled the kids (in the trailer) past a busy intersection in Suburbsville, USA on a beautiful late-September afternoon.  I had the traffic light on my side and was first in line to traverse a hairy 50 yard section of road until a 3 foot "bike lane" gave me a little room to breathe.  I had played that crossing almost the entire ride, as do many riders when considering their routes, but there was no other way to get to the library from the route we had selected.

The driver of the smashed up Toyota shouting at me wasn't an evil person, against all those who bike. Maybe he lost a child to an accident.  Pull over, confront me face-to-face, drop the "IDIOT" comment and I'll listen to you, now I'm just mad at you.  

The lesson learned; I won't ride that route with kids ever again, but I'm not a bad parent. I love my kids, that's why I'm trying to instill the values of biking as a viable mode of transportation.  This is second time in my fresh parenting life the a stranger has called me out on parenting choices that wouldn't received a second thought 20 years ago.  I'm starting to get tired of the constant risk analysis today's society has forced us to consider before we enjoy any activity with our kids. I drive them in cars, take them on planes, and let them eat grapes don't all those things have a higher probabilistic likihood of causing a fatality?  And if they are in fact statistically more likely, aren't those things being "IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOT!"?