Growing up in Dayton, Ohio I enjoyed bicycling with my family. We were somewhat of a novelty in the 1980s. My parents were very athletic and loved the outdoors and expected the same from their children. When all the kids drove mopeds to swim practice, we bicycled to Dayton Country Club at 7:00am every morning during the summer (often with our tennis rackets tucked into our backpacks). When others drove to family reunions, we rode our bicycles to Hills & Dales Park or our Great Aunt Ann and Uncle Carl's in Bellbrook, Ohio. We all had tall orange flags on the back of our bikes for safety. It was the late 1970's so we didn't wear helmets.
Prior to my pregnancy with Kate, I would bicycle with Elisabeth on the bike trails in Virginia. I had a child's seat installed on the back of my bicycle. Elisabeth loved to put on her helmet and ride in the seat around the cul-de-sac. Once I had two small toddlers I assumed that my bicycling days were over: I just couldn't imagine having two toddlers on my bike!
We have observed several different versions of a bicycle built for two (or three or four!) in Belgium. First, there was the bike with the wheelbarrow attached to the front in the Netherlands. Parents bicycle with four or five small children in the wheelbarrow attached in front. Second, there was the bicycle with the "sidecar" in Normandy, France. An adult rode the bicycle and a child sat in the sidecar. Finally, there was the bike with the child's seat on the handlebars. I found it amazing that parents can balance their children on their handlebars! One of Kate's classmates at BEPS bicycles with her family to school every day in a bicycle with a wheelbarrow in front. What fun! I hope we can take a ride on one before we leave.
Elisabeth and Kate enjoy their bikes. We bought their bikes in Tervuren prior to "No Car Day" in Brussels in September 2009. The girls loved biking in the streets of Brussels that day. We took off Elisabeth's training wheels last summer when she was 5 1/2. Kate still has training wheels, but is anxious to take them off soon in Brussels (Rich and I are not sure if we're ready!).
Bicycles are a way of life here in Belgium. Children in Brussels learn to bicycle at a very young age. Often we see one or two year olds on bikes without training wheels! And, they don't wear helmets here (although helmets are required for riding horses in Belgium!). At almost every traffic circle bicycles are available to rent. People bicycle to work and school in rain, sleet or snow. They wear rain coats and rain pants or large rain ponchos over their bikes to stay dry in the rain. What an incredibly green way to commute!
Many do not wear helmets while they bike. A Belgian parent told me not to wear a helmet when I bike in Brussels. She said that cars would think I was a very serious biker and not give me as much room.
