I suspect that bike use at my kids’ school will decline as the year progresses.  Even without changes in the weather, the best intentions, like so many New Year’s resolutions, wilt under the pressures of daily life.  Still, the collection of bikes at our school is larger than I’ve ever seen it this time of year, and portends well for bike use throughout the upcoming year.   This uptick is consistent with other anecdotal evidence of increased bike use among families in our area.  As an example, the soccer team I coach now has a number of kids who ride their bikes to practice; last year we had just one (my son).  My guess is that the trend, if it is fact real, is the result of many forces working together to change the daily habits of families in our city.  People have been barraged with stories about the impact of their daily activities on global warming.  In Portland, the individual responses to these stories is greatly influenced by the continued advocacy of bike enthusiasts.  Programs like Safe Routes to School are designed to counter the widespread notion that walking or biking to school places kids in danger.   Even more encouraging is the growth in bike camps like those offered by Portland’s Community Cycling Center.  Once you get past the odd notion that kids need to go to camp to ride their bikes in the summer, these camps make a lot of sense.  Kids learn to ride on roads throughout the city and, in the process, spend their days outside engaged in healthy activities.  We rode by many of these happy campers this summer.

With all of this new found enthusiasm for biking, maybe our bike racks will remain full throughout the year.  If not, I know the perfect addition to the school’s curriculum:  Biking in the Rain: It’s OK to Get Wet.