Bike BetteR
18
BABY ON BOARD
A bicycle commuter’s transition to cycling with baby
Pamela Volentine Rushing
In a neighborhood of tree-lined streets tucked between the Garden District
and City Park, bicycles are as ubiquitous as sprawling live oaks and
screened porches. Residents Heather Perlis, husband Alex, and one-
year-old baby Astrid share a passion for getting out and about on two
wheels as often as possible.
Alex, who lived in Germany as a child, is employed in information
technology at LSU and bikes to work on a regular basis. One family car
serves their needs.
Heather met me on the patio at our local coffee shop one sunny December
day and graciously shared her experience.
Pam Rushing: How long have you been riding a bike?
Heather Perlis: Well, for as long as I can remember. I don’t remember
riding a tricycle, but I remember the day the training wheels were taken off
my bike.
PR: Scary?
HP: It was pretty scary. I remember I kept falling. In some ways, it was
kind of traumatic to learn to ride, but when I did, it was the ultimate
freedom. And I never stopped riding.
PR: Did you go to LSU?
HP: I went to LSU. I graduated with my undergrad in psychology and then
went on to get a master’s in library information science. After that, I
developed a keen interest in physical therapy, but I didn’t want to go back
to school for a doctorate, so I went to Our Lady of the Lake College for the
physical therapy assistant program.
PR: Did you bike commute when you worked?
HP: I did for my Americorps Vista jobs [in Tucson, AZ and Baton Rouge].
I took the bus and biked everywhere. When I was a librarian I would bike
commute from LSU to the Main Library. When I was a home health PT
assistant, I made a few house calls on my bike, but I could be driving
anywhere from Baton Rouge to Slaughter.
PR: How have your travels influenced your biking philosophy?
HP: Tucson was probably the most influential because there was an
active critical mass group and a bicycle collective, a place where people
could go and take classes on bicycle maintenance and a shop where you
could use the tools. And where your destination was far away and you
were on a time schedule, you could put your bike on the bus. That was the
first time I had been in a city where you could do that. I rarely stepped foot
in a car when I lived there. And I think really having the experience of not
associating with a car is what influenced my biking philosophy. It was as
simple as that. Not very profound.
PR: That’s pretty profound in this day and age.
HP: Also, I like to be physical when I travel. To me, the best way to see a
place is not in a car. On a recent visit to Portland, we did not rent a car.
There was a function that was a 45-minute hike from where we were, and
there were people saying we could take this bus and that bus. But a 45-
minute walk is no big deal; it’s not going to kill us. And it was the coolest
thing, because we walked through kind of this art vendor area with people
and music and lights…this lively strip that was pedestrian only, in an alley
between buildings.
PR: You would have missed that in a car?
HP: We would totally have missed that. So that right there reinforces the
bike philosophy.
PR: What are some of the factors you consider when making the
decision to bike versus taking the car?
HP: The obvious thing would be Astrid, but other than that, if there is a
reasonable route, that’s number one.
PR: Tell me more about Astrid being a deciding factor.
HP: Having more light plays a part, be it time of day or just an overcast
day. I think about our visibility more. I’m more selective for what
conditions I will take her out with me on a bicycle. Her schedule also plays
a part. I don’t want her to fall asleep and have to interrupt her nap. If
she’s in the car seat, I can bring her in the store without disturbing her.
PR: What are some critical problems that you think prevent people
from cycling?
HP: Infrastructure and route, and also a lack of understanding on behalf of
the people whom we are sharing the road with.
PR: Do you think education would help?
HP: Yes. There should be some kind of education campaign. We’ve
been successful with getting people to stop exposing others to second
hand smoke. We need some kind of campaign like that. It’s a legitimate
public safety issue. The laws, like the three-feet law, should be enforced.
PR: What are some benefits to using a bike for transportation?
HP: I think the obvious ones are financial and environmental savings in
addition to maintaining your health. But I think the best advantage to using
a bike for transportation is that it increases our visibility as a group, and it
has the potential to inspire others. The more we do it, the more it’s going
to be viewed as an acceptable means of transportation. When people are
voting on things like Complete Streets, if they don’t see people riding their
bikes, how can they justify being on our side?
PR: Do you have advice for other parents aspiring to bike with baby?
HP: For moms-to-be, if you were an avid cyclist, don’t give up cycling just
because you find your existing bicycle doesn’t work for you. Go and get
one that works, and save your sanity. It’s worth it. I could not comfortably
ride any of my bikes because my legs kept hitting my belly or my back was
hurting. So I went to MidCity Bikes and bought a step-through granny
bike, and that really changed my life. It’s now the bike I ride with Astrid [in
her Yepp Mini seat] because I feel like it’s easier to get off of, and there’s
absolutely no chance I would fall off this bike.
If you can’t afford another bike, don’t be afraid to take your bike into a
shop, a mechanic you trust, and tell them what you want. Try to problem
solve with the mechanic on how you can change components to make
your bike more comfortable. It may be that you just need another seat or a
stem that brings your seat back a little.
PR: You’ve mentioned before that your dream bike is a cargo bike.
HP: Yes. Preferably one of those Dutch ones with the wood boxes where
the kids are in the front and the mom is in the back. There is also an
American made bike by Madsen Cycles with a big plastic bucket that seats
kids in the back. I have seen two moms ride those here in town bringing
their kids to school. I would sell my car to get that bike, but I need to keep
the Subaru because that’s our adventure vehicle, to carry the canoe and
stuff.
Also, the smallest bike helmet did not fit Astrid until she was nine months
old. If I had a bucket or box bike I could have put her car seat in that. So
there was a period of nine months where I could not go riding with Astrid.
So that’s another thing I would say to prepare for if you want to ride. Do
what it takes.
PR: How do you carry grocery bags and such now?
HP: I use my bike trailer to put bags in when we bike to Trader Joe’s.
PR: What does Astrid think about riding?
HP: She loves it! She consistently cooperates getting strapped into the
bike seat, and I cannot say the same for all of the times that I have to
secure her in her stroller, car seat, or high chair. With the bike seat I never
get a fight; she's ready to go. She makes my ride so much more
enjoyable. It’s like riding a tandem bike with the person you love. We
sing. We talk about the things we see.
PR: What advice would you give to others considering making that
first trip out for an errand or to work?
HP: If you’re willing to take that first step but you’re not sure where to go,
just look at the list on the Bike Baton Rouge website of the bike friendly
businesses that have racks and just try out some of those. Making that
first trip is going to make you so much more confident about thinking of
your own ways of using your bike for transportation.
PR: Really good tip! Thanks for taking time to hang out and chat.
HP: It’s been so much fun. I realized while we were talking how much I
love to talk about bike stuff!
In a neighborhood of tree-lined streets tucked between the Garden District and City Park, bicycles are as ubiquitous as sprawling live oaks and screened porches. Residents Heather Perlis, husband Alex, and one-year-old baby Astrid share a passion for getting out and about on two wheels as often as possible.
Alex, who lived in Germany as a child, is employed in information technology at LSU and bikes to work on a regular basis. One family car serves their needs. Heather met me on the patio at our local coffee shop one sunny December day and graciously shared her experience.