Regretably Offered For Sale - Yuba Mundo

There will always be things you part with along the way that beat you up, as our journey continues the things I part with that will truly hurt will include this bike. It's been a life changer, a steady reliable friend and I honestly love it, I will cry when we part.

With that being said, I know that I have a new bike arriving in the next few weeks and that it encompasses everything I need and want in a bike, but this steed pictured here, has served me well, it has altered the path of my life and in doing so has made it necessary for us to part. I don't think we'd even be moving right now if I hadn't gotten the boost in confidence this bike has given me.


There are numerous reasons that make it impractical for the Mundo to stay in our family, but in the end it all comes back to finances. We can't afford to keep it because it adds too much to our travel costs, and our budget is literally so tight that I can't justify the extra costs of keeping it and not freeing up a little cash instead, and trust me I have tried, and tried, and tried. It's not even that the money we receive from the sale will provide a cushion for survival, I'm not sure we'd be able to move without selling it, we literally need every penny.

We've decided to sell it as a complete set-up, I'm going to buy another child's seat the other end and recreate the sun-shade / rain cover on the Boda Boda (which will NEVER leave my company). I thought about taking the seat and canopy with me, but I felt like it would be a shame to dismantle such an amazing vehicle for change. I would love nothing more than to see another parent and child/children enjoy this bike and let it take them to new places, I want to share the love of the Yuba Mundo! 

Yuba Mundo
Running Boards (not pictured, brand new, never installed)
Go-Getter Pannier Bag
Stand Alone Kick Stand
Peanut Shell Seat with Sun Shade set-up and Rain Cover
Cateye Computer
Original tires with thorn proof liners
With original saddle (not pictured)


$1250

Contact me at youaintgotjack(at)yahoo(dot)com for more details.
Shipping costs are not covered in this price.

(STOP- read this post to see an update on the Yuba Mundo >> UPDATE)

Clicking my mouse on "publish" for this post is painful.

Day 26 of 30 days of biking - biggest puddle ever!

It's a little hard to see him in there, but today my darling passenger required a little extra layer between him and the elements. The weather protector has really made a huge difference to our journey, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through this month without it, I can relax and ride knowing he's snug and dry back there, even if I'm getting soaked. The rain fell in buckets today, non stop for hours and hours, which made for some interesting obstacles along the way.

I was incredibly lucky in my timing and left during a dry spell, as I took a quick short ride (so as not to tempt fate) I stayed dry the entire time. The wind however was tremendous and obviously never managed to be at my back.

Jack finally took the nap he'd been fighting off for hours, as Kyle is off work during the middle of the week it threw our schedules off. Jack had been far too happy having Daddy home to bother with silly old nap time.

I still haven't set in stone any specific challenges for the month of May. The only goal I had previously for this month was to be able to ride the distance to Farmers Market for opening week, I have achieved that distance a few times now, but I think we will still head that way on opening weekend anyway- just to follow through.

I'm pondering a few ideas for personal challenges for May, but as I still have a few days to toss it around, I think I will do just that. If anyone has any ideas feel free to offer them.

There is one thing I am quite certain of, and that is that I'm not going to be writing here daily in May! I think blogging daily is far more of a challenge than actually riding daily, which must be a good sign!

Day 12 of 30 days of biking

As Jack naps in the other room, I sit here waiting impatiently for him to wake up, because the sun is still barely out and rain is in the forecast. I want to be out there before it becomes necessary to wear a poncho.  As many of you have probably heard me say by now, Jack is about to turn two on the 28th of this month. I feel like a child's birthday is as much of a celebration for their Mother, as it is for them, which is why I call my Mum on my birthday every year and thank her for having me. She deserves it, she's a fantastic Mother...


Right now my Mum is having some health issues that have really limited her mobility. Once an avid walker and cyclist, my Mother now finds herself using a cane, after she got knocked flat by a running dog in the park across from her house.  My life change has certainly effected her too, as I'm no longer available to take her grocery shopping or to the stores for a little break from the monotony of home life. She tried taking public transport and has found it makes her little errands far too complicated and time consuming, exhausting what little energy she has and leaving her having to rest for two days after each trip. She can't ride on the back of the moped either, it's just impossible for her to lift her leg more than 12-14 inches....we measured. So all this, combined with the fact that Amtrak is still unable to take our bikes aboard, means another vehicle is in our future quicker than we had anticipated.  We always thought we would end up buying another vehicle, but had hoped to put it off for awhile longer, perhaps when the weather got too bad for the moped. I still won't be driving of course and stand dedicated to my 12 month commitment of car-free living, but I will ride in the car when we go out of town or maybe on the weekend occasionally if we take the whole family out (with Mum).

Jack woke up right as the clouds rolled in looking all stormy and full of rain, but by the time we headed out the door, the sun actually came out for a little while, so we skipped the rain cover and went for it.  Jack wasn't very happy about leaving his ball behind, but I knew we weren't going to need it, as I had planned for us to cruise for a little while, before meeting up with Kyle as he left work.

I got a bit bored waiting for Kyle, so we took some shadow pictures and splashed through a few puddles.

Once kyle was off work we rode a few more blocks with him snapping the occasional picture. It wasn't a very long ride today, but it was between rain showers, so that makes it all good!

Day 11 of 30 days of biking - a summary of the first 10 days

My knees are sore today and when I got up I felt my ankle go weak and almost roll to one side in an unnatural way, and that was just getting out of bed. Being out of shape and overweight is really uncomfortable. I'm so fed up with pain, I'm so done with feeling too exhausted to do everything I want to do. It's these moments of despair that can be game changers for people attempting to change their lives. It would be easy to skip a ride, to rest, an easily justifiable day to "heal" up. If I'm completely honest with myself, without this blog and the 30 days of biking, I'm sure I would be taking a day off today.  Anybody that's attempted a huge change in their lives, knows these kind of "breaks", they usually lead to an eventual decline in resilience and can signify the end of a fad. As I don't have that option, I'm going to pop a few ibuprofen, ice my ankle and mentally prepare myself for another great day of riding.

Two things I want to mention today, in the spirit of the cycling community at large- a few days ago I discussed getting a tool kit for my bike, a necessity that I have been slowly working on. One of my fellow bloggers was nice enough to put together a post on this subject, so for anyone looking for an economical way to handle road side breakdowns check it out:  Basic Budget Tool Kit

Also, another fellow blogger, who has been a source of much support for me, decided to write a piece appropriately named, "You're not alone, Lindsay". Really, I don't know how I ever got so lucky as to have this much support. Visit Jocke's blog here: Carrygo Blog

Today a friend came into town to grocery shop, as we haven't seen each other in a while I rode with her in her truck to the grocery store.  Jack must have forgotten how fast vehicles generally go, because he sounded like he was on a thrill ride in the back seat yelling "go, go, go".  When we got back to my house we had planned to go riding together, but alas her bike had some unexpected mechanical issues and so Jack and I went for our ride alone. Jack was not a happy boy by any means...

We hadn't been gone long when his mood cheered up, the clouds looked ready to open up and the wind was really blowing, but it was warm and my ankle felt good, so off we went for a rural ride.

We saw lots of baby animals today, it was a very lovely ride. The wind had filled these two little furry friends with energy, they charged the fence line, while mum got a much needed break.  In the next field we came across these little darlings!

Jack had been kicking up such a fuss when we were leaving the house that I had left his sweater on the kitchen counter. I had one extra shirt and his rain canopy in my Go-Getter so I wasn't too concerned. Here you can see him yelling "moo" at the goats, after some coaching we had a goaty sounding "baa" off quite nicely. We saw some cows too, but a yapping Chihuahua kept me pedaling.  

The wind was blowing all sorts of dust in my eyes, of course my sunglasses were sitting at home with Jack's sweater!

I thought this bright red hydrant in the middle of an onion field was worth a shot.

So, to summarize the month so far, I'd say that every single day has still been a battle, but that each day it seems a little easier to win. Each day the pedals seem slightly quicker with less effort. Today I saw I was holding 9mph heading East, which is the direction that has a slight incline heading towards the mountains. Prior to today I think I was averaging about 6-7 mph when heading east in town, so that is certainly progress. However, according to the scale, I haven't lost even a pound of weight, which is precisely why one can't allow scales to measure success.

Day 5 of 30 days of biking

Today was quite an eventful day. I had planned to meet a friend at the playground with Jack shortly after Kyle's lunch break, this would have worked out great had Kyle gotten off work at the usual time, but he was running late, which meant I had to leave while he was still home.  Jack was in full on tantrum mode at the time, mainly because he was impatient to leave and I was apparently taking far too long to get ready!

We paused on the driveway for our "day 5 departure shot" and then I hopped on the bike. As I peddled away I noticed a pinging noise from the rear wheel, Kyle saw this from inside and came out to help so I didn't have to dismount again. But we couldn't see what it was, so I peddled on a little more...by this time I'm outside the neighbors house and it's still pinging away. So I dismount, or rather I attempt to and then the moment I've been dreading finally catches up with me, as I fall backwards and the bike comes right along with me.  I managed to slow the fall quiet easily and despite the fact that he shed some tears I don't think Jack even got a scratch on him.  Kyle ran over and helped us up and other than a bruised ego and a horrible backache I'm doing fine. Well, after being brushed off by my doting husband, I had another look at the bike's mystery noise and noticed my kickstand had moved over just a little and was getting hit by the spokes as they revolved. I straightened it out easily and since I'm expecting my double kickstand in the mail any day now, it's really no big deal.

You can't promise a trip to the park and then change your mind over a little thing like an unexpected roll in the mud, so we went and played around for a little while. It was actually a very good idea that we kept going, because I was able to walk around and loosen up my back.

I decided to get back on the bike because the weather looked pretty stormy. I wrapped Jack up and headed further east, so we could take a slow ride home via a foot path that cuts through some wetlands. I've cycled this way before and Kyle shot some video at the time. I reviewed it a few weeks ago and remember he was trying to talk to me and my breathing was so labored I could hardly talk.  Today, even though I'd taken exactly the same route, a chit-chat would have been no problem at all.  I can't tell you how encouraging that is!

You wouldn't know it by the sun on my face, but I was getting hailed on at this moment.  I considered stopping to put Jack's rain cover over him, but to be honest I really didn't want to risk an extra dismount. I know that's a fear I will need to overcome, but my back was really hurting and I just didn't want to deal with it.  If it had gotten worse, I would have had to stop, but Jack was wrapped up in a wool blanket and so I figured he was fine.

The cycle through the wetlands was definitely a worth while detour and made today my longest ride in April. I enjoyed it too, and I certainly hadn't set out to enjoy it, my heart wasn't in cycling today. There was a time prior to this, that falling off my bike would have been the only excuse I needed to return to the sofa for the day, maybe even longer. It's good to see progress.

Growing up I used to ride horses, which is why I now have a very sensitive back. After a few very hard falls I have a back that can tell the weather far superior to any meteorologist, which is why today's little spill made it ache. That being said, when you train to ride horses your instructor will tell you over and over again, that you not a real Equestrian until you have ridden after a fall.  Now that I've fallen off my bike and gotten back in the saddle, maybe I can start to consider myself a cyclist.

Day 4 of 30 days of biking

Today we woke to downpours, a little hail and even some snow! I purposely hadn't bought all the groceries we needed yesterday, so we would have a good excuse to take a destination trip.  One thing I have discovered is trips with a purpose and a destination add a sense of accomplishment that a cruise doesn't yet provide for me.

We started the day off with an awesome smoothie- parsley, carrot, banana, apple & spinach, so yummy! I added lots of water too so I'd be hydrated. There is no way I'd eat a salad for breakfast any other way.

I really looked forward to today's ride, I wasn't deterred in the slightest by the rain, in fact I was excited for another element to overcome. Jack was very helpful with his little cart and as it was a lot quieter today he didn't even come close to ramming anyone else.

Andy's Market has Peanut, Almond and Cashew Butter Machines, where you can grind your own and buy by the pound- that is what he's excited about in this picture, he wants a sample!

Jack loaded the Go-Getter today and got lots of "oh, he's so cute" comments from various elderly people doing the shopping. Here he can be seen waving at a nice old Gentleman who took the cart inside for us.

I thought this was a lucky shot, taken on the way home.

The only "blight" on the whole experience was actually when I was taking a left turn on the main road and someone driving a truck buzzed by me at speed, despite the fact that he was literally the only truck on the road and had plenty of time to stop and wait for me to turn.  I wouldn't have been worried, but he had about 18 feet of space left to move through and decided instead to come within a few feet of us. It stressed me out a bit and made me reconsider turning at that spot in the future as it's on an incline and therefore makes it hard for me to pull away fast.

Overall, I'd say today was a good day, a positive experience, that reinforced my belief that I have made the right choice with this challenge. I wasn't sure what the general public would think today, when I unloaded a small child in the rain off of a bicycle (remember, I live in a small conservative town), but every comment (and there were many) was positive and encouraging.  One woman even seemed to instantly see the value in our lifestyle and stopped in her tracks and watched, then said "you are teaching him a valuable lesson" as she walked off. So, it was nice, positive and refreshing day in more ways than one, and I didn't even get that soaked really! 

30 Days of Biking

I got out on the road almost everyday this week as I'm trying to prepare for April. I did miss one day because of a morning snow shower and an ill timed nap on Jack's part.  But when we did get to ride it was lovely weather and we enjoyed ourselves. 

We went to the grocery store yesterday, where the Yuba had some company while it waited for us.  I didn't plan on getting much, just some fruit and a drink, but we ended up getting donuts too.  Jack loves the little grocery carts as he always likes to be helpful, I think it's pretty adorable, but we get mixed reviews from our fellow shoppers, some of whom seem to have forgotten the pleasures of being in the moment.

Afterwards we went to the playground where Jack had a fun time running around, met some new friends and tired himself out. It really was lovely weather, hard to believe it was snowing just the day before!  When I look at the picture below I find myself smiling. This bike really has changed my life and we are still very much at the beginning of our journey.

With the 30 days of Biking  just around the corner I'm glad the weather is looking a little nicer, honestly I don't mind the rain because I now know the weather protector works really well, but I don't like the wind when its head on, as it makes it hard for me to get forward momentum.

When we left the park I headed over to Kyle's work as I hoped we would be able to meet him, he had already left and so we headed home.  As we crossed an intersection I saw a bike towing a kids trailer in front of us, they were about 2 city blocks ahead and seemed to be enjoying a slow ride.  My competitive nature got the better of me and I decided to catch up with them, which I'm pleased to report I was able to do in no time at all.  That marks the first time I've passed anything on my bike, so I guess that's progress! I think cycling everyday in April will be a really positive experience, not only will it help speed up my progress but it will help me get in the habit of daily cycling, which is my ultimate goal. If you want to register to join Jack and I in cycling everyday this April CLICK HERE!

Rainy Day Cheer

Today was one of those drab, cold and miserable days that chill you to the bone. The kind of day that would usually make one want to grab a bowl of hot soup and a good book and never leave the easy chair.  It is said that "Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", well apparently Englishwomen and their Offspring prefer the rainy days, but the little one still managed a Siesta anyway! He made it look rather enjoyable too.

I didn't realize he'd nodded off until we were chased by a barking dog and no squeals of joy came from the back seat (I wasn't squealing for joy), but we survived and made it home after a relatively short and otherwise enjoyable ride. Jack remained snug and dry wrapped in a wool blanket and shielded by his rain cover.

   

Amazingly enough I managed to get him in the house without waking him and he is still enjoying his nap while I sit here enjoying the silence and a hot cup of tea. I didn't have a "bike in the kitchen" picture so I thought I'd share a picture of my teapot with the ominous sky behind it!

I have decided to try to collect a few bikes so I can share my adventures with friends and their kids.  I thought this would not only hopefully make some new converts for the world of cycling but also provide me with company occasionally- so really a win-win for everyone!  I'm having trouble finding cheap bikes but I did manage to score a nice little rear mount child's bike seat for $5, so that will come in handy. I think I will rename my utility room the "Utility-Bike Room" as it is home to the Mundo and the Trek, plus our bike trailer, panniers, plastic crates and now another child's seat.

I honestly did not feel like going out today, but I feel very refreshed and accomplished now that I made the effort. The 30 days of Biking is just around the corner so I'm trying to get out everyday this week to prepare myself. I told my brother that I intended to cycle everyday in April and he laughed and said "I suppose you've already blurted it out on your blog too?" I said "Yes, of course, otherwise I'd never do it!"

10 mile ride on the Yuba Mundo

Today was a good day, a very good day. When I started this journey back in January, one of the goals I set for myself was to be able to cycle to the Farmer's Market in downtown Walla Walla by opening week in May. This picture below was taken today during our 10 mile ride (the longest to date) at the parking lot where they hold the market! I'm so very, very excited to have made such quick progress, it is really hard work and my whole body aches, but so very rewarding!

After a few celebratory laps of the Farmer's Market parking lot we decided that if we'd come this far we should probably suck it up and go the extra mile or so to visit my Mum, as another goal was to be able to go see her when I want to.  Before I gave up the gasoline I used to see her at minimum once a week and take her shopping so I really need to get to the point where I can visit her often. It's important to me that Jack gets to see his Nanny too as he loves her so much!

We couldn't possibly cycle to downtown without checking out the thrift stores but Jack decided to take a nap so I waited outside while Kyle had a browse.  Kipper the little dog kept us company but he was pretty focused on his missing parent. Last time Jack fell asleep in his Peanut Shell his head was wobbling around quite a bit, so today I bought a scarf to loosely support his little neck, it worked pretty good.

This magnificent creature passed on the street whilst we were waiting for Kyle.  I'm generally opposed to those emaciated carriage horses in big cities, but this handsome boy is very well cared for and loved. 

After visiting Mum and the thrift store we headed down Main Street to grab a coffee.  I've never been a fan of cycling behind the parked cars on Main St so we stuck to the super wide and empty sidewalks.

Once we got to the center of downtown Jack got out of the Peanut Shell to stretch his legs, get a diaper change and nibble some snacks.  I don't mind him drinking behind me but I worry about snacking on the go as he might choke, he's still at the stage of stuffing his mouth to capacity until he can't even close it!

Overall it was a really great day and I feel so accomplished.  My awesome family have been really supportive, both Kyle and my Mum made a point of telling me they were proud of me today, which I thought was really nice. When I first got home I was so sore I just sat on the sofa instantly and Jack gave me a huge cuddle which gave me another opportunity to marvel over how much I love him and to realize again that every little ache is so worth it.

Rear Flat on the Mundo

On Sunday we decided to hitch the trailer to Kyle's bike, pack some water and snacks and head off to the grocery store which would make a 6.7 mile trip on what was one of the loveliest day's we've seen yet this year.  With the exception of about 5 blocks our whole trip there was on a cycle path with gently rolling hills which made it really nice.  We stopped halfway for a rest and Jack got to play and run for a bit, it really seems unfair that the person with all the energy is the one that gets to just sit there.

When we were about 2 blocks from our destination I noticed the bike was incredibly hard to cycle, at first I thought I was just really tired and therefore it felt harder to cycle; alas I had a rear flat tire.  A rear flat is notoriously hard to repair on the Mundo and has been one of my greatest fears since purchasing the bike. We walked to a gas station to put some air in tire on the off chance it was a very slow leak, but it had deflated before I'd cycled a block.  So we walked back to the store, got some groceries and a can of fix a flat and decided if it got us home then it was totally worth destroying the tube for. Well it didn't make it back, it made it about two-thirds of the way home, so we had to walk a few miles.  I've always thought the Yuba is not easy to push, but it was especially awkward and heavy with a sleeping baby and a completely flat tire. 

The bike shop is clear the other side of town so my riding days may be numbered until I can get a ride from someone to have slimed tubes put in and some of those thorn proof liners and possibly upgrade the tires.  I really would like to have a good grumble about the costs and annoyance factor of not being able to ride- but I'm trying to remain positive. Interestingly enough the bike community in general seems to not carry repair kits, pumps or smiles in this area, we found very few friendly faces and even when we were obviously having mechanical issues no one glanced in our direction which was a bit of a let down. I know as drivers there was no way we'd pass up helping a family (especially with a small child) who we're in a fix.

 So to end positively- look at that lovely weather we enjoyed, it was gorgeous and Jack had a lovely nap on the walking part of the trip. We made it home relatively easily and enjoyed a cheesy pizza and an ice cold beer as a reward for our troubles!

My Yuba Mundo Peanut Shell Rain/Sun Cover is done!

Look to the right of the screen, under "Pages" and you will see my new simple tutorial for the "D.I.Y. Child's Bike Seat Weather Protector".  I really hope many people find this useful.  Remember, the Yuba Mundo can carry two Peanut Shells, so you can carry two little ones in comfort like this!

What blog entry would be complete without a picture of my Mundo in the Kitchen!

http://youaintgotjack.blogspot.com/p/diy-childs-bike-seat-weather-protection.html

Car-Go-Bike!

If you Google "cargo bikes" you will get an idea of some of the amazing utility bicycles that are just now gaining popularity in the US, I had no idea alternative transportation could be so interesting!  Forgive me if this starts to sound a little editorial but I really wanted to share all the choices I am facing with the start of the new year.

Prices vary on these drool worthy machines from round $1200 for the Kona Ute to upwards of $4000 for some of the Dutch made Bakfietsen bikes, there are a multitude of styles to suit just about every purpose and personal style provided you have the bucks to spend.  It's easy to get initial sticker shock, but consider the average price of a car, fuel (lets not get started about the REAL cost of gasoline to this beautiful planet), insurance and the priceless health gained by using pedal power...all of a sudden they seem cheap in comparison to the savings they provide.

If you would like to learn more about cargo bikes, I found a great informative blog:

http://infrastructuration.blogspot.com/2007/07/bakfietsen-dutch-work-bikes.html

Then of course there's the good old fashioned bicycle, attach a trailer or child seat and away you go!  You can pick up a used bicycle for around $100 on Craigslist and a trailer for around $75-$200.  There are definitely positives to going this route including price point and availability.

Last but not least there are a range of cycles made specifically for parents that are similar to the Dutch made bikes with more of a modern "stroller" feel.  They range in price from $1600 on up and some can be easily transformed from bike to trailer to stroller, making them a solution to many tot toting problems.  The bike pictured below is a Zigo and I'm fast becoming a big fan of this versatile machine.  Anyone who has had a child knows the immense amount of gear that they seem to need, with this set-up you can take care of a few needs at once with the huge benefit of having your child in your line of sight at all times (unlike the conventional trailer behind bike). 

I can see a lot of pros and cons to either set up and for me the decision is still in the works.  If I had the money I'd grab a Dutch made cargo bike in a heartbeat, these bikes are great investments and hold their resale value well but I'm also really drawn to the new breed of kid movers that morph to fill so many needs.  I have set a deadline of January 22nd to find my bike, until then I'm scouring used ads and soaking in the options, always trying to be realistic that at the end of the day its the rider that makes the bike "work" to whatever their situation is.  It's all very exciting and I find myself obsessing over bikes but then having "real" moments when  the idea of not driving for an entire year is really daunting!  I can't help but think the dramatic weather fluctuations of SE Washington will play a big part into how enjoyable or torturous this next year is, and then throw in sore knees and a back that predicts the weather...this will be an adventure to say the least!