Living in the inner north has its advantages if you want to go car-free, but even then, cycling can occasionally get just too hard.
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Nathan Thomas and other parents dedicated to doing the school and work run by bike are just the kind of people the ACT government wants to encourage as it seeks to Copenhagenise Canberra.
And they are well on board. Mr Thomas held out longer than most, resisting buying a car until the arrival of his second child. But with a family of four, life on a bike got a "bit too hard".
Now his kids are a bit older, he's back on his bike. He commutes to Barton, but takes it well beyond that, towing a bike trailer to the supermarket, and planning to add an esky to his rig soon.
"To be honest, the car spends most of the week in the driveway," Mr Thomas said, picking up his son from North Ainslie Primary School on Monday. Leisurely riding is mostly a thing of the past.
"Cycling is so much more convenient than driving... it's just what we do," Mr Thomas said.
Kate Mokrij uses the ride to school to connect with her son Jay, 10. They talked more on bikes than in the car and feel more connected to their local environment, she said.
"Yesterday we stopped and looked at ducks and had a chat. In a car, life just passes you by," Mrs Mokrik said.
Riding to work in the city was made easier by a progressive and relaxed workplace, with excellent bathroom facilities.
Relatively new to cycling, she got into riding a little over a year ago to teach her son independence, spacial awareness and road rules. Now it's just a "normal part of life".
Mrs Mokrij said she had to be more organised on a bike.
"I identify possible trips, plan them out, then I just do it, without thinking twice. It's quicker, easier and more fun."
Mrs Mokrij said she and her son rode their bikes all through the winter, no matter the temperature.
"Jay used to cry out, my gloves are filled with ice mum. But his fingers were just cold," she said.
Jay said he thinks the car is boring now and hopes to ride his bike to work when he is older.
"When you're in a car, you're just sitting there. On a bike you go over bumps and do jumps," he said.
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An unexpected benefit for Mrs Mokrij is the extension of her personal freedom - the only time she feels safe alone at night is when she is on a bike, because bikes are "fast and agile" and feels anonymous.
"For me, getting to be out alone at night in winter is liberating," Mrs Mokrij said.
This week's Ride to School week comes as the ACT government considers car free days, loans and discounts for electric cars, fewer car parks in new housing developments, and basing car registration fees on how much a car is used.
Alina McMaster is mum to to Jackson, 7, and Archie, 10, and works from home.
The best part of life on a bike was showing her kids how to live an active lifestyle, and the benefits to the environment were a huge bonus.
She aimed to keep after-school activities and family recreation time local to cut down on travel time and was considering ways she could further free herself from her car, but admitted she still needed it for trips to the grocery store and long distance travel.
"I'm not gonna ride to Sydney and tow the kids behind me. There is obviously room for a car too."
