Useful biking is one of the most important ways to profit greenly. It saves money, cuts pollution, and improves fitness and happiness. When kids enter the picture though biking as transport becomes more challenging. Even if you get past the initial fear of traffic, you're confronted with a myriad of ways to get your kids around by bike with wildly varying price points. Over the past 4 years I've managed to try most every type of kid hauling bike contraption and extensively researched the rest. In this post I'll reflect on my experiences to help other parents who are trying to figure out the best way to profit greenly by hauling their kids around by bike.
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Luke
2021-07-29 at 3:17 pm
Great article. Our daughter is two and we started riding last year with an Ibert we were given on my wife’s bike and a rear mounted seat we found for free but she outgrew them in a season. Now we have a Mac Ride seat that mounts between the handlebars and seat that we can switch between our bikes. We also have a couple bike trailers, one used we got years before she was born and the other a hand me down, that we mostly use for cargo but occasionally she asks to ride in them. We have been thinking about what’s next since we have so much fun riding with her in front, very helpful information here!
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Andrew
2020-10-27 at 10:33 pm
Thanks for writing this awesome blog. We’ve done all this, including both single and double Chariots (used/clearance) with skis, as cargo for bike/backpacking, etc. We found that a sturdy double kickstand was essential for the front seat, which our kids also loved. We are looking at cargo e-bikes (and solar-powered heat pumps!) when we move from Alaska to the Sun Belt next year.
Family biking: Front Seat vs Trailer vs Tag Along vs Cargo
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Luke
2021-07-29 at 3:17 pm
Great article. Our daughter is two and we started riding last year with an Ibert we were given on my wife’s bike and a rear mounted seat we found for free but she outgrew them in a season. Now we have a Mac Ride seat that mounts between the handlebars and seat that we can switch between our bikes. We also have a couple bike trailers, one used we got years before she was born and the other a hand me down, that we mostly use for cargo but occasionally she asks to ride in them. We have been thinking about what’s next since we have so much fun riding with her in front, very helpful information here!
Incredibly janky port of comments from my old WordPress site:
Andrew
2020-10-27 at 10:33 pm
Thanks for writing this awesome blog. We’ve done all this, including both single and double Chariots (used/clearance) with skis, as cargo for bike/backpacking, etc. We found that a sturdy double kickstand was essential for the front seat, which our kids also loved. We are looking at cargo e-bikes (and solar-powered heat pumps!) when we move from Alaska to the Sun Belt next year.