Biking with kids

[jrenaut]

I’m looking down the road a few years, and I know there’s going to be a time when the kids are too big for the trailer (they already complain a bit when they’re both in there, much happier when it’s just one of them) but too small to ride city streets on their own.

This family tandem is AWESOME. It’s a little pricey, however.

Does anyone have suggestions/experience biking with kids who are too big for a trailer?

Topic

[baiskeli]

@dcv 14282 wrote:

We tried a trail-a-bike, rented one from a bike store. it’s essentially half a bike, clamps onto your seat post. I thought it felt weird trying to keep balance with our son shifting his weight back & forth. You can only do one child per bike though.

We have a trail-a-bike for each of our two kids. I found it very wobbly and hard to control on my road bike, but then I switched to using it with my wife’s old hybrid and it’s a much more stable ride.

I have seen entire families on a bike train – parents on a tandem, bigger kid on a trail-a-bake, and a trailer attached behind that.

[baiskeli]

@jrenaut 14383 wrote:

This “bike bus” is also awesome.

The Dutch are superior to us.

[baiskeli]

@mstone 14303 wrote:

We got a weehoo (http://www.weehoobicycletrailer.com/) and really love it.

That’s awesome!

We have an older kid with balance problems, so we got this to go on the trail-a-bike:

http://www.trail-a-bike.com/products/accessories/back-rest/

[Meganomics]

@Tim Kelley 14349 wrote:

Would you have any interest in putting on something similar in Arlington?

Definitely maybe! E-mail me at the Kidical Mass address and we can set up a time to talk.

[dasgeh]

@jrenaut 14383 wrote:

This “bike bus” is also awesome.

If we can get Arlington County Schools to get one of those, we’ve won!

Won LAB gold status, that is.

[DismalScientist]

Exactly what incentive do the kids have to pedal? Especially on their way TO school?

[dasgeh]

@DismalScientist 14437 wrote:

Exactly what incentive do the kids have to pedal? Especially on their way TO school?

Have you seen a kid on a bike? They’re in heaven!

[DismalScientist]

@dasgeh 14439 wrote:

Have you seen a kid on a bike? They’re in heaven!

Only one of my three. Furthermore, on the bike bus, it is not clear which kid is shirking, so each kid will try to free ride off the efforts of others.

[jrenaut]

@DismalScientist 14443 wrote:

Furthermore, on the bike bus, it is not clear which kid is shirking, so each kid will try to free ride off the efforts of others.

I know I’m a relatively new parent in the grand scheme of things (my oldest is 3 and a half), but in my experience kids know full well who isn’t pulling their weight (literally, here).

[jrenaut]

Trip to the grocery store with the older daughter

2012-02-11_13-46-02_489 by thetejon, on Flickr

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