Author Topic: Anyone do anything creative to keep bike trailers/etc warm during winter months?  (Read 5175 times)

onemorebike

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I own a bakfiets with a blaq designs topper that goes on in rain and colder months. The green house effect works to some degree in combination with winter clothing and body heat. Anyone do anything creative to keep kids warm? (I'm thinking of stories of parents carrying heated potatoes in their jacket pockets on their 10 mile walks to school in several feet of snow. :) ) We are headed to car light and I'm thinking more about how to make winter more tolerable on the bike.

onemorebike

GuitarStv

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Our bike trailer has a removable mesh screen at the front for summer and a plastic one for winter.  With the plastic one in place all the wind from the front is blocked, and if there's sun at all it acts like a mini-greenhouse heating up pretty efficiently.

Keep your kid's boots and jacket inside the house so they're warm when they are put on, and put a warm blanket from the house under the kids butt/back to reduce heat loss through the seat as the bike trailer is typically cold/left outside.  As long as the kid doesn't have to heat up something that's already freezing cold and they're dressed properly for the weather, temperatures shouldn't be an issue.

If they're a little older some kind of thermos with warm liquid would probably work wonders on cold days too.

Thegoblinchief

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Proper clothing, plus maybe throw a blanket in the dryer or next to a heat vent right before leaving to heat it up.

In the sleigh days, folks would heat up flat irons (essentially a big chunk of cast iron) in the stove, then wrap them in a blanket to carry and nestle next to their feet. Then they would pile blankets on top of themselves. You can stay pretty toasty except for the face.

But if the kids are 4 or older, I'd consider using a trail-a-bike. The pedaling might keep them warmer than any insulation sitting still. The main thing you'll need is good insulated gloves for their tiny hands. Thinsulate is good enough and usually reasonably wind proof.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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I'm just wondering how I'm going to get them in there with their coats when they are already elbow-to-elbow! But by next year, Big Brother will be old enough for a trail-a-bike if I want to do the whole trailer-behind-trail-a-bike thing.

CheapskateWife

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We are currently commuting via trail-a-bike, and I highly recommend it!  Kiddos get their blood pumping before school, and they start the day with their brains "on"...not to mention, already exercised means less likely to act hyper in school :)

As for keeping warm in the trailer, layers, layers, layers.  Also, you might consider a layer of insulating foam under the seat and perhaps even across the back to give more R value.  Sure it might get muddy or dirty, but keeping the kids happy and comfortable about this arrangement is really the key to success for long term biking plans.

MayDay

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I throw in some microwave rice bags. They steam it right up. Works well in strollers with covers as well.

scottydog

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The greenhouse effect has been enough for our kids when they're bundled up in snow suits, although I often thrown in an old fleece blanket too.  The kids self-regulate a bit by putting their (gloved) hands under the blanket if their hands get cold.  On the rare days below -20 C, I have sometimes filled a rubber hot water bottle and wrapped it in a blanket or towel for the kids to keep on their laps.  This has been fine for outings up to 30-40 minutes.

 

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