Bike for mom with kids

[aamoedo]

First post!

So I have a bike.  I don't use it which is a shame as I'm only 3 miles from work,probably 5 miles with a put stop at daycare for my two kiddos (3 & 1.) 

Has anyone had success bike commuting with children?  I'm nervous about not being able to get to them in an emergency, as well as the sibling fighting that might transpire in the trailer.

Just looking for a little insight from any other parents out there! 

[jda1984]

If by emergency you mean a sick kid at daycare or something, I doubt you'll be the worst of the parents.  Worst case scenario your office is 4 miles from the daycare (1 mile the opposite direction of your house).  Even with the trailer, I imagine you can average 10-12 mph, so you'd be able to be at the daycare in less than 30 minutes.  If you're in a major metro area I bet that is close to average for people to pick up their kids in an emergency.

I wouldn't worry too much about the squables in the trailer.  Our kids have been pretty good with it only having issues toward the end of long rides (i.e. 25+ miles and several hours with stops).

[aamoedo]

Great, that's very helpful.  Good point on the sick kid thing.  I can practically walk there on my lunch break so it's obviously not far from where I work.  Do your kids wear helmets in the trailer?

[Jack]

Commuting to work one day on the multi-use trail, I passed one woman riding a Surly Big Dummy cargo bike with two kids sitting on the cargo rack in the back:



It looked like it worked pretty well -- better than a trailer, in fact, if hauling kids is more than an occasional thing.

[vhalros]

I don't have much experience transporting children via bicycle, but regarding emergencies: At least around here, there is no faster way to travel three miles than by bicycle.

[aamoedo]

I'll have to test that! We're in a suburb so there's not a ton of traffic but either way i would MUCH rather ride my bike to work than drive!

[Maya]

Commuting to work one day on the multi-use trail, I passed one woman riding a Surly Big Dummy cargo bike with two kids sitting on the cargo rack in the back:



It looked like it worked pretty well -- better than a trailer, in fact, if hauling kids is more than an occasional thing.

Maybe one day. Love that. Just need older kids. I used a trailer for daycare drop off last summer and worked well. 18 months and 4.

[Gemma]

We have a Yuba Mundo, and have a Yepp baby seat on the back for hauling one kid and one 18 month old. It's a pricey bike (still cheaper than the Surly, I think), but if you're replacing a car it might be worth it. It's awesome.

[Trouble]

In a true emergency the scenario I'd see playing out is:
Child gets really sick
Childcare calls ambulance
(If you're not really close to the hospital from work) Ask/yell at a coworker to drive you to the hospital

Otherwise, childcares just tend to keep sick kids in the office until parents get there.

I plan on using the bike trailer when my son starts preschool (4yo) next year, my baby girl will be almost 1 when he starts, and the bike trailer is still a bit big for her (not supposed to use under 18mo) but she'll be fine for the 2km each way ride. I just put them both in it for the first time 2 days ago (baby is 9.5mo now) and took them for a few laps around the suburb and they loved it. I'm sure they'll fight as they get older, or maybe there will be so much to see they won't!

[jac941]

+1 on the cargo bikes.

I have an Xtracycle Edgerunner and ride with both kids (3.5 & 1.5 yrs). I've been riding it since my older kid was 9 months old. My commute is 5-6 miles each way and I wouldn't do it any other way at this point. It's not an inexpensive solution though. We sold our second car to "justify" it.

We do occasionally use a trailer, but it doesn't get as much respect from the drivers which makes me nervous. On the other hand, it has far better weather protection for the kids. It's also good if one parent does drop off and the other picks up - you just hook the trailer up to whatever bike. Helmets are required either way (kid seat or trailer).

Definitely find a way to make it work. Kids are far happier on a bike than in a car. Once you see the difference, you'll wonder why you waited so long to get them on the bike :-)

[DagobertDuck]

http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/
Scroll down for examples on how to take kids on a bike.

[Goldielocks]

You just take a taxi the once or twice a year when you need to get there faster than your bike will go.  I did this to pick up a kid with a possible broken ankle from school.  Easier than I thought.


Also, note that I am 1.5 hr away from kids during work day, so a half hour is nothing.   Many parents can't return a call / message for an hour or two due to work meetings.