The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Jake P on November 21, 2012, 09:32:47 AM
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Hey guys, long time reader first time posting! I'm wanting to make a serious goal of biking to work at least 3 days a week. My only work day where I don't haul kids to school / grandma's house is Saturday and I've been trying to bike in sometimes. I was hoping to get suggestions on biking in with the kids. Here's some specifics: 10 mile ride on country back roads. We live right on a busy 2 lane highway with little shoulder and ditches on both sides. I can carry my bike across our field and out the back gate and be on a less busy country road that takes me into town. My kids ages are 2 (stays with Grandma), 4 (goes to pre-school) and 9 (4th grade). Some days I'll be dropping off one but picking up all three. Thanks for the advice!
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Are you asking about logistics or bike suggestions? What do you use to carry the kids on your bike currently?
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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dutchcitybike.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bakfiets.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dutchcitybike.com/2010/11/dutch-bikes-with-child-seats/&h=320&w=480&sz=147&tbnid=BA3LbB4ZW0aLPM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__oSlzgl-rCRC_IiI8I4ivtwWqJGY=&docid=NyF_MTjR5emUKM&sa=X&ei=xhKtUMe_Hqa50AGerYGoAw&ved=0CGYQ9QEwBg&dur=3516
Would this make any sense? :)
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We use an Extracycle, and have carried 3 kids on it:
http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-radish.html (http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-radish.html)
My wife loves that it carries the weight well, and rides like a regular bicycle (unlike, say, a bakfiet or a trailer). We use it nearly every day.
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There is also the yuba mundo
http://yubaride.com/mundo-cargo-bike
(http://yubaride.com/wp-content/gallery/mundo-21-speed-v3-0-b/swedes.jpg)
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Man, I like the yuba mundo... Anybody have any real life comparisons between a bike like this and a trailer? So far I've been commuting by car pretty much every day. I've been bringing my bike in or simply leaving it at work and using it to run errands on lunch. In the last 2 years I've advanced at my job from working outside doing physical labor to working at a desk, sending emails, answering phones, helping clients, etc. I've already put on at least 10 lbs. I love biking and love the idea of saving fuel costs while also burning calories!
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Longtails (Yuba, xtracycle, Big Dummy, Ute) beat a trailer hands down. Hands really well, you don't have the kids so far out of site and you don't have some of the weird handling you get by a trailer.
I ride a Big Dummy sometimes and a CETMA (bakfiets) other times. They both have their time and place. I'm convinced the bakfiets will hold its value as my kids age out of riding in the box and I resell for only a very small loss.