Hello!
I am a mom of six, from ages 10 to 1. I was amazed by Emily Finch's story too...and now, a few years later, here I am with a cargo trike, bakfiets, trail-a-bikes, and all sorts of accessories to haul the family around. We are planning to be a "no car" family come November. So often I have exclaimed to hubs, "this bike (whichever I'm riding) is one of the BEST things we've ever bought!"
Before I read her story, I never rode the kids around---I had too many little ones for it to be realistic. I didn't like bike trailers as I couldn't respond well when one sibling was making another cry or dropped their sippy cup or whatever.
Here are some things that helped me:
1. Consider your physical ability. I am not the most coordinated or strong person (I'm only barely 5'1" too). I started with a trike. The cargo trike is bigger and heavier than the bakfiets 2 wheeler, but I knew I would NOT tip it over! I felt stable. (Actually, you can tip it going around corners when you go really fast, but that is preventable by NOT going around corners really fast. ). We got the trike when I had 5 children, and the youngest was 14 months and it was a really good fit. Several months after my sixth baby was born, I started riding the 2 wheeler. I like it, and it's lighter....but it has taken me quite a while to feel comfortable with it. You can "dump" the 2 wheeler bike....like, at stops you have to balance the bike with your feet. When the bike is really heavily loaded you can't let it lean to the side or it can fall and you won't be able to stop it (like keeping a motorcycle up, I guess). Also, the turning on the two wheeler takes a little getting used to. I have NOT ridden the bakfiets with six children....I have worked my way up to 3 kids, and, at other times, no kids and probably about 150 pounds of groceries. (I continue to be AMAZED at Mrs. Finch riding around 6 or 7 children and a sound system and a watermelon! Bike queen!)
2. Buy used! We really scored with the cargo trike. We bid on a defietsfabriek trike on ebay, which was basically a new trike that was a bar accessory in a window or something, and got it for under 1K. The bike should have sold for about 3K at least. We got our two wheeler bakfiets from craigslist for 2K, which was a fair used price. Both bikes we have are high quality, which makes for a really nice ride. We have a less-high quality Kona, that we "make do" with to haul some kids on the back...but it is tipsy and a little nerve wracking to ride. Go with a bike made for hauling that you feel comfortable with.
3. The baby goes in a car seat for the first year, at least. We started biking with the new baby after she was almost two months, and we used the carseat in the trike (and now in the 2 wheeler). We put pillows under the carseat and bungee the carseat inside the cargo box and just tried to work around the baby's routine when she was younger. I HATE riding or driving with a screaming baby, so we'd try to time rides during her naps. You can also buy a suspension kit that gets bolted into the bakfiets for a carseat.
4. With a trike, you *can* fit kids and groceries....but it's almost impossible to fit a good shopping trip haul in with the baby in a carseat. I find myself doing more solo grocery shopping now, post baby 6, (for the big weekly trip), and leaving the rest with my husband. I actually really like it that way...I can fit way more in the box and I can actually *think clearly* in the store. (The littles usually behave well in the store, but still....even a herd of nicely behaved children in the grocery store frazzles me.) If you have four children, you might be okay to add on lots of groceries, if you use a tandem set-up.
5. Using the trail-a-bike (or follow me tandem) is great to help the older children get moving, while still being safe. Our city is not the greatest for biking. We are just barely getting some bike lanes this year and there are hardly any separated paths. Having the kids attached has helped give me some peace of mind. Our 10 and 9 year olds are riding their own bikes more often now, but I'm constantly having to encourage them to watch for cars. We also found a used *double tandem* trail-a-bike. With that attached to the cargo trike, I am able to comfortably bike with all six children attached to the trike. You can also fit more stuff in your box up front with some children attached to the back. My husband and I also split up the children when we bike together.
6. Be prepared for a crazy amount of attention. Numerous cell phone photos have been taken of our family on the bikes. Some lady stopped her car in the middle of the street to take a photo of me and kids with her ipad. Drivers have come up to me at a red light, noticed who was in the box, and asked, "so where are your other children today?" A homeless man pointed us out and laughed to his buddies. Lots of people will likely ask you about the bike and it can lead to good chats with people in your community. You might become the town oddity and, hopefully, a local inspiration.
7. Go For It! The 3,000 dollars we spent on the cargo bikes has given us so much in return!
Good luck!