Selfsufficientish.com

Hi,

I was wondering if any of you have any ideas of how to transport children around without using a car?

I currently use an electric bike /child trailer combo to travel the 2 miles of hilly, back lanes between my village and the next one where my son (age 6) goes to school. It's been perfect up until now but it's getting to the point I'm going to have to use a shoehorn to get the little man in the trailer Although he's still within the weight limit (only just by 2kg) he's tall and skinny.

I've looked at buying a larger 2 seat version but I just thought I'd see if any of you know of any alternatives? I've looked at the tag-along style bikes but he's already outgrown them. He can ride his own bike and although I'm sure he'd get used to the hills, there are a lot of pot holes and I have visions of him flying off! Also, his hearing isn't great and he can't hear cars very well so it's not really a great idea on such bendy narrow lanes.

Public transport is out of the question as there is none!

Also, if anyone can recommend an electric bike that likes pulling weight that would be fab! Pulling over 4st over hills doesn't half drain my battery quick!

Cheers

You can get larger tag-along bikes I think, they're supposed to be up to 9 years. Look up Cargo bike, box bike or you could just go tandem, maybe child back tandem if he's not quite big enough for a tandem.

I'll have a look into those, cheers.

There's some great trikes around with a seat on the back for passengers, bit pricey but look loads of fun. When I remeber where I've seen them will post link! duh me

Wow, there really are loads out there that I'd not come across!

I've found some wicked trikes but I don't think I can stretch to the £3k & £4k price tags. Something to dream about





I'd not come across the cargo bikes before. They look great and there are so many accessories you can get for them. Might have to get saving.


Good thing is if I decide to sell the electric bike I've got it's now retailing at £250 more that I paid for it and the trailer is double what I paid. Now I just need to convince hubby that selling my bike, trailer and car is the way to go............


Cheers for your help

If it is only two miles why not just walk? Cheaper than getting a new bike and not exactly a huge distance

zaxdog wrote:If it is only two miles why not just walk? Cheaper than getting a new bike and not exactly a huge distance

The thought has cross my mind a million times but the little man is a bit of a dawdler and I just don't fancy the stress of it all tbh Give it a couple of years and hopefully that's exactly what we'll do.

If I do get rid of my car ( ) then obviously on days when it's unsafe to get the bike out then obviously that's exactly what we'd be doing.

Definately a tag-a-long. I had one, well two at one point as both kids loved them so much. If you dont want to get a full tagalong bike there are connector kits for a regular kids bike. No idea how good they are, but bound to be cheaper. No idea about UK availability, but this is what they look like.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10 ... 000_202604

I've seen a bar thing which you attach to your bike and his bike and it lifts his front wheel off the ground so he could just attach his bike to it, apparently the bar even folds away if your not carrying a bike on the back to as not to stick out the back of your bike too much.

Not sure what they're called though

Oh it's already been mentioned! :) Sorry!

Transporting really is the safest way to travel." - Geordi La Forge, 2369

zaxdog wrote:If it is only two miles why not just walk? Cheaper than getting a new bike and not exactly a huge distance

As someone who's home was 2 country miles from my first school, and two country miles from the village shop - in the opposite direction - it is much further than you think with little legs, and hills to cope with Even cycling is tough work

When our children were little we had no car and lived where public transport was very thin. We started with a home made trailer pulled behind our tandem and that was great -- you couldn't buy them ready made easily in the 1990s! We went up enormous hills and on holidays miles away from home. When they grew out of the trailer my husband designed a four person pedal car. We went miles and miles on this contraption – including holidays (60 miles each way) and they children loved it. It had a roof that kept off most of the rain and a stunning range of gears. We gave it away some years ago and as far as we know it is still roaming around somewhere! Our children learned to cycle themselves of course as this gave them freedom and independence. Statistically you are safer on a bike (even as a child) than in a car. As for helmets if worn in cars they would save far more lives!! The health benefits out weigh any physical risks. Nowadays there are loads of cargo bikes and child trailers but you are correct in thinking the prices are high. Velovision cycling magazine has lots of interesting stuff reviewed but not sure if I'm allowed to mention it! (I'mnot personally involved with the mag in any way) It is the place I'd go if I wanted to buy something new or maybe adveritise or ask for something second hand.

Both passengers in trailers behind bikes and tag-along bikes have recently been banned on roads in NSW for safety reasons. The only option now allowed is purpose built seats on the adult bike itself.

That is a shame. Both options are potentially safer than seats on the bike. I wonder what the rationale is? I assume purpose built tandems are still okay.