Carrying two NOT in a trailer

secretsam

Anyone got any tips on how to carry 2 kids (3 y.o. twins) without using a trailer? My 2 monkeys have started nursery school 5 days a week, and Mrs Secret Sam wants to use something other than the car to take them, but having tried a bike and trailer at Center Parcs, the kids hated it and Mrs S-S wasn't keen on them being so low down.

Only thing we've seen is the trikidoo (www.trikidoo.co.uk) but although this works well, it weighs 30kg all in and costs £800...and that's the cheapest 3 wheel option (there are a couple of other things, both costing c.£1800!)

Anyone got any other suggestions??

Thanks

redvee

A big pair of panniers with one rugrat either side. Higher up than a trailer and close to Daddy SS, sorted

Cunobelin

It sounds like tou are looking for a "work bike" such as the Christiana or Bakfiets - neither is cheap though. However they are good solid investments.

http://www.dutchbike.co.uk
http://www.velorution.co.uk

Both will give you ideas.

One of the great things about these is that the kids can help "decorate" and hence feel more involved in their transport.

BorisSpencer

An old Pashley trike, with the rear bench seat ?

kevinharley

Tandem with a tag-along?

BorisSpencer

kevinharley wrote:

Tandem with a tag-along?

Or a tandem tag-along if the adult rider is strong enough.

botchjob

I've been looking into this myself as my smallest starts nursery in a few months and I'd like to take two on the bike, with me doing the drop off en route to work (leaving seats at nursery) and my wife picking up on her bike. The most practical option seems to be the Gazelle Bloom - http://www.stationcycles.co.uk/Sales/ga ... bloom.html - which can take front and back Bobike seats. I'll have to put up with having a 'girls' bike for a while but it seems to be the only option if i want to keep cycling to work (which i most certainly do). But i don't think that would work for you as the front bobike seat is for smaller kids than most 3 year olds.

There are also cargo bikes like the Kona Ute or the Xtracycle kit which can be modded to take 2 kids - http://flickr.com/photos/juicepeddler/1536076435 - and which look pretty cool.

cycledad2

i've run some information in my blog on this.

Also linked to are some of the sites i've pinched stuff from...

botchjob

Hey, nice blog. Some useful stuff there.

I love the idea of an Xtracycle but given that we’d need two of them we just won’t have enough room to store them in our hallway. So it’s looking like we’ll be going for a couple of Gazelle Blooms or similar. There’s a stockist near us and I’m going to book a try out soon.

Cunobelin

botchjob wrote:

Hey, nice blog. Some useful stuff there.

I love the idea of an Xtracycle but given that we’d need two of them we just won’t have enough room to store them in our hallway. So it’s looking like we’ll be going for a couple of Gazelle Blooms or similar. There’s a stockist near us and I’m going to book a try out soon.

The Surly Dummy and Kona Ute are similar to the Xtracycle, but will store upright on it's carier

Making room for two?

cycledad2

Station cycles is a great starting point. I;ve test ridden their gazelle bloom round the car park and it was fine.

Of course you can fit the bobike seats to an existing bike. I have a blog post about this setup that hints at some of the desirables fro a bike that takes kids:
http://cycledad.blogspot.com/2008/11/cycling-with-2-young-children-part2-2.html

A final note on bobike front seat. Its a common myth that you need a quill stem to fit one. Thats the classic method. But bobike do an mtb adaptor that will fit to an mtb bike even if it doesnt other front seats will retro fit most bikes. eg bike tutor, wee ride etc

The seine motherbike (http://www.dutchbike.co.uk/Family2.htm) is a slightly cheaper option compared to the gazelle bloom. They are mail order but they do business from a cambridge address so they might be able to get a you a test ride.

Let us know how you get on!

pansy_pots

If your wifes bike could cope with the load you could try one on a front seat and one on a rear seat on her normal bike.
I am using a weeride centric on the front with my large 3 year old ( and have used it on a short trip with my 4 year old who does just fit in it). I love it and it doesn't seem to interfere with my cycling. I tow a trailer as well with my 9 month in - plus occaisionally the 4 year old - so haven't tried a rear seat but am thinking of it once bubs is a bit bigger as there is a tricky gate to get past with the trailer on the school and pre-school run.

baudman

I agree with Cunobelin.



And what it looks like nowadays...



Google bakfiets. Will also hold a lot of shopping (or beer). Two kdis up high makes it tricky to load/unload. A bakfiets/cargobike will have a nice stable stand. My daughter now loads herself in (the boy is her little buddy). They also handle like a normal bike, as the weight is low. And you can chat to your kids as you go along.

botchjob

As far as I've been able to work out, the shorter wheel base of most UK available bikes (i.e. non-child specific bikes) means that it's pretty impossible to have front and back bike seats, and also be able to get on and off. Which is kind of important. When I used a front bobike seat for my daughter (on a bloke's hybrid bike) there just wasn't enough room between saddle and back of child seat to stand up. And although it could fit a rear seat too, i'd need a winch to get me on and off.

Any road, my latest research has revealed a new front runner. The Sparta Amazone Classic 2009. If I squint a bit I can think "old school West Coast styly" rather than "dutch girls bike"



I don't need to buy anything quite yet but will report back here once i have.

cycledad2

Any road, my latest research has revealed a new front runner. The Sparta Amazone Classic 2009. If I squint a bit I can think "old school West Coast styly" rather than "dutch girls bike"

Haha i'm struggling with the same! I'm looking for a good stable looking mixte bike that my wife and i can use. I reckon mixtes make sense for family bikes. They dont look effeminate for the blokes, but are easish to dismount from.

Mayhemwmb

I bought a trailer for my son when he was really young (as in just able to hold his head up unsupported) He HATED it, he screamed and screamed. So the trailer went into the garage and I got blasted of my wife for wasting money. Several months later I tried again. He loved it and we used to go miles.
My personal view is that these are the safest way of transporting little ones. The 'tent' is stretched over a metal framework I thought of this as a safety cage. Any child carrier high up on a bike will alter the centre of gravity and stability of the bike. I have seen stationary bikes tople sideways with the rider holding the handle bars and the rear wheel lift of the ground as the bike falls over.
I would consider trying again

claredevries

I have a Trikidoo!!! I couldn't afford the other options. I have had one for a few months now and it totally does the job. My elder two go at the back and my baby between me and the handlebars on a Bobike baby thingy. Impossbile to find the website unless you know about it though. www.trikidoo.co.uk

craker

my two _love_ the trailer, maybe you could just be more forceful?

There's a lot of advantages to this - keep your existing bikes, weatherproof, no being tipped off a bike due to high c of g.

Sometimes it's easier just to insist and in a week they'll have forgotten they ever disliked the thing. As mrs L says when I'm failing to get the little ones to do something, make it fun, make a game of it.

cjcp

My wife likes the idea of the Trikidoo because she'll be able to get off without the bike tipping. It's also a bit easier on the wallet than others on the market!

How are people getting on with the Trikidoo?

kieranb

or you could do the same as the woman I saw yesterday. She had squashed two children onto her rear childseat, both of whom were too big for it, with their legs dangling down unsupported and the second one with his face jammed into his mothers back, still at least she wasn't wearing a backpack. None of them were wearing helmets either.

White Horse

kieranb wrote:

or you could do the same as the woman I saw yesterday. She had squashed two children onto her rear childseat, both of whom were too big for it, with their legs dangling down unsupported and the second one with his face jammed into his mothers back, still at least she wasn't wearing a backpack. None of them were wearing helmets either.

Amateur!! She could have got at least 2 more on the crossbar and 1 on the handlebars!!

wartledj

Like mentioned elsewhere I would reconsider the trialer option. We have a Wike Trialer which we picked up in the States a few years ago. It is the envy of all other kids and considerably higher than most of the squashed in trialers you see on the road with kids faces stuck to the sides. Has been great with the youngest as a full size car seat fits in as well which adds to her comfort factor.
It also has a large boot for all your childrens needs.

Does turn heads as well when you have the trialer behind the bike on the trial-gator when number 2 gives up halfway home!!