annirak
Veteran
- Location
- Cambridge, UK
My daughter (5 years old) has pretty much outgrown her Thule/Chariot Chinook (111cm/40 inch rated body height) and it's time to move on to a new commuting solution. I currently cycle 5 miles to her school, then a further 3.5 to work. We cycle in all weather--with the trailer, this has been easily doable: she arrives at school dry, I get to work and change.
My daughter has learned to ride her single-speed kids' bike, but her frog 52 is a bit beyond her right now. I have cycled about 2 miles with her on quiet cycle paths, but that has taken a very long time. Our commute goes through some very busy roads that I wouldn't be comfortable with her riding until she is much more street smart and confident on her bike.
On the way to school, she stays awake the whole time, but on the way home, she often falls asleep after the long day.
Ideally, I'm looking for a solution that will get us both where we need to go, keep her dry on the way, and still allow me to maintain an active commute.
I've looked at cargo bikes, trailers, tag-alongs, and tandems. They all seem to have one of three problems:
I know that Sheldon Brown recommended kid-front or kid-back tandems for getting kids involved in the commute, but living in a fairly rainy area, I worry that she will get wet with no available change space at school.
Did/do you bicycle commute with kids? If so, how did you handle it when they outgrew the trailer?
My daughter has learned to ride her single-speed kids' bike, but her frog 52 is a bit beyond her right now. I have cycled about 2 miles with her on quiet cycle paths, but that has taken a very long time. Our commute goes through some very busy roads that I wouldn't be comfortable with her riding until she is much more street smart and confident on her bike.
On the way to school, she stays awake the whole time, but on the way home, she often falls asleep after the long day.
Ideally, I'm looking for a solution that will get us both where we need to go, keep her dry on the way, and still allow me to maintain an active commute.
I've looked at cargo bikes, trailers, tag-alongs, and tandems. They all seem to have one of three problems:
- Kid gets wet
- Kid may fall asleep
- Kid doesn't fit (or doesn't fit for long)
I know that Sheldon Brown recommended kid-front or kid-back tandems for getting kids involved in the commute, but living in a fairly rainy area, I worry that she will get wet with no available change space at school.
Did/do you bicycle commute with kids? If so, how did you handle it when they outgrew the trailer?