New way to Commute & taking the kids to school - Taga

[Arch]

the exhaust diffusion is very rapid so distance does matter. I think it's nifty, agree it's overpriced though.

Well, you wouldn't be riding right up to the back of the car in front would you? Unless you were a rubbish cyclist. Always need to leave room to get out if the driver in front decides to back up for some reason without looking in the mirror...

 

[MacB]

Well, you wouldn't be riding right up to the back of the car in front would you? Unless you were a rubbish cyclist. Always need to leave room to get out if the driver in front decides to back up for some reason without looking in the mirror...

true, I was going by detail on another thread about pollution, having followed some of the links I was surprised by how rapidly the pollutants are diluted.

agreed, a close follow would be unwise

 

[iacula]

It passes the "what would happen if everyone used one" ethical test, so I'm in favour.

 

[HJ]

There are better solutions out there, such as the TrioBike, greater flexibility for a similar price...

 

[Bigtwin]

I do commute two kids around - 6 and 3.

Why on earth would I want one of those when I can have a two seat trailer AND a double tag-a-long and still have a grand in my pocket?

 

[ejls2]

For that money I'd much rather have a bakefiets/cargotrike. The ability to turn it into a scooter is nice but not exactly revolutionary.

 

[Tharg2007]

question is however when used as a bike and as a buggy are they actually any good in that form? Probably not a great bike nor a great buggy.

 

[mickle]

As a nation we seem to have no issues spending £10,000 and more each on a car, or the mind boggling £16,000 depreciation Porch Cayenne buyers are prepared to lose in their first year of ownership. In that context £1700 is a snip. The folk who developed this product and others like it are working hard to provide valid alternatives for people who want to reduce or eliminate car use from their lives and should be applauded. We have one in our fleet, it's an amazing product; innovative and well made. Too expensive? Have you seen what some people spend their money on? Just because you can't afford one...

Cycle Sense is a family owned business with a very forward thinking attitude to innovative products. When 99% of British bikes shops are stocking the same old crap CS are prepared to stick their neck out and take a risk. Remember the Wooden 'Like A Bike' which established the market for running bikes in this country? (Quickly copied by the likes of FirstBike, Isla bikes, Scoot etc). Cycle Sense were/are the importers. More power to them.

 

[Bigtwin]

As a nation we seem to have no issues spending £10,000 and more each on a car, or the mind boggling £16,000 depreciation Porch Cayenne buyers are prepared to lose in their first year of ownership. In that context £1700 is a snip. The folk who developed this product and others like it are working hard to provide valid alternatives for people who want to reduce or eliminate car use from their lives and should be applauded.

Your example is well chosen.

Both are vastly overpriced, and have far better alternatives.

 

[mickle]

Are you deliberately missing my point or am I not explaining myself very well? The Taga may well be overpriced for your meagre budget but that doesn't invalidate it as a useful product. I've seen how people react to it, I've had mums and dads queueing up to ride it. It's inspirational in a way that a £30 kids seat on an Apollo cant hope to be.

 

[Bigtwin]

Are you deliberately missing my point or am I not explaining myself very well? The Taga may well be overpriced for your meagre budget but that doesn't invalidate it as a useful product. I've seen how people react to it, I've had mums and dads queueing up to ride it. It's inspirational in a way that a £30 kids seat on an Apollo cant hope to be.

No, I think you're just wrong. People are far more likely to be inspired to dump the car and ride by the £30 option that a ludicrus £1700 bit of engineering fun. Your statement that £1700 is "megre" says it all.

Anyway - my opinion matters not. That thing will sell well into double figures at best. Keep one in the garage along side the C5 and Segway why not.

 

[summerdays]

Now I wouldn't have bought one when my kids were wee as it would have been too expensive for us, but think the principle is good as I said above ... If someone gave me a lift then there was the problem of car seats, by buggy couldn't go right across town and if I had had a bike then, the problem would come at the shopping centre when I had to carry them around it. It does solve that problem and hopefully will spark off more design ideas and a price reduction to make them more affordable in the future.

And I like the option of having the child in front of you when cycling so that you can see them.

 

[eldudino]

As an alternative to a car in a city it would work. My thoughts are that it would be difficult to store for someone living in a flat or terraced house, I wouldn't want to leave £1,700 of anything parked in a front yard though I may be a bit of a fuss about such things. I've never ridden with a trailer on the bike but I'm sure a purpose designed vehicle like this would be easier to pedal and the weight distribution would be more favourable. A bike with a trailer can be used separately which is a huge bonus if you intend to do so. I think the design of the thing looks pretty cool, they've thought about the look of it and the utilitarian colours work really well. Not sure I'd want to pedal it up the 1/4 hill up to my house though!

 

[grhm]

I think it's too expensive and I'd question whether it makes a good bike or a good buggy - or if it makes too many compromises to be both that neither is good. However, that said, I've not seen one in the flesh and don't know.

I also agree with Mickles point that seeing it (or something similar) might inspire some to rethink how how do the school run and their car use. Most might be better served by the cheap seat on a cheap BSO - but some (possibly those with more money than sense) will go for it.

If those few who do buy it are seen using it - it might drive a demand and others may come forward with alternative and cheaper options, and the price may drop over time.

I'm tempted to draw an analogly to other technologies like perhaps HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players. When they first came out, they were fooking expensive and only a few people were interested/could afford/justify the cost - however as time goes on the number of suppliers/options available goes up and the cost is coming down. Not everyone wants/needs one - but you need some "more-money-than-sense" early adopters to get the ball rolling.

I take my 3yr old to playschool on a Trike and have had one or two other parents saw that they ought to cycle their kid to school rather than drive - not sure any have as yet, but you need one or two nutters to seed the idea before others will consider it.

 

[Landslide]

Whats the benefits of it over a bike and trailer?

To me, the major advantage would be the buggy feature. Rather than looking for somewhere to lock up your bike and trailer, convert it to a buggy and simply wheel it into your local shops. Pricey, but cool. I like it.