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| Infographaic courtesy of Fix.com |
...traffic is gridlocked...your baby is screaming at the top of their lungs in the backseat...your feel your grip tighening on the steering wheel...your can feel your stress level rising......aarrgh!!!
Do not despair, things will get better, and you'll soon be biking again, maybe even with your new baby onboard if you choose.
When can I start cycling with my baby?
AGE: Generally speaking, most companies that make baby-cycling stuff recommend the earliest age you can get going at about 9 months old. It is really important that the child's neck is strong enough to support the weight of their head with a helmet on. Of course, this may differ from child to child.
HELMETS: The smallest diameter helmet we've been able to find is 46cm but this can sometimes still not be small enough for some little humans. When looking at helmets, try to find one that has a fairly flat back area, especially if you are planning on using a trailer.
WEATHER: Remember, your little one is not moving even if you are so bundle them up in cool/cold weather as they'll often get cold quick and will not be able to explain that to you in words, only in crying, screaming, and/or shivering.
And then there is this...
@BikeBikeYYC @commit2commute technically they don’t need helmets in car seats, regardless of where they’re situated.— Ying Jones (@smallandhungry) May 13, 2016
Biking With Kids Tip #1
@bikebikeyyc Start early, and make it a normal part of your day. (As normal as it can be with kids in tow).
— Darren Markland (@drdagly) March 12, 2013
Children love the feel of the wind rushing past them just as much as adults do. I still have vivid memories from when I was 5-6 years old living in Mimico (a community in western Toronto) and riding on a baby seat on the back of my Mom's bike. We'd ride along Lakeshore Road to the grocery store and frequently stop at the toy store on the way home. I remember this feeling of exploration and excitement that I think has stuck with me since. Could those early bike adventures have set the stage for a lifetime of cycling? Stranger things have happened.
Biking with your baby is super fun for both of you and offers your little one that same sense of adventure, freedom, and exploration that you feel when you bike alone. On top of that there is the obvious exercise that you get to enjoy but even more powerful than that - you can show your baby how getting around by bike is an easy, natural, and fun way to get around your community without a car. By modeling this behaviour to your children when they are really young you can set a great example for them and perhaps put them on the path towards a car free lifestyle - or at the very least show them that you do not need to do everything and go everywhere in a car.
Biking With Kids Tip #2
@bikebikeyyc Start with short trips and enjoy the slow pace. :)
— Olena Russell (@OlenaNina) March 12, 2013
Biking with your baby onboard has never been easier and once your little one is old enough to wear a helmet (it is the law in Alberta) you're ready to go. There are 4 main options for biking with baby and we'll go into details on each -
1. Bike mounted baby seats
2. Cargo bikes
3. Trailers
4. Trail-a-bikes
Baby Seats
Baby seats come in two configurations - front mounted models that are good up to about 35lbs. and rear mounted models that are good up to about 48lbs. They have very easy to use on/off connectors so you can quickly remove the seat if you are riding solo and extra mounts are available if you want to move the seats between multiple bikes. They are easy to clean and can even be locked onto the bike if theft is a concern.
The front mounted Thule Yepp Mini and iBert seats are great for kids aged 9 months -3 years old and will fit best on city, commuter, or cruiser styled bikes. Windshields are available to help keep cold wind and/or precipitation at bay and a foam sleeproll is also available for when Baby inevitably falls asleep. Adjustable foot buckets keep their feet secure too. Some mountain bikes are ok too but often not ideal because your body position on a mountain bike usually has the rider reaching and leaning forward - right where the baby seat would be. Front mounted seats are also not recommended for use on the front of bikes with drop-styled handlebars.
Rear mounted Thule Yepp Maxi seats are usually for toddlers and mount directly to the bike or to a sturdy rear rack. They are bigger in size than the Mini and have higher backs and bigger seatbelts. Foot buckets are easily adjusted and there are even guards installed to keep their feet out of the spokes. Special mounts are available is you also want to carry panniers behind the kids seat.
*** Contact us if you unsure whether your existing bike will accept a seat ***
Biking With Kids Tip #3
@bikebikeyyc Get the best equipment you can afford, don't push the kids too hard or they'll hate it. Have fun!
— REWORKS (@ReWorksYYC) March 13, 2013
Cargo Bikes
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| Riese and Muller's Packster 60 |
- Longtails like the Xtracycle Edgerunner, and the new Riese and Muller Multicharger place the load behind the rider offering a ride that is most similar to a regular bike. These bikes are the most affordable option on the market and brilliantly transition from being a family hauler into a load hauler once the kids have grown up. Carrying children is handled by installing baby seats in the front of the rider or on the deck in the back. They are also available electrified allowing you to cross the city or effortlessly climb those big hills we have. Longtails generally have a cargo capacity of around 100kgs.
- Bakfiets (pronounced bak-feets) literally translated from Dutch means "box bike" and is used to describe bikes like the one pictured above - a Riese and Muller Packster. They are 2 wheeled bikes placing the load (or babies) in front of the rider making it very easy to see and chat with your kids or break up a fight between them. The box keeps your precious cargo safe in the event of a tipover and can easily handle all sorts of cargo loads like groceries, recycling, and garden centre runs. They are incredibly stable, even at slow speeds, and are available with a rain cover to keep rain and cold winds out. These bikes are haevier than longtails but lighter than trikes and usually have a cargo capacity of 100 kgs.
- Trikes are similar to bakfiets in their load carrying capacity and positioning of the load in front of the rider but differ in that they have 2 wheels in front and 1 behind. They usually weigh a little bit more than longtails and bakfiets but offer more stability in rough weather - meaning, you can ride these further into the winter safely than the other 2 designs. If you have 2+ children these are the bikes you may need to consider since they can accomodate up to 4 kids. In general, these bikes work best in situations where you are not covering really long distances and are best recommended for use in your community because they are not as light or fast as the other 2 designs. New, tilting designs have arrived on the market making them more fun to ride at speed and also making them much more stable.
"Tag alongs" or trail-a-bikes are devices that attached to the seatpost of your existing bike and allow your child to pedal along with you on a "bike" of their own. They are essentially a beam with a set of handlebars, a seat, and a rear wheel. Depending on how tall your little one is you may be able to start around them at around 3-4 years old. They are a popular option for families that want to have their kids pedaling instead of just coming along for the ride on a baby seat or on a cargo bike and are useful for trips that are further afield and maybe a little too far for those little legs to pedal.
Our very favorite trail-a-bike unit is the Tout Terrain Streamliner - a premium offering with 160mm of suspension, made from high quality chromoly tubing, and it connected to the parents bike by the best coupler we've ever seen.
So, just to sum it all up, biking with your baby onboard can be easy and fun and there are plenty of transport options available depending on the type of cycling you do and the age of your children. Just follow these simple tips and you'll be on your way to helping your children see bicycles as a normal way of getting around -
- Start 'em young. You can get cycling with your kids as soon as they are old enough to hold their head steady with a helmet on.
- Ride often. Taking your baby on errand/grocery runs by bike is fun and demonstrates to your children what is possible with a bike.
- Take the long/slow/safe route everywhere. There is no rush when out cycling with kids. Enjoy the slower pace and savour the time togther.
- Don't worry about the weather, plan for it. Kids love being outside, even in winter, so bundle them up and keep on cycling (and of course refer back to the tip "take the long/slow/safe route).
And finally, do you have any tips and experiences you can share with others? Leave us a comment!
*** We try to keep at least one model of each design in stock at all times ***
Biking With Kids Tip #4
@bikebikeyyc Keep it fun, ride to the lego store, the fries bus, the waterfall or whatever they like.Ride often. Bring smarties and water.Trailers
— Doug D (@coldbike) March 13, 2013
Probably the most ubiquitous of the kid hauling options, trailers have been the main option for cycling with kids in North America for the last 20 years. I am not sure why trailers took off here they way they did but I'll take a guess that the combination of a dominant sporty bike culture and fear mongering towards baby seats - plus the lack of cargo bikes and good quality baby seats on the market - pushed trailers to the forefront. They are widely available now and can sometimes be quite expensive - some of them are the same price as our cargo bikes! They can mount very easily to most bikes and can usually be converted into a stroller too. Most trailers are equipped with rain covers and cargo hauling weight capacity is usually in around the 75lbs. range. Many can be converted into a stroller as well.
While trailers are easy to add onto an existing bicycles they can be heavy to pull (most are 25lbs+ before cargo/babies added), they can affect the handling of your bicycle negatively, and they put your baby way back behind you making it impossible to chat while cycling. They are also more difficult to use in tighter spaces, like parking at the grocery store and you need to be aware that you are longer and wider - I have seen parents clip bollards and curbs and have even flipped my own trailer (with kid in it) years ago by clipping a curb cut.
We do offer one child trailer - the Tout Terrain Singletrailer - which is a premium trailer for one child, has a single wheel (making it very maneuverable and useful off-road), is extremely light, and has 120-160mm of suspension - smoothing the ride for your precious cargo.
Biking with Kids Tip #5
Tag AlongsWhile trailers are easy to add onto an existing bicycles they can be heavy to pull (most are 25lbs+ before cargo/babies added), they can affect the handling of your bicycle negatively, and they put your baby way back behind you making it impossible to chat while cycling. They are also more difficult to use in tighter spaces, like parking at the grocery store and you need to be aware that you are longer and wider - I have seen parents clip bollards and curbs and have even flipped my own trailer (with kid in it) years ago by clipping a curb cut.
We do offer one child trailer - the Tout Terrain Singletrailer - which is a premium trailer for one child, has a single wheel (making it very maneuverable and useful off-road), is extremely light, and has 120-160mm of suspension - smoothing the ride for your precious cargo.
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| Tout Terrain Singletrailer with happy camper onboard. |
Biking with Kids Tip #5
@bikebikeyyc bike together from day one and don't worry about the weather! twitter.com/SaminFernie/st…
— Sam (@SaminFernie) March 13, 2013
"Tag alongs" or trail-a-bikes are devices that attached to the seatpost of your existing bike and allow your child to pedal along with you on a "bike" of their own. They are essentially a beam with a set of handlebars, a seat, and a rear wheel. Depending on how tall your little one is you may be able to start around them at around 3-4 years old. They are a popular option for families that want to have their kids pedaling instead of just coming along for the ride on a baby seat or on a cargo bike and are useful for trips that are further afield and maybe a little too far for those little legs to pedal.
Our very favorite trail-a-bike unit is the Tout Terrain Streamliner - a premium offering with 160mm of suspension, made from high quality chromoly tubing, and it connected to the parents bike by the best coupler we've ever seen.
 |
| Tout Terrain's amazing Streamliner tag along. |
So, just to sum it all up, biking with your baby onboard can be easy and fun and there are plenty of transport options available depending on the type of cycling you do and the age of your children. Just follow these simple tips and you'll be on your way to helping your children see bicycles as a normal way of getting around -
- Start 'em young. You can get cycling with your kids as soon as they are old enough to hold their head steady with a helmet on.
- Ride often. Taking your baby on errand/grocery runs by bike is fun and demonstrates to your children what is possible with a bike.
- Take the long/slow/safe route everywhere. There is no rush when out cycling with kids. Enjoy the slower pace and savour the time togther.
- Don't worry about the weather, plan for it. Kids love being outside, even in winter, so bundle them up and keep on cycling (and of course refer back to the tip "take the long/slow/safe route).
And finally, do you have any tips and experiences you can share with others? Leave us a comment!
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