Round town/Kid Transport bike

[druptight]

So I've been keeping an eye out for something suitable to be a townie bike/kid transport mobile to take the boy to daycare when he gets big enough (only 4 months old now, but come spring I'll be riding him the 3/4 mile to daycare instead of driving). And in true paceline fashion the frugal, smarter person in me says to wait for the right old or new touring/cyclocross rig to pop up on the craigslist for $100 or $200, toss the kid rack/seat on there that I already got on craigslist and call it a day.

But then I wait, and nothing comes up that satisfies my desire to not ride a total piece of crap, but also comes in at a reasonable price for a bike that will get such limited use. Then my imagination starts acting up and I start thinking about maybe just building bike #3 out of some cheap nova tubing and cheap lugs and making it myself as my winter project. It would be nice if all 3 bikes in the stable were handbuilt by me.

Then today I'm farting around on amazon and I find this gem:

http://www.amazon.com/CFG-Cycle-Forc...s_1266090011_9

In a size 54, this is $66 shipped free with prime. Has rack/fender bosses. I'm sure it's probably hi-ten and weighs a metric ton - but for $66 it's sort of hard to go wrong.

Anyone else out there have a dedicated kid-toting mobile? I'm not to tow-behind age yet - I'm talking mounted on the rack behind me. Not sure if I should be aiming maybe for an old mountain bike? Old touring bike? Cross bike? Build a bike?

What's a new father to do?

[AngryScientist]

i bought this battle wagon for just the purposes you describe. it's been a ton of fun to just ride around town this summer.

[druptight]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i bought this battle wagon for just the purposes you describe. it's been a ton of fun to just ride around town this summer.

That sucker have rack attachment points? Saw a stumpjumper on CL today that got me thinking.

[p nut]

So $66 for the frame, then add a fork, wheels, gears, cranks, saddle/post, bars, etc., and I'd say you would have been far better off just getting a used/complete locally. 90's MTB's can be found for less than $100 with all rack attachments you need.

I personally ride a Big Dummy for kid transport. I love the bike and have a bike seat strapped to the back for the 2 year old and the 4 year old holds onto the handlebar. But the bike is not cheap.

It seems you have fab skills. I would build up something similar to a Cetma/bakfiet:



What I like this set up over the Big Dummy is the lower COG and kids are safer due to them being lower to the ground, and also I can keep an eye on them better. People have made these out of old mountain bikes, which can be found pretty cheap on CL.

Another option: Since daycare is only 3/4 miles away, get a running stroller...

[old fat man]

I use my Ritchey Breakaway CX frameset. It has rack mounts so the kid seat is easily attached. I take my 4 year old about 3.5 miles to his preschool most days. I can also carry the 21 month old when we're riding around the neighborhood and the 4 year old is on his own two wheeler. In the winter, I'll slap fenders on the bike to ride it in inclement weather.

[druptight]

Originally Posted by p nut

get a running stroller...

Heh, running.

I don't have THOSE kinds of fab skillz. Also - storage would be a major issue with anything that large. No garage, and I ain't carrying something like that up and down through the basement half-door every day.

Right now I drive the kid to daycare in my bike clothes, drive home, hop on the bike. Could walk, but that would add at least 30 minutes to my morning and I'd get even less sleep than I do now. Ideally there'd be a way to just have a quick release kid seat so I could keep using my current commuter and slide the kid seat off and continue on my way to work. Also - even if this existed (which it may) I'd also need to be able to attach a pannier. Unfortunately, it's more likely I'll just get a beater, toss the fixed kid seat on it and it will be a dedicated kid-toting machine. Drop him off, ride it back home, and hop on the commuter for my 10 mile commute.

[p nut]

If the daycare is on your way to work, I think it makes most sense to get a trailer for your current bike. Then you can simply leave it at the daycare (maybe lock it up outside if they won't let you keep it inside). I use a Chariot and it works great for my 2 kids. Also turns into a jogging stroller.

[druptight]

Originally Posted by p nut

If the daycare is on your way to work, I think it makes most sense to get a trailer for your current bike. Then you can simply leave it at the daycare (maybe lock it up outside if they won't let you keep it inside). I use a Chariot and it works great for my 2 kids. Also turns into a jogging stroller.

This will certainly be the eventual outcome. I believe there is a period though where he'll be big enough for the seat behind me but not big enough yet for the trailer. Or maybe that's just faulty logic on my part.

[Zoodles]

Lots of attachments to add without adding another bike.

We graduated from the rear seat to the trailer at 10 months. Now 3 we use the trailer for errands or for bringing his bike to different riding areas, very versatile and easy to dis/connect and leave locked up.

Surly big dummy or similar is also a good option.

[cogclog]

Chariot has an insert that you can install for young babies. We have one but haven't used it yet. I believe it can be used for babies as young as 3 months.
http://chinookchariot.blogspot.ca/20...h-old.html?m=1


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[djg]

Originally Posted by p nut

If the daycare is on your way to work, I think it makes most sense to get a trailer for your current bike. Then you can simply leave it at the daycare (maybe lock it up outside if they won't let you keep it inside). I use a Chariot and it works great for my 2 kids. Also turns into a jogging stroller.

Yep. No experience with the Chariot in particular, but I played with this and that when my kids were little. Many things will work, but the seats are really not that great, IMO, and with my kids it was not long at all before their legs were too long anyway. You can hitch a trailer to pretty much any bike and a trailer is stable -- there's always traffic, and your riding habits, and attention, but it's a solid solution and doesn't require a special bike -- anything you are happy to ride to work should do. Easy on, easy off. Got good use out of a double trailer across one older kid and then twins. Ours was an inexpensive Bell trailer that plainly was a knock-off of a Burly -- decent spoked wheels, harnesses, ventilation, etc. Maybe 6 or 7 years of use before we passed it along, still in good condition, to somebody else?

[KidWok]

When I built my all-arounder a few years ago, it included kid-towing as a design requirement. To that end, a well built steel bike with low gearing, clearance for wide tires, and good brakes were critical. That said, I wanted something I could build up to mimic the fit on my road bikes as I train and lead rides on this as well. I ended up getting a Soma Double Cross Disc due to it's more road-like geometry. I had the canti bosses and cable hangers ground off and then sent it to the powder-coater with a set of velo-orange fenders. I think it came in at under $800 for frame, fork, fenders, and two coats of powder, all bought through retail channels. Having a 34x36 low gear is very nice for pulling trailers up steep Seattle hills. No need to tow kids anymore, but it still does everything else I need. Took this pic after a recent overhaul...new cables and Praxis rings.



Tai

[carpediemracing]

I understand the lack of storage issue. On the other hand I felt uncomfortable putting our son in a bike seat at a younger age. One topple of the bike… Even with a helmet on I felt (and feel) uncomfortable with that.

I was lucky to have been gifted a trailer (from a teammate). I've taken Junior for short rides in it but haven't figured out a good way to get him comfortable in the trailer. He's good for about 10 minutes right now but I need to figure out a way to get his head level (helmet rests on the back of the seat area so it tilts his head forward).

I feel much more secure with Junior in the trailer than if he was on the bike with me. It's not easy to turn the trailer over, for example, without anything in it.

The trailer does fold but it's not something I'd want to do every time I wanted to use it.

I'm using an old mtb, I traded it back in 1999 or 2000 for my TT bike. I ended up buying a $99 Nashbar frame (it's in the hallway in a box) so I can use disc brakes. I never got around to buying a cheap $100-200 complete mtb, mainly because I wanted to get disc brakes and the ones I saw were usually the wrong size.

[azrider]

BUMP

So what did OP end up doing? Inquiring minds.....

I got a 5 month old who is itching to get out into the wild and see the world from one of these trailers...............(or so he's been told)

[JAGI410]

First I had an iBert seat which was pretty nice, but after he outgrew that we went full crazy with the Yepp Maxi on a Big Dummy.


Now he's outgrown that, he's in the "Hooptie" which fits him and a couple friends. My wife rides this more than me, even though it's my favorite bike!