Best/easiest/safest way to bring kids on my bike?

Hello all, was looking for advice on getting the kids around on my bike with me. I have 2 year old twins so would need to transport the pair of them, and would generally just be short trips to creche or the park which are near to our house. There seem to be a few options such as putting kids seats onto the bike (on the crossbar and on the back), getting one of those cargo bikes that have kids seats on them, or what I am inclined towards at the moment is something like the Burley Honey Bee trailer which also doubles up as a buggy. So just wondering if there's consensus on what the best option is or what anyone else here does? Thanks.

sharingan

We have the burley honey bee, its great, and the drop wheel/buggy is genuinely useful.

Our eldest (4) has outgrown it recently as we put him on a rear seat on a new e-bike (which is fab - the preschool run for me is little island -> higher end blarney street in cork -> Wilton (CUH) to swap bikes with his mum and then return).

The trailers are great, they will outgrow them quickly, but they will double for doing a big shop, and you will get 2 of them into the honey bee for a while. But we find the ebike + trailer option very practical. its a lot cheaper than the cargo bike options too, though the cargo bikes will probably take the twins until they are much older.

For very short runs hitching it up, and filling it with kids, changes of clothes, food etc. can be quite faffy.

CramCycle

A friend used front and back for years without issue but different ages in case they have preferences (you won't have this option) you can let the older decide by seniority or the younger decide based on niceness. I know others here have used a cargo bike and if I had the money, that would be my preferred choice, I think its just nicer for them and you. As for a trailer, loads here have used them without issue and my experience has been people tend to give them a wider birth as they know the cargo inside of them is precious.
Cheapest to most Expensive: Front and back, Trailer, Cargo Bike
Safest: Entirely your own decision, all are safe IMO but some prefer one over another.
Others mileage may vary, I only used a Hamax seat connected to the seat tube which worked well for years, but I only had one.

punisher5112

Would never put a kid in a trailer if going to be on road....
So dangerous.

magicbastarder

you should campaign for safer roads so!

punisher5112

magicbastarder wrote: »

you should campaign for safer roads so!

Nothing to do with that, it's a risk I wouldn't take, been so low to the ground one wouldn't usually see.

Look at how people look through those on bikes or motorbike, they don't actually see them and only see the car behind them etc.

loyatemu

punisher5112 wrote: »

Would never put a kid in a trailer if going to be on road....
So dangerous.

you got some statistics to back that up?

I've heard of loads of kids being killed and injured in car accidents.

CramCycle

punisher5112 wrote: »

Would never put a kid in a trailer if going to be on road....
So dangerous.

Anytime I have seen a trailer it gets way more room than a cyclist on their own and are fairly visible. Obviously just an opinion but I know other posters have used them without issue for years.

Chips Lovell

I've twins too. While I've often coveted a cargo bike, we've gone for the trailer because it's far more versatile. Can use it with multiple bikes (which is handy if yourself and your partner are using it) and it also doubles up as a buggy (which is handy because our double buggy finally gave up the ghost a while back). Use it for the school run in addition to various trips to parks around the place, shopping etc.

fat bloke

Trailers are great. Got a couple of years use out of one my kids were small.

RunRoryRun

I have a trailer and find it good. Haven’t been commuting too much lately so mainly for weekend spins - currently a 4y & 18m old in it together and they’re cosy. Have done the Waterford & western greenways with it too (different ages / kid combinations) - never a complaint from them.

I’ve used the bike seat for just one child - much less faffing about, but i never really warmed to it for anything further than 15 minutes.

loyatemu

CramCycle wrote: »

Anytime I have seen a trailer it gets way more room than a cyclist on their own and are fairly visible. Obviously just an opinion but I know other posters have used them without issue for years.

yeah, if I wanted to reduce the number of close passes I experience, putting a trailer on the back would probably be a good start.

Thanks very much for the replies all. I think I am going to go with a trailer, good to read people's experience with them. I can see where punisher5112 may be coming from in that a trailer sort of feels a bit more dangerous, my route to creche is low traffic anyway with a lot of it through residential areas. I could cycle down the canal and encounter no traffic at all but DCC have those cursed chicane gates up which I wouldn't be able to get through, oh well.

NamelessPhil

I'm one of the posters who used a trailer for four and a half years from 2010 to 2014. I only had one dodgy overtake in that time. I used it as a supplemental buggy. I sold it on afterwards as we only had one child. It was great and I'd happily recommend it, child would fall asleep in it easily and it was completely waterproof. Loads of room for snacks, teddies and books.

breezy1985

loyatemu wrote: »

you got some statistics to back that up?

I've heard of loads of kids being killed and injured in car accidents.

Ide never put my kid in a car if I had either. Cars are deathtraps

breezy1985

NamelessPhil wrote: »

I'm one of the posters who used a trailer for four and a half years from 2010 to 2014. I only had one dodgy overtake in that time. I used it as a supplemental buggy. I sold it on afterwards as we only had one child. It was great and I'd happily recommend it, child would fall asleep in it easily and it was completely waterproof. Loads of room for snacks, teddies and books.

Ide be tempted to get one for the bike with no child in it as it might encourage motorists to treat me like a human

GT89

magicbastarder wrote: »

you should campaign for safer roads so!

So put your children at risk in order to fulfil your personal agenda for safer cycling. Fact is putting your children on a trailer on a bike or a cargo bike is dangerous and putting your children at risk.

GT89

breezy1985 wrote: »

Ide never put my kid in a car if I had either. Cars are deathtraps

Far more protection in a car than on a bloody bike trailer. They may be fine in the Netherlands where there is proper cycling infrastructure but not in mixed traffic in Ireland.

magicbastarder

GT89 wrote: »

Fact is putting your children on a trailer on a bike or a cargo bike is dangerous

great. give me a source for that.

GT89

magicbastarder wrote: »

great. give me a source for that.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2020/11/29/carrying-children-in-cargo-bikes-can-be-dangerous-new-report-finds/?sh=5efbec3d1479

GT89

GT89 wrote: »

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2020/11/29/carrying-children-in-cargo-bikes-can-be-dangerous-new-report-finds/?sh=5efbec3d1479

but carrying children in them can be dangerous and is only safe if parents strap them in.

OP here, since I will definitely be strapping my kids in it looks like they're safe.

magicbastarder

'but carrying children in them can be dangerous'
that 'can' is doing some lifting there. 'X can be dangerous if Y is not done' is a trivial statement. you stated it *is* dangerous.

also, the testing was done at 25km/h. i'd be interested to learn what speed someone carrying kids in a cargo bike would actually be travelling at.

GT89

Holland Creamy Sprout wrote: »

OP here, since I will definitely be strapping my kids in it looks like they're safe.

Do the straps cargo bikes have to comply with the rigorous safety standards seatbelts in vehicles have to comply with?

magicbastarder

probably not, since the speeds involved are massively different.

CramCycle

GT89 wrote: »

Do the straps cargo bikes have to comply with the rigorous safety standards seatbelts in vehicles have to comply with?

The study that you brought up states they were safe, there is no data (I can find) that implies children in real world scenarios using cargo bikes or trailers are in any great danger. Please stop the fear mongering unless you can back it up.

GT89

magicbastarder wrote: »

probably not, since the speeds involved are massively different.

And do you realise that on a road shared with motor vehicles on a bike there is a possibility to be hit by a vehicle doing a much faster speed

GT89

CramCycle wrote: »

The study that you brought up states they were safe, there is no data (I can find) that implies children in real world scenarios using cargo bikes or trailers are in any great danger. Please stop the fear mongering unless you can back it up.

Do you accept that cycling in Dublin is more dangerous than Amsterdam or Copenhagen?

CramCycle

GT89 wrote: »

And do you realise that on a road shared with motor vehicles on a bike there is a possibility to be hit by a vehicle doing a much faster speed

Back up your claims, or else I will start claiming that getting out of bed and walking outside is dangerous as you could get hit by a vehicle.

CramCycle

GT89 wrote: »

Do you accept that cycling in Dublin is more dangerous than Amsterdam or Copenhagen?

I have cycle in all of them and honestly can't answer that question. I've never found cycling anywhere particularly dangerous in comparison to other daily activities but that is anecdotal. Back to the conversation at hand though, back up your claims about trailers and cargo bikes and being dangerous for kids.

GT89

CramCycle wrote: »

Back up your claims, or else I will start claiming that getting out of bed and walking outside is dangerous as you could get hit by a vehicle.

So by that logic it is just as safe to walk on the road as it is on a footpath?

magicbastarder

GT89 wrote: »

Do you accept that cycling in Dublin is more dangerous than Amsterdam or Copenhagen?

it's kinda funny. everyone should drive, because it's so dangerous. and then we ask, 'well why is it so dangerous?'

07Lapierre

GT89 wrote: »

Do the straps cargo bikes have to comply with the rigorous safety standards seatbelts in vehicles have to comply with?

Ah straps are useless...my young fella could undo any clasp, buckle...but he couldn't get out of the handcuffs! 😂

magicbastarder

GT89 wrote: »

And do you realise that on a road shared with motor vehicles on a bike there is a possibility to be hit by a vehicle doing a much faster speed

if i am on a bike, and a car hits me at a much faster speed, i suspect being strapped to the bike will not make much difference to the effect on me.

you seem to be neglecting the difference to being *inside* the vehicle rather than outside it; and being akin to, or several multiples of, the weight of the vehicle, compared to the vehicle outweighing the occupants by a factor of ten.

seatbelts are designed to protect occupants from hitting the inside of their own vehicle during massive deceleration events.

Phil.x

magicbastarder wrote: »

you should campaign for safer roads so!

No, campaign for off road cyclelanes.

07Lapierre

GT89 wrote: »

Far more protection in a car than on a bloody bike trailer. They may be fine in the Netherlands where there is proper cycling infrastructure but not in mixed traffic in Ireland.

Have to agree with you on that one. IMO Cars are too safe! If drivers were more worried about their (and their passengers) safety, they would drive more carefully. Safer drivers = safer roads.

magicbastarder

a worthy cause, but for the two people i know who take their kids on a bike, is never going to happen for the routes they use.

magicbastarder

apologies to the OP, (s)he shouldn't have to put up with this after posting a good faith question.

07Lapierre

punisher5112 wrote: »

Nothing to do with that, it's a risk I wouldn't take, been so low to the ground one wouldn't usually see.

Look at how people look through those on bikes or motorbike, they don't actually see them and only see the car behind them etc.

They always see the cyclists "cycling in the middle of the bloody road" or the cyclists "cycling two abreast blocking traffic!"

See that's the trick....you need to cycle in the part of the road where drivers are looking. OP...cycle in the middle of the left lane. DON'T cycle on the extreme left of the road.

breezy1985

07Lapierre wrote: »

They always see the cyclists "cycling in the middle of the bloody road" or the cyclists "cycling two abreast blocking traffic!"

See that's the trick....you need to cycle in the part of the road where drivers are looking. OP...cycle in the middle of the left lane. DON'T cycle on the extreme left of the road.

They always see cyclists "who are not wearing hi-viz"

kenmc

punisher5112 wrote: »

Nothing to do with that, it's a risk I wouldn't take, been so low to the ground one wouldn't usually see.

Look at how people look through those on bikes or motorbike, they don't actually see them and only see the car behind them etc.

I've used two different cargo bikes according to the kids age : bullit while small, the Kona Ute long tail when youngest Wass around 4 or so.

I avoided trailers for two reasons:
Firstly, any I saw were, or at least seemed to be, unbraked, so I was concerned about the possibility of jacknife under braking.
Secondly, they all seem to attach to one side of the rear triangle, so concerned about asymmetrical stress on bike. Though mainly concerned with the first.

the_amazing_raisin

I might do a bit of thread hijacking here as I've a similar question.

I'm thinking of getting an ebike at some point, probably next year when I can cycle it more than a few kilometres. I've this crazy idea of bringing my kids (2 and 5 next year) out cycling

I'd say my older child will be cycling without stabilisers by then so he should be able to keep up but he'll probably get tired fairly quickly so I was thinking of getting one of those towing arms to connect to his bike

I was thinking of one or those trail gator towing arms like below
http://www.trail-gator.com/products.html

I like the idea that it clips onto his bike and lifts up the front wheel and can be stored away on the adult bike when not in use. It does look pretty awkward however when towing and I'm a bit worried about how he'll balance when being towed

For my 2 year old I was thinking of getting a seat which mounts onto the back of the bike like the one below
https://www.halfords.ie/bike-accessories/child-bike-trailers/polisport-bubbly-maxi-ff-child-seat-110782.html

I've considered a trailer but I think my older kid will have outgrown it by the time I get a bike and I worry about bringing a trailer on the road, they're quite low to the ground so cars might not see them if they're not paying enough attention

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of either of these and has any reviews or advice?

Peterx

I would recommend the trailer option.
I have used the Burley Honey Bee for first one and then two children on the commute and various greenway holidays for coming up on 5 years. It's just so reliable and completely waterproof. No matter what the weather i can bring the kids to their creche and now school with it.
I am lucky in that both the creche and the school gave space to store the trailer during the day leaving me get on to work relatively quickly on just my aluminium commuter bike.
As a running buggy it's adequate, I have jogged around the place, up fireroads and done Parkruns with the boys in it. It does not have an active braking system so you need to be fairly conservative when running with it and confident in your own ability to stop it. It's a bit long and bulky when running in the middle of a parkrun so you can't be worrying about your time
I can't really see how it could jack knife.
I can see how it would destroy a carbon rear chainstays so for me you'll need a metal bike.

JC 3.14159

cruisey1987 wrote: »

I might do a bit of thread hijacking here as I've a similar question.

I'm thinking of getting an ebike at some point... I was thinking of one or those trail gator towing arms like below
http://www.trail-gator.com/products.html

I like the idea that it clips onto his bike and lifts up the front wheel and can be stored away on the adult bike when not in use. It does look pretty awkward however when towing and I'm a bit worried about how he'll balance when being towed

I've owned a trailgator and it's ok. Perfectly fine for short trips etc. The kid balancing is not an issue, the kids bike is 'locked' upright, it only leans as much as your bike leans.

My only issue with the trailgator is that it can be tricky to set it up - there are a few ways the assembly can be ever so slightly off which can cause the kids bike to lean slightly. Once the kids bike is off-centre it's pulling continuously and can exacerbate the problem. It's manageable but you may want to carry a couple of small tools.

On the other hand, it's light and can be easily hauled around or disconnected when you want to let the kid off in a park etc.

For longer/more serious trips I'd recommend a Follow-me (https://www.followmetandem.co.uk/). It's far more solid. I've pulled kids between the ages of about 3 and 7 on multi-day cycling holidays of 200-300km. It's pretty bulletproof. But also weighs about 10kg and is an awkward shape. It can be a bit of a beast of a thing to fit in a bike trailer or similar.

JC 3.14159

kenmc wrote: »

I've used two different cargo bikes according to the kids age : bullit while small, the Kona Ute long tail when youngest Wass around 4 or so.

I avoided trailers for two reasons:
Firstly, any I saw were, or at least seemed to be, unbraked, so I was concerned about the possibility of jacknife under braking.
Secondly, they all seem to attach to one side of the rear triangle, so concerned about asymmetrical stress on bike. Though mainly concerned with the first.

Neither of these is a real issue -

Whether you're pulling the trailer or braking with it, it tracks directly behind you. It can bob and weave a little bit but nothing which is difficult to manage.
The best thing about trailers (compared to something like a child seat) is how stable they are, even with a decent load (50kg+)

I don't think asymmetrical stress is a massive issue either - most trailers are clamped in with a wheel skewer (although some older ones are clamped to the chainstay or seat stay (or both))
I know some (performance) bikes have a beefed-up drive-side chainstay but most don't. So technically the non-drive side is probably already under-stressed. If asymmetrical stress was that big a deal every bike would have stronger chainstays on the drive side. I would say that fixing a trailer to the other side is going to be fine on anything bar the flimsiest lightweight racing bike.

JC 3.14159

Holland Creamy Sprout wrote: »

Hello all, was looking for advice on getting the kids around on my bike with me. I have 2 year old twins so would need to transport the pair of them, and would generally just be short trips to creche or the park which are near to our house. There seem to be a few options such as putting kids seats onto the bike (on the crossbar and on the back), getting one of those cargo bikes that have kids seats on them, or what I am inclined towards at the moment is something like the Burley Honey Bee trailer which also doubles up as a buggy. So just wondering if there's consensus on what the best option is or what anyone else here does? Thanks.

Going back to the OP - I've owned a cargobike (Bakfiets) and a Burley trailer - either would do the job really well.
In my experience, the more unusual the bike, the more room drivers give you. In 10+ years ferrying kids with a trailer there was only one time that a driver passed too closely, and even then they gave more room than an 'everyday' close pass in a city. Trailers are big, they're brightly coloured, they've got a flag and they are common enough now that most drivers will realise they contain kids. You'll always get people (as you saw here) with a different perception of risk. But I've never heard bad stories from anyone who has actually used a trailer.

Cargobikes are straight-up awesome, it's great fun for the kids (and parents), you can chat to them, they are very 'connected' to the world and will be waving and chatting etc to people along the way. But they are expensive, big/awkward to store and aren't as flexible as a trailer.
Trailers can be folded up and stuck in the boot of an estate car/MPV, get a bike rack and you're set for exploring greenways etc. Burleys like what you've looked at make a decent enough buggy with plenty of storage space for scooters or even small bikes and it'll last well past the kids stage for hauling groceries. Chariot (now Thule) are better as a jogging stroller if you're into that but for family life I think Burleys beat them.

Bike seats are the one thing I never got on with. They affect the stability of the bike a lot. Single seats up front are ok for small tots but I don't know of anything which will carry one up front and one on the back. Even thinking about loading two kids up is hard to picture - it's bad enough trying to load a single child seat. Even the Hamax 'sleepy' ones don't tilt back very far and the kids invariably nod off and flop around.

sharingan

CramCycle wrote: »

Anytime I have seen a trailer it gets way more room than a cyclist on their own and are fairly visible. Obviously just an opinion but I know other posters have used them without issue for years.

i can back this up - i use the kids trailer for shopping, and you notice how much more space and due care you get from other motorists.

If you will be sharing roads with HGVs etc, or other vehicles with a blind spot directly in front of them, reconsider your trailer or your route. You cant fly up between the lanes anymore.

But I would like to see some actual statistics on trailers involved in accidents before pronouncing them less safe than alternatives.

My experience is that they increase your visibility, not the opposite.

the_amazing_raisin

JC 3.14159 wrote: »

I've owned a trailgator and it's ok. Perfectly fine for short trips etc. The kid balancing is not an issue, the kids bike is 'locked' upright, it only leans as much as your bike leans.

My only issue with the trailgator is that it can be tricky to set it up - there are a few ways the assembly can be ever so slightly off which can cause the kids bike to lean slightly. Once the kids bike is off-centre it's pulling continuously and can exacerbate the problem. It's manageable but you may want to carry a couple of small tools.

On the other hand, it's light and can be easily hauled around or disconnected when you want to let the kid off in a park etc.

For longer/more serious trips I'd recommend a Follow-me (https://www.followmetandem.co.uk/). It's far more solid. I've pulled kids between the ages of about 3 and 7 on multi-day cycling holidays of 200-300km. It's pretty bulletproof. But also weighs about 10kg and is an awkward shape. It can be a bit of a beast of a thing to fit in a bike trailer or similar.

Thanks for that, the trail gator definitely looks like it can be fiddly to set up correctly and the reviews reflect that. I wouldn't see myself doing more than 20km in a day and the little guy would probably want to cycle a fair bit himself, so it would hopefully not see too much use


The follow me tandem is another option, it definitely looks like a beast but it does seem pretty much bulletproof as you say. I'll definitely give it a closer look

CramCycle

I found the trailgator a pain in the arse to be honest. I ended up having to wrap the connection points in old tubes so I could over tighten it but if you like your frame at all or your kids frame, I would leave well enough alone. Just my experience but it was not a positive experience