Bike to school with two - what combo of products?

[xfabba]

I have a 2y old and 4.5y starting school in September and would like to cycle to school (school we have eventually been allocated is 1.5 miles away). I am a fairly experienced cyclist and have a Specialized Myka HT Sport mountain bike with hybrid tyres. I regularly carry the 2 year old on the back in a Bobike mini.

The 4.5y old can cycle well, been off stabilisers for a year or so. However, the journey is through a busy town centre and, although I think I can do most of it via pelican crossing and pavements there will be the odd bit of roads and constant cycling very close to the road so I don't feel safe yet letting him ride solo (though he could, I think).

Is it mad to think I could pull 2 of them? I was looking at trail gators, islabike, tag alongs etc and saw this one which looks quite good and maybe less likely to get in way of bobike? followme

Does anyone else attempt this? Are the "hitch up his bike ones" or the one wheelers better (more stable)?

sorry I mean cycling without stabilisers, he went straight from balance bike.

You need to come over here

thanks!! not going down the trike route though I don't think - though am tempted!

I think this is a tricky problem. The followme looks like a good solution, and as you say, more compatible with the bobike than most rear-mounted couplings. Alternatively, for the time being, could your 2 yr old go on a front mounted seat?

A trailer is more versatile than anything else, for bags, lunch, rainwear, etc which otherwise will presumably be on your back in a rucksack. It also allows for tired children to nod off, which would be bad news on a tagalong. However, they aren't very roomy - we had a Chariot Captain and tbh it was too much of a tight squeeze by the time DD was 5 and DS 3. Also very heavy going up or down hills - I was worried about the brakes on DH's bike when the trailer was fully loaded.

I now have a 7 yr old who won't cycle independently and a 5 yr old who can't; both are far too big for bike seats and unless we spend ££££ on a tandem plus tagalong (or similar permutation) we are reduced to driving halfway then walking instead.

i know its not easy. The 2 year old is very chunky and heavy for a front mounted I think - also I am short and he would head butt me, I know. I have never tried a trailer, they make me a bit nervous as they are so close to the ground but I suppose if I am mainly going on pavements it might be ok.

Is rear seat and tag along type thing really crazy then?

bump

not crazy, sounds absolutely fine. Just be aware that your older DS may be very tired from school.

I reckon any permutation of seats/tagalong/trailer etc only lasts for a while then you have to rethink as they get bigger and heavier.

thanks, I think I will give it a go. I think by next year he will probably be ok on his own bike, I tried cycling up to the shops withhim on his bike and me on mine and while ittook a long time as he was on pavement and I was in the road he didn't shoot off or anything.

My sister had something similar to that when her dcs were 5 and 2.

DP cycles with DS (almost 2) in a seat on the front of his bike and DD (3.7) on a seat on the back of his bike. They are getting too big for this arrangement now so watching this thread with interest.

If it were me I'd put them both in a double trailer until the bigger one couldn't fit (my 9yo can still cram in there if he wants). To protect them from the weather and allow for days when he's not in the mood to cycle on his own (which is quite frequent with my lot). I can barely rely on DC to walk 10 minutes each way.

Trailer can be used for shopping, too, so a good all-round investment.

Problem with the followme is that it will be quite wobbly for the follow-on bike.

Other solutions I have observed people use:

Woman on our old road used to use a triplet with her DDs, looked about age 9 and 6 at the time, but these are very bendy, and OP's 2yo still too young.

2yo in a front seat and 5yo on a trailerbike.

Trike with a double seat on the back.

there is a 'Bakfiets' dutch cargo tricycle on ebay, i have same prediciment!
put kids and all your shopping in the large box at the front is the idea, and when you get off the bike it does not fall over!!

Good luck!

I'm selling my Bakfiets if anyone is interested...it's on ebay too, the other one (the tricycle) is made by a different company and is not great quality - they are much cheaper to begin with but fall to bits as the materials are no good. (honestly!)

Mine is here and I'd be far happier selling it on MN - looking for around £850 (they are £1500 new)

We had various arrangements (3 dds in 4 years, lots of cycling). I did have a front Dutch seat together with a back seat, it worked for 3yo and small 2yo but not as 2yo got bigger and heavier.

DP used to put dd3 (at 1 or 2) in a back seat and dd2 (at 4 or 5) on the traigater, dd1 would cycle independently from 5 (clearly, partly because she had to ) So that worked for DP for ages, but he had to modify his bike/trailgator to do it, and it was quite a heavy combination, DP was fine with it but I didn't do it.

I think you might be best off with 4.5 year old on separate bike but stop for any remotely dodgy bits and walk them. He'll get better all the time, mine got very competent indeed at this age by cycling daily to school.

Jumente - am possibly v interested in your bakfiets (though the ebay listing seems to have ended - have you sold it already?)
If not, can you tell me how wide it is: we have quite a narrow gate, and then an even narrower doorway it would need to go through.
Also, did you ever use it with a littlie? Is there a way of securing a car seat in it? (dd is only 11 weeks...)

i am selling a pashley tricycle with two child seats on the back. is any one interested? they take take children from 12months to about 5years old. if you want to see a photo follow this link. its in exclent condition - but we need the space and our children have bikes of their own now. we used it instead of a car.
www.flickr.com/photos/38671939@N05/3808695433/

Mums4TheWorld - I can't contact you directly as your set up doesn't support it. Would you be willing to post to Yorkshire? Where are you in the UK?