So, what started out as a modest project to find a bike seat to tansport my youngest to pre-school (via the eldest’s school drop), has morphed into a hunt for ultimate kiddie carrier cargo bike!

I know I don’t need one, but seriously, how great would it be to ride around with both the kids and all their stuff onboard?! (I already confuse the other Mums at the school gate so I might as well embrace it!) Plus, on a serious note, it’s a fairly hilly ride and I’m not sure how well my eldest (who is a skinny 5 year old girly girl) is going to cope riding her ss (especially as she’s a real wimp in wind/rain, bless her), so it would be genuinely very useful to be able to carry her too.

So far, I’m thinking about something like this or something like this

Does anyone own either or have something similar or other thoughts? Any experiences or advice very welcome!

Thanks!

We converted an old Orange Clockwork into an Xtracycle.
Loved it.
Didn’t bother with any specific child seats. Just footsies and some nice bars mounted on the seatpost.

When the boys became too big (it’s very hilly around here and they like riding themselves), I sold it to a friend who currently has a normal childseat on the back of the bike for child #2 and uses the xtracycle bench for child #1.

They are ace things.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/6QMorX]Xtracycle fully loaded up for a luxury picnic[/url] by Alex Simon, on Flickr

Ooh that does look super cool! How stable do you find it when both kids are onboard? Particularly when setting off?

Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what bars did you go for?

one of the many problems with cycling in Britain, is that sooner rather than later, you’ll be forced to ride up a kerb, or through a squeeze-gate.

either of those awesome machines would be a perfectly sensible family vehicle for somewhere more enlightened, like the Netherlands. But here in bike-hating Britain you’ll be scuppered almost as soon as you set off, by ignorant town planners.

i was in the Netherlands a few weeks ago, those wheel-barrow bikes are reasonably common, the kids in them seemed to think they were the best things ever.

Yeah, I totally get where you’re coming from ahwiles, but I would use the bike for a specific commute everyday, and I’m pretty certain that the Xtracycle will work on the whole route. The barrow type bike should also work, but there is one point where there are two bollards on the cyclepath and so I just need to double check it’ll fit between them… Man, I am totally talking myself into it!

either of those awesome machines would be a perfectly sensible family vehicle for somewhere more enlightened, like the Netherlands. But here in bike-hating Britain you’ll be scuppered almost as soon as you set off, by ignorant town planners.

This is certainly the case for bike trailers. Just a total PITA to try and get anywhere with one round here unfortunately if you try and use bike paths.

I’m rather tempted by an xtracycle though. Btw, anyone know if the conversion kit works with slotted dropouts?

From the practical cycles website it certainly looks like it might work with horiontal drop outs, but they say to contact them to check. Worth an email, I reckon.

I’m leaning towards the kit too. Especially as it looks like it’ll work on my Day One Disc Alfine (though will be heavy & kids quite high up!).

I can’t remember which bars specifically.
But I looked at North Rode bars and Cruiser bars and found the most swept-back ones.

I don’t think I would have paid the £45 Nitto ones. More like £25. I thought mine were raleigh, but must be wrong.

An ebay search for ‘Cruiser handlebars’ brings back a few. Also Practical Cycles are really knowledgeable and will help advise.

I went with slime tyres because a rear puncture is a bit of a pain.

You can feel the flex in the frame, but it never becomes a problem except when going over 30mph downhill. The Orange Clockwork (steel ’92) is very flexy though. The new owner has an old aluminium rockhopper and reports it as being solid.