- This topic has 66 replies, 38 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by nickhart.
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doing the nursery run by bike…
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joemarshallFree Member
Bike trailer, locked up outside our playgroup. I never asked, just leave it locked up in the yard / car park bit. We’re not in a city though, so there’s tons of space for parking and I’m not worried about leaving it there. I unclip the bike, then go off for a ride and a swim, getting back for pick up time.
I have a double, so I give her friend a lift too.
Do they have space for prams to be left – whilst it is quite big, a trailer is not much bigger than some of the massive twins prams, especially if you fold it flat.
joemarshallFree MemberOh and she loves the trailer, and you can fit a weekend’s camping gear into it and go camping, take it to the shops, take it on holiday, it has tons of uses.
Easy to pull too, and stopping is easy compared to a bike seat, can just leave her in it when you stop until you’re ready to get her out.
mattjgFree Memberto find the front wheel up in the air and your precious heading towards the ground…
yeah it might get scratched!
GrahamSFull MemberNeither know nor care about the reason but I always get given more space and time.
Yeah I notice this too – though I get the feeling it is often accompanied by tutting, shaking of heads and muttering about that stupid cyclist endangering his child. 🙄
FWIW the road routes I take with the trailer are deliberately picked to be 30 or 20 limits. I’ve had one guy beep and shout nasty sweary words at me (in front of my toddler, mate? nice!), but everyone else has been pretty courteous.
The trailer is pretty visible: reflectives, lime green back, bright orange flag plus a bit more “car-shaped” so I guess that helps.
I do get a lot of nice positive comments from kids and parents – usually about how good it is, what a great way to travel, how they want a go on one… as they squeeze their obese kids into the back of the Zafira. 😆
binnersFull MemberI do get a lot of nice positive comments from kids and parents – usually about how good it is, what a great way to travel, how they want a go on one… as they squeeze their obese kids into the back of the Zafira.
Indeedy. I’ve experienced the same. Kids in trailers are like a public service. I used to take both mine in the larger Ammoco trailer, drop one in school, then a nice ride through the park to drop the little’un in nursery, before leaving the trailer, and carrying on to work
In the summer, having 2 kids hanging out of a trailer, waving at everyone as they pass, seems to put a smile on all but the most miserable sods face. And you do indeed get the kids at school wanting a go in it too.
Oh… and it really tops up your smugness levels too 😉
franksinatraFull MemberI did the nursery run by bike for about 2 years and it meant we only needed one car in the family. In my experienced opinion, trailer is the best way forward. It is the only option which is totally weather proof, this is critical if you don’t have the back up option of a car.
They space for bags and junk that they collect at nursery and are quick and easy to load whilst also giving the kid room to play with stuff to keep them amused.
I have previously, and continue to ride with all combinations of kiddie transport including rack mounted seat, tagalong, trailer and bigger kids on their own bikes. Again, in my experience, I have always found the trailer to be best option. Almost without exception, cars give the trailer much more room than they do a ‘normal’ bike, I have always felt safest when lugging it along. Like others have suggested, you can also leave it at nursery which is a great help.
I went for the budget option of a Bumper Explorer 2 seater. It was used daily, all year round for nearly two years, has taken a real hammering and held up very well. I don’t see the need to pay more.
rootes1Full MemberMy best mate and his wife regulary use their Chariot Trailer to carry their nipper around in Newcastle (lyne)..
a few months ago a driver pulled along side, open the window to hurl that my mate was unfit to be a parent for putting his child in a trailer and using the roads..
slinkybikeFree MemberI run the toepeak rear rack for the short run to daycare daugter loves it and the other kids think she’s a rockstar for turning up by bike. I just drop the seat in the stairwell with the buggies and ride on to work. I can footpath and bike track most of it so it’s pretty safe, a work mate who has to do the run rain or shine use both rack and buggy on the filthy days. He got the buggy from me some person had left it at the local waste transfer station.
GrahamSFull MemberI’ve experienced the same. Kids in trailers are like a public service.
Probably does a lot more for “Cyclists are people too, please don’t kill them” education than any well-meaning official safety campaign. 😀
a few months ago a driver pulled along side, open the window to hurl that my mate was unfit to be a parent for putting his child in a trailer and using the roads..
Oooh now that would make me very angry indeed. 👿
twiglet_monsterFree MemberAnother Burley (trailer) user here. Very infrequent idiot driver behaviour – mostly sleepy people being a bit dozy first thing in the morning (and highly apologetic when shouted at!)…
For us, giving the message to our daughter that there are alternatives to using the car was a more important message than any perceived safety risk from being on the roads. Hopefully she’s also understanding that riding bikes is fun too!
TM
curlie467Free MemberI would like a trailer for the little one at some point but at the moment I have the boy (3) in the child seat on the rack and the girl (6) sits on the saddle while i stand, not ideal but perfectly safe.
Only 1.1 miles to school and all off road so is fine.They love it!
ransosFree Membera few months ago a driver pulled along side, open the window to hurl that my mate was unfit to be a parent for putting his child in a trailer and using the roads..
It’s happened to me a couple of times with the trailer. Once when cycling to the start of the Bristol-Bath railway path, a pedestrian told me it was too dangerous to be riding there (11am on a Sunday, roads deserted), another time, having narrowly missed a car pulling out on me, the driver gave me a volley of abuse, cos obviously it was my fault he wasn’t looking where he was going.
These people are oxygen thieves and are best ignored.
joemarshallFree MemberOut of interest, how old kids do people put in their trailers? Was just wondering the other day as to when Rose might grow out of it (and worrying about how to go camping – we’ll have to get a rack for my mountain bike or something, and limit ourselves to places within her range!)
anotherdeadheroFree MemberI see a mum taking the kids to school on a Thorn triplet, across the Clifton suspension bridge, most mornings.
PhilOFree MemberIn a similar vein, I bought a cheap tandem on Ebay and fitted number 1 son’s child seat in place of the stoker’s seat in the middle. Weight in the middle of the wheelbase = bike lovely and stable. When number 2 son came along, I added a second child seat in the conventional place, on the rear rack and added a low-rider front rack for the panniers.
Number 1 son is now at school and using a trailer bike, so the tandem hasn’t been out for a while. I could be pursuaded to sell it on… 😉
BaldysquirtFull MemberAlthough I think a trailer is the best option for all weather carrying, there really is no space at the nursery (almost none for pushchairs as it is), so it would sit in the street. Have to have a bit more of a think, but may go the xtracycle conversion on the Kaff insead and accept that the wee one will get a bit wet occasionally on the 3 miles home. At least it will mainly be off-road.
franksinatraFull MemberI used to leave my trailer outside nursery with a tarp over it, just shoved it near the bins. Before I got permission to do this though I used to just fold the trailer to reduce drag and tow it along to work. With no weight in it and when folded you harly notice it is there.
BaldysquirtFull MemberStill mulling options over; still interested in both trailer and xtracycle options but the main reason I started all the extra searching was the removal of pannier capacity with a rear child seat. The steco pakaf mee pannier rack extension looks like it solves the problem. Anyone with experience?
mattjgFree MemberI’ve ordered a Leco seat (thanks tomaso). Littl’un will be fine on the top tube along the pavement, through the churchyard, then past the swings and the ducks. We’ll stop to feed them on a nice day.
I can’t do that route with a trailer, I’d have to use the roads and have decided I’m not going to do that on the roads around here, I’ve had too many close calls myself. It only takes one nutter.
GrahamSFull MemberOut of interest, how old kids do people put in their trailers?
I think it is a height and weight restriction rather than age.
Will depend on how big your girl is and how tall your trailer is.My Bellini has markings on the inside indicating max head height. Fairly obviously you don’t want head where it would get hit before roll bars. I’ve had a four year old in it with room to spare.
takisawa2Full MemberThis was our nursery run transport, & lasted until eldest was about 5.
Had pretty much a perfect route, through the park in summer. Through winter was fine, only stopped when very icy. Used to wrap the boys in blankets, & most days at least one of them would nod off. Used to leave the trailer under a fire escape, with the poly bag from our new mattress over it. Kids loved it. So did I. Christ, I’m welling up here…!!!
IMG_6528 by pten2106, on FlickrBrrrr…..
IMAG0070 by pten2106, on FlickrYes, those are original 80’s Skyways on there…
IMG_6529 by pten2106, on FlickrAfter a few experiments we now have a Kona Ute. It’s just so up to the job its untrue. Hauls shopping etc. School run is despatched with ease. Big bags for my laptop bag, boys bags etc. Spare waterproofs stay in there all the time. Turned up to a BBQ in the park last summer laden with drink, BBQ & even house bricks to stand it on, plus the kids on top.
I 100% recomend one.
Sadly ours may have to go soon, boys much prefer their own bikes now, & its a bit posh for just me.
If you’ve no storage for trailer a cargo bike makes sense. The wooden deck is really just a blank canvass for whatever you want to bolt / screw on to it.
IMAG0797 by pten2106, on Flickr
IMAG0774 by pten2106, on FlickrSorry for long post.
Enjoy your time commuting with your little ones. I sometimes feel guilty because I seem to have spent so much more time with them than their mum, who commutes into B’ham by car.BaldysquirtFull MemberAfter a bit of thinking and looking through the spares box, I think I can pull together enough of a donor bike to xtracycle a reasonable hardtail. So soon will put that plan in motion. Cheers for all the feedback, advice and experience folks.
nickhartFree MemberNow then bs, hows it going? A friend of ours used a papoose to great effect for transporting child to nursery. So much so that they did most of glentress blue with it too! You could get all you building design stuff in the bottom of it too!
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