velosprinter

I live in NM where it rarely rains so I never miss my work commute. 30 miles a day 2/3 on nice paved bike trails along the river. Each end has steep climes but only about a 1/4 mile. Yeah I live in a bowl.

This year all the kids are in school... different schools. So I put the 7yo on the bus then put the 5 & 3 yos in the Burley trailer and head off. I can leave the trailer at their school and continue another couple miles to work, I have a shower and one day a week load up the trailer with suits. At lunch I am out again to move the 5yo to a special afternoon program, then back to work. In the evenings I head home solo. My wife, driving, picks everyone up on her way home. This may sound like quite a juggling act and it is but I love getting the miles in and am committed NOT to get a second car.

Now things are changing and my wife can't do the pick up or drop off due to a new job but will do lunch moving.

Here is my dilemma, I need to transport 3 kids in the afternoons. I don't have a tandem and the only ones I see available that would fit my 7yo are the Burley and co-motion that are way out of my price range. I have thought of doing a tag-a-long w/ trailer behind but jackknifing on one of the hills worries me.

There is too much traffic for the 7yo to ride on her own and 15miles X5 days is asking a bit much I think. Did I also mention it can get cold, not icy, it is the desert but dang cold.

Ideally I want a tandem + trailer and could get one of those $300 department store tandems but looking at them I don't think they would last a month with those components and I would need to have the stoker seat tube and stays shortened. I could get a kickback but those are almost as much as the bike.

Is there such a thing as a 3 kid trailer? Anyone have ideas for me?

hubcap

xtra-cycle + the trailer?

Stu In Tokyo

I think it is time for a custom trailer build, make a trailer that has seating for two, but the hitch arm gos up to a seatpost mount, then on the arm for the seatpost mount put a seat, foot rest and handlebars for the 7 year old.

Might not be cheap, but it has to be cheaper than a second car...?

aley

Ten speed Gitane tandem with 27" wheels: https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/bik/1966661839.html Ripe for a refit with long-reach brakes and 700C wheels, unless the 27s have decent rims and will hold up to your kind of mileage. The downside is that it's in Las Vegas, NM, so I'd suggest you take the wife's car to pick it up. :-)

An Xtracycle and trailer also sound like a great option.

I've ridden a Trail-A-Bike and trailer combo up and down some pretty steep stuff (Embudito trailhead, among others - it's above Montgomery and Tramway, and likely steeper than what you're riding to climb out of the bosque) and never had a problem. As long as your brakes are up to snuff, I think that could also be a good way to go.

velosprinter

Saw that one but would have to shorten the rear seat stays. This one https://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/bik/1970517014.html looks good. I emailed for a seat height.
Thank you for the advice and firsthand experience. I have been looking at making a bar like this https://www.trail-gator.com/ and hooking up a Ti framed bmx bike I have for a light combo. Might give that a try for $20 worth of hardware.

MilitantPotato

I did an Adam's Trail-A-Long with a trailer attached. So long as you're easy on the turns and braking, it all works well. So consider that another vote of confidence.

Stu In Tokyo

That trailagaitor is very cool!

I have a welder and such and I know I could build something that would work well.

I'd take a cheap kids bike and cut it up, and make a trike trailer

The 7 year old would sit on the kids bike, and be able to power the back wheel of that bike, then I'd have a trailer attached to the back of the kids bike with only one wheel..... hmm, maybe only one wheel, like a bob trailer, and have it powered by the kids bike is possible, might e a long chain....

Oh the possibilities

I honestly wish I was closer, I'd be there like white on rice to help you build something really unique, I love a fabrication challenge!

irclean

Perhaps something like this (click on pic for link):



All you'd have to do is attach your tag-along or a trailer and away you go!

I have seen setups like mentioned in above posts; a tag-along plus trailer. I would suspect that a jackknife incident would be highly unlikely. I would, however, want to be using a bike equipped with disc brakes with that kind of setup.

jtgotsjets

I don't understand what you mean by you'd have to "shorten the seat stays?" You mean it's too tall for your child?

They make retrofit cranks that attach to the stoker's seat tube. Should be perfect.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tandkids.html
See "Kidback" section.

xtrajack

My first thought was the same as post #2--but, then again, that is my first thought anytime someone wants more cargo capacity. I believe that a Madsen has seating for three children.
Best wishes.

Standalone 

I have a Madsn bucket that I'm happy with. Our 5 and 3 y.o.'s love it. Just rode it to church and back yesterday, 15 miles r/t with a good hill or two. A 7 year old could definitely have a ride, and could technically fit with the 3 and 5 (There are 4 seatbelts), but you won't get up any hills with all three.
https://s206.photobucket.com/albums/b...8Madsen010.mp4

onyourback

HardyWeinberg

That's what I was thinking

HardyWeinberg

And of course bike fridays grow with them; can get a triple + trailer, and keep jacking up the seatpost until they're fully grown:



or regular double + 2-seat trailer, although your 5 yr old probably not much longer for his/her half of it

velosprinter

Thank you everyone! I was starting to think I was crazy to want to stay away from the highway as if riding with the whole pack was dangerous. So odd how our perception becomes skewed. I am sure we are safer riding down the bike path at 15mph than in a van going through crazy traffic at 65mph.

Have a look at this: https://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/...r-go-bike.html

jayr

Check this out.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/familyadventure

I also remember seeing a story in Bicycling Mag. about a family that toured with a tandem (oldest in back), tag along, (next youngest) and a kid still in diapers in the trailer.

Kojak

Metrofiets as another option?

www.Metrofiets.com

alan s 

Sounds like a pedicab would work perfectly for you, and maybe you could even earn a little cash on the side and some advertising dollars.

BiketoFeel

I use a trailer bike with a trailer. I've never had a problem or even felt like I was going to jack-knife -- even very heavily loaded. My set up appears in this video of my son and I on a group bike camping trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X1Hz...layer_embedded

Cheers,

Mason

Leebo

How about a cargo bike with a trailer, surly big dummy or a yuba somthin"

fietsbob

fast cargo bike? : https://www.larryvsharry.com/english/index.html

aloKen

Another vote here for the tag-a-long + trailer combo. We do it all the time, the 7 y/o on the tag-a-long, the 5 and 3 y/o in the trailer. We call it our "bike train". Works great, you just have to get used to the fact that stopping takes **much** longer than when you're solo.

squirtdad

You might want to cross post in the utility section......you may get additional ideas as if these aren't good and enough

jim

b_young

colleen c

If you have the cash, and I do mean a lot of cash, or get really lucky in finding a used one, then this plus a trailer

https://www.myzigo.com/