Tailor

I've been looking to go car freer. The big gotcha keeps coming back to the need to stick all 3 kids in one trailer. Anyone seen a trailer that does a good job of this? (with each kid being 3+ft tall, and 60lbs or so.)

If its not crazy expensive that would help to.

Roody

Don't limit yourself to a trailer for all three kids. You might be able to put two in a trailer, and the third kid on one of those little bike seats. (Sorry, I can't remember what the bike seats are called.)

no1mad 

Surly has a cargo trailer (the Bill) that is long enough, but you'd have to fashion your own seats/harnesses. Weehoo has a two seat trailer, but you need another seat.

I'm thinking either bolt on an Xtracycle Free Radical onto your bike and then use a trail a bike off the back. If the wee ones are two small for the Trail a Bike option, a 4 person Rhodes Car. The ideal solution, though, could be a Bakfiets- https://www.mydutchbike.com/bicycles/bakfiets-trike/

I-Like-To-Bike

180 pounds of child cargo is quite a load for any human powered vehicle. How far do you intend to haul them and how long do you expect to use this trailer, given that the children will continue to grow; and if they are going anywhere may be carrying cargo/heavy backpacks of their own?

I-Like-To-Bike

Bakfiets Short $3499 & Long: $3599, Trike: $3899.

Sounds crazy expensive to me and not so ideal for someone looking for a bargain.

no1mad 

Granted, the Bakfiets I linked to is a bit on the pricey side. However, the OP's desire to not "break the bank" could mean $50 or $5000 and I was merely providing the best (non-car, bike-centric) options that came to my mind.

I-Like-To-Bike

Do you know the maximum safe load/weight rating for the bakfiets?

Tailor

180 is a lot of course, but I already haul around nearly 500 lbs of myself, trike, gear, and the trailer with two of the three kids. So its really just an additional 60lbs plus material to carry that load. Its easy enough to pull around. My wife rides at half the speed of smell, so its not like I need to go fast while I pull them. That said, if the trailer was rated for 25mph, and was somewhat more aero than the big sails most of them are, that would be a big plus. I can get my two heavier kids up in the trailer up to 20 no problem, but the trailer is only rated for 15.

I've used a trail a bike, but the oldest of my kids has such a balance issue, she cant even ride those. the middle one can already ride his own bike, and usually does. However, he is still young, and sometimes doesn't feel like riding.

We've looked at the Weehoo. It looked promising, especially the way the front rider can pedal. But its SO small. The kids fit the seats fine, but there is no leg room at all. my kids legs are way too long for the weehoo.

This is why I've been thinking I need to find a trailer that has three full size seats. If such a thing exists.

Also, the Bakfiets and Xtracycles options are indeed something I've considered, but that limits me to a particular bike, and also limits me to an upright. That and they cost a lot. Might just end up building something specific to suit my needs.

no1mad 

Well, according to the WorkCycles product page for the Kr8 (which looks an awful lot like the Bakfiets Long Cargo linked to earlier), the front end is rated at 80 kg/176 pounds. So the OP would already be at the stated limit and the kids are just going to grow.

Do you have any ideas/solutions/suggestions to help the OP?

Tailor

The more I go over this, the more it seems that some kind of purpose built passenger trailer with enough seating and space is going to be the answer. That, or perhaps just getting my daughter a recumbent trike as well, so her balance is no longer an issue. Of course, then we'll be back to traveling at 25% the speed of smell.

Juha

A trailer for two, plus the trail-a-bike for the middle one. You say he doesn't always feel like riding, does that include sitting on a trail-a-bike?

Another cheap alternative (child carrier seat) was suggested above - keep the two oldest kids in the trailer and put the young one in the seat.

More expensive and maybe not feasible: get a tandem for you and the oldest kid, put the yonger kids in the trailer.

We have a fairly big two-kid trailer (Nordic Cab) for just one kid, and the legroom is indeed becoming a concern already (the kid is less than 3 years old). Based on that, your children will probably outgrow any readily available trailer or bakfiets arrangement rather quickly. Tandem / trail-a-bike contraptions would be longer term solutions in that regard.

--J

I-Like-To-Bike

Two trailers pulled/pushed by two cyclists, or getting the children to ride their own bikes, or a combination of one or two cycling children while one or two are in a standard trailer.
If the child/children have some sort of disability that prevents the above options, the OP may have to consider being a little less car light than he would like and use the car he already owns for transport of the children. Another option is public transit or taxis which may end up being less costly and faster than a purpose built trailer.

no1mad 

I'll agree with everything save for that last bit about public transit. It may or may not be a viable option depending on the OP's locale.

fietsbob

Trail a Bike for the older and a trailer for the younger 2 towed behind IT, has worked before ..

Of course a Bakfiets would cure the need for a Trailer at all ..

Bakfiets.nl - Models - Bakfiets | Cargobike | Transport bike | Cargo trike | Work bike its a common choice in NL, where they are made.

There are some dealers in the US .. one in Portland Oregon. will they ship it to you? You can ask.

Clever Cycles: Portland Oregon

as far as the bank .. priced a Car recently ?

$4k for a Replacement is a fixed cost, the maintenance is a small fraction of operating a Car per Mile.

gregjones

You+Wife+(3)Kids=(2)Tandem+"Trail-A-Bike"

I-Like-To-Bike

Public transit as a viable transportation option is always dependent on the local service; true for LCF folks, car free or anyone else.

Roody

How do people finance these? It seems like you would either need to pay cash or get a high interest personal loan? $4,000 for a bike you will probably use for only a few years is a big investment for most middle income people.

fietsbob

keeping up with minimum payments, plus a bit more, on the charge card, will let one pay things off in installments .

and the whole Idea of a cargo bike , unlike a WeeHoo , baby seat, or trail-a-bike is you continue to use it for decades.
to haul all sorts of things..

CrankyOne

OP, can one, two, or three of your kids ride themselves? How old are they?

A bakfiets, whether bakfiets.nl or workcycles, should last a lifetime. We haul groceries, hardware, Christmas trees, dirt & plants, and all kinds of stuff in ours. Can't imagine life without it. The published weight capacity would seem well below actual. I think people routinely haul 300 or more lbs without problem.