Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Recreational & Family
Reload this Page >

Newish Parents, Seeking Advice

Notices
Recreational & Family Ride just to ride? Have a family and want to get them into cycling? Drop in here to discuss recreational and family cycling issues.

Newish Parents, Seeking Advice

Old 09-02-19, 07:08 PM
  #1  
rEVOLVED
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Newish Parents, Seeking Advice

Hello, and thanks for reading! I'll try to be brief. My wife and I (28 and 30 years old, respectively) would like to get back into cycling with our two young daughters, 3 and almost 2. I have a basic hardtail mountain bike that I don't mind riding, but I really prefer fixed gear whenever possible. Just the two bikes in our household. Need to purchase one for the wife, and figure out what to do with our daughters. I also have a brand new Bellelli Pepe child carrier that I have only used once, but my daughter was too young for it at the time and was pretty nervous for most of the ride.

As for my wife, we are strongly considering the Windsor Oxford Deluxe (3 speed IGH) from Bikes Direct, especially at under $300. Any other strong suggestions for a Mixte or Dutchie style bike for her? Love the Linus lineup, but they are much more expensive.

As for me, any reason I can't haul a trailer for the kids with my fixed gear? I have a front brake and have put plenty of miles on the bike to feel safe with it.

We would like to ride for a few miles on the weekends, and try to cycle for more coffee and grocery runs. At age 3, did your kids want to be out of carriers and on their own bikes? If so, do I go training wheels or balance bike?

Essentially, I'm looking for product recommendations for one adult female mixte or dutchie, and some way to get my two young girls on the road with us. I'm in AZ and most riding will be on a dedicated multi use path along the canal. Some will be in bike lane (seems terrifying with kids, might stick to the sidewalk).
rEVOLVED is offline  
Old 09-02-19, 07:31 PM
  #2  
Unca_Sam
The dropped
 
Unca_Sam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,406

Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold) : 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1739 Post(s)
Liked 1,014 Times in 696 Posts
We've discussed track dropouts and axle mount trailer hitches here before. Consensus seemed to be that adequate torque on the axle nuts its enough the keep the rear axle from shifting under load.

Hauling a trailer with a fixie doesn't sound fun unless it's around the block. You're adding 50-60 lbs of weight to your mass. I can feel my trailer pushing me down hills, and i don't think that would be fun with a fixie. Put the hitch on your hardtail instead.
Unca_Sam is offline  
Likes For Unca_Sam:
Old 09-02-19, 07:44 PM
  #3  
Unca_Sam
The dropped
 
Unca_Sam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,406

Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold) : 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1739 Post(s)
Liked 1,014 Times in 696 Posts
Consider a tow bar like the trail-gator later, when you're looking to have longer, faster rides.
Unca_Sam is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 07:08 AM
  #4  
rEVOLVED
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 63 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Unca_Sam
We've discussed track dropouts and axle mount trailer hitches here before. Consensus seemed to be that adequate torque on the axle nuts its enough the keep the rear axle from shifting under load.

Hauling a trailer with a fixie doesn't sound fun unless it's around the block. You're adding 50-60 lbs of weight to your mass. I can feel my trailer pushing me down hills, and i don't think that would be fun with a fixie. Put the hitch on your hardtail instead.
I'm always looking for a challenge. Of course, if the fixie was too much of a load on my knees and I was miserable, I would move the trailer to my mountain bike, or I'd purchase a city bike. As for the hills, there aren't any where I plan to be riding. Thanks for your help.
rEVOLVED is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:32 AM
  #5  
OneIsAllYouNeed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seacoast, NH
Posts: 756

Bikes: Chinook travel/gravel/family tandem, Chinook all-road, Motobecane fatbike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 34 Times in 25 Posts
My daughter is 5 now. She's been hauled by bike since her pediatrician gave us permission. We've owned most of the child hauling accessories at this point. Here's a brief summary of each.

Thule (Chariot) 2-wheel trailer. Used from 7 months (first as a ski trailer behind fatbike) to 5 years (as a stroller). Bike trailer mode was good for ages 1-5. Reduces cruising speed by 25%. Easy to keep kid comfortable from weather. Too little suspension for dirt roads.

Bellelli Pepe clamp rear seat. Used from 2yr to ~3.5yr. Out of the box, it was tilted too far forward for my daughter to be comfortable. I 3d printed some shims to tilt it back about 8 degrees; then it was much better for her. Suspension adequate for dirt roads and easy trails. Dress her like she's riding a motorcycle. Reduces bike speed by 10%.

Hamax Caress rear seat. Used from 3yr to ~4yr. Could have used from ~18mo. This seat was awesome. Lots of suspension. Easy to adjust the recline angle. Dress her like she's riding a motorcycle. Reduces bike speed by 10%.

Weehoo Turbo single wheel recumbent trailer. Used from 4yr to present. I swapped the rear tire for a 20 x 3.0" tire for some suspension. It's better on dirt roads than the 2-wheel trailers, but not as forgiving as the Pepe or Caress. With sun and rain cover, it offers decent protection from weather. She can pedal when she feels like it. Reduces bike speed by 20%. The Weehoo is surprisingly heavy (~35lb) and awkward to transport by car compared to the other seats and trailers. The 2-seat Weehoo might be a good choice for you.

Strider balance bike. I think I gave this to her around 18mo. She enjoyed it most at 3yr. Added XL seatpost at 4yr. She's completely outgrown it at age 5, but occasionally rides it in our basement. It definitely helped her to learn how to ride a pedal bike without training wheels.

Islabikes Cnoc 16. Used from 4.5yr to present. She got the hang of riding really quickly (maybe 2 hours?). She loves riding her bike (mission accomplished).
OneIsAllYouNeed is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:40 AM
  #6  
Unca_Sam
The dropped
 
Unca_Sam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,406

Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold) : 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1739 Post(s)
Liked 1,014 Times in 696 Posts
Balance bikes are great for building confidence, and you can take the pedals off of a 16" bike until they're balancing the too. 16" bikes aren't known for being fast though.

We had a bike picnic yesterday and even with the oldest on a 20" 1x6 we topped out at 10kph sustained . That's why I suggested a tow bar. You might get one and never use it, like us. Every time I offered to hook the bike up, my daughter declined! She was happy at her pace and got through it on her own! I just scored top my granny gear and big cogs and crawled along at the front.

You can look at this recent thread on items to have on hand to make rides more enjoyable for everyone.
Unca_Sam is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:41 AM
  #7  
OneIsAllYouNeed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seacoast, NH
Posts: 756

Bikes: Chinook travel/gravel/family tandem, Chinook all-road, Motobecane fatbike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 34 Times in 25 Posts
I'd also recommend making the hardtail your dedicated baby hauler if you use a trailer. The fixie might be fun with the Pepe or a Hamax Caress, but it would be a real chore with a trailer. My wife and I mostly used 'cross or gravel bikes as our baby haulers because they had the lowest gears. We also use our tandem the various seats and trailers, which generally makes the rides more enjoyable.
OneIsAllYouNeed is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:45 AM
  #8  
Unca_Sam
The dropped
 
Unca_Sam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,406

Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold) : 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1739 Post(s)
Liked 1,014 Times in 696 Posts
Bike for the wife

I can't offer much in the way of suggestions here. All my bikes are second hand. I don't doubt there are plenty of women's frames available on your local CL, but three speed bikes are generally vintage schwinns. You could probably get a lighter bike with less maintenance needs new for twice the price of a CL bike.
Unca_Sam is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:47 AM
  #9  
dabac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times in 222 Posts
Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
do I go training wheels or balance bike?
Balance bikes.
Training wheels don't provide any important training.
Kids don't have the concentration/separation ability needed to use the training wheels only to keep them from toppling over. They'll ride them like big, fast trikes and not get any balance training done.
At best, they might pick up some braking skills. Any kid that's ridden a trike already knows how to pedal.
If you start them on balance bikes, once they're steady on them I've seen kids transition to pedal bikes in less than one hour, entirely without drama or abrasions.

Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
.. I'm looking for product recommendations for one adult female mixte or dutchie,.
The bike industry is very ****genous. Similar money buys you comparable products, regardless of brand.
I'm not too keen on 3-speeds. Ratios are too few and too far apart to let you keep your legs humming along nicely.
Also, I often find the ratios awkwardly placed, with the top gear not particularly useful. They can often be made nicer by fitting a bigger sprocket and keeping the lowest gear as a bailout gear. IMO 5-speeds and above makes for more harmonic riding.
I'd look for a mixte prior to Dutch/Townie. Dutch/Townies can be amazingly heavy, heavy enough to detract from the ride experience.

Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
(seems terrifying with kids, might stick to the sidewalk).
Chek out the local rules first. Sidewalk riding - for adults - is often prohibited.
And unless AZ is above average in friendliness, I can pretty much guarantee that even a parent riding sedately while shepherding the kids along will make some people angry.
If you think sidewalk riding is the option for your kids, follow them on inline skates or jogging instead.
Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
Essentially, I'm looking for product recommendations ..to get my two young girls on the road with us.
There are tandems, trailers, tow bikes and brackets that lets you tow a regular kids' bike behind another bike.
There's the Surly Big Dummy, the Xtracycle conversion kit, a considerable number of cargo bikes.
A friend of mine went with the "road train" concept. A towbike hooked to his bike, then a trailer hooked to the towbike.
dabac is offline  
Old 09-03-19, 08:54 AM
  #10  
Unca_Sam
The dropped
 
Unca_Sam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 2,406

Bikes: Pake C'Mute Touring/Commuter Build, 1989 Kona Cinder Cone, 1995 Trek 5200, 1973 Raleigh Super Course FG, 1960/61 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne "thrift" 3 speed, by Hercules (sold) : 1966 Schwinn Deluxe Racer (sold)

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1739 Post(s)
Liked 1,014 Times in 696 Posts
Originally Posted by dabac
A friend of mine went with the "road train" concept. A towbike hooked to his bike, then a trailer hooked to the towbike.
I'll bet you posted a picture of this setup! I wouldn't want to manage a road train twice and a half as long as my bike though. Those turns would be wiiiiiiide.
Unca_Sam is offline  
Old 09-06-19, 09:38 AM
  #11  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
my recollection of being a parent to young children is, that whatever you get used to, changes. good luck & have fun cuz when they're 20+ they move out & rarely ride with you anymore!
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 09-10-19, 05:48 PM
  #12  
ali28fksklj
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by dabac
Chek out the local rules first. Sidewalk riding - for adults - is often prohibited.
Generally allowed in Arizona, although Tempe, AZ just outlawed adult sidewalk riding except on 45 MPH arterials with no bike lanes.
ali28fksklj is offline  
Old 09-15-19, 02:52 PM
  #13  
3S1M
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 376

Bikes: Schwinn Del Mar, Schwinn Sanctuary, Schwinn Hurricane, Murray Actra, Eastern Shovelhead

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 140 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times in 90 Posts
I don't know what a balance bike is. But I've got nothing against training wheels. I learned that way and so did my kids. That being said, there may be better ways to get kids started now. I just don't get how the things that worked for millions of us a long time ago are all of a sudden useless just because there might be newer, better ways.

I'm not a super dialed in bike rider. But like most kids growing up in the 70's and 80's I rode a bike a LOT as a kid. Rode it to my first few jobs and all that. Before getting a drivers license. And my kids were on bikes with training wheels as soon as they were big enough to get on one.

When I was a kid one of the greatest days of my life was getting the training wheels off and riding on my own. I still remember that day. A huge milestone.

I guess my point is no matter what you do with them as far as hauling them around when they're little, they will love riding on their own. I would think. And hey, my sister and I even learned on a gravel driveway. LOL. Although I think there were winter basement rides with training wheels when we were really little. And "big wheels" too.
3S1M is offline  
Old 11-04-19, 08:56 PM
  #14  
brianinc-ville
Senior Member
 
brianinc-ville's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,389
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 100 Post(s)
Liked 57 Times in 40 Posts
Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
As for my wife, we are strongly considering the Windsor Oxford Deluxe (3 speed IGH) from Bikes Direct, especially at under $300. Any other strong suggestions for a Mixte or Dutchie style bike for her? Love the Linus lineup, but they are much more expensive.
From what I've seen, the quality of the Linus isn't a whole lot higher than the Windsor; neither of them inspires much confidence as a daily transportation bike. For recreational rides, it might be good enough. Same goes for the Public bikes.

In that general range, I was quite a bit more impressed with the Priority bikes. If your wife doesn't mind a coaster brake, I'd go with the Priority Classic Plus (me, I hate coaster brakes and would pay the extra for the Gotham edition with front/rear v-brakes).

Honestly, though, I'd look around first for an old Raleigh Sports. Perfect for her needs, bulletproof, available cheap.

Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
As for me, any reason I can't haul a trailer for the kids with my fixed gear?
That sounds like a terrible idea to me, but I've got no direct experience to back up my statement. Keep in mind that the Burley trailer hitch, at least, is designed to work with a quick-release skewer on the rear axle -- in my (direct) experience, it does not work well with a nutted axle. And like Unca-Sam says, you definitely don't want that weight pushing you downhill on a fixie.

Originally Posted by rEVOLVED
We would like to ride for a few miles on the weekends, and try to cycle for more coffee and grocery runs. At age 3, did your kids want to be out of carriers and on their own bikes? If so, do I go training wheels or balance bike?
My daughter's only nine months old and still riding in her car seat in our cargo bike, but by all accounts the balance bike is far superior to training wheels. My neighbor's kids started with balance bikes and were riding pedal bikes before they turned 4.

I realize you're probably not interested in buying a cargo bike, but the advantage there is that when the kids get tired, you can load up both them and their bikes and ride home. Just a thought.

Last edited by brianinc-ville; 11-04-19 at 09:00 PM.
brianinc-ville is offline  
Old 11-07-19, 05:03 PM
  #15  
riva
low end rider
 
riva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 793

Bikes: 80's. hoarder.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 37 Posts
Agree with all these posts.. Rear brakes for the fixed if I were going to try to pull a trailer. Agree with debac that training wheels are the devil.

Two wheel trailers are more stable than 1 wheel stuff, but they are wide and it can be a jarring ride for the kids. Trailers should come with balloon tires imo. That gator looks pretty neat for being able to tow during the street stuff then letting them unhook and ride alone when you get to a safe spot.

You could kid back chop an old US tandem as described here- https://www.sheldonbrown.com/opctandem.html
riva is offline  
Old 11-13-19, 07:41 AM
  #16  
tim24k
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NW
Posts: 747

Bikes: To many to list. I like them all!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 32 Posts
For my kids I got a Burley trailer and when they got a little older I got a 7-Speed Piccolo trailercycle pulling behind my wife’s Hiybrid bicycle. I also bought a Surly Big Dummy, where I could ride them when the got to tired to petal or sometimes they just wanted to be closer than the trailer to you. It also makes a wonderful grocery getter or hauling larger stuff like 50lb bags of dog food.
https://www.burley.com/product-category/cycles/

For safety you really need front and rear brakes! Do you live in totally flat part of Kansas? If not to haul/pull all that extra weight you need something with gears, seriously.

Last edited by tim24k; 11-13-19 at 07:59 AM.
tim24k is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bradysmama322
Recreational & Family
6
02-26-15 11:16 PM
El Cid
Recreational & Family
10
05-19-14 01:21 PM
jeremywhitehorn
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
3
09-14-13 02:32 AM
BuffettJr
Utility Cycling
6
03-16-10 10:24 AM
Buffybike
Recreational & Family
24
12-29-09 04:45 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.