Something Different

So, #1 and I were loving life with our Topeak Co-Pilot.  We were enjoying biking, ice cream and the zoo for a second year; what could be better?  As the leaves fell and winds turned stronger and snow began to fall, my daughter grew too cold from her exposed position on the seat to continue riding into the winter.  I unmounted the Topeak seat and rack from my bike and together we settled in for the winter.

I've a confession to make.  I love REI Garage Sales.  For those who don't know, REI sells off all the items that have been returned to them by their customers/members, quarterly.  I've had great luck at these Garage Sales and have missed but a few over the past five years.  I found myself at one of these Garage Sales, shortly after having retired our bike seat for the season, when I happened upon a most unique bicycle trailer.  When originally deciding what type of contraption to purchase in order to ride with #1, I briefly considered purchasing a trailer.  The reasons I didn't were these:

• They seemed really wide to me.  I was worried that I would not be able to successfully negotiate my bike with a trailer attached into narrow spaces, such as pedestrian gates at park and cemetery entrances.

•  I thought the trailers, with their low to the ground geometry, might not offer my child as good a view as the one offered from a higher perch.

•  Cost.  The trailers I coveted most were made by Burley.  If I were to do it over, knowing that our cycling together would be a success, then I could certainly justify the purchase price.  However, at the time, I didn’t know if co-cycling would work for us.

Dozing away.

This new trailer I was staring at chased all previous doubts from my mind.  It was set up as a third wheel recumbent, which attached to the tow bike’s seat post.  It had panniers.  It had pedals.  It was glorious.  My little girl had just turned three and would soon outgrow our Topeak seat.  I'd reservations about putting her on a more traditional third wheel tag along bike, as I'd heard rumors of kids dozing off and falling off of these bikes.  In this seat, she'd be in a recumbent position, secured by a three point harness and velcro pedal straps.  She'd easily be able to doze as we covered some miles.

As I walked to this beautiful machine, another guardedly stated "Sorry, buddy.  I'm buying this one." with his hand wrapped round its tow pole.  "Mind if I check it out?", I asked.  Together, we looked it over.  It was a WeeHoo and neither of us had seen anything like it before.  We searched for the reason this vehicle was returned, in order to assure it would be safe for a child to ride in.  We discovered one of the velcro pedal straps to be missing; an easy fix.

I left REI buzzing.  I had to have a WeeHoo!  I started saving my pennies.  By March, I was the proud owner of a blaze red WeeHoo.  It came together pretty quickly.  My daughter couldn't wait to go for a ride.  She was extremely excited to have pedals and bounded with joy.  

I love bikes.  I'm pretty sure you've figured that out by now.  I love biking with my progeny even more.  The addition of the WeeHoo to this equation elevated my love for cycling to a new level.  We flew.  Together, we increased our distances.  Thirty mile treks became not uncommon.  We went fast!  Thirty plus miles per hour on a downhill?  Yes, please!  The WeeHoo tracked wonderfully and my little stoker helped quite a bit when tackling large hills.  When tired, my eldest slept securely.  If you're considering a trailer for a child too big for a rear mounted seat, yet not quite ready for a traditional tag along, I can not recommend the WeeHoo highly enough.  It is an amazing machine.  I've one of their earliest models.  In May, I believe they are to release a tandem WeeHoo.  As I've now a second daughter, to be two next month, I'm hoping to test one out.  More on how we've included #2 into our cycling lifestyle will follow in the coming weeks.

A ride to the playground in December 2011

Baby Steps

My first adventure into strapping a child to my bike involved the Topeak Co-Pilot II (now marketed as the BabySeat II).  This model of child seat jumped out to me as it was immediately familiar.  I recall watching adults carry children on bikes with similar devices, ever since I was a child.  It must be the best option, right?  I couldn't wait to install her on the back on my bike.  I'd never installed a child's seat on a bike, before.  I found the directions to be clear and was able to complete the install after about forty minutes of mild cursing. 

Wish I'd known how to properly fit a helmet, back then!

The first ride was magical.  We were free!  We live atop a large hill.  In order to reach the day's destination, a playground, we headed straight down it.  I rode the brakes a bit.  It took me a few rides before I felt confident enough to coast down the hill with my baby on board at full speed.  My daughter loved the ride.  She let go quite a few gleeful shouts of  "Wheeeeeeee!".  From that day on, we've been able to get around the city, for the most part, car free.  Common destinations for us include playgrounds along the the Southwest Corridor Bike Path, the Franklin Park Zoo, and JP Licks.

Pros for the Topeak Co-Pilot II:

• It got us out of the car.
• It enabled me to share my love of cycling with my child.
• It enabled us to experience the world from the same vantage point.
• It is sturdy.
• It secures and protects the passenger.

Cons for the Topeak Co-Pilot II:

• It was awkward for me to mount and dismount my bike with this carrier.  I found I would strike the seat with my foot, occassionally.  My bike has a top tube.  I think these types of seats lend themselves to be easier mounted from step-through or mixte framed bikes.
• It was awkard to add/remove my child from the seat in wide open spaces.  Since my kid was behind me, I had to get off the bike before I was able to unstrap her.  This was best accomplished by leaning the bike against a wall or fence.  In wide open spaces, such as parks and fields, I would ask friendly looking strangers to hold my bike for me while I loaded or unloaded my daughter.
• As you may see in the picture, above, the neck strap was uncomortable and my little girl would pull it from her neck.  I recommend adding a pad.
• It was difficult carrying supplies.  This seat precludes the use of rear panniers. I carried goods in a backpack or in a messenger bag.  The bag would strike the seat and was uncomfortable.  I recommend installing a front rack and/or a basket for hauling goods with this type of seat.

I like this child seat.  It worked for us and the price was right.  I was unaware of front-mounted options like the ibert or the bobike, at the time.  Knowing what I know now, I've no regrets.

PS.
Here's a link on how to properly fit a helmet to a child's head:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/easystepsweb/

Where do I start?

If you're like me, then you love your bikes.  You whiz around Boston never worrying about being stuck in a traffic jam or allowing for extra time in your commute to account for finding an elusive parking space.  You've discovered Boston in a way that is not possible by any other means of transportation.  Biking has become your lifestyle.

Then one day...

You are blessed with a tiny, wailing human being.  It's January.  Relatives buy you a car seat. You're stuck, back in the drivers seat, enviously watching others pedal past.  The good thing about being stuck in a traffic jam is that it allows plenty of time for one to contemplate and establish goals.  When I found myself in this predicament, my first and foremost goal was to discover a means to extract my child and myself from relying on automobiles.

We experimented with public transit, for awhile.  There is a bus stop at the end of my street and an extensive subway system three miles away.  It wasn't for me.  Seemed to me that people were reluctant to give up their seat for a father carrying a baby.  Buses sway a bit and I found keeping us upright on a moving bus to be a dealbreaker.  We went back to the car. 

I'd researched ways to strap my little girl to my bike, but she was too small, at the time, for most of the available options I'd found.  Beginning a bit past the age of one, I'd found a way for my daughter and I to ride together.  She's going to be five years old in a week and we ride together year round.  She loves it.  An effective discipline method is suggesting she shape up quick, else she'll have to ride in the car.  Our family has grown.  There are now two little girls.  We've bought and tried many products to enable us to ride together: a Topeak Co-Pilot II, a front mounted BoBike seat with a wind screen, a WeeHoo Trailer, a Burley Piccolo, a Strider bike, a 16" bike with training wheels, and most recently, a Cetma Largo.

In this blog, I'll share stories about what products and setups have worked and didn't work for us.  I'll also share some of our adventures.