Bike riding and children

Bike riding enthusiasts don't have to stop bike riding once they have children, there are a wide variety of attachments and bikes that allow children to join in on bike riding. Here are a couple of options for parents:

Child bike seat:

A child bike seat is probably the most common way for children to travel on bikes with parents. The positives of bike seats are; they are inexpensive, compact and they don't require parents to endure too much extra weight like with bike trailers or cargobikes. 

Bike trailer:

You have probably seen parents using bike trailers and have thought they look very dangerous, I thought the same thing until I spoke to a parent who uses one and she reassured me they are quite safe. The bike trailer is attached to an existing bike, and has a number of advantages to a bike seat; more than one child can ride in the trailer, trailers are weather proof, they are highly visible therefore cars are more careful when driving near the trailer also a bike trailer has its own set of wheels so in the case of the bike failing over the trailer is likely to stay standing upright.

Cargobikes:

In Holland where nearly all of the population rides bikes, parents use cargobikes. Children ride at the front of the bike in a utility style tray. As the children are sitting at the front of the bike, they can easily communicate with parents and enjoy a better view of the journey than children who ride in trailers and bike seats. Cargobikes have an 80kg load capacity, the utility tray comes with one bench and two seatbelts, and there is also an added option of installing another bench which seats one extra child.   

 Zoe