Multiple child carrying...

[MrMoosehead]

....ok, so I've done the trailer thing. Two kids in a trailer round
grizedales forest is a good workout.

the 5.5 year old can now ride himself, just. But he's not strong enough
to do very far, or hills, or roads.

So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.

I may eventually get the Pashley U+2, but the inside leg for that
precludes this for another year or so.

#1 Son has outgrown trailers now.
Don't really want a front mounted child seat for a 4 year old.

Has anyone managed to get a rear seat above a tag along bike hitch? I
am 6'1" and have a high seat on my bike, I reckon there might be enough
clearance - if not, maybe an extended arm for the trailer bike hitch
would work.

Bike has disc brakes so can take teh weight from this point of view.
I'm fairly confident about balance.

Any thoughts?

 

[Peter Clinch]

MrMoosehead wrote:

> So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.

How about a Kiddyback tandem (possibly with kiddy-cranks to make up the
size difference for a while) and tow the trailer with that?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[John B]

MrMoosehead wrote:

> the 5.5 year old can now ride himself, just. But he's not strong enough
> to do very far, or hills, or roads.
>
> So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old?

We had a similar situation, although ours arose earlier (and we also had 4
children to deal with)
The solution we used was a tandem with kiddiecranks and a trailer behind.
Your eldest may be a little old for kiddiecranks but a childback tandem
and trailer would also do the job.

John B

 

[MrMoosehead]

Peter Clinch wrote:
> MrMoosehead wrote:
>
> > So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> > on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> > Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> > wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
>
> How about a Kiddyback tandem (possibly with kiddy-cranks to make up the
> size difference for a while) and tow the trailer with that?

Have considered that, but the 5 year old is still too small for that
sort of set up I think.
Also, that's another 600 quid or so?

And how much use? not sure.

My wife is only 5', so a kiddieback tandem might suit her... with a U+2
behind.

Or maybe something like this:

http://www.longbikes.com/Gallery6.html

 

[Peter Clinch]

MrMoosehead wrote:

> Or maybe something like this:
>
> http://www.longbikes.com/Gallery6.html

The S&S couplings to take distincy chunks out is /very/ neat. (But S&S
couplings are frighteningly expensive! :-( )

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[John B]

MrMoosehead wrote:

>
> Have considered that, but the 5 year old is still too small for that
> sort of set up I think.

Our daughter was on kiddiecranks on the back of the tandem at 3 1/2 - and she
is small for her age.
A Big Advantage of the tandem route over the trailer set up is that the child
is 'forced' to pedal - so there's no shirking ;-)
This also has great benefits for when they ride solo.

John B

 

[David Martin]

MrMoosehead wrote:
> Peter Clinch wrote:
> > MrMoosehead wrote:
> >
> > > So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> > > on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> > > Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> > > wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
> >
> > How about a Kiddyback tandem (possibly with kiddy-cranks to make up the
> > size difference for a while) and tow the trailer with that?
>
> Have considered that, but the 5 year old is still too small for that
> sort of set up I think.
Only if they are a very small 5 year old. My 4yo loves the tandem. I do
have a trailabike type trailer thing for th etandem but haven't yet
used it.

> Also, that's another 600 quid or so?

Shop around or buy second hand.

> And how much use? not sure.

Lots of use. Apart from my commuting bike, it is the second most used
bike in the household, despite being a 'braze together a few old bikes'
bit of junk. It is used for taking the kids around to all their various
activities.

> My wife is only 5', so a kiddieback tandem might suit her... with a U+2
> behind.

Get an adjustable stem and a very long seat post for you with your
saddle, and a shorter one for her with her saddle, and there is no
reason why you both can't share the same tandem. Womens legs tend
proportionally to be longer than mens so that reduces the difference a
bit.

...d

 

[daren]

MrMoosehead wrote:
> ...ok, so I've done the trailer thing. Two kids in a trailer round
> grizedales forest is a good workout.
>
> the 5.5 year old can now ride himself, just. But he's not strong enough
> to do very far, or hills, or roads.
>
> So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
>
> I may eventually get the Pashley U+2, but the inside leg for that
> precludes this for another year or so.
>
> #1 Son has outgrown trailers now.
> Don't really want a front mounted child seat for a 4 year old.
>


> Any thoughts?

We used a kiddyback tandem (Dawes Toucan) and Rhode Gear Taxi child
seat for several years. We then removed the seat and added a Burley
Piccollo tag-along. The tandem can accomodate a 4yo with suitably short
cranks.

Eldest son is now old enough to cycle as far as I'm prepared to with
the triplet so we are likely to sell the piccollo.

regards,
daren
--
remove outer garment for reply

 

[MrMoosehead]

David Martin wrote:
> MrMoosehead wrote:
> > Peter Clinch wrote:
> > > MrMoosehead wrote:
> > >
> > > > So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> > > > on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> > > > Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> > > > wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
> > >
> > > How about a Kiddyback tandem (possibly with kiddy-cranks to make up the
> > > size difference for a while) and tow the trailer with that?
> >
> > Have considered that, but the 5 year old is still too small for that
> > sort of set up I think.
> > My wife is only 5', so a kiddieback tandem might suit her... with a U+2
> > behind.
>
> Get an adjustable stem and a very long seat post for you with your
> saddle, and a shorter one for her with her saddle, and there is no
> reason why you both can't share the same tandem. Womens legs tend
> proportionally to be longer than mens so that reduces the difference a
> bit.

I actually meant she could go on the kiddie back bit..... }:8D

 

[David Martin]

MrMoosehead wrote:
> David Martin wrote:
> > MrMoosehead wrote:
> > > Peter Clinch wrote:
> > > > MrMoosehead wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> > > > > on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> > > > > Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> > > > > wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
> > > >
> > > > How about a Kiddyback tandem (possibly with kiddy-cranks to make up the
> > > > size difference for a while) and tow the trailer with that?
> > >
> > > Have considered that, but the 5 year old is still too small for that
> > > sort of set up I think.
> > > My wife is only 5', so a kiddieback tandem might suit her... with a U+2
> > > behind.
> >
> > Get an adjustable stem and a very long seat post for you with your
> > saddle, and a shorter one for her with her saddle, and there is no
> > reason why you both can't share the same tandem. Womens legs tend
> > proportionally to be longer than mens so that reduces the difference a
> > bit.
>
> I actually meant she could go on the kiddie back bit..... }:8D

More or less the same answer. If you have a childback rather than a
kiddy cranks set up then she will need a long seatpost with her
favourite saddle on.

If that can be swapped easily to the front for her to take the children
then so much the better.

...d

 

[MrMoosehead]

John B wrote:
> MrMoosehead wrote:
>
> > the 5.5 year old can now ride himself, just. But he's not strong enough
> > to do very far, or hills, or roads.
> >
> > So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> > on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> > Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old?
>
> We had a similar situation, although ours arose earlier (and we also had 4
> children to deal with)
> The solution we used was a tandem with kiddiecranks and a trailer behind.
> Your eldest may be a little old for kiddiecranks but a childback tandem
> and trailer would also do the job.

Hmm. Anyone tried a tag-along with a trailer?
Does this work at all?

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>
MrMoosehead <[email protected]> wrote:
> ...ok, so I've done the trailer thing. Two kids in a trailer round
> grizedales forest is a good workout.
>
> the 5.5 year old can now ride himself, just. But he's not strong enough
> to do very far, or hills, or roads.
>
> So I have a tag along now (philips Pursuit 6 speed)(did 40+km with him
> on a tag along for his first ride on one!)
> Great. But where do I put the almost-4 year old? She can't ride, my
> wife can't take her as she isn't confident enough.
>
> I may eventually get the Pashley U+2, but the inside leg for that
> precludes this for another year or so.
>
> #1 Son has outgrown trailers now.
> Don't really want a front mounted child seat for a 4 year old.
>
> Has anyone managed to get a rear seat above a tag along bike hitch? I
> am 6'1" and have a high seat on my bike, I reckon there might be enough
> clearance - if not, maybe an extended arm for the trailer bike hitch
> would work.
>
> Bike has disc brakes so can take teh weight from this point of view.
> I'm fairly confident about balance.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
Fit the child seat to the Add-a-bike? Depends very much how well the
coupling is engineered, and how stiff the boom is. Otherwise you could
make up a really robust rack to carry the child seat and attach the
trailer to that. Or how about a side-car?

 

[Alan Braggins]

MrMoosehead wrote:
>
>Has anyone managed to get a rear seat above a tag along bike hitch?

Yes. It wouldn't work with the Tag-a-long and bike seat combination
I had, but I have seen it done - with an in-front-of-the-cyclist seat on
the top tube of the same bike as well. (I'm not saying I would _recommend_
that, merely that I have seen it done.)

Incidentally, this: http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=139
is a rather nifty child saddle on a Brompton - with stoker pedals.

 

[[email protected]]

MrMoosehead wrote:
> [mulitple kids on bike]
> Any thoughts?

Outside of the OPs budget I think (and mine :-( ) but the Compagnon
child-front tandem can be supplied with a rack mount trailer bike
compatible with a rack mount seat (on the main bike)

Photo here: http://www.spoke.co.uk/Tandems.htm (scroll down a bit).

I have tried the Compagnon at a Company of Cyclists event and it seemed
like fun although DD at 3.5yrs was just a tiny bit short for the
pedals.

You could contact the manufacturer (or UK agent) to see if the addons
can be supplied separately for fixing to another tandem

Robert Hoening Spezialfahrzeuge GmbH
Ulmer Strasse 16/2
Leonberg
71229
Germany

phone: +49 7152 979490
fax: +49 7152 979499
email: [email protected]
web: www.hoening.com

best wishes
james