David bought me a bike for Christmas.
Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. He bent some wire into the shape of a bike and gave that to me for Christmas. A few days later we went on a family outing to a local bike shop where I test rode a few options. Then he bought me a bike.
She is beautiful and I love her. Unfortunately I don’t ride her very often.
Last night David suggested I ride to my weeknight activity with the youth in our church, since it was just at a park down the street. It was the perfect idea. On my way home, I felt so strong and free and carefree. Given that I’d spent the last couple hours dealing with sassy teenagers who like to push my buttons, it was wonderful to take five minutes to shed that stress and just relish the wind on my face. (I love those kids, but boy howdy, do they know how to set a person’s teeth on edge.)
I’d love to cruise around with Margot after dropping Mila off at preschool. I could take the girls along the canal path and look for bunnies and ducks. We could all go for twilight bike rides after David gets home from work. It all sounds so idyllic and so pleasantly possible. I just need to figure out some logistics…namely, how to haul my girls around with me.
Do you have a bike trailer? Or bike seats for kiddos? I’d love to know what you’ve used–or seen other people use–that you love. We need to acquire something but I don’t even know where to start!
I also need to name this lovely. I’m leaning toward Clementine but it hasn’t stuck, so maybe it’s not right. What would you call her?
All photos by Photography Hill
I have this bike trailer (http://smile.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-Premium-Aluminum-Stroller/dp/B004GCCA1A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427996002&sr=8-3&keywords=allen+sports+bike+trailer), and it has served us so well. We got it probably three years ago and it still is in use. I got the jogging wheel attachment for it as well and we use that a ton for going on walks and such. I used to run with it, but then I had a third baby and that just went right out the window, lol. I also have a bike seat that sits on the back of my bike. It was free from a friend, so I didn't pick it specifically, but for its purpose it works just fine. My kids fight over who gets to ride in it actually. I don't love it because it puts the weight all on the back of my bike, but the seat itself works great. I don't really think you need a lot of bells and whistles, just something that your kids fit into. They don't know the difference. I think I would prefer a bike seat that attached to my handlebars so the balance on the bike worked better, but you do have to worry about not having any knee room with that and since I was given one for free I stopped looking into that option. Really, for two kids I just recommend the bike trailer. It works so well. A third kid throws a wrench in all carrying plans, so it doesn't work then, but for two it is fabulous. Good luck! It's really fun to ride around with your kids!
Yeah we have an Allen bike trailer for two, too. But not the stroller one, just this one. http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Sports-2-Child-Bicycle-Trailer/dp/B008CNK97G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427999881&sr=8-1&keywords=allen+sports+bike+trailer
Love it! So easy too. And it folds up really small which is great because it's awesome to just store in a small space in the garage or to throw in our SUV. When we go on bike rides I usually have my husband pull the girls, but yesterday we were late getting off to my daughters tumbling class, we usually walk but I took the bike instead and it was so easy and not as hard as I was expecting at all. It's an easy pull! Bikes were our Christmas present this year too, we've been loving it!
I love this so much!!! How fun!
I also think the name Lucille would be fun…kind of a retro-minty vibe.
xox
Lucille is David's grandma's name and I think she's be mortified if I named my bike after her. Ha! We shall see…
Or Puff the Magic Dragon…. 🙂
xox
We have a Trek Go Bug trailer, which seats two, and another fixed seat mounted on the back of my bike. I can haul three kids at once (exhausting, but doable, and it's an incredible workout!).
The trailer is great for seating more kids, but the fixed seat is much less effort, since it doesn't catch the wind. I think our fixed seat was about $40 (just a Walmart buy), but the trailer was much more of an investment. Take your time reading reviews and really figure out what you want, since the higher-end models will be easier to pull, more comfortable for the kids, and much safer (make sure you get one with a roll bar).
I LOVE being able to bike around town; in summer evenings we often go with all 5 kids for a 10-mile bike ride to get ice cream. It's very idyllic and I feel like there should be a Pin It button hovering over our heads! 😉
We bought a used Chariot. 2 seater. It's been great. Solid construction. Collapses pretty flat and safe. It's great for both bikes and running/walking. It glides really well and has extra space for storage. They're a little more pricey than the Amazon options above but they're solid. Our oldest is 4 and still likes riding in it.
Love these pictures! I want a bike sooo bad, but let's be real- I would never ride it.
I love my bike seat for the back of the bike. I use it quite often. Sasha loves it, and I'd like to think I'm helping her not be afraid of biking and whatnot. You could get Mila a balance bike or a small bike (low enough that she can set her feet down and feel balanced at any time) and unscrew the pedals, and then she could earn the pedals back as she gets better at gliding. We taught James to ride that way, so he and Sasha and I could go on rides around town to different parks without a trailer. It took… maybe a month or two to earn his pedals? I also really love the idea of those hook-on bikes like this one: http://amzn.com/B003XNFMLS, but haven't met anyone who had one. They just look super fun, and give kids more exercise than a trailer. You'd probably have to devote one whole bike to that, whereas with the bike seat and Mila on her own bike, you could still go on rides by yourself sans kids. I LOVE biking around with my kids. It uses up a lot of time and really does get the endorphins going.
These are all really helpful suggestions! Thanks everyone! I'll keep you updated once we decide on one that will work for us!