Velo-city

Bicycles and More

• Overview
• City Bikes
• Folding Bikes
• Cargo Cycles
• Child Carriers
• Moederfiets
• Long John
• Bakfiets
• Triporteur
• Recumbents
• Special Needs
• Trikes
• Cabin Cycles
• Velomobiles
• Tandems
• Sociables
• Quadricycles
• Pedelecs & E-Bikes

Child Carriers

High Occupancy Vehicles


Daddy-O: a father carrying three kids on an Onderwaterfiets Tandemtransporter (Photo: the manufacturer)

Certainly, you could put a baby seat on a city bike, but as the child grows older or more than one child is to be carried, a purpose-built child transporter offers greater safety and convenience. Note: Some jurisdictions have laws requiring passengers on bicycles to be at least one year old.[1]

As utility cycling becomes more commonplace the selection of high-quality, sturdy passenger-carrying bicycles and tricycles has grown. Several different designs are shown below.

Moederfiets


Soccer Mom Redefined: a mother carrying three children and light cargo on Pack Max Duo bicycle (Photo: trekearth.com)

Called a moederfiets or 'motherbike' the Filiduo model is designed to transport two kids (9 months to 5 years) on the back. Like any other city bike, a child seat and porteur rack can be attached at front for additional load carrying capabilities.

The moederfiets is essentially a longtail cargo bicycle designed to carry young children. The main benefit of the moederfiets is that the bicycle handles very much like a standard city bike.



Long John

The classic long john two-wheeled cargo bicycle has seen a slew of engineering efforts in just the last couple of years, resulting in updated designs that safely and securely accomodate a mix of both passengers and cargo.

Commercially successful, spawning several knockoffs, is the bakfiets-inspired two-wheeled box bike from (surprisingly enough) bakfiets.nl which some say resembles a wheelbarrow.


Easy Riders: adults can keep both children in sight while riding a child transporter (Photo by the author)

This relatively recent design, when equipped with proper seating capabilities, is ideal for transporting young children or cargo or even combinations thereof. The bicycle's relatively long wheelbase is quickly mastered by any competent cyclist.


Tough Little Unit: the Joe Bike Ecospeed can move a mix of people and cargo (Photo: the manufacturer)

US-based Joe Bike has developed a bicycle with a modular Long John style platform providing a flexible range of passenger- and load-carrying options.



Triporteur

Though heavier in the ride handling, the benefit offered by a bakfiets or triporteur compared to a moederfiets or a city bike equipped with a child seat, is that grocery bags or a small amount of cargo, can be additionally be transported in the box alongside the child or larger cargo when not transporting passengers.


Transformer: the TrioBike provides bike-, stroller- and trike modes of operation (Image: the manufacturer)

A parent, guardian or teacher will also appreciate being able to keep an eye on the child or children seated in front of them without being distracted from traffic.



Bakfiets


Mass Transit: the De Redding KDV-BSO triporteur can transport up to six toddlers (Photo: the manufacturer)

The De Redding KDV can function as a school bus trike for cycle-friendly schools in villages, small towns and gated communities.

A child trailer provides an affordable alternative for adults looking to transport only one or two children by bike.



References

1. http://www.ibike.org/education/infant.htm


Keywords

sustainable transportation, personal mobility, people carrier, carrier bicycles, tricycles, parents, mothers, supermom, fathers, kids, child, children, babies, safety, moederfiets, bakfiets, mamachari, jogger, stroller, pram, 3 in 1, 2 in 1,