I am totally speechless!
In fact I am not even going to respond to such a crass posting.
Bike for child trailer, to go up steep hill?
- Thread starter Meita
- Start date
In fact I am not even going to respond to such a crass posting.
If I'm not too late..... TAKE YOUR CHARIOT ...Ok will be heading to Redbridge shortly...Looking forward to testing out some bikes!
You can find out for sure what fits what and maybe tow it up 'Ogg 'ill.
Might be a little hard hitting, but for me a child's life is worth the strong words I wrote. It's not you, I am sure you protect your child and ride carefully. It's the motorists that don't even think about a bike let alone one with a trailer. Turning right on a main road with a young 18 year old with an old car and big oversized exhaust on the back, with his mates to impress by going too fast coming up behind you. That's all it takes. Basically your pulling a child in a tent with wheels. It's just total madness to even consider it.
We've discussed this at length before Steve, but the fact is that there are large numbers of child cycle trailers in use and we haven't found any instance of a car running into one in the UK. So in this case logic is unreliable, the facts tell a different story and the risks to any child are far, far greater from many other sources.
Although I don't tow children, I'm a very experienced cycle trailer user as you'll see from the link below. When towing I'm far safer than when cycling solo, simply because drivers give me far more clearance and show far more care than they normally do. Why that is I'm not certain, but I'm happy that it's so:
flecc's trailers
I am new, but I guessed you may have covered this topic before. The trailers in your photographs look awesome. Although I believe a new trailer law obtained Royal Assent late last year and any newly made trailers from then on will need to be tested for safety, whereby each individual part the trailer is built from and the completed trailer by law will need to carry the British safety kite mark. If it doesn't then it’s not permitted on the highway. I doubt the new law is retrospective so you are ok with your trailers. (if you are concerned I will pop in the law library at work tomorrow and check for you). Hopefully it will be the end of those child tents on wheels because there is no way on this earth will they pass a crash test. If you would like further information regarding the new law on trailers search the net… Indespension.com …re the law on trailers might be a good place to start.
Sorry Flecc, just realised you are the one's who's clued up on all these laws, you posted me before with clarification, so with respect, you may already be aware of the trailer law. Some on here may not be though so it's still worth people noting.
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you need to go 'dutch' and get a bakfiet........e assist versions available... Bakfiets.nl - Home - Bakfiets | Cargobike | Transport bike | Cargo trike | Work bike
and yes they are expensive, but your 'cargo' is precious........
Thanks for worrying about my child SteveHall. I'm not quite convinced however that towing the trailer with an e-bike is more dangerous than towing the trailer with my pushbike. Up the hill, on my push bike I am slower than walking speed (literally, pedestrians overtake me). This means I get wobbly which is a source of danger. Also slow starts at traffic lights=danger.
Even with the motor assist, I won't be going up the hill at 15mph. Instead, the motor will help me achieve a 'safe' speed.
Going downhill, I could easily go faster than 15mph no matter if I have a motor or not, but (particularly when towing the trailer) I don't.
I decided 2 years ago that the trailer was safe enough for me, consciously choosing one that has been extensively safety tested rather than a much cheaper alternative. If anything, the e-bike, in my opinion, will make it safer.
And then a big part of it is about riding safely. I choose my routes carefully, taking the long way round if it is safer, another point in which the motor helps me to ride MORE safely. I cross big crossings and roundabouts on foot, meaning the scenario of right turn etc. that you lined out above does not apply - I simply avoid such situations.
Yes I would personally love a Bakfiets, and an electrically assisted one even more... BUT can't afford it. (1700 minimum for basic short bakfiets, plus 1100 for electric assist kit, plus various necessary accessories such as rain tent, seat belts, ... getting close to 3000. And then I wouldn't have a normal bicycle so add another 500 quid or so for that). For that money I could buy a car AND learn to drive.) Instead I have a 700 quid trailer and 500 quid push-bike, and now looking for e-solution.
Even with the motor assist, I won't be going up the hill at 15mph. Instead, the motor will help me achieve a 'safe' speed.
Going downhill, I could easily go faster than 15mph no matter if I have a motor or not, but (particularly when towing the trailer) I don't.
I decided 2 years ago that the trailer was safe enough for me, consciously choosing one that has been extensively safety tested rather than a much cheaper alternative. If anything, the e-bike, in my opinion, will make it safer.
And then a big part of it is about riding safely. I choose my routes carefully, taking the long way round if it is safer, another point in which the motor helps me to ride MORE safely. I cross big crossings and roundabouts on foot, meaning the scenario of right turn etc. that you lined out above does not apply - I simply avoid such situations.
Yes I would personally love a Bakfiets, and an electrically assisted one even more... BUT can't afford it. (1700 minimum for basic short bakfiets, plus 1100 for electric assist kit, plus various necessary accessories such as rain tent, seat belts, ... getting close to 3000. And then I wouldn't have a normal bicycle so add another 500 quid or so for that). For that money I could buy a car AND learn to drive.) Instead I have a 700 quid trailer and 500 quid push-bike, and now looking for e-solution.
To get back to original question, err if I were to increase my budget significantly to include the ezee sprint, would you think that should do the job? And would that be a good choice, value for money etc., at that price?
John said I might be able to get the bike with a smaller battery at a slightly reduced price so let's say I'm looking at £1300.
John said I might be able to get the bike with a smaller battery at a slightly reduced price so let's say I'm looking at £1300.
Well said, Meita;
Too many of us on here jump in with both feet - offering advice that hasn't acually been asked for.
You've obviously done the thinking & I, for one, think you're right in hoping the assist will make things considerably safer.
I cart my youngest grandaughter along the local trails in a lightweight trail buggy & sometimes both of them when the biggun gets tired of pushing her dad on the tagalong Their gran's not keen on me tugging them on the road though, 'cause I have forgotten to allow for the trailer on a couple of well-pointed-out occasions The most spectacular being when the nearside wheel ran up a drop-curb & was trundling along at a rather steep angle, with shorty leaning like a good-un, maintaining equilibrium beatifully, with that resigned "grandad'll get himself sorted inna minute" look that only a two-and-a-half-year-old can carry off.
Too many of us on here jump in with both feet - offering advice that hasn't acually been asked for.
You've obviously done the thinking & I, for one, think you're right in hoping the assist will make things considerably safer.
I cart my youngest grandaughter along the local trails in a lightweight trail buggy & sometimes both of them when the biggun gets tired of pushing her dad on the tagalong
Their gran's not keen on me tugging them on the road though, 'cause I have forgotten to allow for the trailer on a couple of well-pointed-out occasions The most spectacular being when the nearside wheel ran up a drop-curb & was trundling along at a rather steep angle, with shorty leaning like a good-un, maintaining equilibrium beatifully, with that resigned "grandad'll get himself sorted inna minute" look that only a two-and-a-half-year-old can carry off.
Meita, i have been towing my grandson for the last year with a followme attachment, and had no problems.
the only thing i would say is make sure you have either a flashing red light or a flag on a pole to get you seen.
i to tried the esee sprint and if i were to get another bike it would be that one, it,s like everyone else say,s
if it feels right it,s the bike to get.
the only thing i would say is make sure you have either a flashing red light or a flag on a pole to get you seen.
i to tried the esee sprint and if i were to get another bike it would be that one, it,s like everyone else say,s
if it feels right it,s the bike to get.
I know this is not strictly relevant, as you are asking "What electric bike for child trailer", however I have some personal experiences of this, as I tried quite a few solutions to take my son (from age of 1, now 5 y/o) cycling.
Trailer: Good for moving a child as luggage. Mrs not happy with me taking him on road. Simply fell asleep most of the time.
Rear Child Seat: We considered safer, but child not engaged in experience. Difficult to load them in/out and strap them in.
Handlebar mounted front seat: Mrs said "No Way!", only good until they are about 1 y/o.
Trailing his bike with a Trailgator: He's starting to get into this idea, but its a bit cumbersome.
Front facing jockey seat along top tube: Out of all of these things, the one that has been most successful for us(by a long way). From about 3 y/o.
The advantages for us are:
Child engaged in cycling experience (can ring the bell, see where were going, give hand signals, chat)
Fixes easily to any bike (my version anyway)
Easy to load them on/off while you are sitting on the bike.
Much more stability than rear seat. (weight in middle of bike, not hanging over the back)
Perception (by the child) of extra safety as they are between your arms. I know this has very little real safety benefit, but if it makes him happy.....
I constructed my own forward facing seat by and utilising the seat tube attachment and steel bracket from a rear child carrier. I added a long cushion, and some foot pegs to the down tube.
Trailer: Good for moving a child as luggage. Mrs not happy with me taking him on road. Simply fell asleep most of the time.
Rear Child Seat: We considered safer, but child not engaged in experience. Difficult to load them in/out and strap them in.
Handlebar mounted front seat: Mrs said "No Way!", only good until they are about 1 y/o.
Trailing his bike with a Trailgator: He's starting to get into this idea, but its a bit cumbersome.
Front facing jockey seat along top tube: Out of all of these things, the one that has been most successful for us(by a long way). From about 3 y/o.
The advantages for us are:
Child engaged in cycling experience (can ring the bell, see where were going, give hand signals, chat)
Fixes easily to any bike (my version anyway)
Easy to load them on/off while you are sitting on the bike.
Much more stability than rear seat. (weight in middle of bike, not hanging over the back)
Perception (by the child) of extra safety as they are between your arms. I know this has very little real safety benefit, but if it makes him happy.....
I constructed my own forward facing seat by and utilising the seat tube attachment and steel bracket from a rear child carrier. I added a long cushion, and some foot pegs to the down tube.
AFAICS this is motor vehicle law not applicable to bicycles towing cycle trailers. Online searches bring up nothing legal about trailers intended to be towed by bicycles.
I can fully understand Steve's views as the car in the UK has been seen as king. As the number (over time) of cyclists has dropped the attitudes that anything that is not a car does not deserve road space has taken hold. And too many drivers pay scant attention to anything that is not another car.
There need to be harsher penalties for drivers with such an attitude and perhaps enforced driver retraining if they are proved to be substandard.
I think that with the ever increasing transport costs there WILL be more bikes of all sorts on the road. So any extra education for drivers is long overdue.
There need to be harsher penalties for drivers with such an attitude and perhaps enforced driver retraining if they are proved to be substandard.
I think that with the ever increasing transport costs there WILL be more bikes of all sorts on the road. So any extra education for drivers is long overdue.
My perception is that motorists, spotting you have a kids' trailer on behind, invariably give you far more room & even respect, maybe: No-one Wants to be perceived as Endangering Kids.
One little modification I made to my Trail Buggy was to reorientate the warning flag to the offside, putting it into a far better line of sight for following motorists. All these buggies seem to have the mounting there, for Yoorope, & B#&&*r the Brits for being different!
A metre or so of posh string (bathroom light cord) & a mini karibiner or key-clip thingy & Bob's yer dad's brother.
Addition advantage being that the flag stick doesn't wedge itself up Gran's nostril, when she bends over the back of the buggy to check on Shorty, following one of Grandad's little adventures en route
One little modification I made to my Trail Buggy was to reorientate the warning flag to the offside, putting it into a far better line of sight for following motorists. All these buggies seem to have the mounting there, for Yoorope, & B#&&*r the Brits for being different!
A metre or so of posh string (bathroom light cord) & a mini karibiner or key-clip thingy & Bob's yer dad's brother.
Addition advantage being that the flag stick doesn't wedge itself up Gran's nostril, when she bends over the back of the buggy to check on Shorty, following one of Grandad's little adventures en route
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My perception too, and true for any kind of trailer behind bikes, which is probably why no-one has any trace of a UK accident involving a motor vehicle and a bike's child trailer.
And India, Japan, Australia and many more. In fact 75 countries in the world drive on the left, so perhaps it's the USA and Europe who are being different and awkward B#&&*rs!
.
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Jackhandy, excellent idea, I will definitely attempt something similar. In addition to the flag I attached a 'baby/child on board' thingy to the rear, like they have them in cars, after a friend who overtook me in her car when we were both on our way to swimming classes, pointed out that had she not known me, she wouldn't have immediately guessed there was a child in the trailer. And yes, I do find that cars give me lots of space, the times that I do go on to roads where there is traffic with the trailer.
Hopper_rider, I so know what you mean! Like when potholes to the side of the road are considered to be low priority and don't get fixed for ages, forcing cyclists to sway and slalom to avoid. What bugs me most is that it doesn't seem to surprise anyone to find a nursery school located at a place where there is no public transport and too far for most everyone to walk to. Because obviously everyone will be doing school run by car. Meaning the last few minutes, approaching the school, will be the most dangerous of my trip, given all the other 21 kiddies being dropped off at the same time. Usually there is maybe one car/hour on that road (quiet country lane), but at 8.55 there will be over 20 coming and going all at once... Must make sure I never run late, or some car driving mum who is also running late and hence hurrying and not paying attention might miss us.
Mike Higgins, I saw something like that (I think) at Redbridge yesterday, on a GoCycle, looked awesome. My boy is 2 1/2 so too big for front seat (you can tell the Mrs. that they are considered to be safer than the rear seats) but too small for what you describe. But in the near future perhaps? I don't see myself DIY-ing something like that, could you perhaps point me towards a commercial variation?
Hopper_rider, I so know what you mean! Like when potholes to the side of the road are considered to be low priority and don't get fixed for ages, forcing cyclists to sway and slalom to avoid. What bugs me most is that it doesn't seem to surprise anyone to find a nursery school located at a place where there is no public transport and too far for most everyone to walk to. Because obviously everyone will be doing school run by car. Meaning the last few minutes, approaching the school, will be the most dangerous of my trip, given all the other 21 kiddies being dropped off at the same time. Usually there is maybe one car/hour on that road (quiet country lane), but at 8.55 there will be over 20 coming and going all at once... Must make sure I never run late, or some car driving mum who is also running late and hence hurrying and not paying attention might miss us.
Mike Higgins, I saw something like that (I think) at Redbridge yesterday, on a GoCycle, looked awesome. My boy is 2 1/2 so too big for front seat (you can tell the Mrs. that they are considered to be safer than the rear seats) but too small for what you describe. But in the near future perhaps? I don't see myself DIY-ing something like that, could you perhaps point me towards a commercial variation?
The inspiration for me to create my own tight wad version was this:
LOCT in action 2 - YouTube
Its amazing what these guys are doing, and that boy looks to be about 3 ish.
Quite expensive though. Another cheaper option is this:
WeeRide Kangaroo Child's Bike Seat | GO Outdoors
or
Oxford Junior Top Tube Child Seat - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
...but that would not fit on my top tube without making a different bracket.
That's why I Diy'ed it the end.
Heres a pic of the prototype version. Really not hard to make at all:
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There's been quite a bit of comment about the Wee-ride over on Cyclechat forum: From memory, mostly positive.
The family cycling forum is very good for practical advice on biking kids about....
Including the bloke that regularly does 30 mph with his sprog on board - much to Everyone's horror
The family cycling forum is very good for practical advice on biking kids about....
Including the bloke that regularly does 30 mph with his sprog on board - much to Everyone's horror
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