Biking and Kid Trailers

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by codydog2

Unfortunately Plymouth isnt the only street that does this, just wanted the OP to be aware that having a bike lane doesnt necessarily make things safer for a trailer.


Dont let the bike lane stop you from using Plymouth as a bike route! I actually feel Plymouth is one of the safest legs of my commute. The drivers are more aware of bikes than many other areas since there are so many around (many doing some interesting things like going the wrong way). I will take drivers sharing the road over a bike lane any day. Of course YMMV

I find people on Plymouth drive a little too crazy for me to want to bike there, especially around the N 7th Street/Emerson intersection, where people are doing all sorts of things to try and get around buses, whipping in and out of the liquor store, lots of speeding, etc.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to be a problem in most areas of town.

[chrisroane]

dravogadro: Thanks for recommending Xtracycle. That really has opened my eyes to other possibilities. But geez...they are expensive! Even the addon model that converts a bike to the cargo system is pricey. But it does sound like a fun project. And I like how it would grow with my kids.

[kuan]

Yes. Bike trailers are awesome. I would get a Burley instead of a Chariot these days since there is more cargo room.

Various fun spots on the perimeter of downtown are accessible by off road bicycle trail. Central Library, Metrodome, Twins Stadium, Walker, Guthrie. And although there's not a great deal for kids downtown, you can easily get anywhere with a bike trailer if you really feel the need.

[kuan]

You might also want to consider a Dutch Bike, two or three wheels, one with a cargo compartment up front. These guys have one:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...1915566445.jpg

[geneliadSouza]

I want to participate to this forum as I have some thoughts upon Bike Trailer. I don't know how to participate here. If this is the right way. I can start conversation.

[geneliadSouza]

Quick is the right way to talk or post reply?

[montymontage]

I won't bother doing that downtown. Around the lakes you'll be fine and in similar company. Downtown you'd probably annoy bus drivers and commuters; around the lakes, again, it will be the thing to do with the only threat being an occasional poorly socialized golden retriever.
On off streets of south Minneapolis, hit or miss, but hardly an outrageous affront to local propriety. Minneapolis is very family-centric. I'd simply suggest not doing that downtown for safety's sake but i might be a wimp about that.

[Meraki]

In the suburbs, there are lots of trails and you would fit right in with a chariot. We had one for a few years and used it alot. But, you need to find an area that has park\walking trails. Streets won't work with the chariot.

[pvoyd]

We used an old Burley extensively in South Minneapolis (near the VA hospital), and then in the southern suburbs (Eagan, Apple Valley, Prior Lake.) It is very enjoyable for me and a good exercise, though it is true that the utility period can be short.

I would use common sense and stick to less-trafficked areas of the city, even if there are no dedicated bike lanes, as mentioned above. Basically, if you are comfortable biking in a neighborhood without a trailer (I do not mean 30 mph lycra-clad road biking), you would likely be ok with a trailer attached.

For visibility, the Burley came with a ~5' pole with a small flag that attached to the trailer.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by pvoyd

We used an old Burley extensively in South Minneapolis (near the VA hospital), and then in the southern suburbs (Eagan, Apple Valley, Prior Lake.) It is very enjoyable for me and a good exercise, though it is true that the utility period can be short.

I would use common sense and stick to less-trafficked areas of the city, even if there are no dedicated bike lanes, as mentioned above. Basically, if you are comfortable biking in a neighborhood without a trailer (I do not mean 30 mph lycra-clad road biking), you would likely be ok with a trailer attached.

For visibility, the Burley came with a ~5' pole with a small flag that attached to the trailer.

This is solid advice. We had the 2 kiddie Charriot and used it A Lot for a four year period. Expensive equipment but the freedom and mobility were worth it!