Hello there,
I'm trying to pick a bike that could get me (5.2ft 62kg F) and my toddler (11 kgs, 2yo, on a rack seat) up double digit inclines. Childcare and work are on my doorstep so we only need the bike for leisure trips, playgrounds and running some light errands, but the problem is that to get to all those places we need to tackle some very steep hills -- anything up to 22% incline. So while overall I don't need that much cargo capacity (the standard 25 kg rack is plenty at the moment) I do need lots of power. The bike also needs to be stable and have good breaks. Oh, and I don't like a trailer -- we have very little storage space in our home/garden.
Now all of internet seems to think that parents should get a cargo bike, but I tried a Tern GSD and decided it's a bit of an overkill (too heavy!). I liked the Tern HSD more but I would need to dish out 5.5 k on one with a Performance Line engine and in all honesty I would much prefer a Performance CX or Cargo Line engine for my hills. I also considered the Benno Boost and Multicharger but they are not fully step through and that's a big minus.
All this made me think -- do I really need a cargo bike for traveling with my tiny toddler? We're not planning a second child. My son's weight is predicted to increase to 15kg in the next 2 years. That's still doable with a standard rack & seat, so I'm now considering buying a hybrid with Performance CX engine and using it until we outgrow it in 2-3 years. Coincidentally the cycle to work scheme with my employer is only for 2 (rather than 4) years.
Does buying a hybrid for now sound like a bad idea to cargo bikers? What would be the reasons to start using a cargo bike straightaway, given my case and requirements?
Many thanks for your input,
I'm trying to pick a bike that could get me (5.2ft 62kg F) and my toddler (11 kgs, 2yo, on a rack seat) up double digit inclines. Childcare and work are on my doorstep so we only need the bike for leisure trips, playgrounds and running some light errands, but the problem is that to get to all those places we need to tackle some very steep hills -- anything up to 22% incline. So while overall I don't need that much cargo capacity (the standard 25 kg rack is plenty at the moment) I do need lots of power. The bike also needs to be stable and have good breaks. Oh, and I don't like a trailer -- we have very little storage space in our home/garden.
Now all of internet seems to think that parents should get a cargo bike, but I tried a Tern GSD and decided it's a bit of an overkill (too heavy!). I liked the Tern HSD more but I would need to dish out 5.5 k on one with a Performance Line engine and in all honesty I would much prefer a Performance CX or Cargo Line engine for my hills. I also considered the Benno Boost and Multicharger but they are not fully step through and that's a big minus.
All this made me think -- do I really need a cargo bike for traveling with my tiny toddler? We're not planning a second child. My son's weight is predicted to increase to 15kg in the next 2 years. That's still doable with a standard rack & seat, so I'm now considering buying a hybrid with Performance CX engine and using it until we outgrow it in 2-3 years. Coincidentally the cycle to work scheme with my employer is only for 2 (rather than 4) years.
Does buying a hybrid for now sound like a bad idea to cargo bikers? What would be the reasons to start using a cargo bike straightaway, given my case and requirements?
Many thanks for your input,
