Getting Around: Baby-Friendly Biking

Although I've never been a "serious biker," I have enjoyed periods of my life when I commuted either to school, to work, or on errands by bicycle. Here in Cincinnati, the downtown business district is easily navigable by bicycle (although the area surrounding downtown is riddled with hills that, I'll admit, I have dared not climb).

I would like to resurrect the bike-riding part of myself, but there is one problem: a nine-month old baby.

I've been told that I'm crazy to think of letting my baby anywhere near my bicycle, let alone let him ride along with me. Still, I can't help but fantasize about strapping him in a little bike seat and pedaling down the block for a cup of coffee or to the library--it seems a bit more efficient than walking with a stroller. Heck! I could pedal that thing clear across the river if I wanted to!

In many other parts of the world, family bicycling is not only acceptable, but it's perfectly normal. A quick Google search online yields an amazing array of family bikes, some homemade from unlikely and *gasp* possibly unsafe materials and others fancy, special-order types that cost as much as a cheap car. I'm interested in what other people have discovered as the best option for commuting by bike with a child who is too young to pedal along.

Have you seen or used any of the products pictured below?
Do you "serious" riders have any suggestions for those of us who are ready to get back on a bike?

Most of us are familiar with traditional rear-mounted bike seats, but I've recently discovered the front-mounted variety which seem to make a lot more sense to me: the iBert Safe-T-Seat



Another familiar product, I grew up riding behind my father in something similar to this trailer (although I think my dad made ours himself): the Burley d'lite ST




This is a front-mounted spin on the traditional rear-mount trailer: the Zigo Leader

And a cooler version of the front-mount trailer: the trioBike



And what is, perhaps, my favorite family bike option from what I've seen: the Madsen Bucket





One question, though: If I saved my pennies to buy the Madsen Bucket cycle, where would I park the darn thing? Do you think it requires a parking space? Geez...

Until I can figure out where my son and I fit into the bicycling world, I fully support making our city more bike-friendly and I try to do my part to drive with cyclists in mind. Ride on, my friends. Ride on.