Before any parent bikes to school, daycare or playground, the first question is, “What sort of bike setup do we need?” SF Bicycle Coalition’s free Family Biking Guide is a great place to start. Another great resource is Vie Bikes, who helped us pull together this abbreviated overview of family biking gear.
On a budget: Second-hand child seats, used Family Bikes and DIY
You can set up your own family bike by adding child seats to your everyday bike. Children grow fast, so second-hand family biking gear may be available on craigslist or Vie Bikes’ Used Bikes section.
Bigger investment, great value: Family Bikes
Bike shops and sporting goods retailers sell a variety of child seats for babies nine months and older: look for a store in the SF Bicycle Coalition’s Discount Partner Program. Vie Bikes has a variety of Family Bikes brands and models, and will let you test ride bikes for up to a week. Vie even delivers bikes to your door for test rides.
The Bullitt: A popular luxury front carrier choice for San Francisco.
Luxury Picks (often with financing available)
Front-carrier or bucket bikes are popular in Europe and are catching on in San Francisco, providing means for carrying plenty of children and gear. An electric assist is a must for bigger luxury bikes, if you plan to bike on hills.
The Best Deal
Enter the SF Bike & Roll to School Week raffle for a chance to win a free Yuba Spicy Curry Family Bike with electric assist! Thanks again to Vie Bikes, along with Yuba Bicycles, for providing this donation, and for the great support they provide to biking families through online resources, consultations and great family bikes to try and buy.
