I've been meaning to post this ode to the new ideal for city family transportation, the cargo bike, but it's been stuck on my other computer.
No word on how a cargo bike fares with 100-degree heat or 3rd floor walkups--or any kind of parking, for that matter--but I'm sure those niggling details melt away every time your kid waves at the stunned cab drivers you pass by in traffic.
Spokes | Hauling Cargo, No Car Necessary [nyt's spokes blog via dt reader daniel]
or bike theft, or vandalism :((
Greg,
Been riding a cargo bike (Surly Big Dummy/Xtracycle) for over a year now in DC traffic, much of the time with my two young boys on the back. Since it only has two wheels, the bike is a little different from some of the three-wheeled cargo bikes in the article. However, like any cargo bike, its pretty heavy.
I just got back from a 2+ mile errand at lunch, it's 92 degrees outside and I'm wearing dress clothes (shirt and tie). I didn't have my kids at the time, but the ride was very bearable.
I agree that it's a kid-pleaser (both for my kids as well as others we meet), but you're wrong about the parking.
Unlike driving my kids there with a car, I don't have to worry at all about finding a parking spot close to the destination. You can usually lock it up to a pole right outside the front door.
I wonder how long that lasts when a fleet of Bakfiets is clogging up the sidewalk?
If they become that popular they'll get their own spots. (Japanese bike parking area anyone?)