This is a follow-up to my "Jogging Stroller" question, where I got some great tips. I purchased a Thule and can't wait until the little guy is big enough to go on runs with me.
What are your thoughts on cycling with kids -- I'm talking taking them on longer rides/workouts more so than commuting to kindergarden (though I do suppose that's a question I'll tackle eventually)? I have two lines of questioning:
1) Is it safe? I live in San Francisco and do most of my training in Marin Headlands where there is still a fair amount of car traffic as well as some steep hills where I regularly hit 40 mph. It's one thing if I get hit by a car, but I'd never forgive myself if my crazy hobby maimed our son. I also suspect that baby-seats, chariots, and cargo seats make a bike handle worse, so I wonder if that compounds the dangers (being unable to maneuver out of the way) despite them being more visible. Are there precautions you take here?
2) For those who do ride with their kids, what equipment works best? The most versatile option that would allow me to train on my current bikes and also use for runs seems to be a chariot. But I don't know how practical that is unless we drive outside of the city. There are of course the little seats at attach to the back of the bike which is how my dad got me around. Are the bikes (perhaps slightly further down the line) that are more like tandems, but where my son could ride up front (and pedal in an easier gear, if at all) and I could drive/steer while doing 90% of the pedaling in back?
3) What kind of riding works best? With the jogging stroller, seems like I could do almost everything expect fastest paced interval training for duration based on what son will tolerate (which I expect might increase over time)? But what about riding? Can you get "real" training rides in, or is cycling with the kids more about "fun" or best case some easy base miles, vs longer structured workouts. I suppose the added mass might increase the difficulty quite a bit.
What are your thoughts on cycling with kids -- I'm talking taking them on longer rides/workouts more so than commuting to kindergarden (though I do suppose that's a question I'll tackle eventually)? I have two lines of questioning:
1) Is it safe? I live in San Francisco and do most of my training in Marin Headlands where there is still a fair amount of car traffic as well as some steep hills where I regularly hit 40 mph. It's one thing if I get hit by a car, but I'd never forgive myself if my crazy hobby maimed our son. I also suspect that baby-seats, chariots, and cargo seats make a bike handle worse, so I wonder if that compounds the dangers (being unable to maneuver out of the way) despite them being more visible. Are there precautions you take here?
2) For those who do ride with their kids, what equipment works best? The most versatile option that would allow me to train on my current bikes and also use for runs seems to be a chariot. But I don't know how practical that is unless we drive outside of the city. There are of course the little seats at attach to the back of the bike which is how my dad got me around. Are the bikes (perhaps slightly further down the line) that are more like tandems, but where my son could ride up front (and pedal in an easier gear, if at all) and I could drive/steer while doing 90% of the pedaling in back?
3) What kind of riding works best? With the jogging stroller, seems like I could do almost everything expect fastest paced interval training for duration based on what son will tolerate (which I expect might increase over time)? But what about riding? Can you get "real" training rides in, or is cycling with the kids more about "fun" or best case some easy base miles, vs longer structured workouts. I suppose the added mass might increase the difficulty quite a bit.