Tag Archives: Tag-Along

EyeCycled around Bracknell with my kids

How many of you, reading this post, have kids? If you do, perhaps this post will resonate with you.

One of the most difficult things for me, when my kids are staying with me, is to get them outdoors. By that I mean, to get them to do an outdoor activity like going out for a bike ride. If it is not going out for shopping or for a nice meal, all they want to do is to stay home and interact with their “screens” (Tables, Smartphones, PlayStation, TV, etc.).

It had been a while since I had a bike ride with them and today was such a nice day that I had to “put the foot down” (whoever watched “Inside out” with their kids will remember this). Well, in my case, “put my foot down” was followed by a bribe… the promise of a nice meal in one of our local pubs, the Peacock Farm, which they love (food is really great).

I guess cyclist parents want their kids to like their sport of choice, as much as football or rugby parents want their kids to like theirs. The competition with the screen is tough though, but there is nothing that a bribe won‘t get you these days with them. We thought them, perhaps, too well to negotiate in their favour.

Nevertheless it was a great day out… sunny and colourful. Hope you enjoy the video.

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Thanks for watching!

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Prudential RideLondon 2015, Part 2 - Free Cycle Day

As promised here is the “Part 2” of the Prudential RideLondon which I did with my two sons on August 1st.

If you didn´t see part 1, click here.

It´s essentially the way back to Buckingham Palace from the Guerkin with a stop at the Leadenhall Market (which is close to the Guerkin), for some food. The ride back was much faster as there were not as many cyclists on the streets by that point.

The only edits made to the video were parts in which we took the wrong way for a moment and when we were stationary. Everything else is as it was on the day. Video is 33 min long, so feel free to jump around if you don´t want to see everything.

Unfortunately, we didn´t get to ride the part along the Thames as we were quite late and our ride home was already waiting for us. Something for 2016…

About one hour later we were back home, in Bracknell, and then watched on TV the professional woman cyclists ride this same route (or a part of it) and that was cool.

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Prudential RideLondon 2015, Part 1 - Free Cycle Day.

Hey,

this is the 1st part, of 2, of the Prudential Ride London ride I did with my 2 sons on the 1st of August 2015.

What a party! 70,000 people riding bicycles on the streets of one of the busiest capitals of the world. It´s a rare opportunity to see a “calm” and safe for cyclists London. Things are definitely improving…

Before you watch the video you need to know a few things…

  • This is the 1st part of the ride, from Hyde Park Corner were we started to “the Guerkin” building in the city.
  • This is the FULL video! I only cut out the parts we were stationary, as these wouldn´t add any value anyway…
  • Still this video is 49 minutes long.
  • No need to comment it is TOO long. I know. Feel free to jump around.
  • I will produce a PART 2, which shows the way back to Buckingham Palace. It will not be as long as this one as the streets were more empty, but it will still be long for YouTube standards.
  • If I have the time I will then produce a shorter 5 to 10 min video with the best moments of the ride (this is NOT a promise though).

So, here it is… Enjoy!

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EyeCycled in a Tag-Along Bike

Bike ride with my Children…

I´ve put this short video together for those Mums and Dads with children transitioning from 12″ or 14″ bikes (balance bikes or bikes with training wheels) to bigger 20″ wheels.

A Tag-Along (or sometimes referred as a “Tag-a-long”) bike has some PROS and some CONS, but I think the PROS outweigh the CONS.

PROS:

  • Parents can safely ride with their kids at higher speeds than they would be able to if the kids were on their own bikes (mind you higher, not “high”).
  • Allows older children to be towed on longer journeys.
  • Aids child fitness levels (assuming they pedal! Keep motivating them)
  • Child can pedal as much or as little as they like. Depending on age they can tire pretty quickly.
  • Harder workout for the parent. Fit parents are an example for their children.

 CONS:

  • Child cannot ride independently.
  • May take longer to develop balance and they may get dependent on the parent (may not want to learn how to ride on their own)
  • Generally only available with a 20″ diameter rear wheel.
  • Cannot be used at the same time as a rear mounted baby seat, so may be a 1 child solution only, but depending on the age of the 2nd child a Kangaroo seat can be an option if you have children with significant age differences.
  • Parents need to be careful as movement by the children may cause a wobble that can throw the parent off-balance.

Click here for my earlier post (review) about the Adventure Echo Six Tag-Along bike

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Adventure Echo Six Tag-Along Bicycle. Half a bike, but double the fun.

 

Adventure Echo Six Tagalong Bike
Adventure Echo Six Tag-Along Bike (Stock Photo)

Don´t expect this to be a technical article about the bike. You can search Google for that and will find plenty of information (or you can click here), much more than my very limited technical knowledge can cover on it or any other bike, as a matter of fact.

This goes to all the Moms and Dads who have small kids that have outgrown their bicycle seats. After a very successful couple of years using the Wee Ride Kangaroo seat, somehow my youngest managed to outgrow it in what it seemed from one day to another (of course not). Fact is the seat was too small and although he has a junior 12″ bike with training wheels, it would not be fun to ride alongside him on that.

Adventure Echo Six Tagalong Bike
Me and my son on his Adventure Echo Six Tag along Bike.

I was looking for something we could ride together and at a pace that would be safe to him, but not boring to me. I thought it would be a nice way to enjoy time with him and perhaps make him enjoy bike riding.

Tag-Along bikes are simple by design and don´t change much. The nice thing about this particular model is the 6 speed Shimano gears that helps children understand gearing at an early age and the fact that it has a foldable design, making it easier to fit in a car or in the shed.

The video below is the eternal footage of his very first ride on a bike without training wheels. By the nature of the internet, I wonder if this would be still available by the time he has kids of his own and if he would thank me for putting this online 🙂

A tag-along is a safe and great way for Mums and Dads to spend quality time with their children on a bike.

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