Riding with kids 2.0

August 10, 2012 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

One of the main justifications for buying the CETMA cargo bike last year was that my wife Irene and I planned on having a second child at some point. The CETMA would allow us to put a carseat in the box and ride with the baby at an early age.

Well that justification is about to come to fruition. Irene and I are expecting our second baby, a boy, in October.

I’ve started getting everything ready to ride with him when he arrives.

We started riding with Luci in a trailer when she was six months old, but the CETMA should make it easier to ride with our son at an earlier age.

A panel is fitted over the shade screen to keep the rain and cold air out.

When we had the box built for the CETMA, we made sure it was big enough to fit Luci on the bench seat and an infant carseat on the floor of the box. The plan is to use a seatbelt drilled into the floor to secure the carseat.

I also had a custom cover for the CETMA made by a Portland company called Blaq Designs.

I worked with Blaq to create a cover that worked both in the desert sun, winter weather and rain. The cover has a shade screen in the center to provide airflow and shade for the heat. Blaq created a removable panel that is secured by Velcro to keep water out when it is raining and prevent the cold air from blowing into the box during the winter weather.

The CETMA, carseat and cover should allow us to safely ride with our son and Luci at the same time.

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the options for riding with kids. Be on the lookout for a post about all the other options for transporting kids by bicycle on Monday.

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10 comments

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tucsonvelo

Thanks all!

Martha Retallick

A boy in October? Cool! Perhaps he and the rest of your family can join us for the Bike to Beer! ride in early November. Sorry, all of you October event fans, our finish line host is completely booked for that month. Besides, we have to wait for the newest member of the McKisson clan to arrive.

Colby

Congratulations Mike & Irene!

So, I'm thinking of a bicycle part that would make a great boy's name.

Martha Retallick

All I can think of is Bicycle Jones. Which doesn't quite jibe with the last name McKisson. I'll keep thinking.

3wheeler

zz, let us all know what you come up w/. I can't think of anything on those lines that wouldn't end up creating a scene in years to come similar to the one in the song, "A Boy Named Sue."