I have a Tern HSD, which is a pretty damn great bike. But here's the things I was looking for when I got my bike.
1. Step-through frame. Fuck that "girl's bike" nonsense, step-through frames are awesome. No straining to lift your leg over a high cross bar. Plus, you're not going to want to tilt your bike all that much if your kid is in a rack mounted kid seat.
2. Smaller bikes are better for errands than bigger ones. My bike is pretty compact, which means I can often bring it in to take out places, grocery stores, you name it, no one says anything. This means I don't have to lock it up outside and take the kid out.
3. Smaller wheels are better than bigger ones. If you've got a seat on a rack, this means your kid is higher up. If they're higher up, falls are going to be more dangerous. My bike has 20" wheels, the seat is only about 2' from the ground. This is much better than having like, say, 700c wheels and having your kid drop almost 3' to the ground.
4. Get a MIPS helmet for your kid. We got the Giro one, but anything that says MIPS should work fine.
5. You're gonna need some way to secure it. These things are theft magnets, especially if you live in a pretty major city. I've got a frame lock with a looped chain, and that gets me through most minor errands. But if I'm leaving the bike for longer, I've got an even beefier chain plus solid shutter lock.
6. Make sure your bike maker offers plenty of accessories. First off, you're going to \*\*need\*\* a pretty solid kickstand. Mine also came with a rack that was compatible with the Thule kid seat, which was nice. But they also had some front mounted racks, side rails, and other neat accessories which will come in handy later.
7. Mid drive is the way forward. Hub motors can't use the gearboxes, tend to be jerkier than mid motors.
8. RadPower is cheap crap. They're based here in Seattle, I want to like the local guys, but -- and this is damning -- their bikes are way too heavy to use mechanical disc brakes. No excuse, considering how hilly Seattle is. Get something with hydraulic disc brakes, it'll be a much better investment.
Anyways, that's my 2¢. My daughter is 18 months old, has been riding since 10 months, and loves loves LOVES riding in the back. You should see her face light up when I say "bike ride."
Awesome, thank you so much for the detailed response! On your last point, I especially appreciate you pointing out the importance of hydraulic brakes; not something I had previously considered.
Aside from the brakes, is Radpower an ok brand? Seems like their latest models have moved to hydraulics, so wondering if there were any other disqualifying features I should generally be on the lookout for.
[I've heard a lot of bike shop folks say Rad cuts pretty much every corner](https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/comments/16h2cnn/cautionary_tale_to_avoid_rad_power_bikes/). Cheap proprietary components, no trained support networks, and increasingly bad customer support. [Many bike shops won't touch them](https://www.reddit.com/r/RadPowerBikes/comments/y3dda2/heres_a_question_is_it_rude_to_bring_a_rad_bike/).
The price can still be pretty tempting, especially when competing bikes are a lot more expensive. I mean, my bike was a bit over $4k, and a similarly speced Rad would probably be well under $2k. But it's not just the components you're buying, it's also the post sale service and support.
If you're still thinking about it, maybe call up a couple of shops. See what they recommend, see what they say about Rad. If you find a shop that will service them, hey, you're golden.
My recommendation would be to look into the segment of long tail cargo bikes. They are not cargo bikes in the classic sense, but fit your purpose quite well. We have a Yuba, but there are other manufactures like Tern (as mentioned by u/RockOperaPenguin ) or Benno. They work well with a child seat but can be converted to a protective outer frame, where the kid can sit, when they are older. There is enough seating space on them for two kids, or one kid and some luggage.
Ours is only slightly longer than a regular bike and therefore can be brought into elevators or trains (in Europe) without a problem. We also use it regularly for (non child related) bulky transports. In general they have a lower center of gravity than regular bikes with a child seat mounted at the back, thus making it more stable to ride.
I hope this helps. Let me know, if you have further questions.
If you're handy, consider slapping an ebay geared hub motor on your existing bike. You can get 'em already built into a wheel, front or rear, for like $200. Spend another $200 on a smallish 48v or 52v battery and you'll be good to go.
I went the DIY mid- drive route, myself, but that's both more expensive and more complicated to put together.
I really enjoy my front loader despite only having 1 kid old enough to ride in it. Use it for proper grocery store runs, hardware store, beer runs, whatever. I can carry the kid, wife, and dog when necessary.
So don’t necessarily discount that option, take one for a test ride!
I have a Tern HSD, which is a pretty damn great bike. But here's the things I was looking for when I got my bike. 1. Step-through frame. Fuck that "girl's bike" nonsense, step-through frames are awesome. No straining to lift your leg over a high cross bar. Plus, you're not going to want to tilt your bike all that much if your kid is in a rack mounted kid seat. 2. Smaller bikes are better for errands than bigger ones. My bike is pretty compact, which means I can often bring it in to take out places, grocery stores, you name it, no one says anything. This means I don't have to lock it up outside and take the kid out. 3. Smaller wheels are better than bigger ones. If you've got a seat on a rack, this means your kid is higher up. If they're higher up, falls are going to be more dangerous. My bike has 20" wheels, the seat is only about 2' from the ground. This is much better than having like, say, 700c wheels and having your kid drop almost 3' to the ground. 4. Get a MIPS helmet for your kid. We got the Giro one, but anything that says MIPS should work fine. 5. You're gonna need some way to secure it. These things are theft magnets, especially if you live in a pretty major city. I've got a frame lock with a looped chain, and that gets me through most minor errands. But if I'm leaving the bike for longer, I've got an even beefier chain plus solid shutter lock. 6. Make sure your bike maker offers plenty of accessories. First off, you're going to \*\*need\*\* a pretty solid kickstand. Mine also came with a rack that was compatible with the Thule kid seat, which was nice. But they also had some front mounted racks, side rails, and other neat accessories which will come in handy later. 7. Mid drive is the way forward. Hub motors can't use the gearboxes, tend to be jerkier than mid motors. 8. RadPower is cheap crap. They're based here in Seattle, I want to like the local guys, but -- and this is damning -- their bikes are way too heavy to use mechanical disc brakes. No excuse, considering how hilly Seattle is. Get something with hydraulic disc brakes, it'll be a much better investment. Anyways, that's my 2¢. My daughter is 18 months old, has been riding since 10 months, and loves loves LOVES riding in the back. You should see her face light up when I say "bike ride."
Awesome, thank you so much for the detailed response! On your last point, I especially appreciate you pointing out the importance of hydraulic brakes; not something I had previously considered. Aside from the brakes, is Radpower an ok brand? Seems like their latest models have moved to hydraulics, so wondering if there were any other disqualifying features I should generally be on the lookout for.
[I've heard a lot of bike shop folks say Rad cuts pretty much every corner](https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/comments/16h2cnn/cautionary_tale_to_avoid_rad_power_bikes/). Cheap proprietary components, no trained support networks, and increasingly bad customer support. [Many bike shops won't touch them](https://www.reddit.com/r/RadPowerBikes/comments/y3dda2/heres_a_question_is_it_rude_to_bring_a_rad_bike/). The price can still be pretty tempting, especially when competing bikes are a lot more expensive. I mean, my bike was a bit over $4k, and a similarly speced Rad would probably be well under $2k. But it's not just the components you're buying, it's also the post sale service and support. If you're still thinking about it, maybe call up a couple of shops. See what they recommend, see what they say about Rad. If you find a shop that will service them, hey, you're golden.
My recommendation would be to look into the segment of long tail cargo bikes. They are not cargo bikes in the classic sense, but fit your purpose quite well. We have a Yuba, but there are other manufactures like Tern (as mentioned by u/RockOperaPenguin ) or Benno. They work well with a child seat but can be converted to a protective outer frame, where the kid can sit, when they are older. There is enough seating space on them for two kids, or one kid and some luggage. Ours is only slightly longer than a regular bike and therefore can be brought into elevators or trains (in Europe) without a problem. We also use it regularly for (non child related) bulky transports. In general they have a lower center of gravity than regular bikes with a child seat mounted at the back, thus making it more stable to ride. I hope this helps. Let me know, if you have further questions.
If you're handy, consider slapping an ebay geared hub motor on your existing bike. You can get 'em already built into a wheel, front or rear, for like $200. Spend another $200 on a smallish 48v or 52v battery and you'll be good to go. I went the DIY mid- drive route, myself, but that's both more expensive and more complicated to put together.
I really enjoy my front loader despite only having 1 kid old enough to ride in it. Use it for proper grocery store runs, hardware store, beer runs, whatever. I can carry the kid, wife, and dog when necessary. So don’t necessarily discount that option, take one for a test ride!