Our workshop is based in the South, but we do offer a very
personalised service to all our customers with our fleet of vans and
qualified cycle mechanics.
If you are within the grey zone below then we are able to offer you
the ultimate personalised supportive service.
You can access our home demonstration service before you buy
and after we welcome you into our cargo bike family, you gain
exclusive access to our home servicing and warranty mechanics.
Many brands insist on a 6-10 week check to validate their warranty
and in these cases it will always be offered as part of your package
if you purchase through Kids and Family Cycles.
During the first year of warranty all costs are covered by Kids and
Family Cycles for this service including parts and fitting. This does
not include wear and tear or abuse/accidental damage.
As cargo bike specialists we keep many parts in stock and the
correct diagnostic training and tools to get your back on the road as
soon as possible. Also, as we only look after our own customers we
aim to keep response times are swift as possible.
If you are outside the grey zone, then we can always ship bikes
directly to you ready to ride and will support you through the arrival
and preparation of your bike and we will liaise with your local cytech
mechanic if ever required and cover the cost of any warranty
repairs throughout the first year and supply parts for the second.
We deliberately don’t have an online shopping facility on our
website. We pride ourselves on making sure that customers are
always delighted with their purchase, just even a little dialogue
before purchase will smooth the process to choosing exactly the
right bike. Our feedback is impressive with just one bike being
returned in 11 years.
So to start the cargo bike purchase, simply get in touch via
email/text/facebook etc and we can personally guide you through
the process of choosing the right bike and choosing just the right
accessories to keep rider and passengers always smiling.
Once you have chosen the cargo bike, we then generally ask for a
deposit to secure the order and the balance is due prior to delivery
of your amazing new cargo bike and the start of your cargo bike life.
In the cargo bike industry it is general practise to price the standard cargo bikes for just the bike and empty box, and the customer then builds up the bike to suit their chosen needs and purpose. So please do ask for a quote which stipulates what comes as standard and the pricing of all the extra accessories.
We highly recommend you test ride any bikes, especially if you are under 5ft 4” as there is nothing like how a bike feels to you to help you come to final decision. At Kids and Family Cycles we offer a unique home demonstration service to many parts of the UK which allows you to try out the bikes on your home ground, so you feel exactly how the different bikes feel on the roads and cycle paths you will be using every day. It is also very helpful if you have any tight barriers or storage issues to help work out which bike is the best fit. However, if you want to try out a wider choice, then we offer free workshop based test ride sessions. As we aim to have only one family at a time, so we can focus on your needs, we do ask you to book an approximate arrival time so we minimise overlap of families trying to hop on and off of the same bikes at the same time.
Again, if you seriously don’t know which then there is nothing like
getting in the saddle of both to experience the benefits of both and
decide for yourself.
However, with over 20 years’ experience between us, here are our
thoughts on the differences.
3 wheeler Advocates say:
- Stable from the moment you stop, so no tugging the weight of
the bike and children onto the stands as required for the 2
wheelers.
- More stable at low speed, so if you have any hills and are not
investing in e assist, then the trikes can slowly plod up the hills
with no risk of low momentum wobble. This is also very
pertinent if your route has a lot of stop start traffic, as the push
off on a 2 wheeler is the scenario where you are less stable
until you get some momentum
- Generally more space for both passengers and extra cargo
- Better road position holding with greater weight, so when my
children were young I found both 2 and 3 wheels fine, but
once they become 4+, their bigger bulk meant if they moved
the bike moved too.
- Very difficult for a car to slip stream a trike, so generally they
are given more room by other road users.
- More robust against the impact of the British weather. I rarely
thought about the weather with the trikes, but was aware more
of mud, rain, ice and wind with the 2 wheeler.
- Longevity – many trikes are designed now to allow you to
carry children up to the end of Junior school, 10/11 year olds.
In general most BOX type 2 wheelers go up to about 7/8, with
the tandems and longtails(kids on back rear rack) being a bit
longer.
- Manoeuvring the bike around when not riding is much easier,
and this is especially true around barriers. Many of the trikes
can easily weave through the barriers. Got a barrier you are
worried about, then simply ping a photo of it with any relevant
measurements and we can normally give you some guidance
on the bikes most suited.
- Generally there is more space for fitting carrying options for
babies in a cargo trike
2 Wheeler Advocates say:
- Generally faster, particularly on longer journeys.
- Feels more like a conventional bike - handles cambers more
easily.
- Able to ride faster on corners; but has a much larger turning circle,
so is less manoeuvrable than a three- wheeler.
- Quite a bit narrower, though generally 30cm longer, can therefore
fit through narrower spaces, such as a smaller gate or gaps
between cars, and be can be stored in a narrow space or even pass
through front door of house.
- If you tandem is a bicycle made for two, tandem, then the
advantage is the children/child get some exercise.
There are a huge range of accessories to allow cargo bikes to carry. If you already
own a car baby seat, we can custom fit it to most of our bikes so bring it with you when test riding.
Please be aware that many medical bodies do recommend that you
do not ride with a baby until their neck muscles can support their
head( approx. 5/6 months). Although in cities like Copenhagen and
Amsterdam these bikes are the family car in almost 25% of families
so many needed to carry young babies which is why many brands
offer ways to carry them. However, the choice of whether to ride
with a baby under 5/6 months must be yours. If you decide to ride
with a baby then stick to smooth roads and avoid potholes and
always use a recommended baby carrying option.
All the quality cargo bikes we stock offer a good level of protection
with impact resistant materials and frames used to minimise any
impact. We are not aware of any deaths from the models of cargo
bikes we sell.
Cargo bikes are meant to be ridden with control and patience, they
are not racing machines. Keep your speed down especially around
sharp corners.
As these bikes command their position on the road, many families
agree that they feel safer than a normal 2 wheeled bike as the cars
rarely slipstream them and have to go around them.
Within the cabins always use the safety harnesses provided just in
case an emergency stop is needed and we recommend helmets
should be worn by all for another level of protection. Lights and
reflective clothing also helps.
If you are not sure then don’t hesitate to get a test ride as cargo bikes do ride differently.
Here are a few thoughts about some help:
1) Cycle to work schemes can help with spreading the cost over
a period of time and also with some tax savings too. Ask you
cycle to work lead for more information on the advantages and
savings for you.
2) If you are a business and it is an e cargo bike you are
interested in purchasing then the government has just
launched a scheme for part free funding. Do ask us more.
3) If you are a family which could have access to grants, then
ask for our leaflet for some support from family and disability
charities.
Pedal assist has many advantages as it truly allows the cargo bike to become a more viable replacement for a car. It also makes the cargo bike a solution even in hilly areas. Some motors are better than others so do ask to make sure you get the right one. Finally it allows you to keep up with the traffic more and makes turning right at junctions more predictable and safer. However, if are in reasonably good physical condition, many areas which are flatter do not need to have pedal assist and it does mean the rider gets much fitter with a non-electric cargo bike.
Lead times do vary between models but most are between 2-6 weeks. Next day delivery is possible if the bikes are in stock.
Fortunately many of the cargo bikes we stock were designed for
outdoor living. Just make sure you don’t skimp on the outdoor cover
as they really make a difference to the longevity of the bike parts
and any wooden box parts. We have many different outdoor covers
available which we can send you a summary of these with prices.
At Kids and Family Cycles, we always include a FREE rear wheel lock
which is great to keep the bike stationary and also when the bike is in
sight and near you. BUT, if the bike is out of sight or overnight, you really
need to think about making it much more difficult for the thieves to pick
on your bike
Reassuringly, despite selling many cargo bikes all over the UK, we have
only had 3 customer’s bike stolen in 11 years now, and as they used the
right locks correctly, the insurance companies paid out promptly for a
replacement bike.
We recommend the following options:
1) If you don’t want to lug around a heavy lock when you are out and
about, then the Masterlock D lock with extension cable if the
perfect solution to be sure that you can always lock it to a static
object as required by most insurance companies. £49
2) If you want to be safer overnight, then attach the lock above AND
a motorcycle chain lock, which needs to be GOLD SECURE rating
and approved by your insurance company.
At Kids and Family Cycles we like the following:
Kryptonite fahgettaboudit lock – longer 150cm version , which gives you
enough length to make securing at night easy and not a wrestling match
to get it through the frame and around something static. – SRP £169
OR, if you want something that
alerts you to your bike being
tampered with you can add a
sonic alarm.
Lock and alarm - £169
http://www.oxfordproducts.com/motorcycle/brands/oxford/security/disc_l
ocks_and_padlocks/bossalarm_12mm_chain_lock_2mtr/
Alarm only : £89
So we are confident of their history and can service most of them before they start their new life, we only assist our customers to sell on their bikes as part of our ultimate customer service offerings and we charge a small percentage of the sell to put you in touch with a new owner. Drop me an email if you would like more information or photos of any currently available.