The Chainlink

Would you ride this with your (real or hypothetical) kid?


My inner jury are still out on this one.

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Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on June 22, 2009 at 8:49pm
"Check it, girlfriend! I'm soooo hip!"

o0_dan_0o said:
that kid looked big enough to walk around in the store, maybe with a leash or something..

if that video was any longer i would have killed myself (mainly due to the soundtrack and horribly contrived pandering)

woo woo, a new fangled mechanical contraption to make life easier for the upscale mummy who cant be slowed down by untethered children..

someones gonna eat it up for sure..
Permalink Reply by Reddog (Cliff) on June 22, 2009 at 10:50pm
One could theoretically modify that contraption into a cargo bike. Or build a proper mount for a decent video camera up front.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on June 22, 2009 at 11:28pm
LOL

Eric said:
During that entire commercial I expected it to turn into a Saturday Night Live skit where the mom hits a bump and either endo's or sends the kid flying into that harbor she was riding next to...

That's a real product? HAHAHA
Permalink Reply by spacemodular on June 23, 2009 at 12:07am
Im out on this one too Dubi! My son rides his own bike at this point...

Cargo capacity is a good issue for practicality. The whole helmet safety issue - I agree with Howard. It is necessary where ever there is motorized vehicles sharing the road, but they really don't have the blunt head trauma accidents in the Netherlands that happen here. That's what happens when a car hits you at 25 + miles per hour and throws you off your bike at the street! The European bike market is totally different than the U.S./Canada market. This ad reflects that. Try bringing that thing on the Metra during rush hour. I have seen a women and her children kicked off the CTA because their stroller was too big.

Interesting but probably not right for the U.S. market without a lot of infrastructure changes.
Permalink Reply by Natalie on June 23, 2009 at 8:39am
For three grand you can get an actual bakfiets, which in addition to hauling kids (which I never do) can haul a dog, recyclables, another bicycle, an adult person, a keg of beer, all your groceries including watermelons and charcoal, a 44-pound bag of dog food, etc. It also has fenders and a dyno hub powering front and rear lights, plus a bulletproof rear rack for even more stuff.

On the other hand, it's 8 feet long and weighs 80 pounds, so it's not going on Metra or even in the basement.
Permalink Reply by Pippy Duchamp on June 23, 2009 at 12:52pm
Ok, I'm coming in a little late on this discussion, but you know that thing is going to go into the landfill as soon as that kid is big enough to ride her own bike. (in fact, isn't that kid big enough to ride her own bike??) On the other hand, I'd much rather see parents transporting their kids to school and soccer practice this way than in SUVs, like they do in my neighborhood.
The alleys are full of a steady stream of car seats around here, by the hundreds, the plastic parts of which I imagine swirling in the ocean in the North Pacific Gyre- next to my old toothbrush and umbrella handle- for eternity.
The whole message of this ad seems to be you are a good parent because you buy the correct conveyance to take your kid shopping in. This is what disturbs me about it.
Permalink Reply by Mike on June 24, 2009 at 2:56pm
Only if I get to ride in front.
Permalink Reply by Ken Gray on June 24, 2009 at 6:45pm
Just way too cool. My kids are all grown (well almost), but GRAND KIDS someday, well I'm up for that. Don't worry helmets and alert riding but... still very cool.
Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on June 24, 2009 at 8:47pm
OMG. hypothetical lauren junior would have a freaking blast on that thing! since it's a tricycle, it's gotta be a lot more stable than top tube–mounted child seats or rear rack ones. and i bet it's more fun and provides a better view for the kid than a trailer or rear seat.

i'm particularly impressed with its multi-modality! i also see its similarities to a bakfiets, and i think its increased maneuverability is a fair trade for the lack of cargo space. this stroll-a-bike contraption means you can take public transit ICE, and you can take the thing inside at night without breaking your back. i wonder if airlines would allow it without fees?

i'd want to know more about the bike/components before throwing down $3000, to be fair. i'm not wild about the idea of a single-speed (unless it's internally geared?). the QR seatpost just might allow both mom AND dad to run some errands with the kid.

i was wondering about inclement weather but, sure enough, they have sun cover and rain hood options available. the bike has fenders and an enclosed chain, which seems solid for winter. plus it's a freaking trike, which might just eliminate ice-related wipeouts.

you did seem to be worried about the safety of having a child in front of your steering tube, though. obviously riding with a kid requires extreme amounts of caution. i would not ride anywhere near the door zone, for example, and i would not ride on high-volume, high-speed streets with a child. i would probably attach some flags to the front for visibility, and i'd have a big-ass "baby on board" sign for my big ass. and helmets, obviously, but i do think the child is sufficiently restrained with the seatbelt it has.

then again, some people would prefer to put their children in cages.
Permalink Reply by dav on June 24, 2009 at 9:01pm
Where do I put the sippy cup? How many times is the kid gonna throw off the sippy cup? Where is the cargo supposed to go? If that lady buys anything at that store where is she supposed to cary it? Where does the diaper bag go? This would be a more understandable product if it were actually designed by a parent.
Permalink Reply by Lindsay on June 24, 2009 at 10:56pm
I love it. Stupid safety issues aside...If I were to hypothetically get pregnant, this would totally be on my hypothetical baby shower registry.

Best part...you could sneak your bike on Metra during fairs and festivals -- disguised as a stroller.

Brilliant.

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