The addition of a second kid to an American family frequently leads to the addition of a larger car. Indeed we wondered how we could continue using bicycles as our primary mode of transportation with the addition of Henry to our family. With Theo, once his neck could handle it, we strapped a car seat into a Burley trailer to get him around with us. Although a Burley can carry two kids, it can't carry two kids and a car seat, let alone groceries. Like so many American bike things, it is designed more for recreation than transportation.Traveling to Copenhagen in 2005 to visit Hillary's sister, Polly, and her husband Camron, opened our eyes to a city alive with bikes being used for transportation. It was absolutely amazing. Mamas and papas biking their kids everywhere on cool trikes of various designs, postal carriers on custom bikes, electric bikes, "posterbikes", etc. Check out the slide show to the right for pictures of bikes from our trip. If I remember correctly, about 80% of the population in Copenhagen uses a bike. Bikes are for transportation - no Spandex - people ride to work in their work clothes. One of my favorite shots is the woman in the business suit and high heels waiting at the red light.
With the birth of Polly and Camron's first daughter they bought a Nihola transport bike to get around during their year in Copenhagen. In the slideshow there is a picture of Hillary riding it. Interested in bringing these great bikes back to America, they also bought a Winther Kangaroo. Not needing two Danish transport bikes, they generously offered our expanded family the Kangaroo, which we affectionately call "Roo".
The Roo has been a wonderful addition to the family. Hillary felt liberated as she could take both kids with her wherever she went. Henry's car seat straps in securely leaving plenty of space for Theo. Theo can climb right in and sit down on his own. He loves looking out of his own zip-down window. With the kids up front, a strong metal frame supporting the pod, and a heavy molded plastic base it feels much safer than riding with kids in a trailer. You can also easily see the kids and hold a conversation. There is plenty of head room for years of growth. We look forward to sharing more Roo adventures! For another family's Kangaroo adventures in hilly Scotland check out Musings from a Stonehead.
Love the Kangaroo! You have a very nice extended family to give you such a nice bike! Out of curiosity, if your family had offered you either the Nihola or the Kangaroo - would you have picked the Kangaroo? Also, can you tell me how you shipped it to America, did you take it on the plane? And, last but not least, what anti-theft measures do you take with Roo? I think it is super cool that you and your family are such active bikers! I hope I can soon do the same with my little ones...
ReplyDeleteSame poster as above - I would love to talk to about more about the Kangaroo - we are planning a trip to Denmark and really want to bring it back with us - but I need your expertise - my email is ale_grace@hotmail.com - I really look forward to talking with you
ReplyDeleteYes, we do have a very generous extended family. Winther vs. Nihola - good question. If we had a choice between the Nihola and Winther, we would choose the Winther. Before saying why we would choose the Winther, I will admit that the steering mechanism of the Nihola is far superior. Its wheels are independent of the front pod and the steering feels more stable. With the Winther, the pod and wheels turn as a unit. The steering just doesn't feel quite as stable. For instance when you are pedaling, you feel the pod try to turn slightly in response. You get used to it in the end. The newer Kangaroos allow you to adjust the steering, which may make up for this shortfall.
ReplyDeleteSo why the Kangaroo? It has a lot more space and compartments to fit two kids comfortably in two nice seats. There is room at their feet to put some bags or toys. We can even fit our new puppy at their feet! And then there is a compartment beind the seats to put groceries, etc. In addition the canopy has more head room than the Nihola and is very weatherproof. As we head into a Minnesota winter, this is very good. If you don't need so much space, the Nihola is probably a better choice.
Shipping to the US: My brother-in-law and sister-in-law sent it in a shipping container (by boat) along with their other stuff from a year living in Denmark.
Anti-theft measures: It comes with the classic European wheel lock that simply keeps the rear wheel from spinning. Ok for a quick stop. To be more secure we lock it with a Kryptonite U-lock. We store it in our garage, locked to a heavy table. We don't leave it parked anywhere for longer than a 6-8 hours.