A guide to family bikes

Regular bikes

• Price: $
• Capacity: low
• Agility: high

A regular, ordinary, unassisted bike is solid option for someone who wants to get themselves around plus a few everyday items – a change of clothes, laptop or a couple of grocery bags worth of food.

Carrying stuff

With a good rack (front and/or back) you can carrying a surprisingly large amount of stuff – a pretty standard front + rear rack combo will take 30-40 kg.

Kid seats can be mounted to most rear racks and carry kids up to the mid 20kg or about 6 years old.

Sweating

Riding bikes is exercise so you can expect to sweat a bit, especially if your ride involves hills, or it’s a Sydney summer day.

There are some things you can do make this less unpleasant though.

• if riding to work it helps if you’ve got showers at your workplace
• showering before riding means that even if you do sweat, you won’t smell so bad
• leaving some time to cool down when you arrive can help deal with the sweat before you have to see someone

Electric bikes

• Price: $$
• Capacity: low
• Agility: high

It sounds completely obvious, but riding an electric bike is just like riding a regular bike but with way less effort.

The power limits for ebikes in NSW are 500 watts and if all of that power goes to the pedals that’s like having an extra 2 or 3 people helping you pedal.

They can weigh a bit more than a regular bike (generally around 15-30 kg) so it’s worth considering if you need to carry it all to park securely at home.

It’s best to buy an ebike from a reputable store so you can sure they have all the certifications so you can be sure they’re safe.

Carrying stuff

The amount of stuff you can carry is still limited by the weight ratings of frames and racks, so still about 30-40 kg, but it will be a lot easier to ride with a fully laden bike.

Sweating

You won’t sweat as much as you do on an unassisted bike because less effort is required. On those hot summer’s days, though, you’ll still sweat, just as you would if you sat outside in the heat or went for an easy walk.

Long tails

• Price: $$$
• Capacity: medium
• Agility: high

Long tail bikes are a form of cargo bike. They look and ride similar to a regular bike but have a longer, reinforced rear end that can carry cargo.

They’re a good option for carrying passengers as the racks are generally rated to about 100 kg. Most can be fitted out to carry 1 adult or 2 children.

They weigh a bit more than a regular ebike (25-35 kg) so consider how this impacts your storage situation.

Front loaders

• Price: $$$$
• Capacity: high
• Agility: medium

Front loader cargo bikes have a platform in front of the rider for carrying cargo. They can generally carry more weight than a long tail but aren’t as maneuverable or easy to park. Still, they’re remarkably easy to ride especially considering how much you can carry.

The cargo space can generally carry around 100kg, but being well contained makes it ideal for younger kids who might fall asleep or pets.