Cargo Tales, Pt. 2: The Ridgway Riders

During February, we offered families from five different schools around Wellington the opportunity to take the Yuba Spicy Curry bike home for an extended test ride, to give the cargo lifestyle a go.

We thought it would be fun to share some of the stories that we received from the families who took part. We hope that these may inspire some of you who have been considering making the jump to two wheels to come in and take a bike home for an extended test ride of your own.

This episode covers the story of 'The Ridgeway Riders' and how this team of four found their time on the one bike!

In 250 words or less tell us the most important ways riding a cargobike made a positive difference to your family.

The Cargobike made school commutes and short everyday trips super fun.The children and I really enjoyed going places; the journey itself!Starting the day with a bike ride was healthy and positive; we loved the excitement of being on the bike, the sense of adventure (braving the elements! What will we see on the way?!); the fresh air (guaranteed in Wellington); the exhilaration of flying downhill (the kids' favourite – of course) and the fairly intense exercise of getting up Farnham Street with 90kg of children on the back. It was such a different experience to the staleness of driving the car, like we'd already had a lovely outing together. Driving the kids to and from school has been one of my least favourite aspects of parenting. The Cargobike changed this into something to look forward to and created a time to share with the children. I feel like we recreated one of the more positive aspects of the 80s when kids and parents tended to walk and ride to school. It felt really empowering to be doing something positive for the environment and to be sharing that with my children. I loved riding guilt-free, knowing I wasn't burning fossil fuels. And just being outside made us feel more connected to nature. Riding the Cargobike also increased our sense of connection to our local community. We were able to stop easily at the local bakery en route (Gramercy here we come!). We engaged with lots more people on our way, some who were just intrigued by the bike! Last but not least, I loved the extra exercise... and a happy Mama is good for the whole family!

Tell us a fun story from your time riding the cargobike.

Just How Much Can We Carry On One Cargobike... Imagine three children (Florence aged 7, Joseph 6 and Phoebe 8), plus their school backpacks (so 3), plus one adult (myself) with a backpack (total 4 backpacks) and one child-sized guitar. Is this even possible!? After some negotiating and trying of various options we found that yes! It is! And we made it all safely to school. Who needs a car!

What surprised you the most about riding the cargobike?

I was really surprised at how fast I could ride the cargo bike, even with three kids on the back. Knowing that I wasn't going to be holding up traffic, gave me the confidence to take on any part of Wellington, from steep streets to busy intersections. This was a liberating experience compared to riding my non cargo/e-bike where I'm very aware of being slower than the traffic and certainly avoid big hills!

In your childrens own words, how do they describe riding the cargobike.

Joseph (6) - <Doing a thumbs up> "It's good because it's so cool because I'm usually boiling! It was good and I liked it because cars are bad for the world. I would rather go to school on a bike because they don't use petrol". 

Phoebe (8) - "It was fast when we went downhill, almost like you were flying!. It was fun. I liked that the bike is good for the world. Being on it's fun because you can look at things but they’re usually a blur when you're going downhill, and that's kinda cool. You're not blocked up inside, having no roof makes you feel free! And it's comfortable because the seat is squishy." 

Any further comments or feedback regarding the trial?

I loved the versatility of the Cargobike; being able to hop on and off fast, without the need for parking. I also hitched a ride on our neighbor's Cargobike! I had just handed the trial bike over to the next family and was sans transport home when Anne arrived on her bike. It was reassuring how low to the ground and therefore stable it felt. It was amazing how the Cargobike completely replaced the family car, in fact we even misplaced the car keys and didn't even notice for a couple of days!

Thanks for your story Ridgway Riders!

If you enjoyed this post, keep an eye out and have a look on our blog using the filter 'Family Rides' because we have a bunch of other stories we have or will be releasing soon.