The weather was so fine on the weekend! I suggested to Don that we give the Madsen a spin so we could see how Dexter fares in it now that he's bigger and stronger. Last time he rode in it was in the fall and his helmet was horribly wobbly and he had a lot of conflicting feelings about the whole outing.
Now that he is a little older, he seems to be cool with wearing his head shell.
It's still huge on him, but at least it doesn't just slide backwards and off his head like before.
As you can see, Dexter is clearly ready to rock as a Madsen passenger .
Off we go!
We decided to spin around our neighbourhood.
Dexter was in fine spirits.
I even took the bike off a few curbs and purposely rolled over some pot holes to see how Madsen would fare... both Dexter and the bike were fine.
Then we swapped off so I could be the photographer and Don could have a go with the bucket.
Dougal was being very bad and tugging, so I told Don he needed to be responsible for both little d and stinky d.
Dexter loves his bucket bike!
He seems to be sturdy enough to enjoy the bumps and open air now, whereas he seemed quite dubious last fall. Now that Dexter is so happy in the bucket I'm really looking forward to taking it to the farmer's market this summer so that Dougal can join us as well. When we go via train we're not permitted to bring the dog:(
Here is Dexter after his ride, enjoying the sunset while we talk to our neighbours!
Now, the one thing I am going to complain about with the Madsen is that I HATE the saddle. It's so awful that I wonder what the point is of selling the bike with that saddle at all. Without getting into too many details, let's just say that saddle + Miss Sarah's bum is a highly uncomfortable combination. UGH! I can't wait until we change it out.
Don, on the other hand, doesn't seem to think it's nearly as bad. Maybe it's nicer to boy bums than girl bums?
After this ride, Don used the Madsen the next day to take Dexter to the park. Worked like a charm. He rides around with Dougal so that the dog can have a nice run, then afterwards they all roll over to the park and play. Faster than taking the stroller! And fun for the kids to take turns sitting in too. I like the kickstand on the Madsen because people can climb all over it without the thing tipping over.
Yay for cargo bikes and biking as a family!
10 comments:
Sweet! Dexter looks so happy!!!
Coincidentally Dom has had his first couple of longish rides in the "bike backseat", as he calls it - the Bobike Junior that we special-ordered through Redbike and had them install on the back of a 26"-wheel Raleigh-built roadster. He LOVES it. I'd definitely recommend this option for carrying a kid that's too big for a standard baby seat and not quite big enough to keep up on their own bike.
that madsen bike thing is the coolest family oriented transport item i've ever seen :) I like it better than the bike trailers that seal away your child in a little plastic bag type thing.
way to go supermom!
Deb - Yeah! I was thinking of a Bobike for little d, but in the end I want to haul two kids one day (potentially infant + young child) and thought a cargo bike was more my thing. Also, I am lazy and like to chuck my purse and groceries in the back. Totally a minivan style bike!
Adhd - The trailer is good for when the baby is too small to handle sitting on the bench with just the waist strap. And it's good for when it's too rainy or windy and you don't have to buy a "new" bike to ride. But I love the cargo and up-to-four kids option of the Madsen. That way I can take Dexter and his friends to school and show parents that I can be a good and caring mom without needing to drive my kid everywhere.
If you ever decide to get your sweet little man a new head shell, you might like Giro's infant/toddler helmet. My son is two (with a head in about the 60th percentile), and he's been wearing his Giro since he was about 9 months old. It adjusts easily down to fit his summer haircut, and then adjusts back up again to handle his toque in toboganning season with zero wobble. We bought ours at Western Cycle.
First of many I hope! Looks like fun for the whole family. :) Dexter is getting so big!
YAY! The Madsen is back and Dexter looks like he is all for it. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Desi - Ooo, I'll have to go check that out! perhaps it would be nice to have a smaller one for the next baby (not pregnant yet). How did you get around with 9 mo baby on bike? Chariot? I'm curious:)
Dexter's head is... 20th percentile. So maybe it's not the helmet and it's just him!
Trisha - Baby D is huge. My little man.
sara - Thanks thanks! I can't wait until his friends beg me for rides and hopefully I will become known as the cool mom.
This is so awesome! I love that you can include Dougal too and the whole family can travel by bike. I only wish our dog were as cooperative. It promises to be a good summer for you guys!
S.
Congrats on the Madsen,and all the fun your little family will have in it!
Our Madsen has the "Dutch Upgrade" with a Brooks B67. Certainly a good option. Is that what's on your Pashley?
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