Tricycle, tricycle, tricycle

22 March 2013

If you don't have a car, how do you transport a young family? Easy, says Adam Bradbury, a publications manager from London

I use a trike to get our four- and five-year old girls to school and they love it. I tracked it down via the web - I was amazed what's out there when I started to look, from the clip-on seat on the back of a standard bike to four-people machines that involve everyone peddling.

Our Danish-made Nihola has a strong steel carriage as part of the bike frame, sitting in front of the handlebars over two 20 inch wheels - so it feels robust and stable and you can see the passengers in front all the time. The girls and I test drove one at London Recumbents in Dulwich Park, then Zero Bikes, in London, tracked down a second-hand one for us. With the help of a bike loan from work I picked it up for £750 - half the list price for a new one. It's the best £750 I've ever spent.

We get to school in 30 minutes door to door, come rain, shine or snow - as opposed to 45 minutes on the bus. The girls stay cosy and dry under a rainproof canopy when the weather's bad, and when it's fine they're happy to have the breeze and be able to wave to passers-by - they get lots of smiles. They do a lot more singing on the bike than in a car or on the bus.

By making five school runs a week on the trike, using it for fetching, carrying and shopping we've reduced our car use to two or three journeys a week. So hopefully we've reduced our CO 2 output substantially. The trike is quite hard work going up hills, despite fine engineering and seven gears, but it keeps me fit, it's free to park and it can go places cars can't.

In terms of safety, London is well served for cycle lanes now and I use those when I can. Of course you have to keep your eyes open but if anything we're more visible than a standard two-wheeler, and drivers tend to give us a wider berth because of that - and the novelty value.

If you'd like more information about cycling, try Sustrans and the London Cycling Campaign.

This is an extract from Save cash & save the planet.

Looking for more bike inspiration?  

Take a look at our Bikes and Cycling ideas on Pinterest.