This text is a part of a sequence referred to as ‘A love letter to…’, the place Biking Weekly writers pour reward on their favorite biking gadgets (or, individuals) and share the private connection they’ve with them.
The beneath content material is unfiltered, genuine and has not been paid for.
This Christmas, Santa delivered a vibrant shiny blue pedal bike. After only a week of transitioning from a stability bike, my son is already pedalling, just about unaided except for the occasional nudge to assist us get alongside. I couldn’t be prouder. However, it acquired me considering – will his newfound independence spell the top of our days driving collectively on my bike?
I’ve carried my son on my bike since he was round a yr previous, first in a rear rack-mounted Bobike seat, earlier than transitioning to the Children Experience Shotgun seat in early 2024. The Shotgun seat attaches to the highest tube, giving your baby a entrance seat on all of the motion. However now, hastily, he’s cell with out me powering the pedals. After simply three years, I’m already being deserted by my son in favour of a extra stimulating various. If it’s the finish of our Shotgun adventures, I’ll be unhappy, however okay with it. We made plenty of recollections driving collectively in 2024 and I do know we are going to make many extra as he begins to journey his bike additional.
I personally wouldn’t have had an excellent yr on the bike with out the Shotgun seat; 2024 wasn’t my biggest by way of mileage. First, a particularly moist spring stifled my motivation, then a brand new job right here at Biking Weekly shifted my focus, and – lastly – a irritating knee damage saved me principally off the bike from September. The yr was over earlier than it ever acquired going. The Shotgun seat supplied a good way to get out for shorter, extra relaxed rides once I completely lacked motivation or didn’t need to sacrifice my time with my son.
Looking for wildlife is a necessary a part of most rides with my son
(Picture credit score: Future/Matt Ischt-Barnard)
In late July we mixed our love of trains with an enormous bike journey, hopping only a few stations alongside the road and driving a barely bold 35km principally traffic-free route dwelling. It was a journey filled with surprises and full of potential, extra importantly, loads to maintain a toddler occupied. We handed by a home with extra Gnomes than a Gnome manufacturing unit, stumbled upon a fort in the course of a subject, practically ran over a peacock, ate cookies the dimensions of our faces and plenty of waving was carried out at livestock alongside the practically solely traffic-free route. This actually was a magic few hours, I needed it was my on a regular basis.
We adopted this up in August by utilizing the bike completely to get round through the annual Airbourne Airshow weekend, in our dwelling city of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. For many who have by no means visited Airbourne, nicely, it will get busy. Shifting round this small city through the weekend means both sitting in site visitors jams or getting caught at closed highway indicators. So one of the simplest ways to get round is by bike, my Cotic SolarisMax hardtail mountain bike fitted with the Shotgun seat allowed us to make use of all of the closed roads to get to the very best viewing spots and skip the crowds. Bikes, planes, ice cream and for some motive at all times a critical quantity of stickers, what may very well be higher than that?
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Easy adventures are sometimes the very best
(Picture credit score: Future/Matt Ischt-Barnard)
A few of my favorite rides in 2024 and core recollections made weren’t even that adventurous. Numerous them had been simply doing the kilometre or so to the nursery. Driving alongside the seafront, witnessing the dawn, saying good morning to the swimmers or seeing the monster diggers doing their annual Longshore drift reversal chug alongside the pebbles actually made my days higher. The Shotgun seat appears to deliver happiness to individuals from each demographic. Driving alongside you may see faces mild up, perhaps it is my son’s beaming smile or simply the sight of a father and son spending high quality time collectively, however it seems like we deliver a little bit of pleasure to everybody’s day and thats cool.
If I had one remorse it is we did not get the Children Experience Shotgun seat sooner. I actually do hope we now have extra time sharing one bike, I’m not able to see it go simply but. On the very least I can nonetheless see excessive of him and we’re nonetheless nicely throughout the advisable weight restrict so, in concept, we now have mileage forward of us. Regardless if we’re on one bike or two, my one hope is that bikes assist us journey lengthy into the longer term, even whether it is simply on the way in which to an enormous college. I hope that is simply the beginning.