How People Carry Passengers on their Bikes
Passengers riding on bicycles has taken all sorts of different forms over the years, some safe and some well, not so much. There are of course bicycles built specifically for carrying an additional passenger, tandem bikes and cargo bicycles/utility bicycles that are steadily growing in popularity. There are also all sorts of different bike trailers and other towing accessories that allow for luggage and/or an additional passenger.
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Tag along bikes attach to the seat post, towing a second bike behind that a small child can ride on. Photo courtesy of BikePortland.org. |
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And let’s not forget baby carrier seats that have taken on a variety of new variations over the last 30 years, mounting behind the rider and now over the handlebars as well. There's almost room for the whole family all on one bike now! |
We’ve all ridden on the handlebars of a friend’s bike at least once or twice, and found it both uncomfortable for the passenger and incredibly awkward for the driver. Steering the bike is a lot more difficult and it’s a lot harder to see where you’re riding when there’s someone blocking your view!
Foot pegs, most often used for tricks on smaller BMX bikes, are also pretty handy for carrying a passenger on your bike. It’s of course standing-room-only service and requires the passenger to balance, often holding onto the shoulders of the rider … definitely not convenient for any sort of longer-distance ride.
Carrying a passenger on a bicycle is often referred to as “doubling” or riding “Dutch” – the latter largely because it’s an incredibly common way for people to transport in Holland. The most common way of doubling on a bicycle in Holland (without a Companion Bike Seat of course) involves the passenger hopping onto a bike-rack over the rear-wheel and away they go!
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Here’s a great video, “What defines Dutch Cycling?” that shows the extent to which bicycles are exploited as multi-passenger vehicles in Holland, starting around 1:15 in the video. Video courtesy of Bicycle Dutch - Cycling in the Netherlands, a blog dedicated to spreading Dutch cycling habits to the masses. |
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And here’s a quote from one of our customers who grew up in Holland (now lives in New York City), writing about her experience as a child:
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“I was practically taken home from the hospital when I was born on the back of my mom's bike! Jumping on the back of your friend's bike is something that you do regularly in Holland. And of course people jumping on the back of yours.” |
Bicycling and bike commuting is a regular way of life in Holland and a great model for what our cities could look like here in the US as bike commuting continues to grow in popularity. If all it takes is a safe and convenient way to carry a passenger on a bicycle that’s accessible to the masses, then Companion Bike Seats just might be the catalyst needed to transform the US into a bike commuting nation!
Order your Companion Bike Seat today!
Order your Companion Bike Seat today!
