Go on an adventure while keeping your children in sight
Babboe Slim Mountain cargo ebike
Price £3,549, babboe.co.uk
Range 24-37mph
One of the reasons parents in Britain give for not ferrying their kids about by bike is safety. But over in Holland and Germany, cargo bikes are how many families deal with the transport admin of daily life – from the school run to shopping trips. (Maybe these cycles should be renamed ‘precious cargo’ bikes to get more of us on board.) Now Babboe has extended its Slim Mountain range, which is aimed at adventurous parents who want the freedom and fun of travelling longer distances on weekend adventures. The bike has a powerful 250W Yamaha motor coupled to an Enviolo stepless shifting system and force sensor, which allows the motor to adapt the amount of assistance to the rider’s own pedal power. Fully charged it gives you a range of up to 37 miles, depending on load and level of assistance. Front and rear disc brakes are fitted as standard, as are super-bright AXA LED lights. Keeping an eye on the kids couldn’t be easier, as they sit in a straight line in front of the handlebars. This has the added benefit of keeping the bike narrow, making it more manoeuvrable along forest trails. The seats have lap belts, too, so your precious cargo can’t escape.
Shortly after this review appeared, I was contacted by Yuge Lei. She’s someone who defines the spirit of adventure envisaged by Babboe. She recently took the cargo bike through five countries over 14 days, covering a total of about 500km. She wrote a daily blog about it for Babboe. Have a look and see if you feel inspired at babboe.co.uk/boet/category/babboe-slim-on-tour/. Yuge says: ‘We are a family of four trying to make better choices and live a more sustainable life. The choice of acquiring a cargo bike truly transformed our lives and we are on a quest to show other families that business as usual is not the only way forward and that even as a family with small children we can make many better choices.’ Her Instagram account should also raise a smile and have you replanning your next trip: instagram.com/song.of.the.universe/
Cool kit
Never get lost on a bike again with this class-leading, full-colour GPS cycling computer. Elemnt Roam, £299.99, uk.wahoofitness.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166
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