How does a modern Bristol family get around without a car? How does it make the school run, do the shopping, take day-trips? Walking can be time-consuming and tough on small kids. Public transport isn’t the answer either – it’s still pollutive and where I live on Hotwell Road buses don’t stop due to heavy traffic and bad parking. However, six months ago my family found the solution: a tagalong. These contraptions may look like something out of a Victorian circus, but they are sturdy, safe, free (after an initial payment of course) and highly efficient. And they’re just the tip of the iceberg – there are now many options for families wanting to ‘travel green’.
So what are the options and where can you find them? The not-for-profit Bristol Bike Project (http://www.thebristolbikeproject.org ) recycles, repairs and re-sells bicycles of all kinds. They also hire out a tagalong (£6 per day) which, as employee James Lucas explains, is ‘easily interchangeable between bikes’. Tandems (£15 per day/£35 for 3 days/£80 per week) are an alternative, ideal for family members of roughly the same height. The BBP keep their prices low to encourage cycling and plough all their takings back into the project. This sustainable approach recently won them an Observer Ethical Award.
Really Useful Bikes (http://www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk/) in Rodford sells several ‘cargo bikes’, the Rolls Royces of green transport. Proprietor Rob Bushill tells me that ‘choosing the right one is subjective – it depends entirely on where you live and how old/young your family is.’ For the hills of Bristol he recommends the Workcycles FR8 which can carry three kids on a rear seat, an extra saddle with footrests and a Bobike mini seat behind the handlebars. James’ colleague at the BBP, Adam Faraday, lives on the flatter side of Bristol and his only problem is ‘the crazy designs of barrier they put in’. He also wastes time explaining his Danish-made cargo bike ‘to people who’ve never seen one before’. If the hills are too steep, you can always invest in a Sparticle motor (£650) – not hugely eco-friendly but still more so than driving.
There’s also space for luggage on the FR8. The Gazelle Cabby (£1400) has a vinyl passenger compartment with clips for a baby’s Maxi-Cosi. The quintessentially Dutch Backfiets NL (£1700) boasts a hardy wooden box (plus seatbelts) where you can put children, groceries, and plenty else. When the weather turns bad you can attach a waterproof canopy. 8-speed gears, roller brakes and a dynamo all make for a smoother journey.
Next to cargo bikes, the tagalong suddenly sounds rather low-tech! After an initial resistance to tagalongs, Rob is now a fan: ‘The more expensive ones are pretty solid, they can take a lot of bashing!’
With so many good reasons to stop driving – financial, ethical and environmental – the stage is set for a revolution in green transport. With its fine network of cycle paths, inventive community projects and well-stocked bike shops, Bristol should be at the forefront of that.
First published in The Spark Magazine Summer 2011.
Tom Sykes 