After we had a kid, several people told us it was time to stop riding bikes and invest in a car. This is Canada, after all, where the majority of Canadian parents use huge SUVs to move their kids around, despite their climate impacts.

For seven years we resisted the call to conform, but a few months ago we finally broke down and bought our first family vehicle. A beautiful Tern HSD P9.

It might not be a traditional motor vehicle, but it does have a motor, space for an extra passenger, and a lot of cargo room.

The Tern is our first family bike. Emily and I both ride it equally. I’m 22 cm taller than Emily and it’s rare to find a bike that can comfortably fit both of us, but the seat post on our Tern HSD has a telescoptic stem that can easily accommodate both of our heights.

The Tern is our 2nd e-bike, as Emily also has a RadCity that she uses on a regular basis.

We’ve really seen an explosion of e-bikes in Vancouver over the past few years. Everywhere we go, the bike racks are packed with Radwagons, Terns, and other e-bikes. They don’t get the same media buzz that electric vehicles do, but the 280 million e-bikes around the world are having a much bigger impact on reducing carbon emissions than all of the EVs are – 4 times as much!

With two e-bikes and room for a passenger, we’ve managed several long trips now that would have been hard to do before – like visiting Richmond’s Terra Nova Park, biking across the city with chairs and blankets for Folk Fest, and riding up a mountain to Lynn Valley to go hiking. We’re excited to try a bike camping trip next summer.

The only limitation is finding safe cycling infrastructure between us and our destinations. Unfortunately, both ferry terminals are treacherous to get to so that limits our range. Hopefully we’ll see some progress on cycle highways offering regional connections in the next few years.

We were lucky to qualify and successfully recieve a BC e-bike rebate (it ran out of funding within a few hours of going live!), which helped subsidize our purchase and gave us that extra incentive to invest in a solid family bike.

Bike Trailer vs Cargo Bike

Ther Tern HSD has been an awesome new addition for us, but we did manage to live as a car-free family before, and a bike trailer was the key. We used it to take our daughter everywhere and transport all kinds of large loads.

E-cargo bikes weren’t really an option for us 5 years ago (they were rare and very expensive). If we were starting a family today I’d be hard pressed to choose between an e-cargo bike and a bike trailer.

Benefits of a Bike Trailer

• Comfortable for sleepy children
• Has a built-in roof to keep the weather out
• Connects to conventional or electric bikes with a hitch
• Wider wheelbase provides stabilty, even with heavy loads
• More versatile carrying capacity

The bike trailer reallly worked well for us when our daughter was in daycare. One parent would drop her off and leave the bike trailer with the strollers at daycare. The other parent would pick her up and connect the trailer to their own bike.

Downsides of a Bike Trailer

• Takes up more space
• Harder to park
• Older kids will outgrow it (our 7 year old is too big)

Benefits of an E-Cargo Bike

• Similar size to a convential bike, so it can go in the same places (bike racks, public transit)
• Handles a wide range of passengers (infants to adults)
• Lots of accessories and attachments (child seats, handle bars, storm shields)
• Passenger is closer to you, so it’s easier to have a conversation

Downsides of an E-Cargo Bike

• More expensive
• Trickier to balance heavy loads
• Passenger is closer to you (hope you’re not gassy💨)

Depending on who is going to be riding the bike, how many kids you have, and what trips you want to do, bike trailers or e-cargo bikes might be a perfect fit for you. [I haven’t mentioned the front-loading cargo bikes because I haven’t ridden one before, but they have their own advantages.] The main takeway here is that there are a number of options for families who are hoping to live a more active, car-free lifestyle.