Wednesday, August 18, 2010

SIDECAR!

This summer we decided to stop driving. We still own a car, but it's non functioning, and can't leave the neighborhood (or if it does, you can count on it stalling in the middle of the highway. Not safe!)

Since we live in a great neighborhood in Minneapolis, and because we're fortunate to own a business 10 blocks from our home, we've done just fine without a car so far. Dave and I have long had bikes that can transport us around town, but with two kids in tow, things have become more complicated.

Enter, the SIDECAR!


Sidecar bikes are not terribly common, though they're becoming more so. We see a handful around our neighborhood and the west bank, but for the most part most folks have never heard of or seen a sidecar bike.

Dave's friend Molly traded this frame to Dave. It didn't look like much, and I was skeptical at first. He immediately set about restoring the frame, adding the missing parts, painting, and making a plywood floor for the car. The kids, of course, helped a ton.


In just under a week, the sidecar was mostly complete. Dave took Gus with him on the first ride.


Since that day in July, this bike has become our primary vehicle. It hauls groceries, records, the kids, and the dog, though not all at once. The kids love riding on this bike, and we've gone together to the lakes, to the library, and just tooling around town.

For the kids, it's like being in a parade every day. People stop their cars, point and shout "Wow! Great bike!" Folks walking by stop and stare, saying it's unlike anything they've ever seen. They know us at the hardware store, and along Lake Street, it's become something of a fixture. It still needs a little work (we're going to add canvas sides for safety) and you need to plan ahead for long trips since it tops out around 10 or 12 miles per hour, but this bike has become the new family sedan for us. And it seats four!

1 comments:

Mandi said...

Super rad - I want one!