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Yuba Hangs Kids From New Monkey Bars For Mundo Cargo Bike

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monkey-bar-yuba-2-with-3-kids

Billed as the “new station wagon,” cargo-bikes are finally taking hold in the States like they have done in Europe for so long. And while early proponents of the movement thought most users would haul cargo, it was moms who stepped up and decided these “long-tails” would fit the bill for the daily kid-commute. Well, the rest is history and producers like Yuba have been filling that bill with increasingly better designs.

Today, meet Yuba’s Monkey Bars (compatible with the Yuba Mundo V4 only) – the most safety-conscience solution to towing the tots, up to three of them if you are so inclined. Fully encompassed by the highly adjustable wrap-around Monkey Bar, the kids can monkey around more with far less risk of falling off and bumping a head. Monkey around after the break to catch more pics and Yuba’s fun video…

Perfect for expanding families the Yuba Mudo with the Monkey Bars addition may be just the ticket to imbue your kids with a love for getting out and riding.

monkey-bars-2-Yuba-addition

With the use of tubular aluminum, the Monkey Bars have an adjustable inner railing for those monkeys to get a grip on and an outer railing for protection. No pinched or banged fingers here!

monkey-bars-2-Yuba-addition

The system is compatable with the Peanut Shell baby seat, so you can get your money’s worth from infant to toddler, all the way up to age 7.

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Upsidedownbiker
Upsidedownbiker
10 years ago

Aside from the few shots of parents riding with no helmets and the one with a child with no helmet… I have to wonder the safety of having nothing supporting the Child(ren) let alone the extra weight from multiple children. Cargo weight is different than a moving around bunch of children. Good luck with that thing..

Will
Will
10 years ago

Call the wambulance. People are such [deleted] these days. Kids get hurt, it builds character. (Says a guy with no kids).

NCMTB
NCMTB
10 years ago

I have almost the same setup with an xtracycle off a steel disc brake commuter bike. 120lbs of bike and kid on our family weekly greenway rides is super fun and pretty easy to ride. Granted I am not a trier or roadie with limited bike handling skills. My three kids are way more engaged in the cycling experience this way compared to being stuck in a trailer. I don’t know why Americans seem to have such a limited scope of what bikes are capable of.

King County
King County
10 years ago

People are already hauling kids around with this style bike, extra bars or not! Follow the link below to a famous actor and actress wife, who could use this as they bike with their children.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2465350/Naomi-Watts-clings-Liev-Schreiber-uses-pedal-power-ride-bike-family-board.html

dea 1276
dea 1276
10 years ago

Yeah kids get hurt all the time but this looks like a great way to break legs or bruise internal organs. If you did go down it would be very easy for a limb to catch in that cage.

Mike
Mike
10 years ago

Great idea, so now when the the crash occurs the kids are trapped. Underdeveloped neck muscles and falling from a height, bring on the T.B.I’s. This type of stupid B.S. is going to lead to bicycle licenses and mandatory insurance. Those kids are old enough to ride their own bikes. Attachment parenting should be illegal.

uglyyeti
uglyyeti
10 years ago

Wow, do you guys come here for the stationary bike news? Storing kids in protective bubbles has downsides, too.

I had both of my kids on the back of my Xtracycle from age 3 or 4 holding onto nothing more than a short flat bar on a stoker stem. Lesson number one? “Don’t let go!” Six years later they’re both still alive and riding on their own.

NCMTB
NCMTB
10 years ago

@Mike, where do ride that you crash so much and have you ever tried to control safely three kids on their own bikes by yourself let alone in a situation where cars are involved? This has nothing to do with attachment parenting, it is just common sense and safer in almost all situations. I put 3K in with kids in this setup this year, and if you can imagine it not a single accident or issue other then constant friendly comments from almost all who see us.

@uglyyeti has it right and kudos for being an awesome parent. I am sure you have helped create two lifelong cyclists

chasejj
chasejj
10 years ago

Whatever….I see these parents doing this and it just makes zero sense.
You’ll do it 3 times after spending mega $$$$ buying some crazy heavy ass contraption.

My kids like it when I load their tricked out full suspension MTB’s in the back of my Monster truck and drive to the trailhead and ride wih the dog up dirt trails and scream down. Now that is fun.
This is nothing more than clinging to some utopian liberal cycling idea that doesn’t actually exist except in the minds of those city people who are way to caught up in trying to out enviro the next DB parent they run into. I am certain every buyer of a bike like this also is driving a Prius or shoving the kids into some nightmare Fiat/Smart death trap.

I’ll pass. When is the new 11 spd XTR coming out?

Rico
Rico
10 years ago

Comment #1 took my thought about the unsecured, wobbly mass ABOVE the rear axle. If they are serious about transporting 3 kids at once, they should stow them in the package delivery bike with the flat floor AHEAD of the driver and BELOW the axle height. Other than that, I got nothing. Apparently this kind of dangerous parenting is laudable, as opposed to letting kids play on an old fashioned jungle gym, 8 foot slide or teeter totter.

hubcap
hubcap
10 years ago

A lot of people here seem to think they know how longtails are not being used by their owners or how dangerously unbalanced they are without ever throwing a leg over one.

I have had a Yuba Mundo for 4 years and have had my kids riding on the back from day one. Initially one at 4-yrs old hanging onto the stoker bars with the 2-yr old behind him in the peanut shell seat. We do 20+ mile rides every weekend until the snow flies. My son is now 8 and rides in the stoker spot on a tandem with my wife captaining. My 5-yr old still rides with me on the Yuba. They both enjoy riding their own bikes, but I’m not considering pushing my daughter to ride 20 or 30 miles on her own at her age.

We’ve dropped the bike exactly once in those 4 years. Trying to climb out of a ditch I tried to cross and lost traction on the rear wheel. No damage, no injuries, just laughs from the kids lying in the mud.

The bike is extremely stable. It’s not uncommon for me to have my wife climb on the back with the two kids for us to go short distances. The front end gets pretty light in those circumstances, but the bike is built for it.

uglyyeti
uglyyeti
10 years ago

If you’ve never ridden one of these, the wheel base is so long that they’re incredibly stable. I’ve had a long bike for 6 years and never once felt like I was putting myself or my kids in danger. I’ve carried adults on the back with no weird center of gravity issues. The only handling drawback is that it’s impossible to get the front end up and over a curb – you have to look for curb cuts.

And yes, it is laudable to teach kids that you don’t always have to get in the car to drive a few blocks to the store/park/school if you live in a community where you can do it safely.

scotty
scotty
10 years ago

cargo bikes are common in many countries. thousands if not millions of children ride on them with their parents at the helm. they are safer than strapping your kid in a car. Go to Denmark or The Netherlands and you’ll see families riding around on similar bikes and none of them wer helmets.

frank
frank
10 years ago

People in the US are way too stuck up about safty on a bike. I’m all for helmets and what not, but there are entire countries where a parent will carry 1-3 kids on a bicycle with them with no child seat, rack, certainly no fancy long bike. The link below is to an photo I took in Nicaragua this spring. This sort of thing was VERY common, I saw kids riding standing on the top tube (most common), handlebars, chain stays, or sitting on a rear rack. Even saw a parent with two kids on the front, an older child side-saddle on the top tube like the girl in the photo, another on the handlebars. Another set up was a kid in front on the top tube, another in the back on the seat (dad rides standing) or rack.

comment image

If we could just learn to slow down and take it easy I think there’s a lot of safe ways for a family to get around on a bicycle… of course the rest of the roadway users have to take it easy too.

frank
frank
10 years ago

I meant to write that SITTING on the top tube was the most common form of carrying a passenger around on a bike in Nicaragua.

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

You know someone’s point is weak when they have to throw in a political slur to make said point.

Despite chasejj’s myopic and insulting view, something like this makes sense for a lot of people for whom cycling is more than recreation but an integral part of daily life, a life in which kid’s might need picked up on the way to an errand and any number of others scenarios. Not everyone wants or needs to throw their bikes in the back of a truck or even to own a truck. I saw several families living just as such in Tucson, using bikes, including cargo bikes, to take care of their daily tasks with kids in tow.

rico
rico
10 years ago

I ride with my kid a lot in a pull cart thing. It works fine for now but this setup looks good. I asked my friends from NL and FI about their thoughts on kid’s setups and they both thought that really small kids do well in the front/bars seat because you can see them and chat to them and they don’t get bored because thety have a better view.

You guys should see the beautiful bikes they use in Amsterdam with like wooden boat type front end with seats for a kid or two and some groceries. No helmets, no problem. Hot babes in heels and a dress pedalling along (lots)… USA biking doesn’t know what it’s missing.

chad r
chad r
10 years ago

All of the people, in their cars, who think this is a bad idea are the only reason I am scared when riding my bike with my 2 year old in the ibert. I live close to work, close to his day care, and close to the center of my town, and I enjoy riding for various reasons. My son loves riding on the front of my bike, and with a second one on the way, a bike like this is, or a dutch Bakfiets, would be great. My biggest hurdle is people behind the wheel of their car who still think bikes have no business being on the road. The Dutch ride bikes with the kids “attached” all over the frames. Accidents happen. Everyone has different mindsets when it comes to raising their children. No one is right or wrong. I want my son(s) to know there are alternatives to driving everywhere, and that cycling can be very healthy and useful. To each his own.

Mr_Manatane
Mr_Manatane
10 years ago

@uglyyeti – 10/31/13 – 6:04pm

“If you’ve never ridden one of these, the wheel base is so long that they’re incredibly stable”
Even at low speed or at a stop? how do you load and unload your children with this thing?
Moreover, what does this stuff offer for the children safety and confort? one ridiculous bar for three passengers?

I wouldn’t ride this configuration (three big children sitting on the carrier) at any cicurmstances.
Safe systems exist to carry your children with a bike, but you will have to spend money for them. (nothing harmful because you are a responsible parent) :
cargo bikes are designed to carry heavy loads safely and confortably (for the rider and the “load”), try for example bakfiets.
Bike trailers like croozer or chariot are excellent alternate.

uglyyeti
uglyyeti
10 years ago

@Mr_Manatane

Still incredibly stable at slow speeds. My kids climb on and off while I’m holding the bike steady – I don’t have these side rails and I can see where that would be an issue.

I’ve never carried 3 kids and probably wouldn’t. My bigger kid sat behind the smaller one and grabbed the bar around him. My kids also rode in bike seats until they were old enough and strong enough to ride on the back and hold on. Most of our trips were less than a mile (school is a half mile around a park), but I did take my daughter (when she was 7) on a 13 mile city tour that was part of nat’l bike week (75 riders, escorted w/police.)

I’m 6’1″ and pushing 200 lbs. I’ve been riding mtbs for 25 years, so I’m comfortable with bike handling. I use a wide, low rise DH bar that’s super solid. That being said, another 100 lbs or so on the back of the bike isn’t a handling concern for me. My much smaller wife has carried one of the kids on the back several times too.

I’ve done a trailer – my kids hated it and they don’t corner nearly as well as a long bike. I ditched the trailer as soon as I got the Xtracycle. It doesn’t feel like you’re dragging the weight behind the bike.

I’ve ridden a two wheel Bakfeit with the central basket, and while fun to ride, I don’t think the handling is as nearly natural as a long bike, though it would be huge plus for hauling a large mass that couldn’t balance on the back of a bike (ie a loaded cooler.) I’ve hauled the kids, six packs, gallons of milk, laundry soap, sushi takeout and groceries, but something as simple as a large pizza box can be a challenge because it slides and tips (you can’t tell a pizza to hang on!) I’ve looked at Bakfeit and similar front basket trikes, but I don’t have a garage and they won’t fit through my basement door with the wheels on. One of my neighbors has one and loves it.

My kids are 8 and 10 now – they’ve survived the long bike unscathed and are riding on their own now. It was a blast for them and me. I’m not so sure about the Monkey Bars contraption in the article (I think it has a few issues), but don’t knock a long bike for handling if you haven’t ridden one.

DIg-bee
DIg-bee
10 years ago

I have used my Big Dummy to haul three kids to and from school for several years now. Even though my four and six year old can ride on their own, sometimes you need more control of the commuting process (hearding kids on bikes on a timeline can be a challenge). I have never felt like it was unstable or top heavy.
The kids love it because they can see what is going on around them, unlike the trailer. These bar systems look great to me, just another safety measure that could get another parent of the fence and on their bike with kids in tow. It promotes a fun and healthy lifestyle for your kids see their parents using a bike to transform one of the dullest parts of the day into a fun family activity.

Jody - from Straya
Jody - from Straya
10 years ago

We tried several bikes and ended up with a Bullitt with a steering damper. I knocked together a box that carries 2 children, a case of beer and other groceries. Super stable and quickly becoming or go-to bike (out of 8) with or without cargo. http://www.larryvsharry.com

GaborZol
GaborZol
10 years ago

I have a Mundo, and it feels amazingly stable. When I ride it I feel like I sit ‘in’ the instrument, rather than on it.
Although so far I didn’t carry children, I carried two adults a few times, and large static loads. Once the bike was moving there was no problem, but balancing the unmoving 250 or so pounds required attention.

I have Yuba’s two-legged kickstand, and it is so wide, that I can put 50 pounds of chicken-feed on one of the side bag without the bike toppling. Especially if the bread basket on the front has some load in it.

My passion is cargo bicycles and I have built a few of them (see http://www.transitionamherst.org/blog/blogs/cargo-bicycling/) but I was unable to replicate the Mundo’s stability so far.

As for previous comments, it is true, if there is an accident, it is anyone’s guess how it works out, but the same is true in a car: if your kid is strapped in a real seat by law, they can still get wiplash – and they will likely get it at a much higher speed. With this bike (visibly loaded or not), drivers give me more space, because it is so big and wide – it is very visible.

Chad
Chad
10 years ago

We just brought a mundo home today. Plan to get these monkey bars in a few months so we can put the new guy in the peanut shell, and the 3 year old in the monkey bars. It’s big, but stable. Forward momentum is your friend. My wife and two year old love riding on the back.

Ham-planet
Ham-planet
10 years ago

I live in Europe and I’ve never seen a private cargo bike in the flesh. Cargo bikes have ‘taken hold in Europe’ in the same way that the US is a pan-flat swamp full of alligators and retirees, which Cubans have ‘taken hold of’.

Bryan Bracy
Bryan Bracy
6 years ago

Helmets don’t save lives. If they did, the people in the Netherlands would be wearing them. Go ahead and put your faith in a styro foam hat, but please quit pointing out everytime you see someone not sold on your paranoida.

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