Recs for Mountains and Towing Kids?

[Apline87]

Hi There,

This forum has been great! Been reading a lot of posts and have learned a lot. I'm seeking some advice on the best options for mountains and towing kids.

I live at 10,000ft in the Rockies. Lots and lots of hills. I also have a toddler who I tow via a Thule Chariot most of the time I go for a ride. I'm primarily riding for fitness, just can't find time in the day where I don't have him in tow!

I'm attracted to the idea of a high-performance electric gravel bike. I spend 70% of my time on a paved road and 30% on gravel. Because I'm towing a kid, I'm not really in it for speed but would love the assistance up hills.

I'm attracted to a carbon frame to offset the weight, but that seems inadvisable given my use case towing? Maybe aluminum? I often load my bike onto a roof rack, so weight matters there as well when juggling a kid. Plus, on the days I can go solo it would be fun to fly ;-).

Wondered if anyone has gone through a similar decision and what they might advise. I was attracted to models from Specialized such as the Turbo Creo. No firm budget. I'm looking for value. Price vs features and longevity. My fear buying a $9k e-bike is that it would be close to obsolete in a few years.

Thanks for your help!

 

[WattsUpDude]

Yamaha Civante + gravel tires! I currently tow a three and one year old in a Burley Encore X with a Yamaha Urban Rush in the SF Bay Area so I also deal with a lot of hills. The Yamahas have a ton of torque for climbing. They’re very versatile bikes. It can fit 38mm tires with fenders and even wider if you forgo them.

 

[Dallant]

I wonder what kind of gravel you generally encounter. I’ve done quite a bit of gravel and some toddler hauling (with a Burley) on my Trek Allant+7 and love the bike. The Bosch Performance Line CX motor gets me up the significant number of hills on my normal route though most of them are not gravel. The aluminum Allant is in the upper-50 lb range so, with my bum shoulder, I’m sure not lifting it to the top of any roof rack. I own a Hollywood rack on the 2” hitch of my Toyota RAV4 and it easily handles both of our Allants.
For me it came down to what local shops I could buy and get good service from. Trek has a lot of shops in my area so that made the decision easy for me. Good luck in your search.

 

[PDoz]

A toddler will have different needs in a couple of years, so rather than spend big $ on a carbon framed bike go for something alloy and versatile. . You want longish chain stays ( not good when solo) - think Giant / Trek or Haibike.

There's a few options for towing as they get more independent, I use a trax https://www.emtbforums.com/community/threads/tow-ropes-trax.9088/

I've replaced the line with some longer dyneema , but it's been great.

Towing chews through batteries - we do shuttle runs where I drag a kid up about 1200 m and then blast down together. Any more than that would need more tgan my 500 wh battery.

re. Putting the bike on a roof - an easilly removable battery gives you the chance to remove 3+ kg for the lift

In a few years that toddler will want dad to come mtb riding.....

 

[Apline87]

Thanks for the recs everyone! Looking into these options. Also realizing also that while there are a dozen+ dealers in our town, they majorly skew toward MTBs. Seems Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, and Tern are some of the more available brands in the area. I could travel for others but I'm not thrilled about that idea.

 

[WattsUpDude]

If there’s a model you specifically want to check out, go on the manufacturer’s website and see if they have a dealership locator. You may have more options than you think.

 

[Krishdoc]

Hi! I am new to this forum and

have a very similar question as well- however I am looking for a budget e bike- radmission vs ride1up vs espin sport, will they be able to tow a weehoo trailer + child = 70 lbs? Also any of them compatible with a kids ride ‘shotgun’ seat? Attaching a photo for reference.

 

[legsofbeer]

I am looking for a budget e bike- radmission vs ride1up vs espin sport, will they be able to tow a weehoo trailer + child = 70 lbs?

I've towed 70+ lb of groceries home with a stock radrover, using just PAS 3. Had to remind myself to keep the speed under the trailer's 15 mph limit. Used a Titanker over axle trailer hitch, had to replace the bike's flange 12mm nut with a regular nut (M12, 1.75 pitch). If you're going this route I'd recommend a beefier model than the radmission; your kids aren't gonna get lighter and gears on your bike are useful there.

 

[Dallant]

That’s quite the rig! I’ve never heard of or seen the ‘shotgun’ seat. I’d be concerned having a kid ride there in case of a crash.

 

[Krishdoc]

I've towed 70+ lb of groceries home with a stock radrover, using just PAS 3. Had to remind myself to keep the speed under the trailer's 15 mph limit. Used a Titanker over axle trailer hitch, had to replace the bike's flange 12mm nut with a regular nut (M12, 1.75 pitch). If you're going this route I'd recommend a beefier model than the radmission; your kids aren't gonna get lighter and gears on your bike are useful there.

Thank you - that input helps! Worried about lack of gears in radmission

 

[Krishdoc]

That’s quite the rig! I’ve never heard of or seen the ‘shotgun’ seat. I’d be concerned having a kid ride there in case of a crash

That’s quite the rig! I’ve never heard of or seen the ‘shotgun’ seat. I’d be concerned having a kid ride there in case of a crash.

Yes my daughter loves it- she can interact with me during the ride which is great. Safer than I expected- https://kidsrideshotgun.com/