One Year with the Urban Arrow
We got our Urban Arrow exactly one year ago today! We’ve ridden 1235 miles and had many adventures along the way.
Learning to Ride the Urban Arrow
Riding a UA is a bit of an adjustment from riding a traditional bike due to both the bucket and the pedal assist. When we test rode the bike, we got a great suggestion to look out in front of the bike toward the direction you want to go, rather than looking at the front wheel. We also spent some extra time and miles getting comfortable on the bike ourselves before transporting our kiddo in the UA. My ride home from the bike shop with the UA is incredibly vivid in my mind – I was super anxious about the ride, especially because it was not along a usual route of mine, but I had such a wonderful time and rode home grinning ear to ear. I’ve gotten more and more comfortable on turns as time has gone on.
Adjusting to the Seasons
We live in a very hot climate, so our mileage is lower in the summer (especially during hot afternoons). Our mileage lagged a little, but we also adapted the bike to try to ride throughout the year despite the conditions. We’ve ridden in cold weather, with lots of layers for the cyclist and toddler, in light rain (though we don’t yet have the UA rain cover – maybe soon! In preparation for the upcoming summer, we purchased a sun cover and some extra battery-powered fans to keep our toddler cool (or at least less hot!). We’ve learned that preparing and packing for a particular day goes a long way.
Family Adventures
We ride the Urban Arrow most often for daycare drop-offs and work commutes, but we’ve also had some fun adventures on the bike. We’ve ridden out to the lake for picnics, to the pool for swim days, on a Father’s Day cargo bike group ride, and to concerts in the park. We’ve ridden to play golf with a stroller tucked into the bucket. Rides with friends, out for smoothies, to a beloved neighborhood festival.
We love the UA so much that we added another electric cargo bike to our family so that we can all ride together with pedal assist. Aside from the family time on two wheels, the best part of all is watching our daughter develop a love for biking. She eagerly asks to go on the bike every morning and afternoon, and we look forward to continuing to ride with her throughout the years.
